Moving from Denver to Concord, I initially believed I\u2019d need to travel to the Seacoast or Manchester for artistic engagement. Kimball Jenkins seemed like another exclusive art institution, often unwelcoming to untrained or non-traditional artists, particularly affecting BIPOC and LGBQTIA+ creators. However, my perspective shifted after learning about Yasamin Safarzadeh\u2019s efforts at Kimball Jenkins in \u201c603 Diversity\u201d Magazine. Collaborating with Yaz and NH Panthers, we organized an art event with Project Story students in Concord, marking the first time I truly felt at home here. Despite Concord\u2019s smaller diversity compared to Denver, I sensed potential. Under Julianne Gadoury\u2019s leadership as executive director, Kimball Jenkins hosted events reminiscent of Denver\u2019s Santa Fe Arts District, showcasing innovation and community spirit. The institution became a hub for diverse artists statewide, illustrating the transformative power of arts in fostering community and growth, especially crucial in NH\u2019s struggle to retain young residents amid a housing crisis. Recent developments, however, have cast doubt on Kimball Jenkins\u2019 commitment to diversity and inclusivity, undermining trust in the establishment. The community\u2019s response to these changes reflects a deep concern over the institution\u2019s direction and safety for diverse artists. In response, Kimball Jenkins needs to take tangible actions towards diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) beyond mere rhetoric. Given the institution\u2019s financial reasoning for staff changes, it\u2019s crucial to consider the potential long-term impact on its financial stability as diverse artists withdraw collaboration. The community\u2019s hope is for Kimball Jenkins to acknowledge these issues and work towards genuine repair and reconciliation.<\/p>\n
Victoria Carrington <\/p>\n
Concord<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Moving from Denver to Concord, I initially believed I\u2019d need to travel to the Seacoast or Manchester for artistic engagement. Kimball Jenkins seemed like another exclusive art institution, often unwelcoming to untrained or non-traditional artists,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,510],"tags":[212,505],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-10535","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-letters","category-opening","tag-letter-to-the-editors","tag-paywall","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10535","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10535\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10535"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fnewspack_spnsrs_tax&post=10535"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nne-concord-monitor-2.newspackstaging.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcoauthors&post=10535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}