By Mary Owen
Santiam Hearts to Arts will step into the future with new vision and a new path.
After serving five years, founder Renate Medley, and her husband, Mike, are stepping back and taking on new roles.
“We told the group that we had to focus on home and health for a while and could not carry on at the rate we had been since the beginning,” Renate Medley said. “It never was supposed to be Medleys’ Hearts to Arts, and we welcome new leadership.”
Faced with the loss of the Medleys at the head of the nonprofit organization that works to re-establish art and music education in Santiam Canyon schools, volunteers stepped up, and all jobs are now filled.
John Headrick is the new public face of H2A, taking over the presidency. Headrick will handle public relations, preside over meetings, and communicate between board members.
Kathy Kindred is the corporate secretary, taking minutes and keeping records. Jo Ann Hebing has come on board as the funding director. She will coordinate all non-grant-related fundraising. Paul Mosby is the resident artist, helping to coordinate with other artists and providing creative input.
Non-board helpers are: Tim Widmer and John McCormick, website; Denise Sanders and Onna McCormick, graphics; Karen Widmer, elementary school liaison; Jennifer Headrick, Facebook/social media; and Nancy Horning, volunteer coordinator, chamber representative, and junior/senior high school liaison.
“Mike is staying on as treasurer and general business guy,” Medley said. “I will be the primary grant writer. Our job is to bring in and manage the money, while others come up with wonderful ways to spend it.”
Despite a tough economy, Medley believes funds are out there for the arts and education.
“I worry more about having enough committed people to come up with the ideas and champion them through the process to see a project or program implemented,” she said.
Time will tell where the group’s mission stacks up, she added.
“I have people who are committed, and I know they have the heart for the mission, but at the same time, volunteers are busy in several groups, and that can be overwhelming at times,” she said. The goal now is to maintain the programs already established.
“Our supplemental arts education program has been especially successful this year, bringing in eight weeks of music instruction, and in supporting the pop culture offerings during a major budget crisis situation in our school district,” Medley said. “We do a lot for the schools, but after that is secure, I’d like to see us do more in the general community,” she added. “Right now there is talk about a new program to beautify the area through art.”
Medley said one H2A member is ready to champion the restoration of the mural on the old antique mall building next to Mountain Edge Café in Mill City.
“Mike and I are at first, relieved and delighted that enough people thought H2A important enough to continue,” Medley said. “After that, we are excited and hopeful to see what will happen. We believe that we have laid a good foundation for whatever natural changes will occur, and we have always believed that change is a good thing. It will be a sign that the community is taking ownership.”
For more information, call 503-897-2949, e-mail contact@heartstoarts.org or visit.
