MISSION
Open Space is where Vashon gathers to celebrate the unbreakable bond between arts and community. We co-create extraordinary artistic, community-building experiences that enrich and inspire all involved.
PURPOSE
We are an incubator for new ideas. We bring dreams to life.
We offer a lively diverse range of arts, and proudly contribute to the success of fundraisers, classes, community meetings and more.
We are led by artists, in service to our community.
$7,400 distributed to 25 artists and craftspeople this year
!Attention! Artists at Work (AAW) is a jobs program led by Open Space for Arts & Community in partnership with local nonprofit organizations. The goal of the program is to hire artists during this challenging economic time.
!Attention! Artists at Work is comprised of five total projects, two of which began in 2021
THE LITERARY PROJECT
In late 2020, Open Space’s !Attention! Artists at Work program announced “The Literary Project,” a literary Flash Fiction/Prose Poetry Project by Island writers. !Attention! Artists at Work is an initiative by Open Space for Arts & Community designed to hire artists during the challenging economic circumstances caused by COVID-19. 31 artists participated in “The Literary Project,” 23 of whom with financial need were financially impacted by COVID-19 and compensated for their submissions.
LITERARY PROJECT AUTHORS
A. Norling, Amanda Kelly, Anna Shomsky, Camille Reeves, Claudia Hollander-Lucas, David Mielke, Delinda McCann, Emily Keiko Pruiksma, Heather Timken, Janie Starr, Jeffrey Zimmerman, John Sweetman & Seán Malone, John van Amerongen, Julia Harriet, Karen Neslon, Kathleen Dowling, Kathryn True, Katy E. Ellis, Laura Paul, Martha Enson, Mary Shackelford, Molly Kovite, Rowan Schroeder, Susan McCabe, Tara Reynoso, Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma, Vera Schoepe, William Stott
Stories from the Literary Project are available online for free to the public. They have also been adapted into podcasts, read by Jeff Hoyt and Lyn McManus. Stories from The Literary Project were also used as inspiration for visual artists from the VALISE gallery, who created an exhibit inspired by a Literary Project story of their choosing.
CREATING YOUR STORY
4 TEACHERS
6 STUDENTS
Launched in 2021, the fourth project of !Attention! Artists at Work, "Creating Your Story" guided teens through all stages of creating and performing an autobiographical production. Lead by a team of artists from the UMO School and ORBIT All Ages Space with expertise in crafted physical theater, the 16-week session was offered free to teens ages 13+, funded by !Attention! Artists at Work, UMO, and ORBIT.
Photo by Dennis Chien
Open Space provided not just space, but they opened their arms. We just had the place to ourselves and we ran a program. This is an amazing resource, much more than a performance space.
— Dr. Ina Opplinger
Thanks to the Vashon Medical Reserve Corps, thousands of Islanders received COVID tests at Open Space
The Return of Live Music with Vashon Events
We were thrilled to host a “Welcome Home” concert with Vashon Events, featuring 10 local acts, including: John Browne, Kate Atwell, Gregg Curry, Steve Itterly & Lonesome Mike Nichols, Chris Anderson & Steve Amsden, Phil Royal, Gus Reeves, Madeleine Wolczko, Tim Couldn’t Make It, Danny Newcomb
OPEN AIR AERIAL FESTIVAL
2022 marked the 11th year of the Open Air Aerial Festival at Open Space. An afternoon of awe and delight, the Open Air Outdoor is the only aerial festival featuring internationally touring artists, local aerialists, and students from Vashon’s own UMO School of Physical Arts. Each year, it’s hosted as a gift to the community with no cost of entry.
Guests: Over 450
OUTDOOR EVENTS IN 2022
Up Up Up Circus
Over 200 Guests
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Vashon Repertory Theatre
2 Shows including The Tempest and UMO Ensemble’s Fail Better, with over 750 total guests in attendance.
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Bric Brac
Over __ Guests
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UMO School of Physical Arts & Summer Camps
Over ___ students of all ages learned aerial, parkour, and more at Open Space in 2022.
