A local organization that supports the arts through Durango Arts Center is extending its reach beyond what it was originally created to do – and for good causes.
In 2009, the DAC was in the middle of a challenging transition – and a group of like-minded residents realized that it needed help to keep providing the community with interesting exhibits and classes. They formed a committee to help raise money and awareness of the arts.
New Face Productions was created.
“We understood that the arts center needed money for everything,” said New Face Productions chairwoman Regina Hogan. “We decided that our money should be kind of like a ‘dream fund’ so they could take it, and by doing so, it would generate additional funds by putting on really nice and cutting-edge exhibits.”
The entirely volunteer-driven group has flourished in its mission. It reached a turning point last year with its production of the play “The Guys,” which commemorates the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. As part of the event, local first responders were invited to attend.
“We thought it made sense to pair it as kind of recognition of our local first-responders,” Hogan said. “We reached a bigger audience through ‘The Guys,’ and so it prompted us to reconsider our isolation, or our exclusiveness with the arts center,” Hogan said.
Now, New Face Productions is under the umbrella of the Community Foundation, which, according to its mission, “facilitates the growth and effectiveness of philanthropic contributions and expands the culture of giving to meet the needs of our communities.”
While the additional focus means a chance to help the wider community, the DAC is still a beneficiary.
“This is a big difference,” said New Face Productions member Debbie Wright. “We had done X amount of years doing these events for the arts center, and once we did ‘The Guys,’ we realized, ‘Wow, we can really cast our net wide when we have a secondary cause.’ We’re still focused on the arts center, but every year, we want to do an event that we pair with another cause because we find that with that way, we can really spread the word.”
This year’s focus will be on youth development, which started with the group trying to figure out how to address suicide in La Plata County. New Face Productions will pair with Big Brothers Big Sisters, which will design classes and programs to help address the problem, and in a broader sense, reach out to kids.
In February, New Face Productions, along with the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College, will present the stage adaptation of “Post Secret: The Show.”
“Post Secret” started a little over a decade ago as a public art project. Frank Warren, who lived in Washington, D.C., handed out 1,000 self-addressed postcards and asked people to write down – anonymously – a secret. Since then, the project has exploded – there have been books and a TED Talk. Because of the anonymity, people have found it a helpful way to unburden themselves.
katie@durangoherald.com
On the net
http://durangoarts.org/new-face-productions/
