In this powerful episode, Jason R. Hughes—CEO of ArtServe and a longtime leader in nonprofit innovation, media, and community advocacy—shares his journey from Atlantic Records to leading one of South Florida’s most dynamic arts organizations.
With over 25 years of experience spanning journalism, LGBTQ+ media, public broadcasting, and nonprofit strategy, Jason discusses how ArtServe operates as a creative incubator, a safe space, and a collaborative hub for changemakers, artists, and social advocates in Fort Lauderdale.
You’ll hear firsthand how ArtServe:
- Offers accessible resources to underserved artists and emerging talent
- Collaborates with nonprofits like Mission United, Hope South Florida, and even brands like Tito’s Vodka
- Tackles community challenges such as mental health, housing instability, and representation
- Fosters authentic conversations by putting lived experiences at the center of its programming
- Recognizes unsung community heroes through the Impact Awards Gala
Jason’s leadership model is both compassionate and data-driven—focused on growth, healing, and storytelling through art. Whether you’re a nonprofit executive, philanthropist, community builder, or cultural strategist, this episode is a masterclass in using the arts to fuel social progress.
🎧 Subscribe and listen in as we uncover what it takes to lead with purpose, build lasting partnerships, and inspire a thriving arts ecosystem.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Chris Baker (00:08):
Chris Baker, and each week we'll explore
incredible connections betweennonprofits, businesses and the
community.
This is a space where wehighlight inspiring partnerships
, uncover strategies forcreating meaningful impact and
share stories that show howworking together can make all
the difference.
Whether you're a nonprofitleader, a business owner or
(00:28):
someone just passionate aboutbuilding connections, this
podcast is for you.
Welcome back to Visual Eyes.
Today, I have Jason Hughes fromArtServe.
Welcome, Jason, Thank you verymuch.
Thank you for having me, Chris.
Thank you, Can you tell us alittle bit about your journey
and how you got into the role ofworking here at ArtServe?
Jason Hughes (00:48):
Sure, I started my career in Atlantic Records in
New York City.
Actually after University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill,
where I went to school.
I took journalism and masscommunication there, worked at
Atlantic Records.
That was way too much fun.
So I moved back to Toronto,ontario, where I'm from, worked
at radio stations therefor-profit radio stations which
I learned a lot about theindustry that way.
(01:09):
Then I started my own magazinecalled Fresh Magazine, and Fresh
Magazine was aimed at Gen Xers,18 to 34-year-olds at the time.
Now we're in our 50s but westill read magazines, believe it
or not.
So I had that magazine.
Basically it was a culture,arts and culture magazine.
We covered everything fromfitness, finance, sex,
photography, art like that.
(01:31):
So I had that magazine for awhile, sold that magazine and
then I was recruited to be partof starting the first LGBT
television station in the worldcalled Pride Vision TV.
Now it's called OutTV.
So I was the director of sales,then became director of sales
and marketing.
I got on the programming side,launched another channel
pay-per-view channel as well.
So that was a lot of fun.
And after that I was recruitedin Toronto to come down and
(01:53):
start Classical South FloridaRadio, which was a nonprofit
public radio station.
We were based in FortLauderdale, miami area, and then
we bought stations in West PalmBeach and naples, fort myers,
so we're the largest radionetwork in the state of florida
at the time.
So I started as marketing there, then became the general
manager.
Um, in between that, uh, I wasuh on the board here at art surf
(02:15):
.
I volunteered my services onthe board of art surf.
I was board president for twoyears and our ceo, our executive
director, had left and I quitthe board and applied like
everyone else, blind, blind, youknow, interviews and stuff
until they met me and I washired about almost five years
ago, right when COVID started.
Covid started March, so thiswas August I started.
(02:36):
So when I started we wereclosed.
So that was fun.
Chris Baker (02:41):
We were closed.
Jason Hughes (02:43):
And our first exhibition was on Sudan Sudanese
art and I felt, really I feltterrible because we couldn't
have an opening with nobodycould see the art, but what we
did was, I think our art servelife, which is very similar to
what you're doing here, where wehad over 100 episodes with
artists.
We talked about depression, wetalked about how to sell your
art just what they're thinking.
You know, if everybody wasgoing on and the curator of that
(03:05):
exhibit, I I apologize to him,I'm so sorry.
Your first exhibition here, myfirst one, there's nobody here,
but we did everything, virtuallyeverything, on the internet and
we actually got a way wideraudience, an international
audience, because everyone wason the internet.
So that really is what builtour online audience, our
database of people, peopleknowing us through Instagram,
(03:25):
facebook, linkedin, whatever.
Sure, when we opened again, thenwe could have people again and
life was good.
Then they closed us down againand then we reopened again.
So it's been an interesting,interesting journey.
But what's great is our teamhere were amazing, they continue
to be amazing, and so I've beenin this role about five years
(03:46):
now.
Chris Baker (03:46):
No, we've been blessed to be here, uh, working
with you guys at art surf forover a year now, and it's just
been fantastic it's crazy, Iknow it's like kind of like
rushed through it like whoa,what happened to this last few
you know months?
Oh my gosh, it's been a year,yeah.
So it kind of like went reallyfast, and one of the things I
didn't really realize is thatyou guys closed and reopened and
closed again.
Jason Hughes (04:06):
Yes, yes.
Well, all the county buildings,all the state buildings were
closed the second time, so itwas only about six weeks or so,
but still, you know we had tofind ways.
You know my job is to bring inmoney for the organization as
well as run the organization, soyou know having to meet donors
and meet people you know a lotof people weren't having lunches
or going to events.
There were no networking eventsfor a while.
Chris Baker (04:26):
Yeah, exactly everything was kind of closed
down and like yeah I mean, forme I was up in minnesota at the
time, so it was kind of adifferent like space.
Um, definitely in minnesota wewere closed down, closed down,
yeah, like there was no movement, no, nothing, nothing was
happening.
Everything was at home, right,um.
But I did hear some states didopen up for a little while, then
close back down, like yeah,there was that fluctuation yeah,
(04:48):
yeah which I I didn't reallyget to experience.
Jason Hughes (04:51):
Yeah, that same way you know you mentioned
minnesota, so the class wasself-loved.
Radio was owned by minnesotapublic radio.
Oh, american public media groupyeah, oh, okay, so home
companion.
