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By Alejandra Abad
  July 16, 2020

Growing up during a time known for peace and civil rights activism planted the seeds for Amy Kimberly’s ongoing passion for art and social justice.

 is the executive director of Carbondale Arts, which oversees the . Originally from Pittsburgh, Kimberly always saw herself moving out West. She started her babyֱ��app journey when she moved to Telluride, where for ten years she ran a nightclub and led the Telluride Art Council and an AIDS benefit. She also raised money for a children’s hospital, Telluride’s sister city of Manzini, Swaziland and other groups on babyֱ��app’s Western Slope.

Economic changes pushed Kimberly to move to Carbondale, a more culturally diverse city, with an economy that was a better fit for her as a single mother. Kimberly convinced the radio station to hire her, and from there was able to dig in and start rallying people to participate in community projects.

Carbondale is now Kimberly’s muse and creating experiences for and with her community is her art. Two years ago she started the Latino Folk Art Garden, where she empowered the community by first listening to what they wanted, and then looked for funding to organize community participation. This project is being used to lift up the Latinx community during a time when the current administration is building walls to keep out immigrants from Latinx communities.

Community surveys showed that members wanted to grow plants, so Kimberly and local artists organized clay pot making days at an art studio. Coordinated with the help of a radio program, Tricolor, this event had strong turnout, including those who hadn’t before realized that the clay center was a community resource available to them.

Kimberly also helped create the , a bike trail that has been planned with community input. She is currently working on the Youth Art Park, which will give voice to community youth.

How do you view inclusivity and approach and equity in your community-engaged work? How do you avoid the savior complex?

I see myself as a creator of experiences that empower the community. I am active in taking action, making projects, and getting projects started. Hopefully those experiences inspire others to continue to make it happen. It’s not always easy, especially when I don’t speak Spanish and am working with the Latinx community. But as a community we interact and teach each other. I have deep conversations with the community and feel that I approach people with kindness, an open mind and a willingness to learn.

It’s essential to look and listen and see what is the best way to reach the population, and to get a sense of what kind of projects and values are important to the community. In Carbondale the community doesn’t accept inequality, and when community members see injustice they stand up to it. Equity is gained through being able to talk and listen to each other. In order to avoid the white savior complex, I try to keep a curious mind and open mind and see all people as human beings that work equitably.  Ultimately, all projects are about actualizing what the community wants, rather than imposing my will onto the community.

How do you get feedback from the community about how your initiative or programs create social change?

I learned with the AIDS Benefit in Swaziland the importance of asking questions. While you might have a great idea that you think is the best for the community, the community has to be empowered by that idea and have it be their own. So even when they were working in Africa, it was always about empowering the people there to organize and learn how to stand up for themselves and learn how to progress in ways to create systemic change. They wanted to make sure that the people would be able to sustain the community's goals once they left Manzini.

Describe an unexpected experience or incident you encountered in your community engagement work. How did you respond?

One of our projects is on hold. I wanted to collect history from the Latinx community in Roaring Fork Valley in order to create a narrative sculpture in the park. The CU Boulder Latino History Project is a partner in this project, but because of COVID-19 they were not able to begin in April as anticipated. I’m still hopeful that the project will continue.

Another hurdle is that some Lantix folk choose not to share their stories because they are looking for someone with whom they already feel comfortable. Sometimes a project just takes more time to develop. I give myself a natural pace for the projects to evolve, which lets the community grow with the project.

Optimism keeps ideas alive. My favorite saying is “Don’t mistake clarity for a short distance.” If you know where you want to go, you just have to keep that path clear, and don’t give up and get diverted.

Anything else you want to discuss, perhaps something about funding or division of labor among partners?

Our world is in very challenging times and the way we approach these challenges is changing. Learning to operate with less is important, as is being flexible. Human capital is valuable and we must not discard our working force in a time when they need work more than ever. How do we keep our economy going, especially as winter approaches? How do we deal with food insecurity, which is affecting people everywhere? These are questions that will need creativity as we enter the future. We need to make sure artists and creatives are sitting at the tables that will help shape this future