Renovated ArtsView Shows New Look
By Joycelyne Fadojutimi
MAIN PHOTO: ArtsView cuts ribbon, showcasing upgrades thanks to Leadership Longview Class 2024. Photo by Joycelyne Fadojutimi.
When the need for a new executive director of ArtsView Children’s Theater arose in 2021 Nathaniel Olson reached out and snatched it. Creating masterpieces is his career, whether on stage or in the kitchen. He had been volunteering at ArtsView since 2007, finding time for it despite his busy schedule as a chef. He holds a degree in patisserie and baking, has run his own business and written grants for ETCADA.
“Theatre has always made me happy,” he says. ArtsView is my happy place, and we hope it becomes your children’s happy place and yours as well.
After three happy years in his position, Olson is overseeing a $24,000 grant from the Texas Arts Commission towards financing the children’s theater’s upgrade. He applied to Leadership Longview’s (LL) 2024 class for further assistance via their class project. It was his third such request, and this one went through. There was a stipulation that ArtsView match their grant, which LL happily did, but did not stop there. LL kept working on funding, bringing in many in-kind gifts until the total reached $90,000. Olson is terribly grateful for this assistance.
“If we had had to do this on our own, we could not have done it. We are beyond excited, and profoundly grateful to Leadership Longview for choosing us as their class project this year,” he says. “Their commitment to the community and passion for supporting children’s programming have been instrumental. Thanks to them, we’ve been able to significantly expand our lobby, transforming it into a spacious and welcoming area for our patrons.”
No longer do theater goers have to wait outside regardless of the weather until shows start. Now they have a roomy, comfortable interior waiting area. Apart from increasing attendance, this improvement makes for more opportunities for East Texas children to interact with high-quality artistic productions.
New Vintages Custom Construction expertly rebuilt the facility, bringing to life this vision for Longview residents, especially its children. The theater staff can hardly wait to get started.
Other renovations include” Lobby with LED lighting, new and upgraded flower beds with real plants and flowers, Green room, prop storage and a new mural. “ Our tiny ugly lobby has been transformed,” said Olson. “Our lobby is now incredibly bright, inviting, welcoming and fun.
Kathryn Pedroza is a newcomer to Longview. She attended LL Class of 24 in order to learn more about her new home, and meeting people who are unselfishly dedicated to making the city a better place is a great way of doing this.
“I learned so much about Longview, how it operates, what is here, what makes it great, and also learned lots of leadership lessons and skills that will help both in my personal and professional life,” she said.
Pedroza went further in her praise of the new and improved facility, and why she and so many others eagerly participated in its rebirth.
“After hearing about all the other wonderful non-profits in Longview we just felt that we could truly help out with ArtsView, and all of us loved its mission,” she said. “Some of our class either have kids who are in the programs or were in them themselves, so it was an easy choice.”
Apart from learning so much about the community, Pedroza was delighted to make thirty new friends who “have connections and resources that can benefit us all.”
Longview Chamber of Commerce CFO Dace Jochum could also see the advantages of this sterling new civic improvement, and how the LL class of 2024 made it possible.
“Since 1981, Leadership Longview has been developing leaders, introducing them to the community and giving them an opportunity to give back by adopting a project for a local charitable non-profit,” he said. “The class did a fantastic job, and we are grateful to Nathan Olsen for allowing us the opportunity to assist in getting this job done.”
