SUZANNE DEAL BOOTH

Entourage suggested I give an account of my personal experience during this past six months, especially in regard to the arts for their Arts Edition. I’ve been busy thinking and realigning my priorities, and I’ve found that most arts organisations have been doing the same. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected so many people and industries. Artists especially are identified as one of the groups greatly impacted by the pandemic. The overwhelming loss of paid contracts, events, and commissions has taken a staggering toll on artists everywhere. 

The visual arts have been a continual source of inspiration in my life as well as a solace in times of pain, anxiety and uncertainty. I am a firm believer in the efficacy of art to heal as well to reveal new insights and perspectives. For much of my life, I have been fortunate to be around creative people – artists, writers, composers, musicians, thinkers, influencers – and I have enjoyed working in museums and cultural organisations. History fascinates me – certainly a trait encouraged by my parents - who, at the drop of a hat would take us kids on trips to explore the history of the great American Southwest. My fascination has broadened to encompass much of world history and the excitement of those early childhood trips - filled with stories, mystery and discovery - has remained.  I consider myself an Arts Professional and a dedicated advocate for arts.  Professionally, I have focused my energies in the area of cultural heritage protection and preservation. Twenty years ago I founded The Friends of Heritage Preservation with a small group of like-minded individuals who shared this passion: http://www.fohpinfo.org/. Preserving heritage has not only proven to be very rewarding work, but also mind-expanding in terms of understanding history as interpreted through the art and culture of the incredibly diverse communities on this planet. 

During these past Covid months, much of what I did before has morphed into a new paradigm and like many people, I have been grappling with what is truly important in the elemental sense of meaning, purpose and intention in life. I have become increasingly critical of many of my previous descriptors such as Benefactor, Donor, Philanthropist and Collector. I’d rather think of myself as that person who through intention and authenticity, strives to make the world a better place while living a varied and meaningful life. I view this as a personal mantra, ever hopeful that if repeated often enough it becomes integral to who I am and what I do.

In the United States, we are also wrestling with dynamic and critical issues around the increasingly alarming state of our nation. There is violence in the street, the livid inequity and injustice called out by the Black Lives Matter movement, unemployment, homelessness, sickness, depression, the loss of loved ones, fear, election angst, alarming climate changes and in my case - because of where I live - its ongoing manifestations of extreme heat, storms, hurricanes, fires and smoke. Though I have been greatly concerned about these issues, I feel a profound new purposefulness emerging. This is definitely the time to regroup, rethink and revalue pre-conceived intentions and actions. It is not enough to just be, it is time to do as well. I think this attitude and temperament is present with those in leadership positions throughout the non-profit world, especially noticeable to me in the arts related world of museums, cultural institutions and the commercial art world. It is imperative to pay attention and act accordingly. I have become enamoured of the idea that seems to have sprung out of our present predicament, the idea of regeneration. Past models of managing growth and sustainability seem rather dated now, and regeneration is about re-creation and new priorities, focusing on putting more back in than you take out, about renewal not complacence. 

Pre-Covid, I said “yes” to way too many projects and attempted to please everyone by serving on too many charities and boards. It was an easy trap to fall into and although often exhausting, it seemed the right thing to do. In the forefront was my role as Director of Friends of Heritage Preservation where we accomplished for a period of 20 years over 80 projects ranging from an architectural retrofit of a Napoleonic coffee house on the Grand Canal in Venice to the preservation of Donald Judd’s concrete sculptures in Marfa, TX, to cite just two. We also addressed intangible cultural heritage such as a stone carving training program in Jordon for Syrian refugees, and the documentation of the civil rights movement by the last of its participants in an Oral History project in Alabama with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. 

