- [Female Narrator] Funding for this program was provided by... - [Male Narrator] Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory, and Florist, dedicated to helping you celebrate your life or the life of a loved one for over 85 years.

Chattanooga Funeral Home believes that each funeral should be as unique and memorable as the life being honored.

- [Female Narrator] This program is also made possible by support from viewers like you.

Thank you.

- [Alison] This week, I sit down with a man who's dedicated his career to the arts in his community.

Though his path was far from traditional.

- I did not plan my life or the route that I'm on.

What I did is I really focused on what I was passionate about, and that was people, the arts, making sure that people and families and children have access to good education whether that was in school or out of school.

But by following my passions I ended up right where I needed to be.

- [Alison] Join me as I sit down with president of ArtsBuild, James McKissic, coming up next on The A List.

(upbeat rock music) (bright guitar music) James McKissic is a lifelong arts advocate and has spent his career empowering communities, promoting inclusion, and changing lives through the arts.

In 2019, he was named president of Chattanooga's ArtsBuild, an organization that has funded and promoted the arts and cultural programming in our region for over 50 years.

For James, serving in this role has aligned his passions for the arts and for public service, and the experience he earned during his time as the Urban League's chief operating officer and the director of the city of Chattanooga's Office of Multicultural Affairs, has laid the groundwork for James's devotion to equity and inclusion in our art sector.

Well, James, welcome to The A List.

- Well thank you for having me.

- I'm so happy to see you, and I'm so happy to get to know your story because I imagine that you are as colorful as the artwork that you display for the world to enjoy.

- You know what, we can put a check mark beside that because I have been described as colorful before, so, yeah.

- Well let's start at the beginning.

- Okay.

- Tell me about your childhood and where you grew up.

- Well, before I say anything about my childhood, you know being here at WTCI has really brought back, you know, just the huge impact that public television had on me as a child.

I grew up in Cleveland, Tennessee, and loved art and books and music, but PBS was always there.

I remember back in the day, you know, you would turn the knob to channel 45 and, you know, my mom would always encourage us to watch Sesame street or Mr. Rogers, and, you know, as I got older, PBS really showed me that the world was much larger than Cleveland, Tennessee.

So I'm just excited to be here.

- Well, I love that story too.

And you've encapsulated what so many people say about PBS specifically, but also the arts, right?

And I know for you personally and professionally it has become just your daily passion.

- It's my life, yeah.

- And to be able to know that those roots were started by PBS, right?

And literally bringing some of those arts and the world right to your living room.

You know, we couldn't, can't script that, can't make that up.

- No, you can't.

And you know, my parents would make sure that we had arts related experiences.

So they would take us to the theater, to the museums, take us on family vacations, you know, to Disney world and places like everyone else.

And we had a really great childhood, my sister and I.

There was a period where my dad did have a substance abuse problem, which was challenging but he, you know, got treatment, came through that, started his own business and, you know, lived out the rest of his life doing things that he was passionate about, but the arts just have always been part of my life.

They actually were almost like a refuge for me when I was confused or when things were going on with my family there was always music, even the art room, you know, you just walking into it in high school and hearing the sounds, the clicks, and the clatter, and then smelling the turpentine and the oil paint.

Even now, when I go into those types of environments it just brings me to a different place, a calm and good place.

And so many people have found a home in the arts and I definitely am one of those people.

- Did you know early on though that art wouldn't just be a place for refuge, right, but also a place where you could make a living?

- I did not.

So I studied visual art in college and in high school but I was not encouraged to do it as a career.

So I'd always, you know, take classes, do different experiences and do it on the side.

I think that some of the reluctance to push me into that was because of the limited exposure that my family had.

I mean they didn't know anyone who had been a professional artist.

They all were teachers or carpenters.

You know, I come from a very long agricultural tradition, lots of blacksmiths.

So that was just the thing you did.

If you were part of my family, you were a teacher and that's what I decided to do.

- So how did that turn into a career for you?

- I wasn't really good at teaching.

(laughing) I was so young and I had gotten certified and finished college to teach English and language arts for high school.

And I was like 20 myself, you know, so it was very challenging, especially the aspects of classroom management, but I knew I wanted to work in education and be connected to the arts.

And that was right around the time when President Clinton was doing a lot of talking about AmeriCorps and national service.

So I went and moved to Atlanta and joined an AmeriCorps program.

And I just remember the frustration of my parents saying, you mean you make $700 a month?

And I was like, yeah but I'm learning things.

I'm doing things.

You know, I'm helping my community.

At that time, what I was doing was taking computers from huge corporations and then we would refurbish them and put software on them.

And we would go into like low-income neighborhoods and housing projects and give the computers and connect people to the internet for the very first time.

So it was really important work and I'm actually still in touch with some of the people like on Facebook and I'm seeing them take the knowledge that they gained and get certificates and go to college and make their family's lives better too.

But my niece, when I told her I used to teach technology she just stared at me and said, but you can't even operate the remote control now.

(laughing) But I was like, well, it was a lot different back then but that was really a life-changing experience for me to know that there was this whole world of the non-profit sector, philanthropy, out of school time education, after school arts programs.

