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It was a year ago Jennifer Pauly joined the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center as executive director.
The Sanborn resident came with deep Niagara Falls roots because of her parents and grandparents. She came to the NACC following 15-years as executive director of the Upward Niagara Chamber of Commerce.
It’s been a year of finding her bearings because of the enormity of the operation in both physical size and people.
Consider the century-old building occupying a full city block. There are 80 tenants paying rents ranging from $95 for the very smallest space to $550 for a full classroom.
Pauly came to the job after a series of leaders who were never quite able to muster the same energy as Kathie Kudela, a beloved leader who died in 2021.
“When you see the size of the building from the outside, you realize how easy it is to get 10,000 steps a day,” Pauly said with a laugh
“I am always bopping around and there is always something that needs to be fixed.”
One thing that doesn’t need to be fixed anymore is the bathrooms. They have been renovated. The theater is next. During this interview she added one thing to the list: Find out what happened to the bike rack that used to be outside the red doors.
The building has a sort of life of its own, a vibrant community center, from artists painting and sculpting to an office of the Italian Vice Consulate and one of the finest places to get lunch in the city, the Starry Night Cafe.
Changes are incremental, for example new concrete to make the main entrance more accessible for those who can't handle stairs or making sure every person who visits signs in with a Zip code because it makes grant applications more informed when you know who is visiting and from where.
The NACC is even still host to the WEBR studio where Tom Darro broadcasts the world’s longest-running talk radio show every morning. I wonder if he's in the Guiness Book of World Records for that? Tom needs to be celebrated, and appreciated while he is still here.
Fund raising is not only from grants and collecting rent but from community donations, including the annual “Art of Beer” as well as “Night Art at the NACC” a few months ago which offered a freshened take on the previous “Sculpting the Future” events.
Pauly had served Upward Niagara for long enough it started to feel like Groundhog Day where every event over the course of a year started to feel the same.
“I had done all I could do,” she said. “It was getting repetitive. It was time for a change.”
She confided in the chamber’s chairperson and began pondering what to do next. Then she decided to take the leap to the NACC but not until after making sure there was a succession plan in place for the chamber.
Pauly said there was a need for more structured administration and communication while respecting the the artists and their grassroots community.”
Of course there were naysayers, Pauly said.
You know the sort of questions, like “who is the new person who has come in? She is not going to last a year.”
A year has passed and she is looking forward. The first year was about learning and construction. Next starts more fun.
“I can’t wait to get to the point where we can look out 5 years and say ‘here’s where we want to be in 5 years’ ” she said.
For now, the way forward is a bit of the way back, eventually bringing back things like arts camp, painting classes and even concerts on the front steps. After a year of construction, renovation and learning her way around, Pawley said there will also be a new drive to better engage with existing members and attract new as well.
Pauly lives in Sanborn with her husband Marty and 4 daughters including 3 currently in college.
You can learn more about the NACC and become a member by visiting https://thenacc.org/ or stopping by. Enter through the red doors at Portage and Pine and by all means, get some lunch at Starry Night Cafe.
