Molly Rowan-Deckart says that her decision to leave the Alliance for the Arts was the most difficult one of her life.
“I’m sad to be leaving it, but I’m leaving it, I think, better than I found it,” Rowan-Deckart said.
During Rowan-Deckart’s tenure, the Alliance has created a home for both area creatives and the community. It has added cinema, expanded its theatrical presence to include Fringe Fort Myers, established the Bloom & Wallace Digital Arts Lab and participated with the Americans for the Arts in conducting the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 survey of the impact made by nonprofit arts organizations on the local, state and national economy.
Rowan-Deckart would likely have accomplished even more were it not for a worldwide pandemic, Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton, and grappling with the aftermath of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ veto of arts funding statewide.
“We’ve had some incredible challenges that were not planned for, unforeseen, and in spite of those challenges, we have done really well,” said Rowan-Deckart.
Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done. The first, said Rowan-Deckart, involves helping the Alliance realize the full potential of its largely undeveloped campus.
“We’ve got 10 acres of awesomeness,” Deckart noted. “How do we continue to dream about the spaces and layer them to continue to do more things for more people?”
With so much room to grow, Rowan-Deckart sees limitless opportunities for the Alliance to make an even greater impact in the local arts scene.
“It is really our mission to bring art to everyone, but also to empower our community to see themselves here and program and suggest new things,” Rowan-Deckart added. “We really want to be a hub for new ideas and pushing boundaries. You know, it’s a little haven.”
One thing that won’t change is the Alliance’s role as arts advocate and catalyst for change.
“I say it. I’ve been saying it,” commented Rowan-Deckart. “We need more arts infrastructure, and that is supportive ordinances and legislation that help the arts survive.”
Rowan-Deckart said that the Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 survey will provide the impetus that enables arts organizations to gain traction with state and local governmental agencies, along with philanthropic and corporate partners.
“The arts mean business,” Rowan-Deckart said. “We are a top five industry in the state of Florida. We deserve, and should have, a seat at the table because ultimately people move for a vibrant arts and culture scene and they leave because of a lack of vibrant arts and culture scenes.”
This is precisely what the Knight Foundation and Gallup discovered in 2011 in the course of a survey of 43,000 people in 26 cities across the United States. They asked respondents what they wanted most from their communities. To the surveyors’ surprise, the respondents stated that “the aesthetics of a place – its art, parks and green spaces” ranked higher than education, safety and the local economy as “drivers of attachment."
Rowan-Deckart has set the table. Now it is up to her successor to make sure the Alliance for the Arts serves up a bountiful feast. For now, Jordan Jameson serves as interim director, but with the application window closing on Sunday, the Alliance will have a new executive director in time for the holidays.
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Rowan-Deckart has served as executive director of the Alliance for the Arts for four years.
“Molly has been a visionary leader for the Alliance, guiding the organization through unprecedented times while keeping our mission and values at the forefront of everything we do, especially as we approach the 50th anniversary,” said Jarrett Eady, chair of the Alliance’s board of directors. “We are deeply grateful for her leadership and dedication to making the arts a vibrant part of our community, and we wish her the very best in her future endeavors.”
Rowan-Deckart sees great things in the Alliance’s future. Not only will the Alliance celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, it is on the cusp of becoming a transformative art center that serves as a platform for creative expression throughout Southwest Florida. Capitalizing on the unrealized potential of its 10-acre campus will figure prominently in the effort to make room for every artistic discipline, from visual and performing arts to music and film.
In addition to expanding the programming and services it offers, Rowan-Deckart believes that the Alliance for the Arts is on track to play a crucial role as an advocate for the arts, artists and arts organizations.
“The Alliance was meant to be the umbrella organization for Lee County, and will want to stay committed to not only helping our artists and creatives, but assisting arts organizations in building more infrastructure in and around the area,” Rowan-Deckart said.
Infrastructure is a broad term. It not only includes supportive legislation and ordinances that mandate arts funding and subsidies, but the physical plant and staffing that enable arts organizations to produce the programming patrons see, whether on gallery walls or on the stages of their theaters.
“It’s a common misconception that when you go and see a play with four people onstage [it’s a small affair],” Rowan-Deckart pointed out. “What they don’t see are the 30 people behind the scenes that makes that play possible.”
Take a peek at the playbill for any stage show, musical or concert. In addition to the actors and musicians, there are directors, assistant directors and stage managers. There are sound and lighting technicians. Other teams build the sets and make the actors’ costumes. There are box office agents, ticket takers and ushers, as well as administrative staff and maintenance workers.
“It’s an expensive endeavor [to put on a play or an art exhibition], and that merits investing in the subsidies that keep the arts alive and going,” Rowan-Deckart said.
The school system figures prominently in the equation of creating adequate infrastructure for area arts organizations.
“The school system has a strong commitment to the arts here in Lee County,” observed Rowan-Deckart. “They not only invest in students, they promote their growth and development.”
Partnering with area schools pays off in numerous ways, from producing actors, dancers, singers and musicians to artists, light and sound technicians and set designers and builders, along with the next generation of gallery and theater owners, directors and administrative staff.
While volunteers are the lifeblood of all arts organizations, many others are paid employees. They, in turn, spend their earnings paying mortgages, rent and utilities and purchasing groceries and products in retail and mom-and-pop stores. In the aggregate, area arts organizations and the people they employ contribute importantly to the local economy.
“Art is so much more than mere entertainment. It fosters education and empathy, engenders community engagement, and drives economic growth and tourism. AEP6 is really critical in measuring that impact,” Rowan-Deckart said, adding that it’s important for the Alliance for the Arts to continue its partnership with the Americans for the Arts in conducting the economic survey.
AEP6 is the sixth economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry in the U.S. This study is conducted approximately every five years to gauge the economic impact (on employment, government revenue, and household income) of spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations and the event-related spending by their audiences. Previous studies were published in 1994, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017. Due to the unique nature of the realities of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the AEP6 study was postponed for 16 months.
AEP6 also quantified what art and theater patrons spend at local business establishments when they attend an art exhibition or theater show.
“It calculates the economic engine of the arts and culture sector,” said Rowan-Deckart. “It looks at everything from outside spending, if you go to a restaurant or stayed overnight. Did you travel? Did you hire a baby sitter? So [AEP6] really does provide a meaty view of the health of the arts and culture sector in Fort Myers, in Lee County, in Florida, and nationally.”
In Rowan-Deckart’s estimation, it is incumbent upon the Alliance for the Arts to communicate AEP6’s findings to state and local governmental agencies and grant administrators in an ongoing effort to secure the financing, funding and subsidies that arts organizations need to thrive and fulfill their missions.
But there’s more to the arts than economics.
“While it’s important in the future to value that, art is what makes us human,” Rowan-Deckart stated. “And it’s not just art in the sense of galleries. We’re talking about cultural placemaking. We’re talking about music. We’re talking about when you’re walking around downtown, is there public art? Are there things to engage in? That is all part of a vibrant cultural scene that enhances our quality of life. And we have to invest in it.”
Rowan-Deckart is confident that the Alliance will continue to make that investment following her departure.
“I love Fort Myers and the Alliance,” said Rowan-Deckart. “I’m really going to miss both. Everybody just give the Alliance a big hug because it really is a cultural gem here.”
Rowan-Deckart officially leaves the Alliance for the Arts December 15. She will be assuming the role of CEO of Marquee Arts in Ann Arbor, Michigan. There will be a “Farewell to Molly” event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6 that will take place in conjunction with the opening reception for the Alliance’s annual Off the Wall exhibition.