New director at the helm of the Allied Arts Council

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on April 15, 2023.

Herald photo by Al Beeber Jana MacKenzie is the new executive director of the Allied Arts Council. She took on her new duties earlier this month.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Jana MacKenzie is ready for new challenges as executive director of the Allied Arts Council.

MacKenzie stepped into her new role on April 3, taking over from the retired Suzanne Lint.

MacKenzie is well familiar with the AAC – she’s handled different roles in the organization since 2006 when she worked in reception at council headquarters in the old Bowman Arts Centre. In fact, she was a key member in the transitioning of AAC operations from the Bowman to its current digs on 7 St. S.

She was also part of community engagement programs as Casa was developed.

MacKenzie held the special events portfolio handling such matters as ArtWalk, the annual mayor’s luncheon and other events. She was also the AAC financial manager until 2017.

MacKenzie is an exhibiting artist with two solo shows to her credit and has been in several group exhibitions. And on top of that, the new director is also a dancer.

The Allied Arts Council has been part of the Lethbridge landscape for more than 60 years, said MacKenzie in a recent interview at Casa, “and it’s done a lot. Even in those Bowman days we were packed in there, over-capacity all the time. But the amount of stuff that got put out of there and the amount of organizations that could do their work, that were created from it, I feel that was sort of an incubation.

“We bring in people at young ages doing all the arts they can in this building (Casa) and they then go out into the community.

“And we hope that in providing them with that, they stay in the community and create more roots and create more opportunities for other people to participate in the arts, but also take it in,” said MacKenzie.

“Not everybody’s an artist but everybody’s an audience member.”

The Bowman had space limitations with people having to be turned away and for more than 15 years staff was doing just that.

So when Casa opened up, it was full right off the bat, she recalled.

MacKenzie helped do the budget for Casa and she remembers the clay program particularly being under-budgeted because it was so popular “and it’s just grown ever since. It’s very exciting.”

One element of Casa that allows the arts to be showcased outdoors is Rotary Plaza which is a huge hit with residents thanks in part to the Upside Downtown concert series which was a result of COVID.

“We’re keeping it going because people loved it,” noted MacKenzie.

Casa’s 10th anniversary will be on May 13 and that weekend the AAC will reveal shade sails which will provide much-needed relief from the sun on blistering hot days.

“Now in the summertime we’ll have our Upside Downtown (series) and people will be able to sit in the shade,” she added.

The AAC is a fee-for-service organization that receives funding for Casa and for advocating the arts.

Membership will be big focus for MacKenzie in her new role.

“I’m going to be working hard to get that growing again. COVID did a number on our membership numbers,” she said.

“We’ve got so many people creating. We want to stay connected to them, and be able to support them, MacKenzie added.

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