By Jannette J. Witmyer,
Special to the AFRO
When Gregory S. Smith, the Creative Alliance’s new executive director, came to Baltimore to interview for the position; he conducted a few interviews of his own. He was completely sold on the diverse programs and work being done in the community by the Creative Alliance (CA), but because he had little knowledge of Baltimore beyond the most negative stories provided by news feeds, he wasn’t quite as sure about the city. So, while being transported around town by Uber drivers (most of whom were people of color), he used the time to ask questions and learn about the city from their perspective. According to Smith, the Alliance’s first Black and first male E.D., their responses “tipped the scale” in the city’s favor for him.
Smith said, “I would spend time talking to them about the city: what they liked about it; how long they’d been here; where they came from; what their understandings of the issues were… And they said, ‘You know, again…It is like any other metropolitan city. It has some very specific issues and challenges. But there’s also a heart to this city, and there is a uniqueness about the city that is very special.’ And they said, ‘You can find your niche here.’ And I thought, ‘That makes perfect sense to me.’”
Smith traces his passion for the arts back to his childhood in Eastern North Carolina, where his teachers encouraged learning through the arts. But he says that watching a performance by the majestic Edward Villella on PBS’ Great Performances series, the first time he’d ever seen a solo male dancer, planted the seed that led to his pursuit of a career in the arts. Its impact was profound and awakened an understanding of possibilities in the arts that he’d never before imagined. By opening himself to the “potential, possible, and plausible,” Smith amassed an extensive and multi-faceted professional background in the arts, arts administration, and education.
Having acted, danced, run organizations and taught throughout a 20-year career in the arts, Smith said, “I try to help people understand with the arts, that there are a myriad of possibilities…You don’t have to want to be onstage. A lot of the skill sets that you learn in the arts, the discipline, the soft skills… transition into the workplace.”
When asked about his approach as CA’s E.D., he said, “I’ve always worked multidisciplinary fashion and also always included others. Whether it’s social service agencies, government agencies… I believe that the arts have a way of providing a safe space for very important and challenging conversations. So, sometimes it’s about bringing people from very different backgrounds together, through an Art lens to have some of those conversations. And that’s one of the things I’m really looking forward to doing here in Baltimore, as well.”
Local artist and CA board member Oletha DeVane served on the search committee. A longtime supporter of the Alliance’s work and recipient of its 2019 Golden Formstone Award, DeVane was most impressed by Smith’s vision to expand the organization’s collaborative efforts and extend its reach into new and existing communities.
“ wants to create alliances and not only keep the kind of innovative programming that’s already happening, but he wants to become even more diverse and is clear in his goals for bringing in artists of color the kind of outreach that’s needed,” she said, voicing her approval.
Slated for opening in 2022, the Alliance’s new Creativity Center will serve as a valuable asset to fulfilling Smith’s vision for the organization’s growth. The additional classroom, dance studio, teaching kitchen, and gallery space represent opportunities for programming that will forge new partnerships. After describing a collaboration involving food and art as an example, Smith said, “It allows us to, again, take different leaps into different areas, so, we may be reaching out to people that we had not previously served.”
Through the years, the Creative Alliance has developed a reputation around Baltimore for its wide-ranging and sometimes quirky programming and activities, pulling together diverse communities and welcoming all. Smith intends to utilize and build on that foundation to strengthen the Alliance and the city, as well.
“The arts are a great convener of people, bringing together people in safe environments and having conversations about challenging and topical issues. From those conversations, we learn that while there are multiple perspectives and that each person has a right to their thoughts if we listen to each other… We might actually change our minds about certain things. But we have to be open to that, and I think that the arts provide the vehicle for people to feel comfortable to have those conversations.”
For information about programs, activities, and membership at the Creative Alliance, visit https://www.creativealliance.org/.
Creative Alliance Public Hours:
Saturday and Sunday, Noon-6pm
3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore, MD, 21224
info@creativealliance.org
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