Liza Zenni, executive director of the Arts & Culture Alliance for the past 20 years, isn’t too concerned about whether or not Knoxvillians know the organization even exists. She and Suzanne Čada, deputy director, have no personal need for the spotlight. They are, however, interested in making sure the people in and around Knoxville know about its symphonies, ballets, theatres, museums, and art shows. From day one, that was their goal.
“Greater Knoxville is so fortunate to have the arts and cultural organizations it has,” says Liza. “The Chronicle of Philanthropy says that an area is well-served by 2.5 arts organizations per 100,000 people. So, for 400,000 people, that means 11 arts organizations. We have in our membership alone 120-something arts organizations. This is a robust community.”
The Alliance was born out of the Arts Council of Greater Knoxville, which was formed in 1974 and in need of life support by the turn of the century. Consultants came in from out of state, interviewed 200 people, and presented findings that proposed the concept of an alliance so arts organizations wouldn’t have to compete for the same dollars. Instead of pitting musicians against dancers and artists against actors, what if there was a collective that advocated for all of them?
“The council board put out one ad for an executive director in June 2001 and I responded to it,” says Liza, who was armed with an undergraduate degree in theater and cinema, a graduate degree from the Yale School of Drama in Arts Administration, and a strong desire to “promote the people who did the work.”
“I had no interest in trying to be a competing entity for money. Our philosophy is serve first and eat last,” she continues. “We started out in the candy factory when the city wanted to spark downtown revitalization. I’d been on the job for ten days when they asked me about the Emporium. I was far younger then and thought, ‘yeah!’ The artists and members rounded out that vision.”
The Alliance reopened in The Emporium on S. Gay Street in July 2004, a sprawling 28,000 square feet of flexible space where artists can showcase their work, locals can rent the building and hold special events, and passersby can pop in for a casual peruse. Suzanne, who had already been an invaluable worker bee, was hired as the deputy director that September. While Liza keeps her eye on the horizon, Suzanne focuses on the day-to-day.
“Everything you see with your eyes, Suzanne has done it,” says Liza. “Without her, nothing would get accomplished.”
“She likes to say that, but it’s not true in the least,” says Suzanne, laughing. “I do a lot of the maintenance of the Emporium, managing the staff, special events, coordinating the artists, and non-profit management. We’re so lucky to work here. The local artists who share their work with us — it’s very special. We change the artwork in the whole building every month, and it gets better all the time.”
Across three floors, embracing a full wall of windows to stream in natural light, the Emporium is home to Alliance offices, rotating art exhibits, and roughly 14 tenant artists and one musician. In a single year, Suzanne could work with upwards of 600 artists who pay a membership fee and enjoy a big return on their investment.
“She counsels them, guides them, spends hours on the phone with them to get their work ready to be hung here,” says Liza. “She gets them ready to apply to other shows and give them the support they need, not just professionally but also for the love of it.”
Suzanne studied music performance at the University of Tennessee and spent summers working at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. Over time, she realized she was less interested in being a performer or artist and more interested in helping to promote them. Upon returning to Knoxville, she met with Liza, had some long conversations, and realized that the Alliance was the perfect fit.
The organization prioritizes three endeavors: advocacy, service, and support. By removing the competition for money, Liza, Suzanne, and the board of directors are able to work directly with individuals, programs, and organizations to promote their work, thereby enriching the community and contributing to the economy.
“The reason we run the emporium the way we do is because we realized money was an obstacle. Money was left on the table that we wanted to claim. So, we become a granting agency. We raise money directly for our members. They have offices and studios here. We charge wholesale while others charge retail. We’re very aware that we’re serving them, so we want to be fair,” says Liza. “The dynamic changes with artists and organizations when you go from asking money for membership to them getting checks from you. They know we’re not doing it for profit.”
In fact, all of Greater Knoxville benefits in the long run.
“People who raise children here, who do business here — they benefit,” Liza continues. “This place is bursting with arts and culture activities. We count the millions of sales tax dollars that these organizations bring in from all over the country and all over the world. We know because we track it. Anytime someone comes here from Cincinnati and goes to the Bijou or Tennessee Theatre, aside from the ticket, they spend money on parking, eating, shopping, even though they came here for the theatre.”
For more information on membership, programs, and ways to support the Arts & Culture Alliance, visit KnoxAlliance.com