Welcome to Revenue Speaks, where communication becomes growth. I'm Sheila Johnston, founder and CEO of Luminari Partners. This show is produced in partnership with Page Design Group, where together we align strategy, brand, and digital to drive growth, Revenue Speaks explores how strategic communication aligns leadership and drives measurable revenue, because communication is an overhead; it's infrastructure, and in the end, Revenue Speaks. Hi, Mary Tess. Thank you for being on the Revenue Speaks podcast.

Thank you, Sheila. It's an honor to be here.

Do you remember how we first met?

I do remember how we first met. It was at a chamber lunch event. We both happened to be sitting at the same table. You really stood out from everyone else on the table because you had such a creative question. You were asking everyone, what was the best part of your day? That's right. It's memorable.

It is memorable. It really reframes the narrative that someone might have, and focus in on one topic that's top of mind. I didn't know you before going to that Roseville Chamber lunch either, and I love that we met, and you allowed me to sit at your table with your team.

Yeah, we connected, and then I believe I maybe invited you over to the gallery. You did, yeah, just to show you around, and you even shared with me that you keep a easel at your work desk. I did. I'm like, how amazing is that? I work at an arts organization. I need to be doing that

exactly. Art is why we're talking today, because you are the executive director of the Blue Line Arts Gallery.

Yes.

Where is Blue Line Arts located?

Blue Line Arts is located in downtown Roseville, right next to Tower Theater. We're on Vernon Street, just under the parking structure there, but we have a beautiful 5000 square foot space that we're very grateful to have.

And Blue Line Arts isn't a normal arts gallery; it is a nonprofit.

Correct. Yes.

How was it founded?

Blue Line Arts was actually founded by a group of volunteers. We are celebrating our 60th anniversary this year. What really blows my mind is that it all still started in Roseville, in Old Town Roseville. Yeah, this group of volunteers came together and they decided that Roseville, this tiny little railroad town at the time, needed culture. They'd host a art show in an empty storefront, and it was kicked off and kept growing from there.

Has the name of Blue Line Arts changed over the years, or has it always been Blue Line Arts? It has.

Yeah. At first, it was called Roseville Community Projects Incorporated. Then, for a time, we were Roseville Arts, and then Blue Line Gallery, and now Blue Line Arts. It is

an incredible location, one that you have managed for quite a while. But before you came executive director, you actually were an intern at the organization that you now lead.

Yes.

Why did you start interning at Blue Line Arts?

I was an art major, so when I moved back to Roseville in around 2015, I really wanted to look all around Placer County to see okay where is art happening around here. Blue Line Arts opened in 2008 while I was in college. So when I moved back, I was like, "What is this art gallery in downtown Roselle? You know, doing a Google search, and I showed up for one of their receptions. I walked in and I was like, "Ooh, beautiful white walls, amazing art. I mean, everyone here is you know so open, and conversation just kept flowing. And I was like, ooh, I really want to be a part of this place. They didn't have any job openings at the time, so I was like, I will apply to be an intern. Yeah, I really fell in love with the organization,

did you have different roles after being an intern before you became their executive director?

Yes, I've had a interesting career growth path at Blue Lion Arts. Start as an intern and then guest services associate, programs coordinator, co-director, and now executive director.

What have all of those roles taught you about communications?

Oh, that's a a great question because it's really evolved over time. I didn't really come from a business or office like background before working at Blue line arts, and I remember like learning how to best reply over email, and a lot of what I learned was through communicating with others. Like, oh, okay, like that's a nice succinct way to ask for information, because a lot of what my role entailed was communicating with different. Artists to either become members of the gallery or apply for different shows and what that entails. So we, you know, make sure that all of their paperwork is in order so that they can have their work on display. And it just kind of evolved and grew from there. But yeah, definitely a great learning experience. So you mentioned learning about how to communicate with members. You also were probably very lucky in the fact that you had exposure to the board and the sponsors that were part of the community at Blue Line Arts, right? The board members have definitely been, you know, amazing ambassadors for the organization. So, as I grew into my role, I found it more and more important to keep them informed of what is happening in the gallery. I try to send weekly updates to all of the board members. I call them my Friday updates, and I share little stories of you know what has happened in the gallery over the past week. You know, even little stories of like interactions with either some of the students that have come in, or the teachers, or conversations that have happened in the gallery.

Was that something you instituted, or was that something that your predecessor might have done prior to you coming on board?

It's something that I instituted, and when I was a co-director, you know, we would both kind of share the updates too. But I think early on when we were having board meetings, we received some feedback that like they wanted to hear more about what's happening at the organization instead of just in the board meeting. Sure, because it's like a you know information download and then making decisions. So trying to keep them more informed in between the board meetings is how we came about that.

