Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Ellen Bryan and Paige Walden. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Today, CommUNITY Arts STL is the result of the merger of two arts organizations that came together during the pandemic to optimize resources and expand our outreach. In 2006, Mary Ellen and nine local dancers, seeking a creative outlet, joined forces to create choreographic works to inspire others. The performance group Collective Motion went beyond the stage, developing a Social-Emotional Learning arts curriculum for schools. In 2017, Paige Walden and a group of artists gathered to organize the CommUNITY Arts Festival in response to a shooting involving a local dancer. The festival’s mission was to mobilize the arts community to address and heal the impact of violence on our city. Fast forward to 2020, when businesses worldwide faced resource challenges due to the pandemic. Paige and Mary Ellen decided that consolidating the resources of the two non-profits was the most resilient solution. Collective Motion and CommUNITY Arts Festival merged under a single non-profit entity called CommUNITY Arts STL.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was a challenging process! The most significant challenge was merging our missions without confusing our two sets of supporters. It required substantial effort and brainpower, involving a reorganization of branding and programming by our board behind the scenes. The new name, logo, and colors presented an entirely transformed organization to the public. We consistently reassured our supporters: “While our appearance may have changed a bit, our artistic vision for the community remains the same.”
We’ve been impressed with CommUNITY Arts STL, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share about what you do and what sets you apart?
Today, CommUNITY Arts STL has two programs, CommUNITY Arts Bus and Collective Motion. CommUNITY Arts Bus (CAB) provides transportation and financial scholarships for underserved youth to enjoy after-school arts education. Local youth are paired with CABBIE volunteer drivers to take them to weekly after-school classes and to additional arts-centered events to foster their sense of community. Our upcoming event, the Nutcracker Tea Party, allows CAB kids to serve tea to 3-8-year-olds and perform a dance at the event’s performance. Students grow leadership skills through dance and community service in this private performance.
Additionally, CAB kids share the stage with professional dance companies Ballet 314, St Louis Rhythm Project, and our very own Collective Motion. Collective Motion is a professional dance company performing and producing interactive experiences that educate and empower all ages through the arts. From main-stage productions to in-school social-emotional learning presentations, Collective Motion creates experiences to develop individuals, strengthen relationships, and inspire positive decision-making.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Paige and Mary Ellen grew up in very different lives. Paige grew up in a rural town on the Ohio River, while Mary Ellen grew up in the sunny state of California. However, despite the different environments, both childhoods were shaped by the disciplined dance culture. Mary Ellen grew up a dramatic child in all aspects of life. She begged (literally on her knees) to start dance lessons. She found herself in ballet by age 10, studying under fantastic teachers at the Royal Academy of Dancing school. Mary Ellen came from a family of artists, athletes, and performers who encouraged a life of passion and purpose in the arts. These pursuits led to a satisfying professional dancing and choreographic career. Mary Ellen experienced the many blessings a life in the arts provides for an individual, such as self-confidence, self-expression, and a heart for community life.
Growing up, Paige was an energetic and goofy child encouraged by her parents to try everything. She was a competitive swimmer, dancer, soccer player, and Girl Scout played flute, and served on the student council. Paige was always grounded in the arts despite her involvement in various activities. Each career day, she would be found frolicking in her tutu and tights with paint smudged on her face and paint pallet in hand. Aspiring to become both a ballerina and a visual artist like her uncle, Paige found a healthy outlet for her emotions and a community to grow within. By her senior year of High School, dance remained her only source of inspiration, ultimately leading her to pursue a dance degree at Webster University.
Contact Info:
- Website: communityartsstl.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/communityartsstl/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/commUNITYArtsSTL