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Vashon Toy Swap
This year marked our inaugural Toy Swap. Dozens of families shared their used toys with a new generation of Vashon kids, or picked up previously-loved gifts for free without the economic or ecological impact.
We just started Sisterhood summer camps for the first summer ever, which went fantastically. About 30 girls were a part of camps during summer 2021. We used the space out back and it was so lovely to be in the trees, and to have access to the fields, and just feel really supported by Open Space in their support of our mission to serve youth on the island. Sisterhood has felt incredibly grateful for Open Space’s gifting of the use of this space.
– Laura Camner, Sisterhood Program Coordinator
Painting by Carolina Silva, photo by Michelle Bates
THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS
UMO Ensemble and UMO School
The UMO School of Physical Arts at Open Space seeks to inspire creative possibility and recognize students’ creative force by giving them a safe place to learn and a variety of tools based on UMO’s dynamic physical theatre.
Over 600 students took UMO School classes in aerial, parkour, acrobatics, and theater at Open Space in 2022.
UMO Performed the first sneak peek of SQUEEZE its next new work, outdoors on the Great Lawn last summer, had 8 free workshops that included many artists, leading up to the SQUEEZE premiere which will happen at Open Space May 12-14 2023.
Artists in residence: 18
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Vashon Tool Library and Maker Space
The Vashon-Maury Tool Library is a community resource designed to support and promote shared use of tools on Vashon and Maury Islands. All tools and furnishings have been donated by islanders to benefit the community, and staffing is entirely done by volunteers. Authorized members can borrow any tool from our collection to use in their own projects.
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Vashon Theatre
Open Space for Arts & Community and Vashon Theatre teamed up to bring drive-in movies to Vashon. Located on the great lawn at Open Space, the Night Light Drive-In is an affordable and safe way for Vashon to gather.
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Journeymen & Sisterhood
Open Space hosted outdoor summer camps and after-school activities in ORBIT.
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VALISE Artist Collective and Gallery
Vashon’s VALISE gallery presented a monthlong exhibit featuring the writings from The Literary Project paired with art created by local artists.
Every time we have approached Open Space staff, it has been an easy “yes.” This venue is so much more than a space. It is a collection of people, ideas, good vibes, and open hearts, where people come together and create magic.
— Nicky Wilks, Journeymen Executive Director
Painting by Kristen Reitz-Green, Photo by Michelle Bates
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
It's a Sign!
We're delighted that our new sign will help light the way to our evening shows and events!
HOW WE DID IT
You! Your support and participation in 2022 made our programming possible.
Giving: 61.11% decrease in gifts over 2021
Total giving from individuals: $43,631.86
GiveBIG: 37% increase in gifts over 2021
$58,500 raised for ORBIT All Ages Space through The Big O annual fundraiser
Many thanks to our SILENT MATCH!
ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF REVENUE
Grants
We were grateful to receive a record number of grants in 2021, for a total of $123,000.
4Culture
Allied Arts Foundation
ArtsWA
Beardsley Family Foundation
Community Development Properties
Homesight
King County
King County Local Services
Royal Little Family Foundation
SBA
Working Washington
Washington State Department of Commerce
Our Sponsors
Bramble House • Caffe Vino Olio • Camp Colvos • Country Store & Farm Inc • Earthen • Evergreen Home Loans • Giraffe • Hafnium Consulting • Island Insurance • KRONOS • Little Bird Gardens • Orca Eats • Our Community Credit Union • Pandora’s Box • Puget Sound Cooperative Credit Union • Trigg Insurance Agency • Vashon Adventures • Vashon Island Baking Company • Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie • Waldron Designs • Windermere Real Estate
YOU make it all happen!
Thank you for giving generously!
Photo credits
Photos by Michelle Bates Photography, unless otherwise noted.