The 3W Podcast
From the people that bring you 3W Magazine, welcome to the 3W Podcast! We aim to serve our community by promoting awareness of Northwest Arkansas’ thriving philanthropic movement; To provide a guide of dates to help coordinate events so every nonprofit gets the coverage they need and deserve; To give financially to local charities each year.
The 3W Podcast
The 3W Podcast: Anne Jackson - Part 1
Sixty years of artistic heritage deserves a celebration unlike any other. That's exactly what Anne Jackson, executive director of Arts One Presents, has created with their inaugural gala happening Sept. 4 at Sassafras Springs Vineyard.
"This is not a program – this is a production," Anne explains, describing how they've reimagined what a fundraising event can be.
What truly distinguishes this gala is how the entertainment seamlessly integrates throughout the evening. Nine performances from past Arts One Presents and ACO productions will transport guests through the organization's rich history, with numbers from "The Sound of Music," "Beauty and the Beast," "The Wizard of Oz," and even "Kiss Me, Kate." Some original cast members are returning specifically for this event, giving attendees a chance to experience shows they might have missed.
Even the culinary experience becomes art, with visually stunning food presentations and custom-designed edible centerpieces created by Jennifer from Shelby Lynn's Cake Shoppe featuring chocolate molds and edible gold. "Everything is art," Anne emphasizes, explaining how they've crafted an experience that engages all the senses.
From their visual art installations throughout Springdale to their partnership with local schools for performance spaces, Arts One Presents has transformed challenges into opportunities for deeper community connection. Join them in cocktail attire "with an artistic flair" to support 60 more years of arts in Northwest Arkansas. Reserve your place at artsonepresents.org and become part of this continuing artistic legacy.
Hey everybody, welcome back to the 3W podcast. Thank you so much for joining me. It's been a bit. I kind of took a hiatus in the summer, so apologies, but we're back full force. Please help me welcome my dear friend, anne Jackson. Anne, thank you, hello, good morning. Good morning, I'm so excited you could join me again. It's been about a year since you've been on here. Oh, my gosh, really yes. I know, since the like humongous fungus, or that's right.
Speaker 2:A year ago. Correct the community center. You're exactly right. Yeah, I'm super excited to be here with you again.
Speaker 1:So I'm excited, so we're going to do two podcasts today, part one and part two. We're going to jump right in. First of all, anne, tell everyone who you are, real fast.
Speaker 2:I'm the executive director of Arts One Presents. It's a nonprofit arts organization. We're based in Springdale but we serve all of Northwest Arkansas.
Speaker 1:And it has great backstories. It's had 500 names, but that's okay it has. We'll dive into that. Yes, please listen to A Year Ago, because it does have a really amazing history. I love that, like Springdale Music Club or something like that. Yes, you're exactly right, Okay yeah, but we're going to dive into the gala first and foremost, and then we're going to backtrack in part two to all the productions that have happened and are going to happen.
Speaker 2:Yes, because we also have 500 things happening this year.
Speaker 1:It's important to have 500 things happening all at one time. Yes, for sure you don't want to like get tired. That's the only way that I know how to live Right, full throttle. Let's go, okay. Arts One Gala. Arts One Gala Inaugural yes, september 4th September 4th A Thursday.
Speaker 2:I love a Thursday event.
Speaker 1:I love a Thursday because I can sleep in on a Saturday 100%. Yes.
Speaker 2:So Thursday event it's at Sassafras Springs Vineyard.
Speaker 1:Yeah so where?
Speaker 2:where's it out there? It's at the Barn Event Center building that has the beautiful back patio that overlooks the vineyard.
Speaker 1:I'm with you.
Speaker 2:Yes, so we are kicking off at 530 on the back patio with cocktails and art. There are art experiences. There is art. What does that mean? That means that you're going to get to actually interact with artworks, and some that are living artworks, and so, yeah, so there's some experiences like that. You're going to get to see artists painting live.
Speaker 1:I love that. One of my most favorite, favorite situations whatever we call that was that. I think it was the first year of BFF At their.
Speaker 2:It used to be a huge, giant fancy party on night one and somebody was painting party on night one and somebody was painting.