I love that awareness because I do this with my clients as well, especially my nonprofit and association clients. Board members are in community; they're networking with like-minded individuals, and there might just be a chance to say, "Oh, this week we welcomed 500 people to our art gallery reception. So, I think it's so important that leaders like yourself communicate those success stories and bite-sized pieces. Have you found that that has made your board members more invested in the organization?

I believe so. It keeps them closer to the mission. I think it's much better than not. And then, you know, encouraging them to attend our receptions and see the impact of what they are helping the organization deliver has been really valuable.

So, when you think back to your first day as an intern to now being executive director, what do you think has led to your success in terms of stabilizing or growing the infrastructure at Blue Line Arts, or even growing the organization in and of itself.

Yeah, that's a great question. Looking back from when I first started working there, it was still a very small team, so that has been a constant. A lot of nonprofits, you know, are in the same boat there. One thing that I noticed that needed to be implemented was some type of framework. So most of the activities that we do at Blue Line Arts revolve around the gallery, like our facility, and is first and foremost how we serve the community, and it's a pretty aggressive timeline. We're we're turning over shows every six weeks, and every show we want to make it as impactful as possible. We want all of the artists to feel empowered and celebrated that they're having their work on display. We want to let as many visitors, you know, donors, board members, partners know about these different shows, but we didn't really have a schedule for that. So what has evolved since I first started working there is having a task list built out for the whole team with roles and responsibilities assigned, and kind of like a framework of okay, ideally we have this calls to artists open for at least three months before, and then each event or activity that happens within the show is listed. It's just really nice to have that transparency internally. You know, we do our best to address each activity every single show. What has also come out of that that I've found valuable and impactful has been the interns that we have had come in, being able to share that with them and show them the the framework of okay, this is a successful show and this is what we want to have happen and when. So working around those deadlines and making it transparent for everyone.

When you stabilize the communication process and/or enhanced it, right amongst your team, did you find that you were able to plan for more shows throughout the year and see where you might be able to fill gaps that weren't being filled before?

Yes, it has helped with the planning. Aspect we have a exhibitions committee that looks at that calendar for the year ahead, and we even look at how culturally responsive each of the shows are, so that we have a balanced calendar throughout the year. So we don't want like every show to be a competition. We want to keep that balanced with, say, like a solo show or a show that is addressing a certain theme or subject matter. So yeah, we we try to keep it balanced.

So speaking of balance, Blue Line Arts serves multiple stakeholders. You have the artists, you have your board, you have your members, you have the community, and by community I mean the city of Roseville, the Downtown Roseville Partnership, Placer County, and then even moving further than that, the greater impact that arts has in the creative economy, which we'll talk about the creative economy in a second. But how do you communicate your mission without losing clarity amongst all of those different types of audiences?

That is a great question, and I feel like I'm still learning that. The beginning of my time at Blue Line Arts, I feel like I would tend to just list all of the things that we were doing, and I would get a little carried away because we have so many programs, and then I see their like eyes glaze over, and I'm like, oh, if it's a certain partner that I know has a certain affinity to either public art or art education, then I'll focus more on that aspect instead of just listing everything off. I've also learned that sharing stories of the impact that our work is doing resonates better, and it's more memorable too.

Has that helped encourage even the school districts to have field trips at Blue Line Arts? Has it encouraged access to the arts in the community?

It has, yes. Being able to share how many students we've served, or how many teachers have shared with us that they've seen the transformation in their students when they come in for, say, a tour talk and create program. They have been sharing with us that they're noticing the English second language learners, the more difficult students, are the ones who are the most engaged and seem to be benefiting more than some of the other like traditional academic students. So seeing that as an amazing connector for them has inspired some of the teachers to even implement more arts integration into their classrooms. Like, okay, this is how I connect with that student because they are more attuned with visual learning. The

reason I ask this question specifically around the younger generation that might be experiencing arts for the first time is because the thesis of our podcast is called "Revenue Speaks" because communication is infrastructure. Now, as a nonprofit in the city of Roseville and Placer County, one thing I've noticed Blue Line Arts do very well is mention your role in supporting the creative economy, and you don't necessarily hear those two words put together. But as a huge supporter of Blue Line Arts and a big fan, I will say that Blue Line Arts is contributing to the creative economy and bringing revenue into the communities that you serve. So, can you describe what the creative economy is and how Blue Line Arts contributes to expanding that? What are the ripple effects of a positive creative economy? Absolutely,

a creative economy to me is like vibrancy in a certain community. And what I really love about our organization is that we are the ones providing these different opportunities to artists in the area that otherwise wouldn't have. That can be as simple as having a space to show their work in the gallery, to being able to work with a new partner and have a new mural on a wall. We've also worked with like graphic designers, musicians that come to our receptions, and it's really just a ripple effect in the community. If the arts are thriving, tourism is thriving. If tourism is thriving, then there's more revenue in the area. If there's more revenue in the area, then you know the area is going to be that much stronger and resilient, and a place where people want to live, work, and and play.

