intro

They said no one would ever come north of 14th street to listen to jazz, they were wrong.

In our sunny 5,750 square foot, top floor loft with roof access on the corner of 27th and Broadway, artists presented their life’s work and performed their craft; change-makers and creatives shared and debated groundbreaking ideas. The Salt Space was an opportunity to reimagine the urban community arts center in a city where the arts are highly supported but often exclusive. We were able to provide accessible space to those who needed it.

strategy

1. Set the sights on growth

The passion, the big idea for Salt Space was established by others, I was brought in to fan the flames and help it grow. The team and I analyzed the existing events and partnerships and pursued opportunities that had the most traction. I put a plan of action in place.

2. Grow the brand and establish a process

I updated the visual brand, built a website where inquiries could be easily fielded and established our communication channels on social media. Processes were set in place for booking, staffing and managing events. An Events Director was hired to manage booking, staffing and details for each event.

3. Support a team of volunteers

The heavy lifting at Salt Space was supported by a team of incredibly dedicated volunteers. I set my sights on understanding how to keep the team passionate, intrinsically motivated and supported—even when times get tough.

4. Solidify funding and partnerships

Salt Space existed in partnership with a larger organization that funded the majority of the rent costs for our space. Eventually Salt Space would seek grant funding from external sources and produce some income from event rentals and partnerships with organizations like the Jazz Gallery.

Outcomes

Our first curated exhibit brought in crowds large enough to break the building elevator (which happened often.) I collaborated with Brooklyn’s BMX legend turned photographer Karston ‘Skinny’ Tannis to curate a group exhibition for the African American Arts Collective during Black History Month. The cumulative exhibit was incredible, confirming my intuition that there was a broad community of artists that needed this type of platform for personal and artistic expression.

Over the next 16 months we hosted 150+ events that included partnering with DJ Spooky, aka Paul Miller, to host a (controversial) debut screening of Jean-Michel Basqiat: The Radiant Child by Tamra Davis; lectures by Simon Sinek, Scott Belsky, Dr. Kyra Gaunt and Viktoria Harrison to name a few; poetry slams with Anis Mojgani, Buddy Wakefield, Mike McGee, and others; the first exhibition of artwork created by inmates of the Alabama Federal Penitentiary; senior exhibitions from students at FIT and Parsons; the NYC premier exhibition from artist Jamey Grimes; and multiple musical performances in partnership with acclaimed critics, independent record labels, and organizations including the Jazz Gallery.