All those marketplace, allthose shows were the company
that I worked for oh, that'sfantastic.
So I was in Minnesota all thetime In your winters.
In our winters, yeah, but Imanaged to figure out how to get
off the airplane from theairport to a taxi or Uber right
(05:14):
to the hotel and then never haveto go outside again because of
all the tunnel, all the raisedwalkways.
Chris Baker (05:19):
Oh, the skyways are amazing.
Jason Hughes (05:20):
Yeah, I mean it's just two times.
I'd be cold In from the Uber,out to the Uber.
That was it.
Chris Baker (05:27):
Yeah, they make sure you were bundled up really
well at that point.
But the minute you were inthere.
Those skyways are fantastic.
They really got you anywhereyou wanted to go in downtown.
Jason Hughes (05:36):
Minneapolis and we were St Paul, oh yeah.
Chris Baker (05:39):
They do have a smaller network of skyways there
, but if you're ever inminneapolis, that was where I
spent most of my time downtownand that one was fantastic.
We would go for 45 minute walksfor an during your lunch, right
, and you could walk all aroundthe entire city just inside the
skyways.
It was fantastic it is amazing.
Jason Hughes (05:58):
Toronto is something.
A similar thing where I livedis it's underground.
Underground it connects.
You know you can walk same Samething.
You can walk 45 minutes, likein my condo.
I could go downstairs downbelow the basement, walk in the
underground and go to the gym,like a 40-minute walk and back
all underground.
That's fantastic yeah.
Chris Baker (06:14):
Wow, oh, that's so interesting.
I didn't know that Toronto hadthat same kind of system.
Jason Hughes (06:18):
Yeah, Okay, yeah, okay.
Chris Baker (06:22):
So one of the other things that we would love to
talk about is a little bit aboutthe collaboration.
So what collaborations have youhad here at ArtServe with
either some other for-profitsthat kind of like you know, move
the organization forward, oreven some other nonprofits that
you brought in and like worktogether with?
Jason Hughes (06:40):
Yeah, I mean our job, our goal at ArtServe is to
collaborate.
I mean that really makeseverything much more rich in the
experience.
Um, funders, people applyingfor grants, um, possible
sponsors, donors, love to seethat collaboration.
Um, it's, it's really important.
So almost everything we do is acollaboration, so we bring
other partners in.
(07:02):
Uh can give you an example wedid an event with the veterans.
We did a veterans exhibitionhere, which is the first time
we've done that and we didusually we do like a big opening
, you know, sometimes a bigevent in the auditorium, and we
involved Mission United, whichis part of United Way.
We worked with them.
We worked with the USS FortLauderdale, the commissioning
ship they're still trying tokeep the name alive, even though
(07:24):
it's in Norfolk Virginia Parkthere since 2022.
But Pat Dumont there, she's anamazing champion of it.
We worked with a few otherdifferent Ed Morse Automotive.
We honored Teddy Morse, who was, or Ed Morse the grandfather,
the father, who was a veteran aswell, so we honored him.
So that kind of collaborationwas really exciting to bring all
(07:46):
these different people together.
Just as recently, we did acollaboration on Thursday with
the Broward County Status ofWomen event, which they honored
18 women in Broward County, alot of judges, former
commissioners, people whostarted nonprofits, activists.
So we partnered with theirplanning committee.
Uh, believe it or not, weworked with tito's.
(08:07):
Tito's vodka gave us a grantfor it to help pay offset the
cost for it.
Um, you wouldn't think thatkind of partnership would would
match not necessarily, but Imean honestly.
At the same time, it's goodbranding, it's great marketing
yeah, it's great good marketingfor them and um and so that kind
of.
You just never know wherethere's money out there and
(08:28):
people who want to collaboratein the for-profit side.
You just never know.
Sometimes you have to ask.
When we did the mental healthexhibitions here, we purposely
went out to a lot of thehealthcare providers Holy Cross,
obviously, your Broward Healthwho were involved, broward
Health who were involved butthen you catch some of the
for-profit companies that arealso interested in being part of
that, because the mental healthissue is a huge issue in every
(08:49):
sector of the economy of lifeRight now.
It's extremely important.
So a further one we did.
We did a one-off kind of townsquare.
ArtServe in some ways become atown square for ideas and people
to talk.
So we did a one-off night forpeople who are unhoused and
homeless two different things.
Homeless and unhoused are twodifferent things.
(09:11):
We brought in Showering Love,where they actually had the
showering buses here to seetours of that we had.
I think we had the mammogrambus here at that time as well.
We had all these just differentpeople here.
And then we invited through Hope, south Florida, and they
brought some people who wereunhoused and we had a student
(09:32):
art exhibition.
So these are students who go toschool, of course, but at the
end of school they go home andlive in the car.
You know they're parents andthe art that these students did
was incredible, incredible.
So we had a little mini artfair for them and the impact of
that was one.
One lady said she works at arent-a-car place by the airport.
She works all night.
(09:53):
The kids sleep in the car withthe father, kids go to school,
she sleeps in the car, he doeshis shift and come back and the
issue is they lost their jobduring COVID, their home sorry
during COVID, their home sorryduring COVID.
And where we live in BrowardCounty, you need first, last and
security deposit for rent andthe rents are so high here.
Often that could be over $6,000.
Chris Baker (10:13):
Easy, easy.
I mean, that's not even aquestion, and that's probably
even just for a studio for someplaces.
Jason Hughes (10:20):
It's crazy.
Chris Baker (10:21):
So, yeah, I understand that that is a lot of
money to come up with.
Just even get in to have a safespace to.
Jason Hughes (10:27):
Yeah, how rough over your head and I hadn't, I
hadn't thought of that it's.
It's that, you know, even ifyou have jobs doesn't mean that
you don't have the money to putdown on a place.
And then if you have children,you need two bedrooms, sometimes
three, you know so.
So it's a lot.
Uh, the other thing we did waswe had one of the organizations
create uh food, what a food bankwould give to show, like beans,
just the.
(10:47):
You know it's enough protein toget by in a day, but that's not
the kind of food that are givenout to networking events and
and galas and balls.
You know what I mean.
So we wanted people toexperience what homeless and
unhoused people eat every day,you know.
So that kind of a, that kind ofcollaboration, bringing those
people together, is exciting.
