Alyona Ushe, The Arts Garage
Delray Beach, FL.

By Jay Whipple,
Trend Magazine Online™

New and Exciting!

Re-published from an earlier edition!

I worked my derriere off for this interview/article so make sure you read it entirely -- thank you!This neat venue was brought to my attention via our Facebook page calendar of events. What caught my attention were the upcoming Jazz events planned for November 2011. Being a former Jazz trumpeter and soloist I could not pass up the idea of giving something back to this seemingly dying art form. I believe it is dying because younger people did not grow up with the sounds of real music being played on an LP (Long Playing Record), 45 RPM (Revolutions per Minute), or 8-track player (Ask your Grandparent). Instead they have been inundated with fabricated music delivered directly to their ear follicles via their iPods; such a shame.  Who knows, in twenty years or so one of them will perhaps write an article about the new generation of music played directly into their heads via alien wavelengths. Of course; nothing could truly replace that crackling sound you would hear after the 45 or LP has reached the end of the wax, and that feeling of satisfaction you got when it was time to remove the dust from the needle.

The Arts Garage is a new venue that is located in Delray Beach, Fl., which is just north of my hometown of Miami, FL, and within biking distance of the Atlantic Ocean and the scenic A1A route. It opened in April of last year (2011) and is the “brainchild of the Creative (Delray Beach) City Collaborative, [which] has since become the venue of choice for a diverse array of local, national, and international performers as well as a preferred destination for South Florida arts seekers and aficionados.” “The Arts Garage is managed and programmed by The Collaborative,whose mission is to engage emerging artists and cultural innovators; to facilitate an exchange of art and ideas; and to present cutting-edge, interdisciplinary performances and exhibitions. Its goal is to transform Delray Beach into a boutique metropolitan city through arts and culture, and to become a premiere venue for artists and patrons alike. Centrally located in the heart of beautiful Delray Beach, the Arts Garage’ casually intimate ambiance perfectly reflects the downtown feel of the City. Patrons particularly enjoy the B.Y.O.W. (Bring Your Own Whatever!) policy, whereby they are encouraged to bring their own beverages and snacks to enjoy during performances. The Creative City Collaboration is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization created to build the cultural infrastructure that celebrates Delray Beach as a creative, authentic and intimate City. Major funding for the Creative City Collaborative is provided by the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Authority (CRA),” quotes their latest press release. I could have not said it better myself.

To obtain a more humanistic view of the venue I decide to contact its new Executive Director Alyona Ushe (pronounced “Ush” like Usher). She is very busy woman and I had to apply my natural knack for due diligence to land this interview and subsequent pics so you better like this – just kidding.  I hope you will like this interview so much so that you will be inclined to visit their venue and lend your support to the arts especially the Jazzy stuff.


Here is what Alyona had to say about their venue.

Jay – Where were you born?
Alyona -- “I was born in St. Petersburg, Russia.”


Jay – What is your educational background?
Alyona -- “I am a Political Science major


Jay – Are you married?
Alyona – “No, I am married to my work”


Jay – Do you have any children?
Alyona -- “No”

Jay -- What are your experiences concerning the arts?
Alyona -- “I grew up in the theater, my mother was an actor. I have worked in art administration in Washington, DC, and was the director of the New Orleans Opera Association. I was the executive director of the Classika Theater [Arlington, VA] which later merged with a company called Synthetic Theater.