Spotlight: Encouraging Artistic Curiosity at the Perkinson Center
The Perkinson Center for the Arts & Education
Through the belief that arts & culture matter, community members have the power to ignite and impact their local arts & culture spaces. The Perkinson Center for the Arts & Education in Chesterfield, Virginia is a testament to this notion. In this week’s spotlight, Executive Director, Chelsea Buyalos reminisces on expressing her passion for the Center’s importance to the Chester community as a youth and the longstanding influence it has had since then as a touchstone for high-quality and accessible arts in the Tri-Cities region.
CultureWorks: Who are you and what is your relationship to the Perkinson Center? How did you get involved?
Chelsea Buyalos: My name is Chelsea Buyalos and I proudly serve as the Executive Director at the Perkinson Center. I joined the team in July of 2021 as the Director of Education and was recently appointed to the role of Executive Director in February of 2022. That’s just the recent history of my involvement in the center… Let me take you a little further back… My ties to the center go way back, I got my start in the arts here in Chester and have had the opportunity to manifest that love and passion from my childhood into my professional life as an arts administrator, educator, and professional musician. I remember going to community interest meetings about the center as a youth, and vividly remember standing up for the arts when a fellow community member asked the question, “Why does this (the art center) matter?” Let’s just say that high schooler changed someone’s mind that night, and thoroughly embarrassed her proud mother. Returning home to serve the community where it all started for me has been a full circle moment filled with “pinch me” moments daily and has brought me so much joy.
Executive Director, Chelsea Buyalos
CW: Tell me a bit about The Perkinson Center! What is it, and how does it fill a space in Chesterfield for the arts?
CB: The seeds for this arts center were planted many years ago, and year after year the charge of making this center a reality was taken up by community members who saw the importance of a facility such as this. Now with the center built, we have the opportunity to breathe life into it and serve our community by providing a touchpoint for high-quality arts access. As a steward of the arts, the Perkinson Center will be here to serve as a pillar of our community for generations to come by curating inclusive programming that inspires personal discovery, encourages artistic curiosity, and gives back to a community that understands the value of the arts in all our lives.
CW: The Perkinson Center has been hosting the series, “Summer Nights at the Perk”! For anyone who has never attended, what can they expect from these fun nights?
CB: We are so excited to be hosting our first “official” summer concert series which provides our community the opportunity to join us at the center for a mid-week break with some great music, beautiful art in our art gallery, food from local vendors, and of course, good times. We’ve hosted two so far and both have been well attended. Our next installment will be held Wednesday, August 3 with Cook County Bluegrass providing the music while Tiffany’s Food Truck will be serving up some yummy eats. Oh, and when you join us on August 3, don’t forget to visit our Baxter and Elaine Perkinson Jr. Art Gallery to take in our current exhibit featuring, Carol Anna Meese’s Journey. We have something for everyone… I’m excited, can’t you tell?
Perkinson Center Stage
CW: How have you felt the center connect with the Chesterfield & Tri-Cities region community around you? What has been a favorite moment in your experience?
CB: One of the highlights of serving our community is creating moments for others to experience the arts in all forms. One of the ways that we get to connect with our community is through the work of our volunteers. Each week we have volunteers give their time to serve as ambassadors of the center. With each show, gallery exhibit, and class they are always ready to lend a hand or ask a question that helps them better serve our patrons. They are the first faces our community members see when they come through our doors and to see the look of joy that our volunteers have for this place as they welcome others has been wonderful to witness time and time again. Community connectivity is key for a community to thrive, and our volunteers help us do that.
CW: Have you collaborated with any specific artists/spaces/organizations recently that were meaningful for you?
CB: In this last year, we’ve had so many fantastic collaborations there are just too many to name, but one that truly stands out was our recent collaboration with our friends at the Thomas Dale High School Specialty Center for the Arts. For just over a month, we showcased 13 young emerging artists in our Baxter and Elaine Perkinson Jr. Art Gallery with their Specialty Center for the Arts: Visual Senior ShowCase. There were so many great moments, from the mentoring day where the students were on site at the center curating their own show with a little help from Chase Westfall (curator) and some words of wisdom from Dr. Baxter Perkinson himself, to the official grand opening of the exhibit where we invited the artists, their families, and our community members to celebrate the show’s opening. Oh, and let’s not forget, in the days after the official opening, the repeated visits to the gallery by the artists themselves bringing friends, extended local family, and family from out of town to see their work on display. Seeing their faces light up and hearing them talk about their work with pride resonated with all of us here at the center.
CW: Do you have advice for young creatives looking to get involved at The Perk?
CB: Don’t be a stranger! Take some time to visit our website to learn more about us. Are you an artist looking to show your work? … submit your portfolio to our gallery committee for review. Do you teach? ... submit a Teaching Artist proposal. Put yourself out there!
CW: What feeds your creativity when you are not actively at The Perk? How do you stay inspired?
CB: I will admit, The Perk is my second home and provides inspiration daily. When I do find myself away from the center out and about, I try to remain in a posture of staying curious. As a creative I have been fortunate to live a very art-filled life thus far and remaining in an open posture of exploration when it comes to arts and culture is so important. It’s easy to put blinders up and fall into the trap of always gravitating to the same things, we have our favorite visual and performing artists, we like specific genres of music etc. The arts are always evolving and experiencing something new always feeds my creativity and committing myself to staying curious helps.
CW: What do arts and culture mean to you? Why does it matter?
CB: The arts impact our lives daily and imprint on us in a variety of ways, sometimes without us even noticing it. They allow us the opportunity to connect with the world around us and help us cultivate better versions of ourselves through artistic and cultural exploration. The arts are essential to humanity and are vital for any community to flourish. As I always say, the arts encompass the three H’s… Healing, Humanity, and Humility, and from time to time we all need a dose of these three things.
To learn more about the Perkinson Center: https://www.perkinsoncenter.org/
To stay updated with the Perkinson Center:
https://www.facebook.com/PerkinsonCenterVA / https://www.instagram.com/perkinsoncenterva/