Week 17 - Less Than 400,000 Pennies To Go!

We are at 610,000 pennies today (or $6,100.).  We have 4 weeks to go.

Last week, Bruce Lee of Lee Development Group contributed a sack of pennies that he had in his basement.  He had just been throwing pennies in for years and thought that our campaign would be a good home for them.

This week, Harvey Maisel and his daughter Nicole contributed a box full of pennies he had been collecting since she was a baby. 

I am honored that they chose to invest in Pyramid.  Here comes the inspiration for Week 17:

"This past week at Pyramid all of our summer interns arrived.  We have a total of 11 college interns this summer.  That's enough for a soccer team.  They will do everything from work on projects in the studio to work in our summer teen program.

I usually say a few words to the interns when they arrive.  One of the things I tell them is that we have never had a "slacker" intern at Pyramid, so the bar has been set pretty high. Every intern that we have had has bust their but and wanted to be at Pyramid.  The second thing I do is I encourage them to fail.  I tell them they have to take advantage of this opportunity to do that.  That there will be few times in life that someone invites them to fail, so they better not pass this one up.  I tell them that the only way to really know how capable they are is to stretch themselves as far as they think they can go and then go a little farther still until they can't any longer.  Find a place of discomfort and then keep coming back to it, because that's how you learn and grow.  I also let them know that if they don't know something that they should ask questions.  I tell them that I love questions, but I also tell them that I will not have the answers.  I tell them that is what they are here to do, find the answers.  Finding the answers is really the best part, so I don't want to take all the fun out of it. 

It got me to thinking about my first internship.  When I graduated from college I interned at a small theatre in New York City called The Working Theatre.  They wrote, directed and produced plays about the lives of working people.  I didn't intentionally seek out this theatre, they were just the only theatre to offer me an internship, so I took it.  I made $25 a week in 1992.  The theatre offices were on 42nd Street and 9th Avenue, right behind Port Authority. Everyday on my walk to work walk, I passed people urinating on the sidewalk or passed out on the corner.  My first week there my supervisor, Denise Laffe, had me answer phone, run scripts to the copy shop, sort headshots and organize files.  There was no air conditioner in the offices and it was June in New York City.  It was hot, but I could not have been happier.  I interned all summer an into the Fall and did everything from read stage directions for play readings, work concessions at intermissions, talked to actors and casting agents and eventually directed a reading of a play.  I thought about my internship and how there really weren't small tasks (the working theatre was an organization with one full time staff member, so all the tasks were important) and how right from the moment that I stepped in the door, I was treated like a professional, like part of the team.  I was given responsibilities and trusted.  I try to do the same thing with interns at Pyramid. I give them responsibility and let them loose to find their way. 

This past week was also the last day of one of my Spring interns, Maria Rykova.  Maria arrived in February from Moscow unsure of her English, but determined to learn as much as she could about arts management.  At first she was very unsure of her English, her writing and her management skills, but slowly, she took on more and more responsibility, asked more and more questions, discovered more and more answers and pretty soon, she was helping me design publicity materials and organizing her own events at Pyramid.

Before she left, she brought me a Matrushka Doll from Russia.  She brought me the doll and said "I hope you like it. I brought you this doll because inside each one is another one until you get down to the little baby one.  It is a family, like Pyramid."    Its one thing for me to think Pyramid is a family and hope that people feel that way and it is another thing for someone to say it because that its how they truly feel.  I didn't know what to say, so I said "thank you Maria."

I hope I inspired you to join my ever growing community of penny philanthropists who help support art classes and workshops, internships, studios for artists and events for people of all ages at Pyramid. It is an amazing group of individuals.  It's fun and easy:

• Contact me to pick up your pennies I will pick them up, count them and give you a tax receipt for your charitable contribution!
• Make a Penny drop. Drop your pennies off at Pyramid. I will count them and give you a tax receipt.
• Visit a Penny Partner and drop your pennies. Go to Fillmore Silver Spring, Kefa Cafe, Velatis Caramels, ArtSpring,Plaza Artist Materials, The Pennyworth Shop on Bonifant, Zipcar, Firestation 1 , The Toole Design Group, and Statland & Katz.

If all this penny stuff is too complicated and you just want to make a contribution, you can donate in any form of currency to Pyramid Atlantic by clicking here. I will add up your donation in pennies and include it in my campaign.

Join me on Friday, June 1 at 5 pm for a game of Four Square at Pyramid Atlantic.  Its a great way to end the work week. Bring your pennies and I will take them to my friends at Eagle Bank.

