In honor of ACA’s 35th Anniversary, we are sharing 35 stories from field leaders. We asked Jason Kalajainen, who served as ACA Board Chair, to share a short memory, artifact, or reflection that captures what ACA has meant to him—or how he imagines the future of artist support. Jason Kalajainen serves as the Co-Trustee of the Holly Palmer Trust and the Holly Palmer Foundation, which supports arts and culture, human rights, and environmental initiatives. Previously Jason served as Executive Director of the Luminarts Cultural Foundation and Executive Director of Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency, one of the Country’s oldest and preeminent residency programs.
“During my time as a residency director the ACA provided a wealth of information and resources related to my work. By far the most meaningful of those was the network of colleagues I met through the ACA and its various convenings and referrals. These individuals provided me with ideas, partnerships, critiques, support, and friendship. As I became increasingly involved in the ACA and eventually its chair, the people within its orbit were some of my closest friends and confidantes who supported my personal and professional growth in untold ways. I share this because I think my personal experience with the ACA mirrors the experience many artists have as they become part of a residency community. Not only do they have the time and space to create, they create relationships that push them and sustain them in ways that are unexpected, meaningful, and lasting. I’m thankful for all of you who are giving artists this remarkable opportunity and I’m thankful to the ACA for its dedication to supporting that work and its thoughtful evolution.”
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Jason Kalajainen serves as the Co-Trustee of the Holly Palmer Trust and the Holly Palmer Foundation. The Foundation supports arts and culture, human rights, and environmental initiatives. Previously Jason served as Executive Director of the Luminarts Cultural Foundation and Executive Director of Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency, one of the Country’s oldest and preeminent residency programs. Additionally, Jason has served on a number of committees and boards including the Artists Communities Alliance, Chicago Academy for the Arts, and the Downtown Holland MI Development Authority. Jason is currently a member of the Ragdale Foundation Board and the Joffrey Ballet Board. Jason has his B.A. in Political Science and Art from Westminster College, PA, his M.Ed. in Nonprofit and Educational Management from Vanderbilt University, TN, and completed Stanford University’s nonprofit executive leadership program.
We’d love to hear from you. Send your questions or reflections to ebasada@artistcommunities.org for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of our newsletter, Waypoints.