CRISÁLIDA ARTS
A PROJECT OF THE McCALLUM THEATER

text JEFFREY NORMAN
photography CHRISTIAN MENDEZ

When writer/poet/storyteller/arts activist Dr. David Gonzalez visited the Valley a couple of years ago, he had the opportunity to speak to a large group of McCallum Theatre donors and volunteer leaders.  Captivating the crowd with his charm and ebullient enthusiasm for the impact the arts can have on people of all ages and backgrounds, he shared a simple philosophy:  We all have a story.  And each of our stories has value in the retelling.  Especially when they are shared artfully.

On a parallel trajectory, McCallum President and CEO Mitch Gershenfeld and his staff had been thinking pretty hard about the role of a performing arts venue in the twenty-first century.  Was it possible and, indeed, necessary for a theatre to be more than what goes on in its building?

All of this dovetailed with ongoing discussion in the national arts and community development fields about “creative placemaking.”  According to a report commissioned by The Mayor’s Institute on City Design, a leadership initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, “in creative placemaking, partners from public, private, non-profit, and community sectors strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city, or region around arts and cultural activities” and “bring diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and be inspired.”

Gershenfeld started a series of conversations with Gonzalez.  What evolved was an idea to serve the communities in the East Valley in a more expansive, mutually meaningful way. To be certain, there are amazing cultural activities going on in towns like Indio, Coachella, Thermal, and Mecca all the time.  The question became: Could the McCallum Theatre leverage its own resources as the Valley’s premier performing arts venue to give greater voice to the cultural traditions and aspirations already being celebrated in these communities?

And thus, the Crisálida Community Arts Project was born. Crisálida’s aim is to encourage active participation by residents of all ages in creating, sharing, and preserving unique cultural experiences using storytelling to write and perform personal narratives, fictional stories, poetry, and folk tales.

Enter The Irvine Foundation.  Through its Exploring Engagement Fund for Large Organizations, the Foundation was accepting proposals for projects that would “promote engagement in the arts for all Californians – the kind that embraces and advances the diverse ways that we experience the arts, and that strengthens our ability to thrive together in a dynamic and complex social environment.” With the support of The Irvine Foundation, the theatre and Gonzalez began laying the groundwork for the success of the Crisálida Community Arts Project.  Gonzalez, recipient of the 2011 International Performing Arts for Youth Lifetime Achievement Award for Sustained Excellence, set his calendar to spend six months over the next two years in the Coachella Valley.

Things kicked off in early July when Gonzalez visited the Valley for a luncheon co-hosted by the McCallum and Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D., at the Indio campus of the College of the Desert.  Over forty community leaders from the East Valley attended the session to meet Gonzalez and learn firsthand about the goals of the Crisálida Project.

“I really want to get to know the people, the leaders, the organizations, and the existing cultural assets in the East Valley,” said Gonzalez.  “In fact, the Irvine Foundation has given us the luxury of dedicating the first part of the project to exactly that.  What develops from that is what really has me excited. It will all develop organically, depending heavily upon the people and organizations that get involved with Crisálida.”

“There is a world of opportunity and lots of stories to hear, to tell, to share, and to preserve,” said Gonzalez.

There are several Crisálida initiatives in place including: Community Outreach in collaboration with various community partners including the Coachella Valley Housing Authority, the newly formed bilingual East Valley Repertory Theater Company (Carlos Garcia is Artistic Director), and East Valley Voices OUT LOUD – a performance series highlighting the creative talents of local residents.

“It’s our hope that the Crisálida Community Arts Project is the beginning of a mutually fruitful relationship with the Valley’s Hispanic community,” said Gershenfeld. “One that fosters artistic expression, engages the wider Valley in cross-cultural experiences, challenges McCallum staff and volunteer leadership, and ultimately serves as a roadmap for continuing and expanding interaction with a significantly important constituency,.

Let the stories begin…

WEBSITE: CRISALIDA-ARTS.BLOGSPOT.COM