Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Vanni.
Hi Christine, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
The opportunity to be the Director at the Fallbrook School of the Arts presented itself during the Covid shut down when I was furloughed from the Pechanga Gaming Commission. At that time, my neighbor was FSA’s Acting Director and needed help running the office. Since both of my parents were artists (having met in art school), I was excited to jump in. After a month of volunteering, I was offered the position as Director, and have never looked back!
I studied Business at Boise State University, and my career has included executive recruiting, multi-office regional administration as well as federal licensing but art is my passion. I’m proud to work with talented artist instructors and watch enthusiastic students (of all ages) hone their skills as they create art in wide range of mediums.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest struggle was Covid, but this isn’t a new story. Many organizations felt the pain of lost revenue from the shutdown. Fallbrook School of the Arts parent organization, Fallbrook Center for the Arts, and their Board of Directors came together and with careful planning reopened FSA in July 2020. With social distancing, sanitizing protocols, masks, and tiers, art classes resumed without a single outbreak. We’re proud of that!
Now the world is recovering and creating art helps a lot of people in the healing process. I’m thankful to all FSA’s amazing staff, instructors, and students who always keep spirits high while making amazing works of art – even during challenging times.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Fallbrook School of the Arts (FSA), located in historic downtown Fallbrook at 310 East Alvarado Street, offers a wide variety of art classes and workshops to the general public. We have art classes for adults and kids of all ages and skill levels in several mediums including Ceramics, Warm/Fused Glass, Stained Glass, Vitrograph and Hot Glass, Printmaking, Drawing, Painting, Book Arts, Polymer Clay, Textile Arts, Mixed Media and more. Visit our website for a list of current offerings and registration information at: www.fallbrookschoolofthearts.org.
FSA is a branch of Fallbrook Center for the Arts, Inc. a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Another division in this organization is the Fallbrook Art Center located at 103 South Main Street in Fallbrook welcoming visitors to a variety of rotating exhibitions featuring works by internationally and regionally recognized artists. The third division is Fallbrook Art in Public Places. This program is designed to create artistic harmony between the buildings, landscaping, and open spaces in Fallbrook and to serve the community by bringing art into our daily lives with murals and sculpture.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check out?
The most effective business resources we utilize are local business owners, the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce, our local newspaper, The Village News, and online news sites like Everything Fallbrook which keep us all well informed. Additionally, Fallbrook has many nonprofits, so we enjoy a unique collaborative and organic spirit with organizations such as the Rotary Club of Fallbrook, Bonsall Women’s Club, Fallbrook Newcombers Club, Fallbrook Beautification Alliance, The Angel Society, and the list goes on. We share resources and information which directly benefits the Fallbrook School of the Arts and the community as a whole. That’s the power of a small town filled with amazing people!
We also work hard to keep our social media fresh, interesting engaging and everyone enjoys FSA’s reels and stories. Personally, I’m always reading and researching for ideas and resources that will help grow the organization and enjoy listening to Chris Dyer and Dave Ramsey. Recently, I’ve been reading Joan Garry’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership which she wrote during Covid. Now more than ever, it’s about keeping the morale of your team motivated and thinking positively as we navigate through difficult economic times.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fallbrookschoolofthearts.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fallbrookschoolofthearts/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fallbrookschoolofthearts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGQlVx6YOWWZVuUMsx2IQIw?app=desktop
