Loft@50
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Dear Loft Community,
We have a new mission!
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We are excited to share this journey with you. As you will see in the pages of Word! The Loft's Strategic Framework, our new mission, vision, and values build on the Loft’s literary legacy and evolve our commitment to craft and community.
We have always believed in the power of the word!
The Loft began as a writing workshop, grew into a community school and presenter, and has become a beacon of literary community that is known and celebrated locally and nationally. Our contributions to craft are clear in our legacy. Now, as the sanctity of life in our streets and on our planet is threatened, we explicitly commit ourselves to being an antiracist, multicultural institution and to building just, life sustaining communities. We believe in the power of language, the cultural practices of sharing stories, and the importance of conversation to counter oppression and dehumanization, to bridge our divides, and to help us to build an essential resilience. We recognize the vital necessity of the work of writers not only to enrich our understanding of each other and the challenges that we face but to nourish our imaginations and inspire our movements for people and the planet.
We are better together!
Now, more than ever, we are committed to developing clear pathways for deepening authentic engagement with you, the individuals and organizations that define our community. Our many partnerships are imbued with opportunity and vital to the accomplishment of our mission. Our connections in community range from our extensive relationships with writers and teaching artists; to strategic alliances in which the Loft stewards its resources to support solidarity with other BIPOC-led and immigrant-led organizations; from our creative writing program and fellowship funding partners; to our sponsors and promotional partners; from our co-locating partners to our collaborative partners in the founding and leadership of Open Book.
We are still learning!
We recognize the need to innovate and evolve in ongoing dialogue with you. We want to get better at being together, inclusive, and prosperous. The next five years will bring evolutions in our use of digital platforms and learning tools and in our approach to feedback and exchange. We will experiment. We will create circles and councils for input and accountability. And we will share important learnings as we go.
We are here because you, our beloved community, believed the Loft into being!
And still, the Loft is sustained by both your creative gifts and your generous donations.
This is the moment for our new mission.
In 2024 the Loft will celebrate 50 years of literary programs and events in service to writers, readers, and community. Our Loft@50 Celebration event will take place on June 7th at Open Book in Minneapolis and we’ll launch our new Lit!Series with our keynote speaker Roxane Gay and imprint authors from publisher Grove Atlantic. In our programming and communications throughout this year, you’ll hear more about our new organizational direction including stories about our new programs, initiatives, and platforms, which will include our new subscription program Lit!Commons. We also look forward to introducing and celebrating Loft teaching artists, partners, and team members who are contributing to the vitality of our collective work and community.
We dedicate the next chapter in our story to you!
Arleta Little, Executive & Artistic Director
Melinda Ward, Board Chair
The Loft Team & Board