Chris Baker (11:07):
I think that would be very eye-opening.
It was for me.
Because, honestly, when youthink about it, you do go to a
gala, you go to a networkingevent and you probably have a
nice surprise.
You have the sandwiches youhave.
You know, sometimes, dependingon it, you have shrimp and you
(11:31):
have all this amazing foodchoices, but then you come to
this one event yeah, and here's,here's your protein.
Yeah, just proteins.
Yeah, here's your hard starchyep, some rice, yep, that's it.
That's it, and this is whatpeople are living on.
It is true.
It's true because, like Iremember, when I was talking to
my best friend and she washaving some money issues at the
time, this was years ago and shespecifically said that her
therapist said you need proteinand beans are cheap beans and
(11:53):
rice and that's it, and I didn'treally put it together until
you just said this again.
It was like you know, that'svery true that there is, there's
, a lot of good protein in beans, but it's, it's not that
flavorful, it's just very bland,right, right, but at the same
time it does get you some of thenutrients that you need to get
by Exactly, exactly, and we areblessed to have other options
(12:18):
out there, and not everybody hasthat.
Jason Hughes (12:20):
Right.
Chris Baker (12:20):
Exactly, we need to take that into consideration.
So I really love the fact thatyou put that in an event style
so that people could see it andexperience it.
Jason Hughes (12:28):
Yeah, I think that was really important.
You know, I tell my nieces andnephews I have 22 of them
between husband and I.
That's a lot and I tell themall you're three months away
from being homeless.
You're three months away frombeing homeless.
You need to have cash on hand,you know available.
You need to have a plan, youknow you need to have a support
group built in.
You can't just wing it.
You can't just wing it becauseeveryone is three months away
(12:51):
from being homeless.
Chris Baker (12:52):
It doesn't take much.
One wrong thing, thing thatgoes wrong, like there's an
extra bill and a medical expense, whatever that case may be, you
work for a clone.
Boom, boom yeah, and you loseyour job, lose your job.
Jason Hughes (13:05):
There's a lot of things like that.
So that's why I so much enjoyworking at ArtServe and doing
what we do, because we can talkabout these issues and talk
about these ideas and bring themto community.
And a lot of what we do is wetry to research and hear what's
going on before the communityeven knows what's going on.
Like we were the first one todo a veterans mental health
exhibition.
Specifically, we met withBroward uh BSO, broward
(13:27):
Sheriff's office.
Chris Baker (13:28):
We met with some um Fort Lauderdale police about
their needs from their mentalhealth perspective I mean, that
was just eyeopening and some oftheir um people that were on the
panelists back and we actuallyinterviewed them, and so it was
fantastic to have Heather andKat and Ed even come back here
(13:51):
and like specifically get someof those in-depth interviews
after the panel was actuallydone Right.
Jason Hughes (13:56):
Yeah, it's like a debrief.
You know it's interesting tobring that up because panelists,
you get up there and you planfor it, you execute it.
You can't really remember whatyou said.
Chris Baker (14:04):
Yeah.
Jason Hughes (14:04):
And then people want to talk to you afterwards,
which is great.
But then it's nice to have likea one-on-one time with yourself
or an interview like that.
Just kind of think about whatjust happened.
Chris Baker (14:12):
You know it's more interspect uh, inter perspective
perspective, inner, inner.
Yeah, you get to relive it, butin a different way.
Introspective, yes,introspective.
So it is that taking thatdebrief, like you called it and
I think it actually brings itforth like oh wow, I really did
(14:34):
talk about this.
I really like this is real,yeah, like you're taking it in a
little bit more deeper.
So I think that actually wasextremely valuable that we
actually got to help put thatvideo together.
Jason Hughes (14:45):
Oh yeah, it was an incredible video.
What you guys do is incredible.
You know documentation video.
You know I'm your champion.
No, thank you, I mean that'swhere it is, you know.
Also, I think it's importantwhen you're collaborating is to
not only have the quote expertsin the field.
It's good to have regular,everyday people up there
sometimes.
Chris Baker (15:09):
In my opinion, I really wish that there was
always at least one personthat's not necessarily in the
field, but it's the regular Joeor Jane or whatever we're going
to call them being on that panelto get the other perspective.
Because sometimes we don't getthe whole round scope because
we're like we're living in ourindustry, we talk specifically
our own verbiage and theneverybody else doesn't actually
(15:33):
hear it or understand it right.
But if we could pull ittogether and like ask the right
questions so that everybody islike oh, that's the way that
they're interpreting and that'sthe way they're explaining it,
because you have that otherperson on that panel to really
pull it in two examples of that.
Jason Hughes (15:47):
Like I wish we'd done the unhoused exhibit or
event a little differently.
I wish we did it more in theround in a way, and not on stage
, because the people who talkedabout their actual experiences
were in the audience and thosewere really sometimes more
impactful than the executivedirectors of the organizations
who are talking about theirorganization and I can say, like
no one wants to really hear metalk.
I would.
That's why my introductions arequick, sweet over with Um, but
(16:12):
I want to give time for otherpeople to talk and I think that
would have been really good tohave that more in the round.
Another example is we did acoming out day, national coming
out day for a couple years.
We used to do a panel there andone woman came and said her son
had come out and his father,her husband, divorced her,
dropped the kid and they juststuck alone with him because he
(16:34):
came out and we had thisdialogue with her and she was
off the stage, you know, in thestand in the dark in the chairs,
and I brought her up to thestage just to talk, like not on
stage but to talk a little morebecause what she was saying was
more impactful.
You know, so you cancollaborate with other people in
the community in your ownaudience, and you don't even
know they're there.
You don't even know who's there.
Chris Baker (16:56):
You know, you really don't, cause there's so
many people out there that theirstories are the ones that
actually make the most impact.
Yeah, yeah.
Jason Hughes (17:02):
Well, that's what reporters do.
I mean, reporters don't gointerview the CEO all the time,
they go and interview the peoplewho are impacted.
Exactly Right, that's what.
That's what a reporter does,and I like to think, I think my
journalism background having mymagazine and taking journalism
at Carolina is that, I think,and even with the way we
approach things, our curator,you know, working with her to
try to figure out.
We're journalists, we're tryingto figure out what the issues
(17:23):
are and we try to figure out whodo we bring in together?