Speaker 1:I think with his hands in the great hall to. Prince? Yes, but we didn't know, and it was like he painted it upside down and then they flip it. They flipped it and it was. I think it was Prince and he happened to be painting to Prince music or something like that, and I mean flanked with flowers, and he was just doing all these things with his hands. It's incredible when they do that, and it turned into a masterpiece that everybody would know what that was.
Speaker 2:Yes, no, for sure, that's one of the cooler. I love those kind of experiences too. What we're doing with this is we have three local artists who are going to be setting up and painting in their unique styles each in their unique styles and those artworks are going to be part of the auction. So we have an art auction that is kind of bringing back the 5x5.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, the old ACO Art Center of the Ozarks 5x5 event that used to happen every fall.
Speaker 2:Yes, and it is a beloved event, and so we are bringing that back. We have about 60 artworks that are 5x5s, because we're all about the number 60 this year.
Speaker 2:So we have about 60 artworks in the 5x5 realm. Some are sculptural, some are canvas, of course, and then some are just super unique. Have you seen any? I have Like. Luckily, about most of them are in our office right now and so I already have like ones that I'm like ready to bid on today. By now I today Buy now, I know I know, so I'll let everybody else have their whatever.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so there's some incredible stuff. There's some contemporary work, there's some very classic traditional work. There is some fun, funny work For all you Chapel Roan fans. Okay, there might be a little chapel roan work in there that I'm a little bit obsessed with right now.
Speaker 1:I know you love her.
Speaker 2:I do love her, yes, so yeah, there's really cool stuff.
Speaker 1:I'm just like, did she do it, or it's just inspired I wish okay, okay it's, it's a very donated a bunch of pieces recently. That's true To somewhere in Missouri, oh yeah, where she's from. All of her Some costumes, yeah.
Speaker 2:This is a very inspired buy, so, yeah, really cool. I mean, some of these artists have just outdone themselves on what they've given us for this art auction. So you know, Zeke Taylor.
Speaker 1:Eureka right yeah, john.
Speaker 2:Rankin, another Eureka artist, Roxy Erickson, just a lot of notable names around here. Amber Paradon I mean, don't we love?
Speaker 1:her yes.
Speaker 2:So, anyway, we've got a lot of great artists in the show. We have three artists who are painting live. All of those are going to be available in the auction and the auction happens that night. I think we may launch it a little bit beforehand for all those who maybe can't attend but want to participate Because this is post-Labor Day.
Speaker 1:We're already back in school. Every one with a child is going 500 directions, so we'll maybe have some online bidding.
Speaker 2:Online bidding, for sure. And then the night of, we'll be auctioning some art, so that's super fun. We have lots of I'm calling them just Instagrammable moments. I love this. Yes, at that cocktail hour and a half, and so it'll be great, it'll be a lovely night, and then at 7 pm we'll seat everyone for dinner inside, and you know, a lot of times there's a dinner and a program. I'm going to say this is not a program, this is a program. I am going to say this is not a program.
Speaker 2:This is a production, so this whole event is more like what we do. This is more of a production.
Speaker 2:And so, yes, your entertainment is all just woven throughout the night. We have nine acts Nine, yes that are that range from Arts One shows that we've done in the past to a couple of older shows that the ACO did in the past, and we have the actual actors coming back to perform some of these numbers. So we're super excited about that. And so, yeah, for people that also missed some of our shows, come to the gala because you're probably going to see a number from something that you may have missed.
Speaker 1:This is awesome.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:This is so creative. I love it. Because we were just talking off stage, off mic off, whatever You're like. I can't focus on anyone else's gala. I'm focused on my gala, and it's been a long time since you've been involved in a gala.
