BY BRANDI ENGEMAN
Executive Director
Los Alamos Arts Council
This year, the Los Alamos Arts Council decided we would take time to learn more about our story and encouraged others to share theirs with us. Our gallery exhibits, concerts, and events all operated within the idea that each story is unique, ever evolving and that we can honor previous chapters while looking forward to the next one.
In 2024, we present our community with the theme “Challenge and Connect”. We hope that on the heels of our story telling year, we can, each of us, challenge ourselves in some way. Create new art, try new things, get outside the box, challenge ideas and standards and get dirt, as it were, under our nails. At the same time, we ask “how do we connect?”. With our art, our neighbors and communities, with our living world, and our past, present and future selves. You will see this underlying theme in our operations and we hope to hear how you are challenging and connecting in 2024.
I want to express my personal gratitude to so many this year. I am so grateful to our Los Alamos County supporters and neighboring communities for their continued support of our programs, artists, and exhibits. Thank you to Los Alamos County Staff and Council. On December 12, our staff and board were proudly present as Los Alamos County Councilors voted “yes” on a contract that would allow us to continue our work for seven more years on site at the Fuller Lodge Art Center, with more funding and flexibility to provide the legacy programming the community loves as well as innovative new ideas for our classrooms, programs, and gallery spaces. This would not have been achievable without the unbelievable turnout of positive support we have received this year, and the hard work of our dedicated staff. They have been with us through thick and thin, and although we will see a few leave us for new adventures this coming year, the groundwork they have helped to lay is beyond words. I could not have done my job if it were not for the close knit community we are part of and I thank you all.
We look forward to a series of townhalls with you, starting in February, and to making sure we continue to serve Los Alamos by Uniting Our Community Through the Arts. Look for our First Fridays at FLAC, Daytime Performance series, and more starting in February. And again, thank you for a wonderful 2023 and cheers to 2024!
Editor’s note: To donate to the Los Alamos Arts Council go to https://www.losalamosgives.org/donate/Los-Alamos-Arts-Council
