The Jeweled Vision of a Life Started Anew
The Jeweled Vision of a Life Started Anew
A few days
ago, I received an email from our web designer gently reminding me that I hadn’t posted a new entry to our blogger page in almost a year. The radio silence was not due to a lack of
things to say or share - quite the contrary.
So much has happened between these two points that when I go back and
think on the chronology of events, it is difficult not to get caught up in the
trauma of the struggle that brought me to where things are today. And while the word “trauma” may sound a bit
dramatic to describe the development of a commercial property, I can think of
no word more fitting, and in the spirit of recovery there is a narrative that
needs to see the light of day. But not
today.
New paint and pretty landscaping....
Before it all started
“Not today”
for a variety of reasons. Most
immediately, I’ve been left both mentally and emotionally exhausted by the construction
process and any recollection requires more than a simple blog entry. More importantly, it seems appropriate to
start on a positive note and reflect on what has been accomplished and the
promise of things to come.
Zack Bellanger and David Morrison assessing the future event space and contemplating acoustics
When people
ask me about the Highpoint, it is easiest to relate them to the structure of
the building, the mural of Bernie, or the old “Sea Dream Leather Building”
across from Channel 6 news. But the way
I’ve always thought about it is in terms of the people. Having our tenants finally in the building
makes everything come to life. Over the
past couple of months watching everyone carve out their own space and
personalize it with their unique styles and uses has given soul to the plain walls
and hallways. Listening to people talk
with excitement about what they plan to do and how they love the building
brings me back to the origins of this journey, back when we were over at the
old building at Highpoint and Moore.
People come out of their respective boxes and say “hello” to one another
and chat for a bit, sharing stories and time away from the grind. They are curious about what others are doing
and genuinely engage in the type of conversations where people really listen
and no one is just waiting for the next moment to speak.
The vision of
the Highpoint was never architectural.
Don’t get me wrong, we needed a building and I love where we landed. But the Highpoint was always about community
and all the magic that happens when people come together - the hardships and
struggles, the triumphs and joys, the moments that become memories, and the
stories that follow. Perhaps one of the
things that I will remember most is when someone renting our music practice
room took a tour of the building and said (I’m paraphrasing here), “This is the
place where I’ve always wanted to be and I never knew existed.”
People gathered to chat in the East Wing sitting area during our September 1st open house
During the
coming months, we have a host of events that will showcase both the building
and the community. We’ve already had our
open house and our first craft show went well.
In the coming weeks, we will launch the inaugural opening of our
quarterly gallery shows and finish the month with a farmers market and a block
party in our courtyard, featuring live music and more arts and crafts. Yes, the lights are on and we are finally
home.
All the vendors and friends from our first craft show in the new space
My hope is
that people will come out and experience what we are building and start to
dream of something more. We need to expect
more from the world we live in, but more importantly we have to give more to a
vision of what can be and not patronize what is. At first blush and even as I read these words
this is a grandiose call to arms, one that might seem almost too monumental and
perhaps even a bit delusional, but can we really sit back and wait for others
to provoke the change we long for?
In memory of our friend Jack.
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