So by communicating Blue Line Arts mission, you are having an effect on how expansive these conversations and community are. I know you're the city of Roseville's economic development director in your 60th year anniversary film actually mentioned this. She said the large companies, the large international companies like Bosch. We're looking at what types of culture does the city of Roseville provide. Can you talk a little bit about how it attracts businesses to come to a community?

Yes, we actually saw this and experienced it firsthand during the pandemic. Unfortunately, we had to close for an amount of time, but when we were able to reopen, we were really pleased to see that people who had decided to move here from the Bay Area were walking through our doors for the first time, and we were having these amazing conversations where they were sharing with us that they just moved to the area, they wanted to connect somewhere, and the first thing that they were googling was art near me, and I was so pleased to hear that art was the thing that most people would think of when moving to a new area to connect with a community. I just really love that.

I've heard you say on multiple occasions that art is one of the languages that doesn't need translating, which is very abnormal when you think about communications. Right, most people think communications is verbal, but it also can be nonverbal. So, how do you find that the message of art is getting out to potential visitors or people that are relocating?

Probably happens the most through public art. We have heard feedback that you know when someone is walking through, say for example, downtown Roseville for the first time and trying to decide on whether or not they want to move there. What's amazing about public art is that when you see it, no matter what kind of design it is, it does give you a sense of belonging and space and a cultural representation of what that community stands for or what it values, and it can bring so much more life to an area than just a blank wall.

As this conversation of art and the impact it has in community has grown. Has it directly affected in a positive way Blue Line Arts' growth and expansion?

It has because our organization has such a legacy in downtown Roseville. I'm really pleased to see how Blue Line Arts has embraced public art as a growth stream. The organization had been involved in a couple of public art projects in the early 2000s. I believe at the like Westfield Galleria Mall, there was like a a really cute like tile project that was put together. The larger murals started in 2019, and that was really a direct result of partnering with the Downtown Roselle Partnership, they were sharing with us like, "Oh, we need another way to attract people to the downtown area. We were like, "Oh, what if we have murals as a part of that? It serves our artists. It serves tourism, bringing more people to the downtown. The murals have continued to get larger and larger, and you know some of the mural artists we have worked with multiple times. And over the years, it's been amazing to see how those mural artists' careers have launched and how they've continued to grow. I really see Blue Line Arts as just like that that starting point for artists to test the waters on different projects, have their work on display, and be able to sell it to people so they can have it in their homes. Well, I've seen that growth and that dedication to Blue Line Arts personally. Luminary helps with your communication strategy, but can we talk a little bit about your growth in a one-year period on social media, go ahead and share that stat. We have been very grateful, yeah, to work with Luminari Partners almost two years. Yeah, we're going on two

years now. It

has been amazing to see the growth. I believe when you first started working with us, we were at like what 5000 yeah followers on Instagram, and now we're over 7500 and growing. And growing. Instagram has been an amazing platform for us, just because it's like so visual. It's been amazing to see how not only artists in the area, but even nationally and international, have really latched on to what we're doing. And what I I love to see is the content that you have been creating for us has really increased that engagement because, as a community organization, we just want to continue to celebrate the artists in our community, creating different ways for them to interact with us, share their own work, whether it's in the gallery or what they're working on, and it just proliferates, and it like increases the excitement and the energy of what the organization is able to offer. And

that's been one of the most exciting parts of supporting Blue Line Arts is really just seeing the various ways people describe Blue Line Arts. There's so many different interpretations of what Blue Line Arts represents. One thing I've noticed, especially on your Instagram account, is just how organic the communication has been amongst your followers, and everyone has a different way of describing their experience with Blue Line Arts. Can you share a few of your favorite descriptors of what Blue Line Arts represents? Because obviously you can't control the message, only to the extent that you do a really great job at telling others why you exist and what your mission is. So, share some examples of what Blue Line Arts means to those that you work with. Yeah,

I believe for the artists that work with Blue Line Arts, we provide them with like a high quality experience with a gallery. We've received feedback before that it's an experience that you might find, you know, maybe in a larger city where the white walls and the artists that are coming in and the visitors are really elevating the experience and giving them a taste of what it could be like in a big city. In a

big city, so it's a first exposure for many, perhaps. I have seen because I've attended a few of your fundraisers. The people I sat with at my table, they told me that they've saved up all year just to bid on the artwork at Gallery Gala, which is coming up in October, and there are paddle wars going on at your fundraiser. I've even heard of friendships, really great friendships being formed over art that you showcase.

