Nike Tiger Woods Center, Beaverton, OR, Oct 7, 2010.
The Oregon Arts Summit experience was an opportunity to practice democracy in the political cultural field. I could envision the future of the Summit as a growing alternative to build policies together in a state level. It has the potential and tools to grow and it may represent a model of social action in an international level. And for my thoughts to come true, the actual model just needs to expand.
The event was the seed of collective political engagement and with extensive publicity it will grow on diversity and participation of different institutional and population sectors. In a short future the Tiger Woods Convention Center might be small to accommodate the engaged communities eager to talk about future plans and strategic actions for the cultural sector in terms of local and international perspectives.
It was a good strategy to engage people and to emphasize their need to keep connected through participating in other gatherings and through social media.
The experience is reverberating in my senses as waves that reverberate infinitely. It was a real life experience that will build meanings throughout my life. The event organization was effective and it may grow even more in its cultural value by including more of the creative component with art performances and creative management.
I had the chance to understand common-shared anxieties, such as the fear/acceptance of failure, the uncertainties of journalism, music and book publishers’ cultural industries and the need of arts organizations to innovate through dialogue with constituencies and to enhance the meaning of cultural economy.
We had the opportunity to dialogue, inquire and learn with experienced arts managers and their life stories as arts leaders willing to innovate, like when I engaged on a panel with four arts leaders who were talking about how they adapted and overcame difficulties in their organizations. It was an encouraging and frank talk about how to perceive and succeed with a good sense of humor, hard work and optimism.
Another unique experience was to listen to a man who changed my way to approach education and to recognize my own values. Howard Gardner with his kind sweet way of talking encouraged me to keep searching for the best work place where I can cultivate my emotional intelligences and make them flourish. Working collaboratively to build a place where I can feel in connection with the values of mutual respect and freedom of expression toward a common goal. He emphasized the need to adapt, to gradually change and influence people to work together and to radically change when we realize that we are in the wrong place.
Marta Mellinger and Howard Gardner
In sum, the experience will be a good model to follow. I want to participate on others. Helping to promote, organize and spread in other places, in my country, by encouraging the participation of other generations by engaging them with technology and providing support, and by connecting with these people for future support and mutual orientation.
I will be thinking in many ways to keep these people and moment in mind and keep the ball rolling as the marble ball in front of the Tiger Wood Center Building.
AAD students: Marissa L., Sara B., Kirsten, Daniel L., Patricia Morales