Chris Baker (17:26):
such a hub for moving forward, you know,
bringing something ahead of thecurve before everybody else in
the community actually gets toit, because you are looking at
it more as a journalist.
Yeah, Um, and you're trying tomake sure that.
Hey, we're staying current andwe might even be ahead.
(17:49):
Right right, right.
So you're taking those issues,you're bringing them forward and
making sure that it's beingdiscussed.
Jason Hughes (17:54):
And the great thing about ArtServe is like
having you know Visuals by Momo,having you and Chris, you,
chris and Momo here, yourselfand all our other organizations
like Funding Arts, broward here,our artists here who are
Artists, studios we all cancollaborate, talk about
different ideas and don how wecan help each other out.
Exactly, right.
I mean, we recommend you guysall the time to everybody and,
(18:15):
you know, recommend, hey, cometo ArtServe, hold your event
here, that kind of thing.
We're working together.
Have you seen Sharon Swift'sart?
Have you seen Julian Castro'sart?
That kind of thing.
Yeah, you know, and I thinkthat's the nature of this
incubator that's been set up.
It was so brilliant because,you know, we were only one of
six arts incubators in Americain 1989.
Today we're the only one ofthose six remaining, that's yeah
(18:38):
, and now there's art incubatorseverywhere, everywhere, right,
but because the model At thetime, yeah, one of six.
So I mean that just shows howthe community has supported this
organization.
It also just shows the needTrue, the need for Artserve and
an organization like this, whereit's important.
We have a diversity of people,for-profit and non-profit
companies, different types ofartists, and the goal is, I mean
(18:58):
, the artists don't want tomaybe hear it, but we want them
to come here and then we wantthem gone Because we want to
bring new people in.
Well, yeah, that's the goal.
Chris Baker (19:06):
You want to get them to the point where they've
learned what they needed.
They've gotten the skills thatthey needed so that they can get
their own space exactly, and sothey're actually bringing out,
um, yeah, and doing biggerthings yeah exactly, that's the
goal.
That's the whole goal.
That's the whole goal.
You know, like you said, it'san incubator.
Yep, yep.
Well, you know, you don't havebaby chicks in a incubator
forever.
You have them until they'vegrown and then you set them out
(19:28):
into the, you know, the pastureor wherever they need to be.
Jason Hughes (19:30):
Well, a lot of kids still live at home in their
20s, in their 30s, yeah, watchthat rent thing.
Chris Baker (19:38):
There's a lot of the rent thing, especially with
all the prices going up andeverything.
But one of the things that Ilove about being here and I do
bring people here a lot becauseI like having the meetings here
specifically- Right right, andso we get to use the creative
hub.
We get to use the creative hub,we get to walk people through
and say, hey, here's all thesedifferent tenants, all these
different people here inArtServe, and I walk by and like
(20:00):
, here's, you know, wham, hereis Sharon Swift, here is Julian,
all of these different pieces,yeah, we get to showcase them.
Jason Hughes (20:09):
Yeah.
Chris Baker (20:09):
And we get to do it as a community as like a family
, almost Exactly being a part ofArt Fair.
So I love it Exactly.
Jason Hughes (20:15):
Yeah, that's exactly what I was going to say.
Yeah, and we love that.
I mean, I love giving peopletours here.
I tell them do you have fiveminutes or 50?
Yeah, great question.
I would like to know, because Icould like go on and stuff, and
because people half the peoplecome in here never know this.
(20:36):
This site exists.
Of the building they don't know.
Chris Baker (20:38):
They actually see the auditorium gallery, the
gallery.
Yeah, they see the library andthat's like the kind of like
stop yeah, yeah and they're likeoh, we didn't know I could go
back there right.
Jason Hughes (20:50):
Well, back in the day, you couldn't sure.
Sure, that's why we opened itup?
Chris Baker (20:54):
when did when did it actually open up back here
for the tenant?
Jason Hughes (20:57):
well, it's always been.
This used to be the businesscenter, um, and it was a
computer center back in the 90soh years were around, so it was
a very big computer center, uh,and when tech went, everybody
had their own computers andprinters and stuff at home it
wasn't necessary.
So these were always set degreesome degree of studios and
offices, but it was always kindof doors were closed.
And that's what I want to do isopen the doors up, like the
(21:17):
creative hub we have right nowwas a gift shop that no one ever
went to.
I'm like you know, um, and, andI wanted people to have a place
they could come, fire up theirlaptop, you know, have a cup of
coffee, meet other people andjust just relax.
There was no place to sit here.
You know what mean.
And it's such a great placebecause it's in between the
business center and the studiosand the gallery and whatnot.
(21:38):
So that's why we created theCreative Hub.
Chris Baker (21:40):
This art serve is a safe space for everybody, and I
do feel that and I reallyappreciate that, because that's
something that you don't have alot of, those spaces out in the
community.
So having art serve here, be asafe place it's, you know,
important it is yeah yeah, andyou see that by, you know the
art fund foundation hall.
Jason Hughes (22:00):
They sponsor the hall at art serve, our big hall.
Recently, this last year, wehad florida power and light
company sponsor a gallery, whichis a great for-profit.
You know major companyinvesting for several years in
art serve and what we do, andthose, when those sponsors come
on board, others want to beinvolved, others want to be
involved in it, and then theystart to see other people's art,
other people oh, we have designby Momo here when they would
(22:22):
never know, and then they gotell people about it.
It's that trickling effect, thetrickle effect of it, which is
really really, really cool.
Chris Baker (22:29):
So we did ask a few people about ArtServe and they
did not know about ArtServe.
Jason Hughes (22:34):
Yeah, oh, it happens all the time.
Chris Baker (22:35):
It happens all the time, all the time.
Jason Hughes (22:37):
To me it's an opportunity.
It's not a challenge.
It's an opportunity Becausesome people, if they have not
been here before, great, let'sget them in.
Once we get them in, then theygo.
Oh, I love that place Once theyget them in.
But it's fascinating becauseyou have some people who knew
this as a central library backin the 80s, 70s and 80s.
This was the whole thing was alibrary.
So a lot of people came here,did their homework after school,
(22:58):
right and whatnot, and partiedin the park.
Chris Baker (23:03):
That's still happening.
Jason Hughes (23:04):
It's still happening, yeah yeah, that was a
change and then when it becameor, people didn't really know
what it is.
