Having never read The Great Gatsby in high school I have had a sort of felt-obligation lately to read it due to the “classic” status it has achieved. I was on a plane when I started and finished it (different planes, for the record), and was able to sink into the story while all other distractions were drowned out by the white noise of the roaring engines.
Artwork for John Pollono's new play "Lost Girls" off-Broadway
We began the keyart design for this show last winter, in the dead of the Boston winter snowstorms that dumped over 100 inches of snow on the city. MCC Theater's marketing team had the wonderful idea of writing the play's title on a snow windshield... so every time (read everyday) the snow fell last January, I donned my snow gear, shoveled our sidewalks, and then trounced to find our car in the street, try to write the words, shoot some photos, and edit it.
What do concerts have to do with our work?
When we co-founded The Garage coworking space in Rapid City, South Dakota, nearly two years ago now, we hoped that it might become a place for community. For conversations. For collaborations.
A place for people to come together. To enjoy one another. To meet new friends. To do good work. To dream up new possibilities.
Choose gratitude
As I zipped down the coast yesterday on Amtrak toward New York City for a meeting on this beautiful fall morning, and spent a few minutes (okay maybe longer) on Facebook seeing what friends were up to, an article from The New York Times popped up on my feed (thanks Erica Rieder and Heather Border for sharing it). "Choose to Be Grateful. It Will Make You Happier." Here's how it spoke to me.
Walking--a valuable routine
Meet Matt
Matt Ehlman doesn’t really want you to meet him. He wants you to meet everybody else. He’d rather you connect face-to-face with the nonprofits, business owners, musicians, politicians, university presidents, and other folks in the Black Hills of South Dakota, around the United States, and across the seas that he works to bring together. Because, remember: people really are hungry to become a part of something that’s good. And when they join in, communities become better, stronger places.
Generosity of donors transforms a community
So, I was happy to read the editorial by Sherry Ristau, the president and CEO of the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend, in today's Quad City Times. As we mark National Philanthropy Day, the editorial is a wonderful reminder of the impact philanthropy can have--in all of its forms--on transforming communities.
The season for giving thanks... and hosting nonprofit galas
As the end of the year draws near, my heart and head is filled with gratitude for the good year it has been. For the people who do good things to make life better for others. For strangers who spread kindness. For friends who offer a sense of balance to the challenges we may face. Perhaps it is fitting, then, that in this season of thanks so many of our nonprofit partners we work with--and countless more all across this country--are hosting their annual gala benefits that raise money for their missions.
At an unexpected dinner, we raised a glass to Barb
On Wednesday afternoon, I had a chance to fly to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul for a meeting on Thursday. As I left my house (after about only 12 hours at home) I got a text from a friends from the Quad Cities--Clare Thompson, a former St. Ambrose University advancement officer who is now working at Ruffalo Noel Levitz, asking if I had time for a conversation about art and culture.
What would you ask the President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe?
We're asking each of you to submit questions that you would ask President John Yellow Bird Steele of the Oglala Sioux Tribe if you were sitting in the moderator chair. Please fill out the quick form on this blog post and we'll do our best to integrate your questions into the upcoming Morning Fill Up.
What's a super chicken?
She placed two ideas in juxtaposition. One being the “culture of helpfulness,” a work philosophy that says you “don’t have to know everything, you just have to work among people who are good at getting and giving help.” The other, being the “super chicken” mentality, where competition and individual accomplishment are primary motivators.
Opening night for an Off-Broadway premiere
The artwork for this show was a definite challenge for me early on. As I read the play over and over again, I kept thinking about the moment before ink is placed on paper.
The second before thoughts give way to words... when the words can't stay in your head any longer and they must come out.
The time when an idea sparks an action.
Fueling creative people to drive a vibrant economy
If the arts are going to take their rightful place as an important weave in the cultural fabric of our towns, cities, and nations, we--as a people--must fuel our minds and our souls with the understanding (or perhaps a better word is "acceptance") that art plays a critical part in how we live our lives, make decisions, and paint a brighter future for all.
Lists. They make sense.
Demystifying relationships with charitable foundations
Over the course of the last nine-plus years, Numads have had the great fortune to work with some of the best foundation personnel out there, at least in our humble opinions. We’ve gotten to know program officers, foundation presidents, communications personnel, and others at foundations large and small, working nationally and in local communities. And we’ve been inspired by every one of them and their efforts to make their communities--at home or across the nation--better places to live, work and play.
Thoughts on legacy, inspired by my grandma... and the musical Hamilton
I've been thinking a lot about legacy these days.
It first came up last weekend as I was making the two and a half hour drive north from Boston to Meredith, New Hampshire, to celebrate my Grandma Jean Stephens' 89th birthday. I was alone on that Sunday morning, the weather was beautiful, the trees in perfect gold and red harmony.
And Hamilton, the new critically-acclaimed-you-can't-get-a-ticket-no-matter-who-you-know musical was blaring on the sound system in my little Mini Cooper as I buzzed along the interstate, and coincidentally, passed the final resting place of my Grandpa Ted.
What happens between the work?
Everyday at Numad we're doing something different. And while this may not be reflective of a typical Numad day, this is a pretty fun “day in the life of" story. Aside from the anticipation of working from the Quad Cities the next day to visit a dear friend (which required an unspeakably early alarm), last Thursday was pretty exciting at this Numad office in Rockford.
Graphic design work for a legendary Off-Broadway show
It has been a busy fall season for The Numad Group thus far with our work partnering with Off-Broadway nonprofit theaters in New York City. Currently, we are working on five productions in New York City, with some additional shows approaching quickly. The theater nerd or fan or whatever you want to call me relishes the opportunity to collaborate with some really wonderful artists and communication professionals in the Off-Broadway community.