Seeking Screenprinting @ Artomatic

"Severe REM", screenprint by Lynette Spencer at Artomatic

Artomatic, the behemoth creative event now on in Cyrstal City, features work by Pyramid Atlantic artists Lynette and Leanne Spencer, Marty Ittner, Clay Harris, Marcie Wolf-Hubbard and Helen Baribeau. The Screenprint Society blog asks: where is all the screenprinting at?

Summer Studio Interns Are In Bloom!

the "squinterns" stare bravely into the summer sun

from left to right, a little about our summer studio warriors:

Kai Cannon-Hill is a Pyramid Atlantic Veteran who has already endured the treacherous waters of an Executive Internship. She hails from Takoma Park, Maryland and is joining us in the studio this summer to get her hands dirty and see how the other half lives. Kai has studied at Howard University, and in her younger years only wore shoes that glittered. Kai’s preferred studio weapon is a mold and deckle, with which she could beat you to a pulp (pun intended). 

Emily Fussner came to us on a long and arduous journey through Indonesia, Indiana, New Zealand, and most recently Alexandria, Virginia. Growing up her favorite snack was crayons, ranging from delicious flavors such as Robin’s Egg Blue to Fire Engine Red. She has since begun outputting rather than inputting her art supplies and is now studying printmaking at Indiana Wesleyan University as a rising senior with a penchant for mixed media works. Emily’s studio weapon of choice is her trusty bone folder.

Amy Cousins is a Houston native and a rising senior at MICA. She studies the dark arts of Printmaking and has a minor in Creative Writing. Amy is a not yet convicted toucher of artworks, and has violated paintings by Alice Neel and Picasso. Her studio weapon is the modest ink knife, with which she can make mincemeat out of Senefelders.

Kate Horvat comes to Pyramid Atlantic from Kansas City and holds a shiny and new BFA in Printmaking from Northwest Missouri State University. Kate has a dark past as a soccer player and at her peak could squat 235 lbs! She is working towards squatting our Vandercook and hopes to accomplish this by the end of the summer. Though with her strength she might not even need a weapon, Kate is always armed with her beloved twisted scribe. 

Marcella Volini is a recent graduate of MICA who grew up in an impressively enormous family in Chicago. She has a degree in General Fine Arts and is planning a three-month adventure to Guatemala to learn back-strap weaving in indigenous artisan communities. Her scissors are her samurai sword.

Jackie Riccio (rich-eee-oh) is here from Syracuse by way of Baltimore. She is a rising junior and at MICA where she studies Printmaking and indulges in a studio concentration in Ceramics. Despite her colorful upbringing in the finger lakes region, Jackie has never seen the lion king; nor had she eaten a falafel sandwich until this afternoon (she liked it). If you were to meet Jackie in a time of studio warfare, she would arm herself with a brand new silkscreen.


It's going to be a great summer!

Week 16 - Getting Out Of The Way

We are at 540,000 pennies today (or $5,400.).  We have 5 weeks to go, so buckle up for your inspiration for week 16:

 "I received the greatest email response last week from my friend Stephen.  It inspired me and gave me so much insight.  He said: "It’s funny, when we grow up poor like you and I did, we grow up with this misshapen notion that everyone is looking at us judgmentally.  That can have the unnatural effect of making our lives about us.  What I’m finding at this late stage of my life is that most people are more interested in what I’m doing to benefit them and what opportunities can I give them."

He hit it right on the head.

When I used to act, there was a saying I would use after I had performed a scene or monologue particularly bad.  When I  knew that I had been too self-conscious with the material I was working with.  I would say, "I got in my way" and "I have got to get out of my own way."  I didn't make this up, I know many actors who say it.  It was so appropriate then.  I knew what I had to do, what I had to say, the kind of conviction I needed to have in my portrayal, but at the last minute, I backed off.  I didn't think I was capable of doing it and I got in my way.  It's like what Stephen said.  I would make it about me and not what my character had to say or had to do.  So, I would go back to the beginning of the scene or monologue and just focus.  Focus on being in the moment (actors say that alot too) and not in my head.  Then it would work and when the scene worked or monologue worked, it was never about me.  It was about communicating with the other actor and about getting them to understand what it is I needed from them or about what I needed to do to them.  Its not so hard when you don't make it about you.