Some people say, oh, I votethere, that's a big thing.
Or people are like I lived inVictoria Park for 30 years.
I've never been in thatbuilding Because there wasn't
the sense of welcoming in here.
You know, that's one reason wehad Lori Pratico, one of our
original artists, do that muralup front.
We had all these people in theworld, all the words.
(23:38):
It's a way to in the county toredo the outside of the building
to make it look fresher and getrid of some of the old shrubs
from the 80s.
You know, you know things likethat to make it more welcoming.
And also look at the influx ofpeople moving into fort
lauderdale.
Look at fat village.
I moved here 18 years ago.
The fat village was just wherea couple warehouses, you know,
and the art walk and a greatirish pub wires.
That's gone, you know.
(23:59):
And now it's like if you lookat fat village, all those you
know people are moving here,generally under 40 living in
those buildings have neverprobably even come to this side
of holiday park.
You know, they go to the beachthey go to los olos, they stay
in their, their neighborhood.
Then you get another group ofpeople who lived inland families
, who are empty nesters.
They're selling their homes,they're buying condos down the
beach or downtown.
(24:19):
They kind of lived a suburbanlife for a long time.
So they've never.
They don't know what ArtServeis.
So to me it's an opportunity.
Chris Baker (24:28):
So what would you want to say to the community,
like as we were talking to thoseindividuals on the street, like
they didn't know what art surfwas like, what would what would
be something you'd like to tellthat the community in the whole?
Like, come down to answer.
What is your call to action tothem?
Jason Hughes (24:44):
it is such a hard uh story to explain what art
surf is.
Do you know what I mean?
The often need the 5 to 50minutes.
How long do you have is like,how long is the elevator if your
speech is a 34 building, or isit?
You know five story?
Um, what I would say is you gotto just come in, come in, come
in, say hi, check out the artgallery.
Talk to anyone on the staffhere, the team here.
We'll give you a tour, show youaround, find out what your
needs are.
Are you looking to take classes?
(25:04):
Are you do you like coming toart openings?
We do four of those a year.
They're always free.
All our events are free, exceptfor our fundraiser, hence,
hence, fundraiser.
Yep, yeah, to raise funds, buteverything's always free.
We used to have other eventswhere you paid to come in and we
stopped.
All that.
You know it honestly, isgetting people in the building.
Then they know about it, theyconvert it and they feel a sense
(25:27):
of almost like pride and slashembarrassment.
They didn't know about itbefore.
You know, which is interesting.
What other things did peoplesay?
I want to know.
Chris Baker (25:36):
What else did they say?
I want to keep going to thegala, actually, because that's
actually coming up.
Jason Hughes (25:42):
It is April 25th, friday.
What we do is it's our thirdannual Impact Awards we honor
unsung heroes generally in thecommunity, some people who don't
normally get nominated.
Yeah, so this year we have fournominees, different categories
we have like Philanthropist ofthe Year, collaborator of the
Year, artist of the Year,educator of the Year.
(26:03):
And what we do here at ArtServeit's catered, and when I say
catered it's a huge, massivemeal made by a dear friend, mark
Montorano, who's very generousin the community and doing
events, hosting events at hisown home as well.
We have four tables of foodaround the world Tuscany,
mediterranean, a huge desserttable.
Asian.
(26:24):
We do the awards ceremony.
We have champagne in thebeginning, we have an amazing
silent auction and we have DJJoy Joy this year, who is the
top DJ in Broward County and thefirst female DJ ever as DJ of
the year in Broward County.
First, first 2024, first femaleDJ.
Chris Baker (26:43):
Wow so she's amazing.
Jason Hughes (26:45):
So it's very exciting and it's just a really
nice community event.
It's a fundraiser for Artserve.
Obviously, it's presented bySeacoast Bank.
Seacoast Bank again, obviously.
obviously they're a bank forprofit uh, but wonderful
community partners, you know,they just get it.
They get it.
Yeah, and in florida, power andlight again are a sponsor and
what we do is we don't have alot of sponsors.
I call it logo soup.
What do you have?
(27:06):
Multiple sponsors everywhere,like no one sees it.
You know um dr steven atclickMagazine, the owner of the
publisher he and I talk aboutthat all the time is that he can
have his logo stamped, you know, with 20 other people and it
doesn't mean anything.
We'd rather focus on good,great sponsors than we can
provide impact to them at theevent and pre-event and
(27:27):
post-event.
Chris Baker (27:29):
That's one of the things that we've actually been
trying to change at.
Visuals by momo is actually,it's not about the placement of
the logo because, like you said,it does get lost in a sea of
all these other logos.
As a sponsor, right, what canwe stand out and how can we do
it differently to help impactand make a bigger impact either?
A for the sponsor, sponsors,collaboration with a non-profit,
(27:51):
and so one of the things thatwe are trying to collaboratively
look at is what if they hadsome type of ad component as
their sponsor level?
So they're going to come in,they're going to get like a
video ad.
Obviously, when you do add yeahand we'll create it, yeah and
it's a higher tier, it's anextra level of them standing out
(28:13):
a little bit more.
They're getting some actual youknow media in addition to
getting their name and helpingout the organization.
So working with a nonprofit,that's something that we've been
trying to work on and like addon as another.
Jason Hughes (28:28):
That's an excellent idea.
You know it's funny.
You mentioned that because justyesterday I was reading an
article about how to make yourgalas build it different than
they usually are.
And the gentleman was saying,instead of doing people up there
doing introduction reading it,have a video introduction.
Chris Baker (28:42):
Yeah, exactly.
Jason Hughes (28:42):
Or have a friend or colleague of theirs do it,
but do it by video.
Chris Baker (28:46):
Exactly, you know.
Jason Hughes (28:47):
We're hopefully getting pretty much are getting
a massive LCD wall in the backof the auditorium.
We have a new partnership witha new tenant City First
Fellowship at church and they'veagain investing a lot of money
in redoing the auditorium andstuff.
And once we have that LCDscreen it's going to change
things forever.
I've been trying to get ascreen for like two years,
trying to find donors andsponsors for it.
(29:09):
The price has come down a loton that.
But to me that visual, thatdigital visual thing, is going
to change that space entirely,because anytime I'm at an event
where they have a digital screen, it changes the event.
