EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE
The Power of Arts and Culture
September 2007
John Haynes, Executive Director and CEO
In This Section
Dear Supporters,
I moved to Bellevue eight months ago, eager to dive into my new role as the Executive Director of Performing Arts Center Eastside (PACE), meet my new neighbors, enjoy the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and learn about this marvelous community. Because my profession—and my passion—is the building and leadership of cultural organizations, a new community is a lot more than just a new address to me; it is the stage on which my work is done and on which the better part of my life is lived out. I chose this community because, in the scope of my vision at least, there was no place in the country with as much promise and energy – no place better to hang my hat and no more perfect location for a new performing arts center.
My experience so far has exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. So the first thing I want to do is to thank all of you—and especially the PACE Board of Directors, the Act One Guild, and our other volunteers and staff—for the warmth with which I have been welcomed. My introduction into this community could not have been more gratifying. I begin each day thankful for the opportunity to make a difference and end each day with the hope that my efforts will prove worthy of your confidence and support.
There is probably nothing in which I believe more passionately than the power of arts and culture to build a better community. The Arts draw us in. At first they engage us on a primal level, heart before head. From the beginning of human history, the Arts have been the means of expressing both our individuality and our commonality. I believe that as much as we create them, our Arts create us. They give us the means to understand and share a common conception of what it is to be human and alive even when words fail us, hearing in Mahler the tragedy we can barely face in our own hearts, seeing in Chagall the unfettered joy of a spirit in flight.
The importance of any cultural institution to its community is measured by the value it adds. And the value that PACE will add to Bellevue and the Eastside becomes clearer every day, not in my mind alone but in the aspirations and dreams of almost everyone I meet. There is a dawning recognition that something special is happening on the Eastside and that PACE will play a big part in it.
The Eastside needs a major cultural center. It's time. PACE has a powerful vision, an experienced team, a strong business plan, and the perfect location. Its presence in Bellevue will help define the entire Eastside as one of the most desirable places in America to live and work. At a minimum, we will entertain. At our best, we can facilitate an ongoing, creative dialogue that will engage other cultural, religious and social service organizations, schools, employers, individuals, and public officials in the imagining of a future that celebrates the best in us.
I'm blessed by the opportunity to play an important role in this adventure, but I need all the help I can get. So to those of you who have worked so hard for so long to bring the vision of PACE to reality, thank you! Please keep it up. And for those of you new to the quest or just thinking of getting involved, please jump right in! There's a lot yet to do, but when the curtain goes up you'll be proud of your involvement and part of a permanent and transformative legacy.
Sincerely,