I agree with Stephen about when you grow up poor and I think there are all kinds of poverty: material poverty, emotional poverty, mental poverty and spiritual poverty. When you grow up in poverty, you think its about you.  You grow up thinking you messed it up and your the only one who can fix it only the funny thing is, you can't, because you don't feel good enough too and what I have learned is, nobody is.  Nobody is.  We all need each other.  One of the things that I have learned on my inspirational email journey these past two years is that when you reach out and ask for help, people respond. There is no way that Pyramid would be the organization it is today if it were not for so many other people.  People who were more interested, as Stephen says, in how Pyramid could benefit them and what opportunities Pyramid could provide them.  These wonderful people picked a piece of Pyramid up and we have all walking together, supporting this wonderful organization and supporting one another.  Pyramid would not be what it is today if it were not for all of the generous people who breathe life into the organization every week by creating art in the studios, teaching youth in the classroom, or mentoring a fellow artist or intern whose struggling with a difficult project.  People understand its not about them.

Sure, its a little scary, because you lose control (but that's okay because you never really had it, you just thought you did).  But by getting out of their way, I get out of my own too. I remember that its not about me and in the end its not even really about Pyramid.  Pyramid is not a big red building on Georgia Avenue. Its huge group of people on Georgia Avenue, people from all walks of life. Our community gets bigger everyday and will continue to indefinitely, as long as we focus and get out of the way."

I hope I inspired you to join my ever growing community of penny philanthropists who help support art classes and workshops, internships, studios for artists and events for people of all ages at Pyramid. It is an amazing group of individuals.  It's fun and easy:

• Contact me to pick up your pennies I will pick them up, count them and give you a tax receipt for your charitable contribution!
• Make a Penny drop. Drop your pennies off at Pyramid. I will count them and give you a tax receipt.
• Visit a Penny Partner and drop your pennies. Go to Fillmore Silver Spring, Kefa Cafe, Velatis Caramels, ArtSpring,Plaza Artist Materials, The Pennyworth Shop on Bonifant, Zipcar, Firestation 1 , The Toole Design Group, and Statland & Katz.

If all this penny stuff is too complicated and you just want to make a contribution, you can donate in any form of currency to Pyramid Atlantic by clicking here. I will add up your donation in pennies and include it in my campaign.

Join me tomorrow on Thursday, May 24 at 6:30 pm for a night of conversation with Former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta and author Shirley Sagawa. We'll drink wine, eat chocolate and talk about how ordinary people like you and me are making extraordinary contributions to their communities.  It's $20 and well worth it!!  RSVP to me so I save you a seat: jdominguez@pyramid-atlantic.org

Bring your pennies and I will take them to my friends at Eagle Bank.

Week 15 - The Naked Truth

We broke the 500,000 penny barrier!!!  We are at 520,000 pennies today (or $5,200.).  Thank you, thank you.  We are more than halfway there with 6 weeks to go.

Here is your inspiration for Week 15, my friends:

" I started writing these emails 2 years ago because I was scared to death.  I had just come back from a fundraising conference in Oakland where presenters mapped out exactly how I could raise more money for my organization.  It wasn't anything magical or earthshattering.  It was about risk taking, willpower and deterination.  It was about asking the people you know and love first.  It was about telling them why it was so important that you ask them.  It was about giving as many opportunities as possible to support that thing you love.  Then you waited to hear what they had to say.  Then you asked another group of people, told them why its was so important, gave them opportunities and waited.  Then you did it again and again and again. This scared me to death.  I was going to have to ask people for money.  What would they think of me?  They would think I was lazy.   Out begging like a homeless person  No one was going to want to give me money.  What if I said the wrong thing or asked for the wrong amount.  I would offend people.  What would my parents think of me?  I just kept coming up with excuses after excuses to to stay small. 

So, I thought to myself well, I have to find something that scares me more than raising money.  I figured that the only way that I was going to start raising money was if I made myself do something scared me more than asking for money.  I thought and I thouight.  I came up with two things that scared me more.  One was failing.  I hate to fail, but I hate never even trying more than I hate failing.  Two was telling people about my life.  My story is one that I have always been embarrassed about.   My family's divorce.  My dad who was never around, but who I love as if he had always been there.  My angry mom who I haven't spoken to in 5 years who is so consumed by resentment and who never felt loved by her own mom or her husband.  My being in a men's group after my dad passed away because the grief was too much.  My battle with depression. My insecurities, my prejudices, my failures.   I never wanted anyone to see the cracks.

So I figured that I would start writing an email a week showing people all the cracks.  I felt that if I could tell people all of these very personal things about myself and still get up the next day and go to work, then raising money was going to be a piece of cake, because I was doing something much harder.  I was finally, after 40 years, really letting my guard down.  I was confronting the things about myself that I thought made me unworthy of love and support. Maybe some folks would be offended after reading my email and look at me differently.  Maybe some folks would feel sorry for me, but maybe some folks would be inspired.  Maybe some folks would take the negatives, like I have, and use them as stepping stones.  See their failures and mistakes as opportunities to grow wiser and stronger each time.  Maybe someone would find comfort in my email after a very long day. Maybe someone would see their cracks in mine and feel human.

