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Diversifying Arts and Culture with Alex Sarian

Diversifying Arts and Culture with Alex Sarian

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 Melanie Nicholson welcomes President and CEO of Arts Commons in Calgary, Alex Sarian, to the show for a conversation around building community and ensuring diversity in arts programming. Alex is dedicated to ensuring that all communities and audiences find connections that matter to them in the arts.Shortly upon arriving in Calgary, Alex Sarian realized that the city boasts a truly diverse array of communities but that many of those communities were not attending Arts Commons events. He asked the question of how Arts Commons could engage those communities in cultural experiences that aligned with their definition of their cultural identity. This is the foundation of what drives diversifying the arts, according to Alex: asking the right questions and living in that question. Alex and Melanie discuss the opportunities that Covid created, how programming can be inspired by engagement with external community artists, who is coming to arts events, and why Alex considers that audience perception may outweigh artist intent where performing arts centers are concerned. Join Melanie for an inspiring look into Arts Commons and the arts community she fervently supports. “... So on the one hand, it's managing expectations and saying what worked in New York is not going to work in Calgary. And just because we had the answers in New York doesn't mean we're going to have the answers in Calgary. But what we do know how to do is how to ask different questions. So if we can ask different questions and surround ourselves with the right people, and if we're open to what the possibility of the answer to that question might look like, then we will truly figure out a way for Calgary to develop its own approach to engaging more people.” - Alex SarianAbout Alex SarianFrom Buenos Aires to Shanghai to New York City, Alex has worked with artists and arts organizations in fifteen countries spanning five continents. As an executive, he spent the past seven years at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where—most recently—he led the institution’s grant-making, global consulting, community engagement, education, and artistic programming for young audiences and families.In January 2020, Alex was appointed President & CEO of Arts Commons, Canada’s third largest performing arts center, and home to institutions such as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Theatre Calgary. Occupying 10 acres, the Arts Commons complex features 560,000 square feet of world-class performance venues, rehearsal studios, production workshops, education spaces, art galleries, restaurants, and public community areas.Welcoming more than 600,000 visitors to 2,000 events annually, Arts Commons is embarking on a $450M expansion campaign, which will double the institution’s footprint in downtown Calgary.Resources mentioned in this episode:Arts CommonsWakefield Brewster__Contact Melanie Nicholson | Melanie Lynn Communications Inc. Website: MelanieLynnCommunications.comInstagram: MLCSocialTwitter: MLCSocialFacebook: MLCSocialEmail: info@melanielynncommunications.comContact Alex SarianWebsite: www.AlexSarian.comLinkedIn__TranscriptMelanie Nicholson: [00:00:03] Hey, everyone, and welcome to It's a Theory. I'm your host, Melanie Nicholson and today we're talking about what it looks like to transform an arts community into one that is community-minded and inclusive for everyone. Alex Sarian is the president and CEO of Arts Commons in Calgary, Alberta, which is the largest arts center in western Canada and the third largest facility in the country. He's one of the youngest CEOs to oversee a major performing arts center in North America. And prior to being in Calgary, Alex spent 18 years in New York City, the last seven at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Alex has worked on cultural projects in 15 countries, spanning five continents. Alex and I have a shared love of storytelling and the importance of that when it comes to building a community, strengthening relationships, and the opportunity to rethink the way art is presented in a community. Today, you're really going to get a sense of how one idea might not work everywhere and while you might have the same theory going in, the outcomes are going to vary. But it really comes down to asking questions. Let's dive in. Melanie Nicholson: [00:01:13] Alex, welcome to the podcast. Thank you so much for joining us today. Alex Sarian: [00:01:17] Thanks, Melanie. It's my pleasure to be here. Happy Friday. Melanie Nicholson: [00:01:19] Happy Friday. I love recording on a Friday. We're talking art today. I'm excited about it, I love art. Arts Commons. It's one of the largest facilities in the country. You're deep into transforming this space. Before we get to where you want to go, I want to start with you arrived from New York City. When you first got here what was your impression of Arts Commons, of the arts scene in Calgary? Alex Sarian: [00:01:46] So I had done, obviously, I'd done a lot of research...
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