And I just felt like, you know, this is going to be my world.

And it was.

- [Alison] That experience served as a critical turning point for James.

The exposure led him to pursue a master's degree in nonprofit administration at NYU.

But with his degree in hand James felt it imperative to put his skills to work right here in his hometown.

So when you decided to move home, what did you do next?

- Well, my partner moved with me so there was an adjustment period because he had grown up in Connecticut and Connecticut and Chattanooga are a little bit different.

(laughing) So there was that, and I did just odd jobs for about a year, helped out my mom who had retired from teaching after 40 years and started a daycare.

And then I saw this position that was open at the Urban League.

And I went there and got the job and was there for nine years.

And I started as a family resource type worker at East Lake Elementary.

And when I ended I was the chief operating officer of the organization.

- Was it hard knowing what you were good at or passionate about, but not having an exact name for it?

- It is hard.

And there have been times when I've tried to explain what I do to especially family members.

And I can tell that they just, they're like as long as you're getting paid good and taking care of yourself, you know, it's all good James but the intricacies of it in the end is in the house.

They, I don't think, you know, it's hard to explain to anyone even at ArtsBuild, you know, it's hard to explain.

- Well, and I think, I asked that because I think so many people watching this will have either been through similar paths or are younger people who are navigating that academic environment and thinking what am I going to do with this major, right?

Or what, if they're not going to be something specific like an accountant, a pharmacist, a doctor, there certainly are so many different vocations, especially in the arts world or in the nonprofit management world that are about your skillsets and your passions and your abilities.

Not so much, I need to be this title.

- Right, right.

- Is that how, is that what's guided you like to this point?

- I have, it's so embarrassing to say this but I did not plan my life or the route that I'm on.

What I did is I really focused on what I was passionate about and that was people, the arts, making sure that people and families and children have access to good education, whether that was in school or out of school.

But by following my passions, I ended up right where I needed to be.

- Now why in the world would you be embarrassed to say that?

- Because I have people that I know and they're like in five years, I'm going to be here.

I don't know where I'm going to be in, I don't know where I'm going to be tomorrow.

So let alone five years, you know, I just go where my heart and my passion leads me.

- How important is your history and maintaining that connection to your family and your history in always grounding you in today?

- Well, it's, to me it's very important.

And on my desk at work, I have actually a photo of my grandfather Piersol, who was he has on his world war one uniform.

And I like to look at it from time to time because I know that the opportunities that I've had access to, he definitely did not have them but had he not worked and existed I would not have the opportunities I have now.

So I've stayed very connected to my family, my history, and that does come into the work that I do.

Because again, I'm always, you know, I said I'm following my passions.

So in the work that I do at ArtsBuild, it's important to me that we address things like racial equity in our local arts sector.

It's important that we do whatever we can to make sure that children have access to the arts, not just in school but in the community centers and YFD centers after school.

It's still the passions that are guiding me and, you know, the roots that I have that kind of giving me that direction but it's super important to me.

And it's, I don't know, I really wouldn't know how to operate any other way.

- [Alison] It is that passion for advocacy and equity that has guided James throughout his career.

In his roles at the Urban League and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, James placed an emphasis on improving diversity efforts and promoting inclusion throughout Chattanooga and that work guided him to a crucial leadership role within the arts community.

When you became the executive director of ArtsBuild I can imagine you must have heard it because there was a collective cheer across this city.

(laughing) And I think not just through social media but I think it was audible like from every rooftop, right?

That people who are so inspired by you but also said it's about time, right?

And on so many levels that you, that someone who represents I think such an important part of this community, right?

And who embodies everything that is beautiful and historical and rich about the arts would be finally recognized in this position as a leader in the arts community.

Did you sense that when you were applying for the job, like what a really momentous occasion this would be?

- So I didn't really sense it when I was applying for the job.

But when I got that job, I definitely felt it.

And it was wonderful to have so much affirmation from people.

My heart told me that it was the perfect combination of my interests, my passions, and my skills, but it's also interesting because, you know, you have to live up to that too.

So every day I just go in, you know, focused on the arts, focused on the sector.

COVID, I mean who could have planned?

(laughing) And COVID has been so disruptive to our local arts sector, but the arts are resilient.

People are creative, they're pulling through.

People are still funding and donating and supporting the arts, but it's been a challenge.

- Yeah.

- But it has to continue because the arts is an employer.

The arts helps build our economy.

It's just, it's a part of life and especially nearing COVID I think people have seen that either they have focused on getting solace from family, their faith, or the arts.

I mean, what would we do without the books, the music, Bridgerton to stream?

(laughing) I mean, seriously, I even went myself and bought an embroidery kit and said let me try to learn to do something with my hands because it'll drive you insane.

- What do people not understand about arts community and the investment it has in any city, but especially in Chattanooga and our region that you think they should know, right?

Like, what's that one message you want people to understand?

- Well I think people don't understand the economic impact of the arts and, you know, just in Hamilton county, the arts and culture sector gives $172 million back into our economy in a typical year.

It actually employs almost 6,500 people but you will never see the arts listed when they list like the top employers in Chattanooga, even though the arts is one of those large employers.