Chris Baker (29:21):
Well, it's going to actually make renting out that
space that much easier.
Yes, because you're alreadyproviding.
You know, you're alreadyproviding sound, you're already
providing space, you're alreadyproviding all the tech and all
of that's already included.
Yeah, but now you're going tohave these LED screens.
Yeah, like it's just going tobe a wow.
No, exactly Exactly Like whendo I sign up?
(29:42):
How do I get it?
Yeah, it's going to be thislike hard to get into now, which
is good.
Jason Hughes (29:49):
Yeah, that would be awesome, but I love that idea
.
I think that's so important andit's something we'll look at
for our next year, because, yeah, I would love to have, you know
, dan Chappelle from SeacoastBank here, or Eddie Rodriguez,
who's the market president, comein and talk about why they want
to sponsor and then fill thatout.
Do we still have time for that?
I don't know.
I've got four weeks.
Chris Baker (30:08):
So yeah, yeah, we don't have a ton of time, but
yes.
Jason Hughes (30:11):
That's really really a smart idea.
Chris Baker (30:14):
Yeah, thank you very much, Because it's
something that we're trying togive more value and, I think,
the more that we can give thatcollaboration, partnership, not
only just between us and helpingnonprofits, but us and the ones
that are supporting thenonprofits.
Jason Hughes (30:29):
Right.
Chris Baker (30:30):
Like make a triangle collaboration instead
of just a one-to-one.
Jason Hughes (30:33):
Well, the one you did when we did the Florida
Power and Light dedication thatyou did with Juliet here.
You had her speaking.
I mean, that goes all overLinkedIn, all over Insta, but
they send it around.
She sends it around and it's somuch different sponsoring.
We wanted something and youguys did it so masterfully of
capturing by video what exactlyhappened, because the next day
the logo is up there and it's astatic logo.
(30:54):
How do we keep that messagegoing on?
Chris Baker (30:57):
and now they have a video that is forever correct
yeah, you don't it lives andit's captured in that time
period.
Jason Hughes (31:05):
But you have something to document the entire
journey so when I got married,we just had a photographer,
didn't?
I didn't think aboutvideographer, didn't even like
think.
Now, this was like 12 years agoyeah didn't even think of it
and, um, I wish we had.
Now I have a photo album, soit's funny this, but the photo
album is like you have to bringthat moment alive in your memory
, whereas, but then, as the openbar was ending, I'm kind of
(31:28):
glad there was no video but thatcan always be cut, yeah it's
always got guts.
Yes, you have 30 of your collegefriends at your wedding, you
know yeah yeah, oh, like areunion yeah, I, I do understand
.
Chris Baker (31:41):
I can actually picture my wedding, yeah, and,
like my brother-in-law at thetime was completely drunk like
through the roof.
It was not a pretty sight, yeah.
But the interesting thing thatyou say about that is you want
to keep that memory because yourpictures are wonderful, but
(32:04):
sometimes it's those othercomponents, like maybe your
father was at your wedding andthey're no longer with you, but
at least you captured themspeaking at you know, or giving
away their the daughter, whoever.
However, the wedding was,happening.
Hearing their voices and get toexperience it in another manner,
and you may not need that for10 years.
Jason Hughes (32:24):
Right, right right .
Chris Baker (32:25):
But after that 10 years, like I wish I had that,
yeah, and now you think back.
So it's very valuable, even ifyou're capturing anything
document all of the massive bigevents in your life, yeah yeah.
Because it's so valuable.
Right, exactly exactly.
I am going to do a plug for usright now.
(32:46):
So one of the things that wehave actually done now we're
talking about weddings is,specifically, we do wedding
documentaries.
So the minute you actually getengaged, it will follow you the
entire time, for your entirejourney.
We'll go with you to the venuesto try the food, see the
different venues, try on thedress, try on the tux all those
(33:07):
back end stuff that most peopleright the bride and the groom
never get to see.
We'll capture it from bothangles, right, and then we put
it into this short like moviefor you, okay?
Jason Hughes (33:17):
how long is the movie?
So the?
Chris Baker (33:19):
last one we did was about 30 minutes long cool and
it captured all of the pieces.
And then we actually showed upat the wedding and we captured
all of that.
So it was just this amazingstory.
By the end of it, you gotinterviews from family members.
You got interviews from theparents.
You got interviews fromeverybody that they cared about
you and they wanted to talk toyou, about you.
(33:41):
It's beautiful, yeah, and it'sjust this beautiful video.
That's a lot of work.
It is a lot of work, yeah, butat the end of the day, like this
is something that's going to becherished for years and years
and years to come.
Jason Hughes (33:53):
Yeah, Okay, so it's, that is really.
That's really.
That's a great idea, Because ifyou do think about it like the
of the bride and groom the groomand groom the bride and bride,
yeah, we've got that shot list.
Chris Baker (34:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jason Hughes (34:04):
And then the pictures.
Then you see that and then it'slike okay, but really what
makes a wedding is everyone elsearound.
Everyone else around you, Ithink, like you do officiate
weddings as well, right, and therecent trend the last couple
I've done, which has become alittle I just wish they'd give
tell me in advance is drones.
So I was doing one wedding andI did my niece's wedding the
(34:28):
other couple years and it's likeyou're reading, you know drones
, like where they're, like youcould have told me you're having
drones, you're giving me ahaircut, like you're right on
top of me.
So if you do do drones, evermake sure that people know
there's going to be a drone.
Chris Baker (34:45):
And, yes, drones are A whole different thing.
Yeah, it's a whole differentother thing.
So there's a lot of legalissues that you have to take
into consideration, so make sure, A lot of times that's a third
party.
And it needs to be, Because,honestly, you have to have
somebody that actually knows howto use it.
They can look at the laws andmake sure that you're saving,
flying it safe, and you're not,you know, over the head of
(35:06):
people or all of the other stuffthat needs to go with it.
It's crazy, yeah, wow.
Jason Hughes (35:11):
I mean, I guess you could take that concept with
you know the weddings to like,even behind the scenes of
starting a new marketing projectfor a for-profit or even
nonprofit business.
Profit in business, I mean,even like talking about a gala,
you know, let's just take themayor's gala.
Chris Baker (35:24):
Yeah.
Jason Hughes (35:24):
You know going on, which is a huge event on the
hard rock every year.