Speaker 2:On this level. Yes, yeah for sure, Planning one myself. I mean, I've been on committees with larger galas, etc. But this one has been very all-consuming for sure. We've been planning it for over a year now and, yeah, we're excited that it's finally going to be here. One of the biggest things about this event and this year is we wanted to really recognize the history of the organization and all of kind of how the roots of this organization is really what started the arts movement in some way in. Springdale the backstory is the best.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just well. We talked about it last year and I was just absolutely blown away because it has so many stages, yes, and name changes. So many stages, yes, and name changes. And they all meant something. They all encompassed what it was before, but it grew to something more moving forward every time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was real music focused and um then kind of grew into you know this, this uh arts, not really council, but this arts center, um and uh but it had council in the word at one time, didn't it? Yes, you know I'm going to say I would have to look at our website right now to see all the names, but I think it did yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. For sure yeah, the Fine Arts Council.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the.
Speaker 2:Fine Arts Council. Yeah, you're exactly right. And so, yeah, it went through a lot of iterations and names while they were kind of figuring out getting going. But between 1964 and 1967, there's just a lot that happened kind of legally creating this nonprofit organization that you know. That federal ID number that you know was had in 1964 to 1967 is the same one that we still have today and that's how many iterations it's gone through.
Speaker 2:And I would say, you know, what we've kept alive is the roots being in Springdale, the work that we're doing, really putting Springdale kind of in the forefront of of of our efforts, um, and bringing people into the city and working with the city and working with downtown. Um, and really kind of working with the businesses to help um bring artists in and use this as a playground for artists as well, um, and not just visual arts but obviously performing arts. And so, you know, because we don't have a home theater anymore, we have to sometimes be creative or create partnerships, like we've done with Springdale Schools, in order to have space and have incredible spaces to do some really large productions, immaculate spaces by the way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the Don Tyson School of Innovation's Performing Arts Center is the Pat Ellison Performing Arts Center and you know it's right under 1,200 seats. It is an incredible space, great technology, and we're really lucky that we've been able to do four summer musicals there now. Yeah, how insane is that? It's so cool. I love it, yeah, and I think I think, honestly, I really think the school loved it too, because we were really the first and maybe only musical so far that's been on that stage, and when we came in, we really utilized every aspect of that technology in that theater, probably more so than had been used. So it's like they were able to learn how to use some of their own stuff by working on our shows too, you know so it's really good, yeah, paying it forward it is and we work with the students.
Speaker 2:Um and uh, it's really great to kind of see how that has developed over time too, but I know we're gonna we're gonna catch on some of that later, yeah I'm with you.
Speaker 1:We could go in 20 different tracks back to the gala yeah, back to the gala. So so we're going to have dinner and then we're going to have nine acts, nine, yeah, nine performances, kind of woven throughout yeah and there's going to be everything from Sound of Music to Beauty and the Beast to the most recent.
Speaker 2:Wizard of Oz to Kiss Me, kate from back in the ACO days. Oh my gosh, I know so it's going to be great.
Speaker 1:Okay, and then what time do you anticipate the gala ending?
Speaker 2:We are going to get people out of there by around 845.
Speaker 1:Oh, this is a super fast gala.
Speaker 2:We are kind of excited and I know everyone's going to love you for that, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I will say this we have a board who is very event savvy, who has gone to a lot of events, as have I, and we sat around the table and we said we need people cannot get bored. No, people can't sit there forever. And you know whatever, we got to keep this moving, we got to keep it exciting, we got to keep it going. So, um, anyway, we are really timed to the minute, which we do well because of productions, um and yeah, so we're, we're kind of ready to go.
Speaker 1:I love you for that. Yeah, I went to an event last night and it was six to eight and I was home by 8 30 oh nice right yeah, that's great, it was so great. This was uh, one, two, five courses, okay, with four wine pairings, and I was not, so yeah mingle chat, eat chat, dessert peace. Yeah, it was so great, amazing now. So.
Speaker 2:I love you for that. Well, and you know we've got I kind of I'm I'm big on um in my history of event planning, creating experiences that touch all of your sensory senses. And so, um, you know the from everything. Everything is art. From the food that you will be served, um, with working with a caterer we talked about like, yes, I want it to be super delicious, super fresh, um, and I want it to be beautiful.
Speaker 1:Are you having them plate in a certain way, sort of they are.
Speaker 2:Yes, and so, um, yeah, so we picked, we picked things that they, things that they know when they played it.
Speaker 1:It is a beautiful like display.