But another thing that I always try to remind people is the arts is workforce development, too.

People work behind the scenes in the arts, people are, you know, it's not just Beyonce, that's on the stage.

There's like hundreds of people that pulled together to put on a show or a performance from the usher all the way up to the main entertainer.

So the arts employs a lot of people, it drives our economy, but so often we treat it as fluff or something that's fun to do.

And sadly too, a lot of people still see it as something that's elitist or that those other people do.

- And I love that you just brought that up and you mentioned it before about this equity piece.

So where is that intersection for you in terms of bringing to bear something that might be seen as luxury, right, or even elitist, and then at the same time creating this equitable access for people of all generations to the arts?

Where, you know, how do you even get that started?

- Well, a couple of things that we've focused on have really been looking at staffing and boards in our arts organizations and trying to provide resources and information that can really help people to learn how they can begin to diversify their boards.

A model that I love to share is, it's called by, about, and for, and what it is is, you know, you kind of look at any arts programming and say is this programming by the people?

And that could be any demographic that you're talking about.

Is it about them or is it for them?

So I'm just looking at those lenses, like how deeply involved are you with the people that you're serving.

You know, are they on your staff, are they on your board?

Are you staying in your location or are you moving out into communities?

Just encouraging that type of more equitable distribution and equitable governance and power sharing is one big thing.

And then another thing that we've really focused on too with racial equity in the arts is using the arts as a jumping off point for exploring a lot of the equity issues that we have going on in our society today.

So that could be using a poem or a painting or a movie to lead into a discussion about immigration or migration or access or even healthcare, you know, now.

There's so much that you can learn and discern more as a result of engaging in the arts.

- [Alison] Though his path has been marked by some twists and turns, it's clear that James has ended up right where he was intended to be.

And for a man who is so deeply entrenched in the arts in our community, it should come as no surprise that his passion is rooted in a craft that he has been nurturing since childhood.

So I want to make sure people understand that you're not just the head of an arts organization.

You are an artist.

- I am, yeah.

- So talk about that journey.

And how did that start and what medium do you use here?

You can tell I'm a non-artist because I don't even know if I'm using the right - No you are, you are.

- Vernacular but you know, I think, or you're a painter, is that right?

- I am, I paint.

- Okay.

- I love to paint and I've just always painted oils, acrylics, and I've done a few pieces that are like, I would say off the wall, you know, maybe three dimensional.

I will say though, that during the pandemic it's been really difficult for me to focus my mind and do a lot of artwork but I have done a couple of pieces, but I don't know if, I was tweeting about this the other night like the pandemic has really destroyed my ability to focus for a long time.

Like it was a few months before I could even watch a full movie.

- Well, I think part of it is we now live in a world where we're just not sure what the next minute brings.

- Right.

(laughing) - Right, so you don't want to get too invested in something.

- Exactly.

- God forbid a two-hour movie.

Right.

It gets cut off after an hour and we're realizing every minute is so precious.

- Yeah, yeah.

And this is a crazy world that we've been living in lately.

Are you optimistic though?

- I am so optimistic, right.

- I am too.

- I have to see a light at the end of any tunnel.

And this has been a very long tunnel, right?

- Yeah, it has.

- But I feel like if we don't have hope.

Hope is stronger than anything, right?

Even the most dire things we got to hang on to that.

- Yeah.

I've been thinking a lot about that lately.

Just, I mean, when you hear things about, you know, how white supremacy is again on the rise, you hear about the financial situations that people are in because of COVID, being out of work, some of the bills that people are trying to pass, you know, that affect people's ability to vote.

There's a part of me that says, James just get on a boat and just float away from this place.

But I mean, like was telling you about my great-grandfather.

If I float away, those who come after me will have it worse off because I'm not here to break down barriers to make ways to build connections and, you know, to hold our country accountable for what we say that we are, make it so that when kids are coming up they can actually fulfill that.

- So what do you say to that kid who might be struggling right now, right, with feeling different and not realizing that, you know, his or her artwork is not just a pathway to freedom but possible profession, right?

Like what do you say even to like the younger you if he was listening right now about his own future?

- I would say, number one, everything is gonna work out fine.

And the other thing I would say is something that my mother used to tell me and it did not click until much later in my life.

She said, when people tell you what you shouldn't do, they're really telling you what they can't do.

And that's what I would tell that young person, you know, you can do it.

It might not go the way that you want it to, the path might have some twists and turns in it but there is a way for you to do this.

And if you do what you love, follow your passions, and it just, it'll feed your soul.

- Couldn't have said it better.

And I'm so glad you're not floating away.

We're going to tether you to this shore for as long as we can.

- It's all good, I'll sleep for a while.

- We need you.

Thank you, James.

- Thank you.

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- [Female Narrator] Funding for this program was provided by... - [Male Narrator] Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory, and Florist, dedicated to helping you celebrate your life or the life of a loved one for over 85 years.

Chattanooga Funeral Home believes that each funeral should be as unique and memorable as the life being honored.

- [Female Narrator] This program is also made possible by support from viewers like you.

Thank you.