Spirituality and Creativity

The more I think about these two things, the more I wonder if they are not so intertwined as to be inseparable. Spirituality is the search for the divine and creativity is the expression of the divine. Therefore any creative act is a spiritual act.

My thoughts on the travel writing about creative/spiritual places would include places like cathedrals that are artistic masterpieces, museums and concert halls whose art moves the soul, plus natural places that are spiritually rich and have inspired artists.

Exploring such places will inspire us so much on how to design the center. Even though I don't worship the Christian God or Allah, I've always been moved by the architecture of cathedrals and mosques, and Asian temples. I think they plus museums are showcases of the best of human expression.

Arts Organizations in Portland

A starter list of organizations in Portland that we may want to use for models.

Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center

Disjecta

Portland Art Museum

OK, cheating here, I just discovered that Wikipedia maintains a
List of artists and art institutions in Portland, Oregon

Unfortunately a couple of the others I was going to list seem to be gone or 'on hiatus.'

Business reasons for travel

Well, that one's actually pretty easy. Tours and classes. For instance, have a class on the architecture of Gaudi, with a trip to Barcelona. Or a class about Leonardo DaVinci, with a trip to Florence. In fact, I think we should make those the first two. :)

My initial plans

My plan once I move to Portland is to find work in the non-profit sector, preferably an arts-based non-profit. I want to get my and our financial situations in order so we can focus our attentions on the center. A job in that field will allow me to obtain the skills, knowledge, and contacts needed to start the center.

During this time period, we can develop plans for the center, its location, and its design. Perhaps start something small in the city, so we can earn the capital for the rural center. My vision of the place in the city would be one that would allow artists of all kinds to network, collaborate, and find the resources needed to further their art. There will also be resources to develop the spiritual and healing side of arts. Probably want the cafe, a large shop area, studios, and conference areas.

The issue of non-profit versus for-profit. There is more freedom for us in being a for-profit. A non-profit would need a board and we would have to have valid, business reasons for our frequent trips. Having a board means giving up some control and accepting other viewpoints into our vision. Neither are insurmountable, our trips would be to enhance the center, and we would need to be quite selective in choosing the board so we get experts in areas that we are not. A for-profit while it has the potential for greater income, might also call for sacrificing quality to earn a profit.

Artoconnecto

http://www.artoconecto.org/

ARTOCONECTO is a non-profit organization based in Miami, FL, dedicated to recognizing and promoting new and emerging artists . Artoconecto, a National Endowment for the Arts Grantee, builds networks within the local arts community, as well as nationally, and internationally. Our mission includes hosting a series of events showcasing visual arts, theater, dance, and performance; which serve as an incentive tool for artists to submit their work for viewing by a mass audience. Each show is created in an eclectic atmosphere of absolute festivity, to celebrate the artists’ works without the confining structure, and often conservative culture, of many art galleries.
Our objective is to continue nurturing the existing arts communities within the US, as well as abroad, and to guide future generations of artists.

First post

OK, so here's our blog for ideas about the arts center.

Seems like there's a million possibilities, so where do we start?

In my current situation, funding and how we make this pay for itself and support us financially is a concern. I suppose if we have multiple streams of income, we're publishing our writing and I'm doing voiceover work, the supporting us part won't be as much of a concern.

I picture starting as a coffee shop or cafe, with lots of plants and books and art on the walls. Offering classes and that sort of thing. One of my models for this is Celestial Awakenings, although they're focused more on metaphysics and less on art.

http://www.celestial-awakenings.com/

I'm going to want to do a lot of traveling, so we'll need somebody to be responsible for the day to day operations.

We'll need advice as to how to set this up as a legal entity. There are a lot of special rules for nonprofits. If we're set up as a nonprofit then we can get donations, which is good, but I think there are disadvantages too, for instance I think you have to have a board of directors.