I think what makes our fundraisers and also our receptions so unique is that we, as an organization, really want to bring the art collectors into the fold and meet the artists. Like there's nothing I love more than being at a reception, having an art collector say like, "Oh my gosh, I love this piece. Them buying it or or not, just appreciating it, and being able to turn around and say that was created by this person, and bringing them over and letting them have that conversation, being able to be that conduit to build those relationships is so invaluable. A reason why I think our nonprofit is completely different from other gallery spaces. We really want to build that relationship and help it flourish.

Well, it's seen because you actually allow your participants of the gallery gala, for instance, or the audience members that will be attending to experience the art before they come. They can view it on your website. They can kind of preview it. They can't necessarily buy it beforehand, but they can keep their eyes on it, right?

Yes, they can keep their eyes on it. The gala is a little bit different, but we also have a lottery for the arts in the springtime, where it is a show that's open to the public for two weeks before we have the event, and we even host a preview night where the artists are there, you know, celebrating each other and you know the work that they have on display, and that's another reason that we can celebrate the work that they do and connect them with the collectors and the supporters in the area.

I've heard of some paddle wars going on. Yes,

between my husband Mike and one of our board members Ingrid on like several different items, and they didn't realize that they were bidding against each other. You know, one would win one, and then the other one would win. Is like, oh, you would win. Yes, yeah, but that competitiveness is what makes the event so fun.

I want to go back to Mike. One of the stories that he shared in your documentary was so inspiring. He knew he needed to bring some culture to his building. He had a blank wall, right?

Yes.

And I love this tie between art and business. Why don't you tell us a little bit about what his specific tie was and what he asked Blue Line to do?

Yeah, so he is a property owner at the time. He was a board member of the Downtown Roselle Partnership as well. He had a really nice blank wall that is facing the Tower Theater. I believe was one of the early adopters. I think he was in that first year in 2019. What was really wonderful about it is that his project was on like the 500 block of Vernon Street, just a block down from Blue Lion Arts, and there historically has not been that much activity down there. But once there was a mural, I remember driving home from work. I would see people taking photos in front of it, you know, looking at it, and it helps bring increased foot traffic to the area. There have been more businesses popping up in that area since then too. So it has helped drive the local economy.

That's beautiful. Communicate art, bring in business. I have seen, and I think we've exchanged a few text messages over this. But running groups actually do routes based on public murals now. I know

fun. I think some bike groups do bike groups do that too.

It's so creative, and it all starts with how you're communicating your mission as an executive. Director, what do you spend more time thinking about today than you expected?

Funding, for sure, and also just really trying to balance the ambitious projects and things that we want to do against our team's capacity. It's a constant back and forth over time. I've really valued how our team responds to different challenges, and I just try to maintain a growth mindset and listen as much as possible because they are the ones working with these different projects day to day, and I want to make sure that we are you know delivering on what we want to while promoting all the amazing things that we do to the community, so you know we're a small team. We wear a lot of hats, but our team is so passionate. They care so much. It's really amazing to be a part of.

With small teams, which is quite common in nonprofits, how have you changed your communication style to ensure a positive workplace culture, to ensure tenure, and just allow your team to grow and shine in the midst of chaos. Sometimes

I feel like I'm a constant student in this too. Like I mentioned, listening. We have team meetings once a week, you know, where we can all bring different things to the conversation and put plans in place. I'm really passionate about weekly check-ins with each of them, making sure that them as a human are doing okay and that we are aligned on what we want to move forward for the organization.

So you have an art degree and you're now running a nonprofit. So what lessons have you learned along the way that bridge the gap between running a nonprofit association, which is also an arts gallery?

Yeah, it is. Being an art major just gave me a huge appreciation for really the sector as a whole. I wish I had executive director 101. Everyone does, and I I think I hear this a lot from other artists too that they needed more like entrepreneurial classes like I really wish that small business 101 would be a part of the requisite because every artist we work with they are an entrepreneur they are their own small business and they have to do so so much. Like they are the one man show. A lot of times, I have learned by doing, and I believe it's really an amazing testament to the board members that I've had a privilege to work with over the years. So many of them are amazing business leaders in the community and have shared their thoughts and wisdom and strategy with me over the years, and really helped look at the different challenges that we have in a new perspective and way. That yeah, I don't know where I would be otherwise. Is

there one strategy that you keep going back to as your tried and true, start this first specifically as it relates to communications or business.