Speaker 2:Okay, we also have Jennifer from Shelby Lens. Oh.
Speaker 1:Has been.
Speaker 2:I love her. I do too.
Speaker 1:Her cakes. Anything she touches is a masterpiece.
Speaker 2:Well, and so she was the first Like when we were like, like, okay, I, I want something super memorable on that table. And what it? What if it was edible? Um, so our centerpieces are edible and they have been customly custom created, um, by Shelby Lenz. And um, just I'm going to say, there's molds involved of chocolate, there's edible gold, it's a whole thing. I'm super excited about that. That's probably my favorite part, right now. I'm dying right now.
Speaker 1:Like I can't wait to go and support, but like I cannot wait to see this. Yeah, and partake in this center.
Speaker 2:So yeah, so you're gonna get to hear art, see art, taste art. It's gonna be great. Oh, I love it.
Speaker 1:Experience and in and out. I love that. Yeah, yeah, and leave with some beautiful art that's right.
Speaker 2:Leave with some beautiful art. What?
Speaker 1:are we wearing Ann? Okay give me your crazy dress code crazy.
Speaker 2:Crazy dress code. So we're calling this cocktail with an artistic flair. We all know that dress codes can be across the board. These days there's not a whole lot. That means the same thing anymore. To me, cocktail can kind of encompass lots of things. Basically it means you don't have to come in a formal Right, no floor length gown.
Speaker 2:No, you don't have to do that at all, and it could be a midi dress, it could be a kneeling dress, it could be whatever you want it to be. Here's where the artistic flair comes in. Artistic flair means anything goes. So you want to. I mean really whatever you think you want to wear pants and throw on some like crazy fun top, go for it, like whatever. Honestly, I think creativity is in the eye of the beholder, but also in who is creating that. So whatever that artistic flair means to you, I am all about it. What matters to me is not what you look like while you're there, but that you're there, yes.
Speaker 1:So Okay, I was going to say how you feel, but, yes, that you're there, that you're there, yes, yes. How you feel for sure, yeah, sorry. Do you feel great about yourself? Exactly, yes, that I'm into that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes, no, I totally get you. But yeah, I want people to come, I want people to feel comfortable, some people. That artistic flair is going to be taken to the 10th.
Speaker 1:I can't wait. Let's do it. I hope there are some outlandish. I'm going to use the word costume, but that's definitely not the right word, but something pizzazz Like I'm just somebody is going to end up making an entrance and it's going to be to die for yeah, for sure I mean shoes are artistic these days.
Speaker 2:To die for yeah, for sure I mean shoes are artistic. These days.
Speaker 1:You know, artistic for me is basically just not black and solid black, like you and I right now. Yeah, we look like we're behind the scenes we do.
Speaker 2:We're the crew right now, so you know, for me it might just be that I'm actually wearing like a color.
Speaker 1:But I'm like and you wear black all the time.
Speaker 2:I wear black all the time. Are you stepping out of your box? I am, are you really? I am.
Speaker 1:And you're between two.
Speaker 2:I'm between two and I won't make you say it. Well, I was gonna. One of them has the color black in it, that's okay, but it's one of three colors. Okay, it has the best shoe, though that has the best shoe option. So that's where I'm kind of leaning. However, then my other option is a very loud color, and so we'll see. We'll see what happens. Come and see what I'm wearing, because, wow, that is a joke I can't picture you, that is not a joke.
Speaker 1:Please come and see, please come. Yes, yes Please come and donate and support. Yes, please come. Please come and donate and support. That's right. But yes, please come. But I'm like I don't know the last time I saw you in a loud color, so I welcome this Well great, yeah, me either.
Speaker 2:So we'll see. Yeah, but you know costume jewelry got its name from like it's. Things can be costumey and you know you can have fun with it. So fashion is something to have fun with it. So fashion is something to have fun with. We just want people to come. We want you to know that you're not going to be overdressed and you're probably not going to be underdressed.