So I think its worked out so far,  I am raising money for Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, an organization that not only contribute to the lives of artists, youth and the greater community but that has allowed me to live out my dream of being a change agent in my own life and in the lives of so many others.  I owe Pyramid's Founder Helen Frederick a great deal of thanks.  I have come to realize that fear turned inside out is just opportunity.  The opportunity to grow a little wiser, to grow a little stronger and grow beyond the very limitations that we, and only we alone, set for ourselves."

I hope I inspired you.  I hope you will join my ever growing community of penny philanthropists who help support art classes and workshops, internships, studios for artists and events for people of all ages at Pyramid. It is an amazing group of individuals.  It's fun and easy:

• Contact me to pick up your pennies I will pick them up, count them and give you a tax receipt for your charitable contribution!
• Make a Penny drop. Drop your pennies off at Pyramid. I will count them and give you a tax receipt.
• Visit a Penny Partner and drop your pennies. Go to Fillmore Silver Spring, Kefa Cafe, Velatis Caramels, ArtSpring,Plaza Artist Materials, The Pennyworth Shop on Bonifant, Zipcar, Firestation 1 , The Toole Design Group, and Statland & Katz.

If all this penny stuff is too complicated and you just want to make a contribution, you can donate in any form of currency to Pyramid Atlantic by clicking here. I will add up your donation in pennies and include it in my campaign.

Join me on Thursday, May 24 at 6:30 pm for a night of conversation with Former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta and author Shirley Sagawa. We'll drink wine, eat chocolate and talk about how ordinary people like you and me are making extraordinary contributions to their communities.  It's $20 and well worth it!!  RSVP to me so I save you a seat: jdominguez@pyramid-atlantic.org


Bring your pennies and I will take them to my friends at Eagle Bank.

Toolboard

We are very excited about our new Toolboard here at Pyramid! What a wonderful and convenient new place for our artists to store their tools! We hope that everyone enjoys and makes use of the Toolboard!

Week 14: Being Seen

We are at 482,000 pennies today (or $4,820.).  So close to the half million mark and it feels great!!

 Here is your inspiration for week 14, my friends:

" Last week I received an award from Impact Silver Spring and as I walked up to the podium I was nervous.  I mean very nervous.  I walked up carefully, not wanting to trip or slip as that would be so embarrassing. 

I made it up the steps and I stood in the back as my friend Jeffrey Slavin introduced my friend Kimberly Rattley who went on to say why she nominated me for this award.  As she was reading, I could feel the eyes of everyone looking at her and then looking at me.  I remember her saying, "this man will take time out of his day and stop and talk to you and he really listens."  I looked down, then slowly looked up and out at everyone and I could feel my eyes watering up.  I looked down again.  Kimberly finished her reading and she and Jeffrey presented me with the award. The photographer took our picture and then it was my turn to come up to the microphone. 

I finally took a look out at the crowd.  I could not believe what I saw.  So many people out there.  My wife and kids.  People from the non-profit community, county government, state government, the business community.  So many people who I respected and admired.  People whose work I strive to emulate in my own way at Pyramid.  I looked out there and they were looking back at me and smiling. 

I am fortunate enough to work in one of the most generous communities.  Everyone I know sits on a committee (sometimes two) outside of their job. It is a community of givers.  It is a community that knows that you make a living by what you make, but you make a life by what you give.  It is a community of people who believe that the best way to fight injustice is to coach a sports team, mentor a youth, teach art in the schools, start an organic farm or lead a neighborhood clean up.  It is a community of people who appreciate the simple kindness of eye contact, the honesty of a firm handshake and the compassion of a big hug.  This community of leaders was looking at me and I felt as if my feet were literally standing on their shoulders.  I tried to find something wise to say as I reached the microphone and all I could say was "thank you."

Two days later, I received an award from The Takoma Foundation.  I walked up to the podium to receive my award and remember that someone before me had made a remark about Takoma Park Youth Soccer and its motto that "everyone is a winner" and how that rubs people the wrong way. Well, I can understand that, but I have learned an important lesson coaching Takoma Park Soccer for 7 years now and it is something that I use everyday at Pyramid Atlantic.  Everyone has a role to play.  Everyone can't be good at dribbling and passing and defense, but everyone can help their team.  Some kids that I have coached are great at defense, but not terrific dribblers and some kids are great dribblers but will never pass and some kids just come out there and try their hardest despite the score week after week after week.  They just love to play.  I think about that at Pyramid and try to find a role for everyone and am grateful to the people who come out to every event because they love Pyramid and the joy that making art brings to their lives and the lives of their family and friends.  That is powerful stuff and it is how we at Pyramid fight injustice."