I think it's just to start. It doesn't need to be perfect when you're first setting out, but just putting a plan in place and trying something out. Not that we need to do a whole bunch of new things, but not being afraid to start with something that's not perfect.

Your relationship with your board, you know, sometimes executive directors don't necessarily ask for advice. But did you find that asking them for advice actually helped grow the organization? And is it something that you do quite often?

Yes, I feel like board meetings and committees are like the time and opportunity to ask those strategic questions. I share the different challenges that the organization is facing and hearing their perspective from their own sector and how they have addressed those different challenges in their own professional life has been immensely helpful.

I've had the pleasure of meeting many of your board members, and they are all so incredibly unique. But for those that don't know who your board are, can you share what types of sectors they represent?

Yes, we have several sectors. Finance, Susan, our board president is amazing. Our vice president Sharon with Taylor Builders, several of our other board members, like each of them have a different sector, and most of them have not had an arts background, which has been actually really good for the organization because then I believe that they bring a whole new appreciation to what artists are facing, what our organization is able to do to help serve them. One exception, though, is our amazing board member Sherry Meyer was the dean of arts and letters and has been a part of the organization for 10 amazing years. Thank you so much, Sheri, and. Has really been able to provide an amazing perspective on how the organization can continue to address needs of artists because she has been serving college students in the arts for so long. There's a lot of mutually beneficial ways that the board members get more involved with what we're doing at the organization, and even when they're at the receptions, they're like, "Well, you know, it's amazing to meet this artist and see what they're creating. And I didn't know that they were facing those different challenges. And now Blue Line Arts is able to address that and give them these different opportunities. It just kind of blows the doors wide open. They're able to then communicate that to other people that they know and advocate for the arts.

Well, that's absolutely true, and it's had such an effect that I believe Blue Line Arts has weighed in on Placer County's creative strategic plan. Right?

Yes, we have definitely advocated for the Placer County Office of Education to create a strategic arts plan. There has not been one previously, and it really goes a long way in helping all of the local school districts address equal access to arts education in their schools and to serve their students.

When you think about your intern days and apply that to the Blue Line Arts mission. Would you ever have thought that Blue Line Arts would be weighing in and advocating for arts at such a pivotal moment in a person's life?

I think I I always hoped that it would. I never knew if it would actually be a reality or not, but over like my time at Blue Line Arts, what I've really discovered is it's building the different relationships with people and kind of keeping tabs on what each partner or organization wants to move forward and just checking in with each other about it, the progress on that might be slower than expected, but it's still moving. Like even the conversation of a strategic arts plan, that was probably a two or three year conversation that a couple of different people would have here and there, but then it just kept continuing to grow, and I'm so happy that it's happening.

Well, I love that analogy because communications doesn't have to be so fast. It can be about building a foundation that continues to build over time. Communications is an infrastructure that allows an organization to grow. So, with that, my closing question to you, Mary Tess, is to finish the sentence: Growth comes from

listening, learning, and adapting.

Can you expand on each of those?

Yes, always come with a growth mindset. Coming to different conversations, listening first, and then learning. I I'm constantly learning from the different people that the staff that we work with, our different partners. There are so many different ways to approach different projects, and I feel like the more we have those check-ins, those wrap meetings, and we're able to assess and and improve has been invaluable. And then adapting, just taking the different things that we are learning from those experiences and applying them in different ways, and continuing to grow, change, evolve. It's a challenge every day, but like the hard work is worth it.

Mary Tess, it has been such a pleasure to have you on the show as a huge fan of Blue Line Arts, I'm always anticipating the next show, the next artist that you will feature, next reception, which will bring artists in the community together. For those that might not know where to find you, how can they find you?

Yeah, thank you so much. Yeah, we would love to have people come and visit the gallery located in downtown Roseville, 405 Vernon Street, and check out what we have coming up on BlueLineArts.org and our Instagram at BlueLineArts.

Thank you, Mary Tess, for being here. Thank you so

much, Sheila. This was so much fun, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity. And we love working with Luminari Partners. So it's just the cherry on top.

Thank you so much. Thanks for listening. We invite you to subscribe to this podcast and take our Revenue Alignment Assessment, a short strategic diagnostic for mission-driven executives. You will find everything you need at RevenueSpeaks.com, because communication isn't overhead; it's infrastructure, and in the end, revenue speaks.

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