I think they have almost 800people there.
It'd be fascinating to see, youknow, the planning behind it.
You know, and what's the mayorreally think about that?
I want to know what he thinksabout 800 people.
They're all focused on themayor.
It's a lot.
What do you think?
So, like you know, did theyleave early?
No, I guess not.
You know things like that, buteven any any kind of a gala
(35:45):
event, or or you know if you'relaunching a new brand, a new
product line or something.
I'd like to hear how the copy.
I want to be in the room tohear the copywriters what
they're talking about, conceptsand groups.
Yeah, all that's fascinating,fascinating things.
No, it's like remember inschool how a bill becomes a law
(36:06):
remember that you know thatconversation and that'd be a
study.
Yeah the studying.
It's all like that you're kindof documenting that whole
process, which is you do yeah,that behind the scenes.
Chris Baker (36:13):
I mean, if we look at a lot of documentaries that
are actually being played rightnow on tv, you have a lot of
that backstage component um, oneof my favorite ones I watched
recently was about Pink.
I love her as an artist and she, you know, had all of her
journey, like her kids are withher, like this is what's
happening.
This is all the training shehad to do so that she could
(36:35):
basically be suspended and flyaround her concerts, Like all of
that.
You're showing everything.
They didn't show anything ofthe actual like stage
performances, but a coupleminutes.
I mean it's an hour hour and ahalf long, yeah, and they only
showed that it's mostlyeverything that's back behind
the stage and that's the mostinteresting part.
It is yeah.
Jason Hughes (36:55):
Because you get it behind the scenes.
I just recently watched oneabout we Are the World.
Chris Baker (37:01):
They're making a.
Jason Hughes (37:01):
We Are the World.
Okay, so I had no idea it wasall done during the award show.
That's how they got all thoseartists there, because they're
all in LA at the same time andthey had a 20-hour window.
There was no after parties.
They'd get in there.
They finished writing the songovernight.
Some people left because theygot tired of it and the process
behind it.
Just seeing Michael Jacksonthere and seeing like who's
spring scene, like how hechanged his voice, the pitch and
(37:23):
how it all came about it almostthe song is almost irrelevant
at this point.
It's like the the behind thescenes was what was so
incredible and we just see thefinished product of them sitting
on the stage yeah yeah, so Iagree with you.
I mean so that was like an hourdocumentary.
My husband hated me forwatching it and then he was like
this was amazing you know, andI think with documentaries
(37:45):
people don't realize that um howmany great ones there are are
out there because I mean, yeah,there's a, there's an amazing
amount of documentaries outthere that really kind of show
toronto has an amazing onecalled hot dogs festival.
Hot dogs is one of the biggestfestivals in the world.
Yeah, in toronto.
Yeah, hot dogs, it's called.
Yeah.
Chris Baker (38:02):
Hot Dogs Docs.
Jason Hughes (38:04):
Docs D-O-C-S.
Chris Baker (38:05):
Yes, like documentaries, oh okay.
Jason Hughes (38:06):
Hot Dogs is like a whole different thing.
Chris Baker (38:08):
Yeah, I was going to say Like.
Jason Hughes (38:11):
Look at my poodle.
Look at my poodle.
Chris Baker (38:15):
Or look at my hot dog.
Jason Hughes (38:16):
Look at my hamburger.
Oh, wow, yeah, hot DocsInteresting and your branding
for what you guys are doing forweddings.
Chris Baker (38:23):
We love that.
We really do love actuallyworking with creating that
document, that behind-the-scenescomponent, because not
everybody gets to see it and alot of times it doesn't get
documented, which isn'tsomething that we want to do.
Jason Hughes (38:36):
If you documented mine, you would have seen me
pick up our wedding cake andthey had the wrong cake day of.
You want to see Bridezilla atPublix?
Bridezilla had the wrong cakeday of you want to see
bridezilla?
I publix bridezilla.
Chris Baker (38:47):
Fair enough, the culmination of the same dead
wrong some parts you might wantto cut, maybe, yeah, so, as we
wrap up today, what is thelegacy that you would love to
leave for future generations andand this is the personal side
question- oh, personal side.
Jason Hughes (39:04):
Well, a couple weeks ago we had a couple come
in.
I was in here on a Saturdayrandomly and, long story short,
he was the one that designed thespace back in 1989.
He designed the space, thewhole build-out of that, and she
actually was one of the firstemployees at ArtServe.
And they now live in NorthCarolina, in Chapel Hill
ironically is where I went toschool.
They moved there and they justcame down to Fort Lauderdale.
(39:26):
They've been here in like adecade or something and they
came by here and they couldn'tbelieve what ArtServe turned
into like.
They felt so proud of how niceit looked and, and what a random
chance that was here on aSaturday and they just were here
.
So we had a great conversationand I was thinking like I want
to be that person that comesback in my 60s or 70s and see
art serve and be so proud ofwhat they've done, to take
(39:48):
something to another level,different level, that we hadn't
thought about.
Um, I don't think I'll beworking in my 60s and 70s here,
but well 60s maybe we'll stillbe here, we'll both be like talk
loud.
What, what, chris?
What's your question?
It?
Chris Baker (40:03):
It's there.
Jason Hughes (40:04):
Yeah, I think from an art server perspective.
You know, that's it.
I've had a really blessed, coolcareer.
A lot of my friends are lawyersand doctors and they do amazing
things, but for me beingbackstage at an event is like
the coolest thing ever.
I mean, I've done working atfor-profit radio stations and tv
stations.
I'm in, you know, an elevatorin a sound stage with b arthur
(40:26):
for world aids day at a sportsstation because we were owned by
a sports station score so allthe sports guys had to leave.
But they all came back and saidb arthur from the.
And then you know I'm in theelevator with her purse
lettering downstairs and herphone's ringing and her pr
person like be your phone, yourphone.
She's like what your phone,your phone's ringing.
She's like what your phone,your phone's ringing.
She's like what I'm.
Like.
This is the best.
It's those little experiences.
Chris Baker (40:49):
It's those experiences that make life just
amazing.
Jason Hughes (40:52):
Yeah, like so, yes , I think being behind the mic,
behind the lights, behind thecamera.
You know, backstage are some ofthe most exciting things out
there.