I hope I inspired you.  I hope you will join my ever growing community of penny philanthropists who help support art classes and workshops, internships, studios for artists and events for people of all ages at Pyramid. It is an amazing group of individuals.  It's fun and easy:

• Contact me to pick up your pennies I will pick them up, count them and give you a tax receipt for your charitable contribution!
• Make a Penny drop. Drop your pennies off at Pyramid. I will count them and give you a tax receipt.
• Visit a Penny Partner and drop your pennies. Go to Fillmore Silver Spring, Kefa Cafe, Velatis Caramels, ArtSpring,Plaza Artist Materials, Zipcar, Firestation 1 , The Toole Design Group, and Statland & Katz.

If all this penny stuff is too complicated and you just want to make a contribution, you can donate in any form of currency to Pyramid Atlantic by clicking here. I will add up your donation in pennies and include it in my campaign.

I will take all your pennies to my friends at Eagle Bank.

Week 13: Big Hearts

Week 13 is in the rear view mirror, bring on Week 14 and the inspiration and pennies it will bring. We are at 455,000 pennies today (or $4,550.). Here is your inspiration, my friends:

"This is a picture of Melanie Karlins.  She comes to Pyramid to make letterpress cards and invitations for her micro business.  As you can see, by little sleeping Elsie in the baby bjorn, Melanie is also a mother.  Melanie has two very fulfilling and time consuming jobs.  She is an artist and mother.  I see Melanie walk that tightrope like a champ every week at Pyramid.  She sets Elsie up with her back in the letterpress studio.  She talks with Elsie the whole time she is making art. Telling Elsie about the Vandercook and the colors she is using.  She wants to  her reassure her that she is only an arms length away.  She takes breaks from her work to feed and change Elsie when she gets fussy and  I cannot resist picking Elsie up and asking her how she's doing.  Melanie is an artist, mother, wife, daughter and friend.  Whew!  That's a mouthful.  I am so glad that she is here at Pyramid.  Melanie isn't the only mom at Pyramid.  There is also Crystal with Samantha and Zac, Sarah with her daughter Audrey, Jane who brings Liberty to the studio, Maya and her daughter Masha and of course Franc (a dad) who brings his son Mateo and daughter Nora.   

4 1/2 years ago when I accepted the job at Pyramid, I came to it with the goal of creating a space where community and artists co-existed.  This was not received very well at first.  There was a great deal of fear and concern.  Would this tarnish Pyramid's artistic reputation? Change is hard, but 4 1/2 years later I am proud to see Pyramid become a place where artists and community not only co-exist but collaborate and grow stronger.  This co-existence is important to me because life's duality is something that I am very familiar with. When my folks divorced when I was 13, my mom had to assume two roles.  She became both my mother and my father. She had to both nurture and love me and challenge me and push me forward.  My father's departure also made me the man of the house at 13.  I had to be both a big brother and father to my little brother.  I helped him finish his homework and projects for school and helped him fill out forms to transfer out of our neighborhood to a better junior high school.  Being one or the other wasn't really an option.  I look back on this really painful time in my life and am grateful for it.  It taught me to believe in a life without limits.  You can be an artist and a mother, a community activist and a parent,  a soccer coach and an Executive Director of an Arts Center.  You can be as big as your heart can handle because while each additional role brings its share of work (and as Melanie will tell you, it's not easy), it also brings with it truckloads of love. I am proud that all of these people with very full lives call Pyramid home and that we are big enough to contain all of the love that they bring to Pyramid."

I hope I inspired you this week.  I hope you will join my ever growing "Penny Family" and help support art classes and workshops, internships, studios for artists and events for people of all ages at Pyramid. Its easy to be a part of the family:

• Contact me to pick up your pennies I will pick them up, count them and give you a tax receipt for your charitable contribution!
• Make a Penny drop. Drop your pennies off at Pyramid. I will count them and give you a tax receipt.
• Visit a Penny Partner and drop your pennies. Go to Fillmore Silver Spring, Kefa Cafe, Velatis Caramels, ArtSpring,Plaza Artist Materials, Zipcar, Firestation 1 , The Toole Design Group, and Statland & Katz.

If all this penny stuff is too complicated and you just want to make a contribution, you can donate in any form of currency to Pyramid Atlantic by clicking here. I will add up your donation in pennies and include it in my campaign.

I will take all your pennies to my friends at Eagle Bank.