Fall 2020

After founding Nacogdoches Arts Collaborative in February 2019, there was a long wait to determine how we would get our non-profit organized. A lot of inside organization was happening by the board making sure we fully understood our mission and could move forward with a clear plan. However, no public actions were taken in that first year and March 2020 brought us to a full stop for the Covid-19 pandemic. There were far too many other pressing issues in our lives and in the city to manage than this non-profit. However, as we progressed through the year it became very clear that people REALLY needed an outlet in the midst of the pandemic. So, our board planned some fall activities that would be hosted online to satisfy the need for social distancing.

The board planned two online events. One was a virtual Halloween event for children. Several artists presented break out sessions in art, music, dance and theatre and created an evening of activity for children who could not enjoy the usual Halloween festivities. The other event was a set of art and creative writing workshops centered around character building for table top gaming (such as Dungeons and Dragons). Though this was not specifically an "adult" activity, it did target a slightly older audience and was well attended.

Expenses included mailing boxes of supplies to each child that participated in the virtual Halloween event and some general supplies for the artists. We also paid six artists $30 each for their work putting $180 into the pockets of local artists. The event broke even between income and expenses but we call it a win when dozens of community participants had a creative opportunity and several artists get compensated for their skills. It was a satisfying (barring the frustration of the pandemic) beginning to our mission.