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2022 Impact Report Open Space for Arts & Community

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.

OUR 2022 PROGRAMS BY THE NUMBERS

$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.

READ THE STORIES

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

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

NIGHT LIGHT DRIVE-IN

In 2020, Open Space for Arts & Community teamed up with Vashon Theatre to bring the island The Night Light Drive-In. In its second season spanning July to September, over 1000 vehicles parked in our field to take in classic and contemporary movies at an affordable price.

Photo by Open Space

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

LIQUID LASER LIGHT

When July 4th fireworks were canceled, Open Space answered the call. Teaming up with local company Luminarium, we hosted an outdoor laser show for the public, free of charge.

Guests: Over 500

Photos by Laura Jean Walls-Fisher

OUTDOOR EVENTS IN 2022

Up Up Up Circus

Over 200 Guests

Michelle Bates Photography
Michelle Bates Photography

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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.

Photo by Open Space
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!

Photo by Open Space

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 by Dawn Stief

Photo credits

Photos by Michelle Bates Photography, unless otherwise noted.