Speaker 1:So definitely not. It's going to be great. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:So yeah, and then all of that to say this is yes, to celebrate 60 years of the arts in Springdale. It is also to celebrate how far we've come in just four years, as Arts One Presents and some of the incredible things that we've done and shows that we've put on and talent in this area. It is also to educate our community about what it takes to keep an organization like community theater alive.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's where I was going to go, is that? What are we fundraising for? Cause this is your first gala, right. So where are we earmarking the funds? Are we pushing like these funds are going to go to new lights, whatever, like? What are we zeroing in on?
Speaker 2:So, two things really in general. Um, we fundraise for our programming. Um, we are an extremely small shop I'm the only full-time staff member Um and uh. So we don't. We don't do sponsorships necessarily by individual show, but we do sponsorships for an entire year of programming. And an entire year of programming for us means lots of things, but the core and the bread and butter of what we do is community theater.
Speaker 2:So we are fundraising for our programming, for our bottom line, and a little bit of backstory of kind of the last four years to get into the nuts and bolts of this is you know, we knew that coming out of COVID and coming back as a different organization in a way was going to take a lot of our own capital to get going and to get people understanding. Well, what were we going to do if we didn't have our own theater? How were we going to produce theater? What was that going to be like? Was it still going to have the same feel as what, you know, people liked going to the ACO for Right?
Speaker 2:Very unknown, yeah, very unknown. And also because we were kind of doing all of this still in the thick of COVID, figuring these things out one thing that we could do a lot easier was visual arts, and so you know we have um kind of part of our mission. Um is equally in the visual arts realm as well. Um, like the mushroom, like the, like the humongous fungus, like the barn quilts in springdale, um, like, right now, the famous hardware windows and downtown.
Speaker 2:Those are so magical yes, and we have a new one coming out soon too that I'll tell you about later, okay, but yeah, so we it takes a lot to do the scope of work that we do and the quality of work that we do, and to really work this mission of access to all of this work you are giving access right, because you've moved out of the old ACO, which is now what?
Speaker 1:the medium? The medium, yeah, like you're sprinkling your art, your visual art, you're literally weaving it into the community, correct? You don't have to have a ticket to go look at the humongous fungus. That's right. Or the hardware, windows or the quilts, I'm like it's access.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the hardware, windows or the quilt, I'm like it's access. Yeah, all of our visual art is public art, um, except for, uh, the project that we did with the children's safety center. That it's kind of a whole separate thing, um, but it's still public art in a lot of ways, you know um, but they do own that work.
Speaker 2:It's meaningful, it's very meaningful art, yes, so, but everything else that we've done is public art and we want that Community theater. We, you know, I'd give away a kitchen sink, I'd give away every ticket. We financially can't afford to do that, but we do try to do that where we can. So, you know, we offer one performance at every show has ASL interpretation and we do give tickets to organizations who serve the deaf and hard of hearing to come to those shows. Okay, and so that's one way we do it. We obviously highly discount students and youth and we just want people to really not have a lot of barriers to come see theater and to come see some great theater. We also have no barrier to participate. So there's no fee for people to be in our shows. There's no, you know, we really will help you make sure that you are able to be in our shows. There's no, you know, we really will help you make sure that you are able to be in our shows.
Speaker 1:So that's where our money is going.
Speaker 2:So your money is going for the future. Your money is going for, as we say, the success of one show means that we can do the next show. I love that and that really is true. Community theater in general, and sometimes theater in general, no matter what level, lives paycheck to paycheck, lives show to show, and that's very true. I think sometimes people don't quite realize what all it takes to produce that Community theater. Yes, back in the day could be all run maybe by volunteers in the community, and that still can be the case to a certain scope and scale of community theater. Some of the things that we have done to kind of take it to, you know, next levels means that we have contract staff, means that we have part-time people to help us, you know, do things so.
Speaker 1:I can help fundraise and yeah, we're just elevating and we're growing and growth.
Speaker 2:Growth takes funds and donations, and there is no one source of funds, and so for four years we have been building Very slowly in the very best way, like one show, maybe the two shows.
Speaker 2:Yes, and we have been building our programming but we've also been building up the donor base again and a lot of just fundraising in general kind of fell off once COVID hit, really, and things changed. And so it takes individual donors and individual people to really support community theater and community programming and the arts, for it to continue to keep going. And you have to see it.
