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Dear Ely Center of Contemporary Art Friends, We’re writing in follow up to our recent message about our organizational review and to share our upcoming schedule of trainings, workshops, and conversations. Today, we go live with a short anonymous online survey to receive submissions from our community, and to gather the concerns and needs you wish for ECOCA to hear and consider. We want to start by thanking all the people who reached out to us, and by acknowledging that a number of you asked for more information about the precipitating events that got us here. On the one hand, the organization acted on strongly held values that led us to be inclusive of volunteers with prior involvement with the criminal justice system. We believe the arts have a unique role to play in a redemptive community such as New Haven, and, without denying the harm to society that formerly incarcerated individuals may have caused in the past, we are opposed to engaging in practices that entail outing/shaming/othering those who are now on a path to rehabilitation. Everyone should have the opportunity to heal through the arts. On the other hand, it has become clear to us that the organization must also do its best to provide additional sensitivity and empathy to staff and other stakeholders for whom sharing work proximity with such volunteers might be triggering. We are a small organization, mostly volunteer-run, grateful for all the talents contributed by stakeholders, yet recognizing that we need to strengthen our people practices as we deal with the interplay of —and differing perspectives on—trauma, mental health, addiction, second chances, and belonging. We intend to cover these topics in our open sessions on Wednesdays in April, along with the submissions to our “Grievance Box”. We will gather weekly and bring these responses into a space of listening and learning. We hope you’ll share this invitation for feedback to fellow artists and audience members who may wish to participate. Your input will help us become a more responsive, accountable organization. We are grateful to all the experts in the community who we have leaned on for advice and consultation, and to those who are named below who will be helping facilitate our conversations. As we look ahead, please know that we are looking for new board members and volunteers who want to create the future of ECOCA and help open our space up to more people and more use. If you have ideas, we’d love to hear from you! In April, two intimate and reflective exhibitions will take place that are devoted to resilience and connection. Wabi Gallery will present an exhibition entitled “Truth in Three Colors” so that works of art can provide inspiration and prompts for our community conversations. And a special weaving workshop will offer the chance to be engaged in a more somatic way in our space. March 22, Grievance Box opens for submissions April 2, WABI Gallery Exhibition and Ahree Lee’s Weaving Workshop open. April 5, Wednesdays with WABI Conversation Circle, Kim Weston with special guest artist Isaac Bloodworth. April 12, Wednesdays with WABI Conversation Circle, Kim Weston with special guest Rev. Kevin Ewing, online. April 19, DEIAJ training for the ECOCA board & Curatorial Committee with Jenora Ledbetter/The Self Care Network April 26, Wednesdays with WABI Conversation Circle with Kim Weston & Frank Brady May 5, Wednesdays with WABI Conversation Circle: Kim Weston & Isaac Bloodworth May 17, DEIAJ Training for ECOCA board & Curatorial Committee with Jenora Ledbetter May date TBD Training with Yale’s Sexual Harassment and Assault Response & Education Center (SHARE) May date TBD Safe Space training with Jenora Ledbetter/The Self Care Network.
For the past several years, the Ely Center has served as space for transformation and discovery. Now, we are investing our resources so that over the coming months, our organization can work to experience similar evolution and growth. We welcome you and all those interested in writing the next chapter of ECOCA to participate in these conversations. Sincerely, The ECOCA Team
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