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 this 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.” “TheArts 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. Patronsparticularly 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.


Jay -- What are your duties and responsibilities at The Arts Garage?
Alyona -- “As the executive director I am responsible for the strategic planning programming and everything else in between. There are no egos here; I do whatever needs to get done. We have a full-time staff of two along with contractors”


Jay – What’s up with your signature production the Live.arts program?
Alyona -- “The Live.arts production encompasses an array of artistic disciplines including spoken word, movement, music, and live visual arts creation. In other words it is art using several interpretations all at once, our last theme was creation. We will continue this production throughout the year and the subject matter will change each time.”


Jay – Tell me about your Jazz Project?
Alyona -- “It is always sold out! It is the kind of quality performance that makes that possible. We get people in from Miami, Tampa, and Orlando, FL, representing all age brackets from the younger to older adults. Our mission is to elevate to a national and international stage but for now we present international artist on a local stage.”


Jay – Your Urban Underground program – featuring R & B, Reggae, Jazz, and Hip-Hop -- starts this month, what can your guests look forward to?
Alyona -- “I am extremely proud of this program. The artists we have are absolutely fantastic and we will try to get the audience to step out of their comfort zone. For this to work they will have to trust us.”


Jay – What is your favorite part of your job?
Alyona -- “Everything I do; I am extremely blessed!”


Jay – What is your favorite genre of music?
Alyona – Laughs; “I love it all; it is too difficult to choose one.”


Jay -- What do you have on your iPod right now?
Alyona -- “NPR News.”


Jay – Who are some of your favorite Jazz artist?
Alyona – “I like Federico Britos [Four-time Grammy Award winning Violinist], and the Jace Vek [Emmy award winning composer and concert pianist] experience with Jonah Kim who is only 23 years old.”


Jay – Who is the most famous Jazz artist you have met to date?
Alyona -- “Nicole Henry in New York”


Jay -- What is the capacity of The Arts Garage?
Alyona -- “150.”


Jay -- What does BYOW stand for?
Alyona -- “It stands for Bring Your Own Whatever, and yes, some audiences get very exuberant and lavish with their "own whatever" from crystal wine glasses for their wine to go with a fancy spread to cans of soda and boxes of pizza!”


Jay -- What are your future plans and endeavors for The Arts Garage?
Alyona -- “In two to three years we plan to open a new 15,000 square foot venue down the road which will allow artists to continue to explore their talents as we continue to produce and present such multi-disciplined acts under one stage [roof].”


Jay – Do you know the capacity of the new facility?
Alyona -- “We are still in the process of assessing the best use and layout of the venue, but plan to maintain the same intimacy that we have at The Arts Garage.”


Jay -- What final thoughts would you like to add to this interview?
Alyona -- “We are responding to a need that is already here so come out of your comfort zone and experience the arts to its fullest. We have only been open for six months and our performances sell out; we appreciate anything that explores cultural juices. You will not be disappointed!”

Want to go? Click here to visit their website.

Make your discount travel arrangement here!

Note: All photos and artwork courtesy of The Arts Garage.

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