Fostering Connections and Building “Bridges”

By Ava Jones

It’s difficult to define in short what “doing good” for a community really means. Physically, yes, communities can be built; bridges can be constructed, gardens can be plowed, money can be raised. Doing “good” can present itself in an obvious, tangible effect on a community. At LeMoyne, I’ve done good like this. I help take down and install exhibits. I collect and store art for our sellers, and wrap and record for our buyers. I haul in equipment and reorganize our storage units, and I keep the front porch manicured. I even create and revise documents for our board; today I started on a data analysis project, using Excel PivotTables to effectively breakdown and display our membership statistics. These are all very tangible ways in which I’ve done “good” at LeMoyne, but there’s more to engagement than that. Bridges are nothing without the people that walk across them. There’s the fostering of connections, the interactions that brighten your day and make you realize that there is a person on the other side of your efforts.

Because of what LeMoyne means to many people in Tallahassee, I often immediately get that satisfaction. The smiles on people’s faces as they thank me on their way out; when they tell me how wonderful a place I work, and how excited they are for their next class. I love when grandparents bring their children in, and walk them through the exhibit passionately observing each piece. I love when people come in and inquire about how they can get their art put in the gallery, even more so when a featured artist comes in to refill their stock. I’m surrounded by a passion for the arts, and I’m fortunate that I often get to interact with the people my community engagement is “doing good” for.

There is still much more that can be done regarding my community-based interest, but my internship is not finished and I still have plenty of time to explore connections. I’d love to explore how LeMoyne gets in contact with artists for their less media-coordinated exhibits, but first I plan to finish the data analysis project I’m currently working on.

Casual journaling piece I’m working on!