Submitted by Mike Williams — Managing Editor (@imikewilliams)
Visual Art Exchange — also called VAE — has been around since 1980, when it was called the Wake Visual Arts Association, and was started for artists by artists. The goal was to support the local art scene, and that’s exactly what it has done. VAE has seen growth in the number of exhibitions, programs, members and, most importantly, the art community.
Current Executive Director Sarah Powers has been a major part of VAE's success. Involved in the art community in Raleigh since she moved here nine years ago, Powers was as a waitress at the North Carolina Museum of Art, was part of Carolina Ballet's office of development, and also worked at Artspace. She used those opportunities to network and get familiar with the art scene here. She landed at VAE in 2006 and helped bring a renewed energy to the gallery.
Those that know her will tell you she's really invested in the art community here and understands how vital it is. Susan Jones, who serves on VAE's executive board as treasurer, says Powers is "great at bridging the gap between artists' needs and the powers that can help."
Powers and her team are always looking for ways to help fund new and existing artist programs at VAE, so they came up with the idea to have a mid-year fundraiser. This is separate from — and more casual than — their annual gala every autumn.
The Taste of Summer Wine Tasting + Fundraiser, which happens Friday, June 21, is intended to help support the artists of VAE and bring the community together to sample food and wine from local businesses.
I had a chance to speak with “SP” about the Triangle art scene, her experience at VAE, and the group's upcoming fundraiser. Here are seven questions with Sarah Powers.
Q&A
You’ve been in the art scene in Raleigh for a while. How do you think it’s changed or grown in the past five to 10 years?
It has grown! Raleigh had a great art scene when I arrived, and that is one of the reasons we [she and her husband, Jack Hagel] moved here. But over the last few years, much more is happening and the visibility of our artists and [the] scene has increased dramatically. Events like SPARKcon and First Friday have blown up showcasing the area's creative talent. Also, the evolution of downtown has given the arts scene a hub, and as that expands into more corners of downtown, there will be more opportunity for artists to do their thing.
This area is full of aspiring artists. For those who don’t know, what’s the process for getting work in a gallery like VAE?
VAE is an easy place to get involved with. VAE is THE place for artists to get started, learn how to make it as an artist and get to know the creative community. We want all artists to be a big part of VAE, and have lots of programs that cater to different kinds of artists at all levels. Visit our website and look under “support” for all the ways you can be involved in what we’re doing. [It starts] by coming in and saying “hello!”
Being part of the community is key. Artists thrive when they are with other artists! When you know your way around, then it is easy to enter one of our exhibition programs. We have opportunities for artists at all stages of their career — from shows at community venues, featured artist programs, group shows and competitive juried exhibitions. Staff can help you choose a program to apply for or just check our website for upcoming shows. We have at least 36 exhibitions a year.
So what exactly is the role of an executive director of an art gallery? Do you still get to create your own art?
I am basically a small business person. I manage staff, programs, do janitorial work, hang the lights, plan events and run marketing plans. ... Because we are a non-profit I also work with a board of directors and raise funds for our programs.
This is year two in VAE's new location in the Warehouse District of downtown Raleigh. Do you think the move changed the First Friday landscape now that there are several galleries in the Warehouse District?
I do! Raleigh seems so much bigger now that each corner of downtown is activated. The coolest part is there are distinct districts and distinct audiences for all of them. Each has a slightly different scene, which proves there is always room for more art!
SPARKcon, started in 2006, is a huge art festival in downtown every year. How do you think it helped the art scene in the Triangle?
Wow. I can't think of a single program that has changed the scene in Raleigh as much as SPARKcon. First of all, it brings together artists, designers, performers and other creative types to build a huge network. Through those connections, new business, happenings, collaborations and projects have been launched. Organizers go through a training process to put together their SPARKs, so the event has help build the skills of people in all sorts of creative fields, and those skills have helped Raleigh's talent go out and make cool things happen! The most recent example is the circus community's new hub, Cirque de Vol.
Let’s talk about the upcoming Taste of Summer fundraiser. It’s the first one you guys have done other than the annual gala. What’s the idea behind it, and what can people expect?
We wanted a casual, fun event that would bring folks together in our gallery. We have many events in the space throughout the year, and we wanted to have our own event that focused on showcasing art, wine and food. People can expect a fun, open house environment with lots of networking. There will be many artists there, so the energy will be high!
I like the idea of including local businesses like Empire Eats and Ararat Imports. If this event becomes annual, would the local business aspect be a component every year? Sort of like a showcase of what local businesses offer, maybe?
That sounds like a great idea. Most of what VAE does is to support small business — artists! We also know that we can only thrive if our neighbors are also doing well, so we do anything we can to get people downtown. They can hang with us and support artists and then support the other businesses downtown! We are also lucky to live in Raleigh, where businesses like Ararat and Empire Eats want to help the non-profit and arts community through sponsoring events like this!