I am proud to see the breadth of these projects despite the small size of our group and our rather limited budget: http://www.fohpinfo.org/past_current_projects.html. We developed a novel model of philanthropy by keeping our group small and all contributing at the same level so that every member had an equal vote in the projects chosen. This democratic form allowed for a participation that gave all the members a vested interest in the work we were doing. Yes, we funded projects, but the real benefit of this structure was our involvement in communities and the development within the group of a very nuanced understanding of the preservation of cultural heritage. As the founder and director, it was very rewarding and fascinating to bring together a diverse group of individuals and to build on a global commonality through projects focused on heritage protection.  

In addition to this, serving as a trustee, committee member and board member has been a huge part of my professional life. Much time, energy, support and many donations have gone to: art museums, music, book and thought festivals, ecumenical chapels and meditation spaces, foundations, universities, charter schools, public art programs, exhibitions, medical relief groups, an artist prize, a conservation training program, a preservation prize, seed money for new music and artistic collaborations and several women’s initiatives in Africa, all to the end of encouraging creativity and support individual freedoms.  I am also a vintner and run an organic family vineyard in the Napa Valley, where we have taken on the challenge of producing exceptional wines, olive oil and hopefully new bio-dynamic products.  

So, what is the change I hope to make as a result of the COVID “awakening”? I think it is to be both more deliberate and to follow a plan of regeneration. To encourage growth and participation rather than continuing with the old models. It is encouraging that much of the museum and gallery world is reopening, however, we are not out of this period yet and many fragile organisations remain in a quasi-crisis mode. The world has changed and our organisations need to adapt if they are to survive. Looking forward, board and meeting participation will continue to be virtual, and new participation models will become the norm. Although the virtual meeting is less personal and much of the social subtleties of conversation can be totally missed, it is important to appreciate what is gained with this new form of interchange –participants’ time is saved, unnecessary travel is limited, ideas and images can often be more readily expressed. I haven’t quite figured out all the pros/cons but see that further investigation into understanding the implications is imperative in making the best decisions on how to move forward.

 The bigger issue arises as to how best serve communities given the current, and possible future, limited opportunities to participate in openings, exhibitions, galas, walk-throughs and lectures in this socially distanced world. I am confident that we will find ways to restructure and I look forward to being part of that conversation. 

Hoping that it is useful, I am discovering I have a new voice in helping organisations rethink themselves. Rather than focusing on funding only, contribution is now about relevancy and how to be responsive to the constituencies being served. It will take more thought for these organisations to emerge from the parameters that are thwarting their old missions and it will take much redirection, and of course vision.  The staffing of galleries, museums and collections will certainly shrink, outdoor or safe programming will be critical, and new messages of relevancy must emerge. Change must include regeneration – and this I believe means reaching beyond what was and promoting an inclusivity of art made by, and for, communities of all color, race, gender, religion, ethnicity and culture. Creating environments of diversity, equity and inclusion, and embracing the entire spectrum of our world is the way of the future. 

I was inspired to post recently about Black Art Matters, citing works and artists of color whose messages transcend their medium. The movement of inclusivity has gained momentum and we cannot afford to let it slacken again. 

It has been difficult for me to think about collecting art in this complicated period. It has been more compelling for me to directly sponsor the work of artists with new commissions. A few examples include: sponsorship of MacArthur Prize-winning conceptual and visual artist Mel Chin with his multi-location exhibition in New York, ALL OVER THE PLACE; funding the research and development phase for INSECT OPERA by Austin composer Graham Reynolds; and producing Suzanne Bocanegra’s film adaptation of her performance FARMHOUSE/WHOREHOUSE.

 Artists have often been the pulse of our societies, showing us how to look and interpret ourselves within a current cultural context. Now, more than ever, we need to be investing in artists: raising awareness about the impact on their lives and getting resources into their hands. I look forward to the creativity and spark that comes out of this unprecedented time. Artists will undoubtedly find new ways to present their work. Perhaps the ‘indoor malls of art’ are gone for good and more intimate spaces will prevail or perhaps the more public, outdoor venue of light and space will become a focus. I have faith that a new artistic vision is in formation, and that its new expression will not only shock, but delight us.

 Suzanne Deal Booth, September 2020   

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