Reflecting on Two Years of Bloom Arts and Looking Towards the Future
[Top photo by Peter Hoblitzell]
I cannot believe that we are celebrating two(!!) years of Bloom Arts Strategy this month. I feel so fortunate to be able to do this work and lean into the things that I care about most by supporting artists and organizations that are creating positive change in the world.
My initial drive to create this organization was two-fold. I wanted to be able to have a greater impact by working with more arts organizations and artists, and I also wanted to have the freedom to pursue projects and initiatives that really lit me up.
I have learned a lot in the last two years, and we have done a lot in the last two years, and yet we are only beginning to scratch the surface of that greater impact I initially set out to achieve. At Bloom Arts, we have the ability to be nimble and flexible and proactive and responsive, and it is my intent to wield those abilities for the greater good of our shared community. There is no better example of that than what is going on right now with the National Endowment for the Arts and the blatantly inhumane acts of the federal government since January 21st.
It is our mission to support artists and arts organizations in order to transform communities, and right now, the way that we are doing that is by galvanizing our colleagues and collaborators to fight a vindictive, reckless, hateful, and dangerous administration. I believe that by using our voices and our art to stand up for the values that we hold dear - and to stand up for each other - we can persevere.
It is my intent to use Bloom Arts Strategy to support this effort by championing artists and organizations as they need in this moment, whether that's through fundraising or strategy, or as a megaphone, foundation, resource, or connector. I invite you to join us in this fight:
Call your representatives and tell them why the arts are important to you and why we need to preserve the NEA
Reach out to your favorite artists and arts organizations and check in on them. Ask how you can help them
Use social media to amplify stories, leaders, activists, and messages that lift up the arts and its impact
Donate to artists and organizations that are doing work that matters to you
Stay informed about the ever-shifting socio-political landscape that we are currently navigating
Speak out to your family, friends, colleagues, and wider network about why the arts are integral to a fair, just, and vibrant society
And while Bloom Arts may be the platform through which I hope to enact lasting change, I also invite you to find your own - whether that be your work, artistic practice, relationships, purchasing power, dialogue, or myriad other avenues. Our individual power is mighty and our collective strength is infinite.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who has been a part of the Bloom Arts Strategy community over the last two years. You make this work joyous and heartful. Thank you for trusting us. We look forward to many more years of impact and transformation alongside you.
With gratitude,
Stacy