Speaker 1:Yes, in order to wrap your arms around it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, right, and you have to see it. Yes, in order to wrap your arms around it. Yeah, and corporate sponsorships are, of course, always welcome and great. Foundation support is very important as well, but it does not lie within. You know, just one of those buckets, right? Really, the majority of fundraising for any organization comes from individual donors, yeah, and so, yes, ticket sales are great and that is revenue for us. No one show can really just survive off of ticket sales, so you have to have sponsorship and you have to have the additional support, right yeah.
Speaker 1:I love that.
Speaker 2:So the other thing that we will have? Well, we will have a way for people to give to one specific thing.
Speaker 1:Like what? Yes, like multiple specific things.
Speaker 2:Well, it's our youth-driven theater program.
Speaker 1:Oh, we're going to touch on that. We are going to touch on that.
Speaker 2:But there is a way for people to. We have a matching grant right now with the Kerr Foundation, and we have to raise $5,000 for that specific program by April of 26. And so we're going to do it. It's going to be great and that program we're going to talk about later, but that is a very specific program that we are going to ask people to help fund because of that matching grant.
Speaker 1:I love that. Okay, so do you have any during the evening? We have all these performances woven in In order to pull on the heartstrings for that match. Is there a specific performance tied to that? Without giving away the next performance that we're going to talk about in the next podcast. We are going to introduce the production team and the director for the upcoming James and the Giant Peach show, and so we'll get to see them, because they're all children from start, or kids they're all under 18. Yes, thank you, that's you're all good.
Speaker 2:I say the same thing. They're all youth, they are all minors, um, they are all, um, uh, under the age of 18, um, and the show, I think this one, the youngest, is eight years old, um, and I think eight to 17 okay is the range for this one and our director is the whopping age of 14.
Speaker 1:Amazing? Yes, because my 15-year-old wouldn't be able to do it. So the fact that a 14-year-old can is unbelievable and that will sell itself. That, as long as you can see it, you will give to it, yes.
Speaker 2:So you'll see how incredibly talented these youth are just when you see them and hear them speak. You will have no doubt just like I had no doubt that they are not going to only pull this off. They are going to do it incredibly well, oh.
Speaker 1:I cannot wait. Yeah, so it's going to be great. Okay, what else? What did we not cover for the gala?
Speaker 2:For the gala. You know, sassafras is just one of those hidden gems, I think in this area it's a beautiful setting. This vineyard you're like, where am I? It is in Springdale. It's out kind of east Springdale, southeast Springdale, and so it's not far from.
Speaker 1:Fayetteville or Springdale or anything it feels far on your way out, but on your way back you're like oh, that didn't take me, but 10 minutes Totally.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so we want everybody to come out. You know, from the minute that you arrive and walk in the doors, you're going to feel a little bit moved into a different space. I love it and you know, we just want people to have a, have a really great couple of hours and see some incredible things here about what we do and what we've done and what we have coming up. But you know, we know that what you see from our productions is really what tells you the story the best about what we do. So we're going to show you a lot of that.
Speaker 1:Oh, I love it. It's going to be a magical evening. Yeah, we're super excited. Oh my gosh, I'm so excited for you.
Speaker 2:Yes, and thank you, and so tickets and tables are all on sale. Sponsorships are still available. All of that information is on our website at arts1presentsorg and you can see. You know, the benefits of sponsorship to our whole year of programming, which includes benefits to the gala and the tickets. You know purchase individual tickets for $160, which I will just tell you is a deal for everything that you're getting. It is a deal, absolutely.
Speaker 1:I mean, I don't know, but I'm like being on the event circuit $160 is nothing, yes, and then there's table opportunities available as well.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's going to be great.
Speaker 1:Yes, magical. Yeah, I'm so excited, me too. I hope to see you there. I will definitely be there September 4th. Don't anybody forget Sassafras. If you need a ride, just holler at me, I will attempt to figure that out. Great Love it. I will be Ann's Uber. Perfect, okay, ann, thank you so much. Thank you, casey. I will see you in part two, where we're going to dive into all things Arts One, great, I love it. Okay, see you then, see y.