How The Serenbe Institute Drew John Graham In

We are so glad that the Nygrens incorporated art into Serenbe, and today's guest was a major part of making that possible. Today we talk with John Graham, the founding executive director of the Serenbe Institute, about the importance of funding the arts, how the Serenbe Institute is engaging the metro Atlanta area, and the future of art and culture in this community.

Definitions, People + Organizations Mentioned

Sandra Storrar

Garnie Nygren

Janice Barton

Tom Swanston

Gail Foster

Daren Wang Decatur Book Festival

Phyllis Bleiweis

Mark Mykleby

Biophilic Institute

Acton Academy at Serenbe

Chattahoochee Hills Charter School

South Fulton Area Initiative

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

Grady Hospital

MARTA

Florida Philharmonic

Midtown Alliance

Tomlinson Graham Group

Seattle Symphony Orchestra

Oregon Symphony Orchestra

Dallas

Blue Eyed Daisy

Shelton Stanfill

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Tom Tomlinson

Woodruff Arts Center Symphony Hall

Atlanta Ballet

Terminus Modern Ballet Theatre

Kennesaw State University

Full Episode Synopsis

2:10 - The 6-month Contract That Turned Into A Move To Serenbe
Steve Nygren learned of John Graham's consulting company when he was first imagining how Serenbe would be created. He asked to have coffee and talk about incorporating art and culture into a community, and making environmental preservation an integral component. There had been several plans for activities and initiatives at Serenbe, but nothing had been set in motion yet, so John's firm came in to look at it and suggest a strategy. Together, they created the Serenbe Institute for Arts, Culture, and the Environment. This would allow for there to be permanent funding for the arts, which would support artists as well. The Tomlinson-Graham Group established a 6-month contract with Serenbe to get the Institute up and running, but then John was hooked and moved in.

Serenbe had already instituted a 1% transfer fee for residents, where they would donate to the Institute when purchasing a home. John credits this foresight for the success of the Institute. Without it, artists and organizations would be tasked with heavy amounts of fundraising before they could even create. There also wouldn't be money to take a chance on exciting artistic opportunities when they appeared, and the Institute has taken a couple big chances that have turned into huge pieces of the Atlanta cultural landscape.

5:13 - Orchestra-ting A Career
John started his career in the arts with the Seattle Symphony, where he was a development director. He was there for 8 years before moving to Portland, Oregon to manage their orchestra for another 8 years. After that, John taught arts management in Dallas at Southern Methodist University and was the University's development director. He left after 2 years to manage the Florida Orchestra in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. He was there for a few years, then realized he didn't want to do that any more and set up his consulting company with partner Tom Tomlinson.

Tom moved to Atlanta to help build a new concert hall for the Atlanta Symphony while John was in south Florida (but also commuting to his client Steve Nygren in Serenbe). John, Steve, and a small group that would eventually become the board for the Serenbe Institute, were meeting in the Blue Eyed Daisy Bakeshop in the early 2000s when John saw a notice on the bulletin board for a townhouse rental. He lived in the rental for a year while helping establish the Institute and building his own townhouse.

8:00 - Building The Serenbe Institute for Arts, Culture, & The Environment
John had consulted on a number of community arts projects before making the move to Serenbe, but none had involved the environment in those initiatives. Looking back at that time, Steve realizes how fortunate he and Serenbe were that John and Tom were working with the Atlanta Symphony where he could find them. Steve also notes how fate brought Shelton Stanfill to Serenbe after he retired from the Woodruff Arts Center. Now Steve had what he calls great pillars in the arts to bring their dreams to a reality.

John became the executive director of the Serenbe Institute in 2006, a role he held for 11 years. During that time, the Institute saw growth in all areas. The influx of new residents to Serenbe meant revenue from property transfer fees that let the Institute take advantage of opportunities without undue risk. The arts community knew this money existed, and brought their ideas to Serenbe. For instance, when a young theatre student from the University of South Carolina visited Serenbe and proposed a theatre in the woods, the Institute was able to take a chance. Their first season had a budget of $41,000 ($14,000 from the Institute), and The Serenbe Playhouse has now spent a decade creating nationally-recognized shows and has a budget of more than $2 million.