A Conversation with Asheville Creative Advocates
Meet some of the artists and organizations that have shaped Asheville Creative Arts for the past 10 years.
Spotlight: Daniele Martin, contributing artist
“My goals as a person are to enlighten and educate people, to make them smile and feel joy. Doing it for kids is probably the most basic, genuine way of doing it.”
– Daniele Martin
In the 10 years since its founding, Asheville Creative Arts has consistently created theatrical experiences that are both aesthetically innovative and supportive of social-emotional growth. Its programs for children and youth are designed to encourage young people to amplify their voices, and productions for all audiences are designed to encourage listening, reflection, and empathy, as ACA believes these are building blocks for a just world. ACA brings this same care and attention to its relationships with the artists who help develop new works, providing support at every step of the process.
Asheville Creative Arts’ Carolina Corona had a great conversion with Daniele Martin, an artist and founding community engagement leader who has worked with Asheville Creative Arts for many years. Daniele couldn’t help getting emotional as she spoke about the importance of art and creativity in our community and how being involved with ACA has impacted her life.
DANIELE: What we do at Asheville Creative Arts is keep hope and creativity alive, and reach children of all ages. Children are the most important commodity that this country has. Schools are taking away programs that allow kids to be physically active and artistic. Creativity is an extremely important outlet for children to have and to be inspired by things that they don’t see everyday. ACA delivers on that constantly.
When I was acting with ACA, we had the Talk Back Program where we had a professional artist from the area talk with youth. Our culture doesn’t understand the value of non-parent adults in children’s lives. It was a good way for kids to engage with people they’re not related to, in circumstances they’re familiar with.
I really like the consistency of our offerings for young people. I believe art is an expression of love and there just isn’t enough of it. Period. I am in alignment with the organization because my goals as a person are to enlighten and educate people, to make them smile and feel joy. Doing it for kids is probably the most basic, genuine way of doing it.
I really enjoy the diverse amount of artists that we have been able to support. That’s a really big thing for me. I don’t see a whole lot of Black art representation in organizations in this city. I don’t see a lot of organizations where children can recognize each other’s values by artistic expression. I think that is really cool about an organization. It literally doesn’t have to do anything more than that but be a representation for what is possible.
I can’t express the magnitude of how important ACA has been for me. It has been the only thing that has kept me connected to my creative life and that’s why I know it is so important for children. Just that spark of available creativity and having a company support you–in any way in, whatever you want to do–is so powerful, and that’s what I want to be for people. I know that so many people don’t have someone they can count on or look to for a gleam of hope. I am not unrealistic, but I am very optimistic, so I have a gift to share with other people. I think art does that for people, so I will always be an artist.
“I don’t see a whole lot of Black art representation in organizations in this city. I don’t see a lot of organizations where children can recognize each other’s values by artistic expression. I think that is really cool about an organization. It literally doesn’t have to do anything more than that but be a representation for what is possible.”
– Daniele Martin