Elisabeth Jones Art Center

MISSION: PARALLAX ART CENTER AMPLIFIES SOCIAL JUSTICE AND & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION THROUGH INCLUSIVE ART PROGRAMS, EXHIBITIONS, AND EXPERIENCES.

IT IS OUR OBJECTIVE TO SHOW A DIVERSE AND NON-EUROCENTRIC PERESPECTIVE, BOTH FROM OUR GUEST CURATORS AND FROM BY THE ARTISTS THAT ARE BEING SHOWN: NOT ALL ARTISTS WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SELF-IDENTIFY AND SOME ARTISTS ARE REPRESENTED IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES; FOR EXAMPLE WE EXHIBITED THE WORK OF QUEER WOMEN OF COLOR TOTAL ARTISTS SHOWN: 105TOTAL ARTISTS WHO SELF IDENTIFIED AS WOMEN/NON-BINARY: 53; 50.5%TOTAL ARTISTS WHO SELF-IDENTIFIED AS POC: 67; 63.8%TOTAL ARTISTS WHO SELF-IDENTIFY AS QUEER: 15; 14.3%TOTAL ARTISTS WHO SELF IDENTIFY AS INDIGENOUS TO AMERICA: 4; 3.8%TOTAL ARTISTS WHO SELF IDENTIFY AS DISABLED/DIFFERENTLY ABLED 1; .95%

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS WERE ESTABLISHED TO EVALUTATE OUR EFFECTIVENESS IN MISSION FULFILLMENT.WE HAVE USED OUR MISSION, PARALLAX ART CENTER AMPLIFIES SOCIAL JUSTICE AND & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION THROUGH INCLUSIVE ART PROGRAMS, EXHIBITIONS, AND EXPERIENCES AS OUR NORTH STAR AND PRIMARY FILTER TO ENSURE THAT ALL DECISIONS BEING MADE, BOTH INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY ARE IN SERVICE OF OUR OBJECTIVES AS AN ORGANIZATION. WE DO THIS BY IDENTIFYING AND SELECTING ARTISTS WHO ARE UNDER-REPRESENTED IN THE REGION BY FOCUSING ON BIPOC AND LGBTQIA+ ARTISTS AND THE STORIES THAT THEY ARE TELLING. NOT ONLY ARE WE INTERESTED IN REPRESENTING THESE ARTISTS, WE FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE A PLATFORM FOR THEM TO IDENTIFY, FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVES THE CHALLENGES THEY EXPERIENCE AND THEIR THOUGHTS ON POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS.

ACHIEVING PATRON/PARTNER SATISFACTION-O WE HAVE INVITED CREATIVES AND DREAMERS HERE WHO ARE JUST AS HUNGRY FOR CHALLENGING AND ACCESSIBLE DIALOGUES AROUND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ISSUES THAT WE ARE FACING TODAY TO PARTICIPATE IN ARTIST TALKS, WORKSHOPS, PERFORMANCES, VENDING OPPORTUNITIES AND IN HOLDING SPACE FOR CONVERSATIONS. WE BELIEVE IN ELEVATING THE ENTIRE ARTISTIC ECONOMY IN OUR SMALL CITY AND HOPE TO DO SO BY PAYING ALL OF OUR EXHIBITING ARTISTS BETTER THAN W.A.G.E STANDARDS, UTILIZING THE FRESH PERSPECTIVES OF GUEST CURATORS AS TO NOT GET "STUCK" IN A PARTICULAR MODE OR IDEA ABOUT THINGS, FOCUSING OUR HIRING PRACTICES ON OUR BELIEF THAT WE NEED MORE DIVERSITY AND BETTER REPRESENTATION OF ALL PEOPLE IN THE ART WORLD, ENGAGING WORKING ARTISTS AS "GIG" WORKERS TO SUPPORT THEIR LONG TERM GOALS OF PURSING THEIR OWN CREATIVE PRACTICES, AND BY OFFERING FUNDED OPPORTUNITES TO ARTISTS WHO MAY OTHERWISE NOT BE ABLE REALIZE THEIR VISION BASED ON LIMITATIONS OF FUNDS AND/OR SPACE.