HISTORY OF THE COLLECTIVE

Christy Soto started The Creativity Collective in 2008 to provide creative and cultural arts resources, networking, opportunities, education, and partnerships for artists and art enthusiasts. It incorporated as an Oregon non-profit in May of 2009 shortly after receiving a grant from the Klamath County Transient Room Tax Program for it's multi-media Veteran's history project and tour, A Legacy of Bravery Memorial Tours. The van tour of historical military significance was listed in Southern Oregon Magazine in the Best of Southern Oregon section. The group took the name The Creativity Collective to represent an artistic workforce of creative thinkers with a community focus. The Collective operate committees devoted to growing creative and cultural arts forums and programming.

The Creativity Collective's projects outgrew the homes and offices of its members within a year. Their flagship high-school documentary: KU STORIES was gaining momentum. The Creativity Collective had just developed their website and was in the process of developing their arts and entertainment travel magazine, The Artisan's Almanac, when they were approached to take over a large art loft on Main Street. They'd anticipated a home and a place to launch a community arts center.

The organization moved into the 6000 square foot upstairs building at 809 Main Street in Klamath Falls and dubbed it the Contemporary Arts Kitchen (CAK) in 2009. It was a place for artists of all ages to learn and to create and exhibit art. CAK included dance classes, film projects, gallery shows, live music events, and multi-media endeavors. The public was invited to be spectators and participants.

The building had no heat, was heavily grafittied, and filthy. The Creativity Collective sought donations of paint and supplies and met weekly to have cleaning and painting parties. Hundreds of hours and an equal amount of money was invested to make CAK at 809 presentable. The group sought a business license and was denied. The Creativity Collective would have to cease all live music shows at 809 Main, the sustaining source of their income. Over the next several months, more provisions were put on the operations at CAK. The licensing entities gave The Creativity Collective until May 7th, 2010 to find a more suitable home.

CAK at 809 Main was uniquely designed to accommodate everything from to Zumba dance classes to discount practice space for bands. The Creativity Collective, the building’s owner, and the licensing entities met to discuss a game-plan that would allow CAK and all of its programming to stay at 809 Main Street. An internal fire-escape would need to be build to code. The electrical systems would need to be upgraded. There would have to be upgrades on the doors and exits posted.

Coincidentally, the ground-floor address, 811 Main, just beneath CAK, was coming available. The Collective had always wanted to add this floor to CAK to have more visibility. They could keep their classes, offices, and casting agency services upstairs. They would move their live music shows, plays, film premiers, and café downstairs.They acquired the additional 4000 square feet at 811 Main in 2010. Substantial building renovations presented themselves almost immediately. After a year and a half battle, The Creativity Collective decided to let CAK on Main St. go.

Despite building issues, the Collective launched their artist resource magazine, Artisan's Almanac in Winter of 2010. They received kudos for their teen-programming and for their low-cost art events. They produced an original play and hosted several events in the Snowflake Festival.

The Contemporary Arts Kitchen, was in essence was just another project of the The Creativity Collective. A lot of focus was placed on bringing the inexpensive all-ages art center to downtown—a place that could distract the youth from negative influences. It was as scrutinized as it was revered. 

The Creativity Collective took their victories and lessons learned and focused their programming into other community venues. The Collective joined forces with The Gems baseball team to have a Haunted House. They moved their gallery shows and women's networking group into the Klamath County Library. The organization started a campaign to highlight the Main street and East Main Street area in downtown Klamath Falls as an art district with a multi-media art excursion called Artventure. Their documentary highlighting the beloved historic high-school. KU STORIES premiered in the summer of 2011.

As the organization entered the second half of 2011, they received inquiries from other communities that were interested in growing Creativity Collectives in their town. Additionally, members who were leaving the area were passionate about creating satellite Collective's, growing the network of artists and adding yet another benefit to artists--the benefit of a larger marketplace.

THE SPIRIT OF THE CREATIVITY COLLECTIVE

o We believe that creativity improves the quality of life for ourselves and our youth

o We work towards the advancement of arts and entertainment in our community

o We believe art should be accessible to anyone

o We support team-work that unites us and strengthens us

o We are lifelong learners and students of vision

o We are dedicated to the life of an idea 

o We create art with a life-force