THE MALDEN ADVOCATE - Friday, February 15, 2019 Page 13 specifi c hashtag and banner; and the fi rst Arts and Culture page on the City website. The Gallery introduced the community to the good work of several unknown or new Malden nonprofits like Project Have Hope and Homestarters. A concert series will be continued under the name “The Gallery Performance Series,” starting with four concerts and four open mics in 2019 alone. These performances, which will also incorporate visual arts and be held in a variety of venues in Malden, will continue to satisfy the growing desire for entertainment and connection via the arts in Malden. The Gallery demonstrated what is possible not only with the arts but with a group of people who imagine something and make it happen. It nurtured a vision of what might be possible for connections through music, visual art, cultural events, and simply relaxed and informal contact in a space fi lled with color, texture, design and warmth. People who never before crossed paths mingled at artist receptions, concerts and events. Artists found new opportunities to show, sell and create their work. It gave immigrants a platform to bring their valuable artistic talent to the community. It inspired youth about the possibilities of community, discovery and engagement with Malden. It generated revenue for the city and local nonprofi ts. It generated some revenue and visibility for visual, performing and literary artists. How do YOU feel about The Gallery closing? I believe closing down The Gallery was the right move – not to end what we were doing but to step back and learn from it and prioritize what kind of next step and entity makes sense for Malden. Though sad to watch the space transform from art-fi lled and vibrant to empty and concrete, I was time sorting out with the help of many is, what is the something “new” going to be. It will most likely be many things, not just one. We really were an incubator of possibility from the get go. If many new ventures emerge from this experiment, I will be happy and know that it was successful. Though I am not exactly also relieved of the immediate nonstop responsibility and work involved in directing a gift shop and space for performances, exhibitions and workshops. We were not set up for appropriate division of labor and the undertaking was all consuming and not yet profi table. Though I had help from so many competent individuals who took charge of various aspects of operations, it all fell on my shoulders as the lead business sponsor of the initiative through my small LLC, Malden Creates. What we were doing and achieving for Malden’s community really warrants a different kind of entity and structure from staff - ing, operations and funding standpoint. In addition to the toll of time and investment, I was keenly aware of my own limitations in running a retail shop, marketing productively and pulling together the right people to operate the entire effort. Though the year was amazing in so many ways, I was ready for a break and more importantly, ready to invite experts to the table to help form something that operates eff ectively, sustainably and generates some revenue. Is this an ending, or the beginning of something new? This is a “pause” rather than an end. We stimulated the imagination for what is possible in Malden with the amazing array of talent not just in the arts but also among new residents, including folks from other countries. We showed the amazing hunger people have to connect with each other and plug into the community. People want to learn about the arts hands on and experience art with others. Having a warm and welcoming space fi lled with art and cultural experiences is something everyone seems to want – even be willing to volunteer for. So, the question I will spend sure what’s next, I know that something will emerge that is much better and more robust than The Gallery. The folks involved with The Gallery need time to reflect, gather data, process the experience and invite expertise in so we can come up with a next phase and thoughtful progression from what The Gallery achieved and learned. The Gallery end is just part of the evolution of something that wants to emerge in Malden. With so much talent, intelligence, variety, youth and proximity to Boston and major institutions, of course Malden has the potential to do some amazing things. We just scratched a microscopic part of the surface with the popups and The Gallery. I invite anyone who is interested in helping plan what is to come to contact me at yes@MaldenCreates.com. Kari Percival demonstrates printmaking at an Open House event at The Gallery.
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