Chris Baker (41:03):
Oh my gosh, this was an amazing episode, so thank
you, jason, so much for beingon.
Visual Eyes today.
Jason Hughes (41:08):
Thank you, chris, thanks, thanks a lot.
Chris Baker (41:12):
Thank you for joining me on this episode of
Visual Eyes.
We hope that the inspirationand practical insights can help
you foster stronger connectionsand meaningful change.
Don't forget to subscribe,share the episode and leave us a
review.
To learn more about Visuals byMomo and how we support
collaboration and storytelling,visit visualsbymomo.
com.
(41:32):
A huge thank you to everyoneout there listening.
Until next time, remember,collaboration fuels change and
your connections can inspire theworld.
Chris Baker, and each week we'll explore
incredible connections betweennonprofits, businesses and the
community.
This is a space where wehighlight inspiring partnerships
, uncover strategies forcreating meaningful impact and
share stories that show howworking together can make all
the difference.
Whether you're a nonprofitleader, a business owner or
(00:28):
someone just passionate aboutbuilding connections, this
podcast is for you.
Welcome back to Visual Eyes.
Today, I have Jason Hughes fromArtServe.
Welcome, Jason, Thank you verymuch.
Thank you for having me, Chris.
Thank you, Can you tell us alittle bit about your journey
and how you got into the role ofworking here at ArtServe?
Jason Hughes (00:48):
Sure, I started my career in Atlantic Records in
New York City.
Actually after University ofNorth Carolina at Chapel Hill,
where I went to school.
I took journalism and masscommunication there, worked at
Atlantic Records.
That was way too much fun.
So I moved back to Toronto,ontario, where I'm from, worked
at radio stations therefor-profit radio stations which
I learned a lot about theindustry that way.
(01:09):
Then I started my own magazinecalled Fresh Magazine, and Fresh
Magazine was aimed at Gen Xers,18 to 34-year-olds at the time.
Now we're in our 50s but westill read magazines, believe it
or not.
So I had that magazine.
Basically it was a culture,arts and culture magazine.
We covered everything fromfitness, finance, sex,
photography, art like that.
(01:31):
So I had that magazine for awhile, sold that magazine and
then I was recruited to be partof starting the first LGBT
television station in the worldcalled Pride Vision TV.
Now it's called OutTV.
So I was the director of sales,then became director of sales
and marketing.
I got on the programming side,launched another channel
pay-per-view channel as well.
So that was a lot of fun.
And after that I was recruitedin Toronto to come down and
(01:53):
start Classical South FloridaRadio, which was a nonprofit
public radio station.
We were based in FortLauderdale, miami area, and then
we bought stations in West PalmBeach and naples, fort myers,
so we're the largest radionetwork in the state of florida
at the time.
So I started as marketing there, then became the general
manager.
Um, in between that, uh, I wasuh on the board here at art surf
(02:15):
.
I volunteered my services onthe board of art surf.
I was board president for twoyears and our ceo, our executive
director, had left and I quitthe board and applied like
everyone else, blind, blind, youknow, interviews and stuff
until they met me and I washired about almost five years
ago, right when COVID started.
Covid started March, so thiswas August I started.
(02:36):
So when I started we wereclosed.
So that was fun.
Chris Baker (02:41):
We were closed.
Jason Hughes (02:43):
And our first exhibition was on Sudan Sudanese
art and I felt, really I feltterrible because we couldn't
have an opening with nobodycould see the art, but what we
did was, I think our art servelife, which is very similar to
what you're doing here, where wehad over 100 episodes with
artists.
We talked about depression, wetalked about how to sell your
art just what they're thinking.
You know, if everybody wasgoing on and the curator of that
(03:05):
exhibit, I I apologize to him,I'm so sorry.
Your first exhibition here, myfirst one, there's nobody here,
but we did everything, virtuallyeverything, on the internet and
we actually got a way wideraudience, an international
audience, because everyone wason the internet.
So that really is what builtour online audience, our
database of people, peopleknowing us through Instagram,
(03:25):
facebook, linkedin, whatever.
Sure, when we opened again, thenwe could have people again and
life was good.
Then they closed us down againand then we reopened again.
So it's been an interesting,interesting journey.
But what's great is our teamhere were amazing, they continue
to be amazing, and so I've beenin this role about five years
(03:46):
now.
Chris Baker (03:46):
No, we've been blessed to be here, uh, working
with you guys at art surf forover a year now, and it's just
been fantastic it's crazy, Iknow it's like kind of like
rushed through it like whoa,what happened to this last few
you know months?
Oh my gosh, it's been a year,yeah.
So it kind of like went reallyfast, and one of the things I
didn't really realize is thatyou guys closed and reopened and
closed again.
Jason Hughes (04:06):
Yes, yes.
Well, all the county buildings,all the state buildings were
closed the second time, so itwas only about six weeks or so,
but still, you know we had tofind ways.
You know my job is to bring inmoney for the organization as
well as run the organization, soyou know having to meet donors
and meet people you know a lotof people weren't having lunches
or going to events.
There were no networking eventsfor a while.
Chris Baker (04:26):
Yeah, exactly everything was kind of closed
down and like yeah I mean, forme I was up in minnesota at the
time, so it was kind of adifferent like space.
Um, definitely in minnesota wewere closed down, closed down,
yeah, like there was no movement, no, nothing, nothing was
happening.
Everything was at home, right,um.
But I did hear some states didopen up for a little while, then
close back down, like yeah,there was that fluctuation yeah,
(04:48):
yeah which I I didn't reallyget to experience.
Jason Hughes (04:51):
Yeah, that same way you know you mentioned
minnesota, so the class wasself-loved.
Radio was owned by minnesotapublic radio.
Oh, american public media groupyeah, oh, okay, so home
companion.
All those marketplace, allthose shows were the company
that I worked for oh, that'sfantastic.
So I was in Minnesota all thetime In your winters.
In our winters, yeah, but Imanaged to figure out how to get
off the airplane from theairport to a taxi or Uber right
(05:14):
to the hotel and then never haveto go outside again because of
all the tunnel, all the raisedwalkways.
Chris Baker (05:19):
Oh, the skyways are amazing.
Jason Hughes (05:20):
Yeah, I mean it's just two times.
I'd be cold In from the Uber,out to the Uber.
That was it.
Chris Baker (05:27):
Yeah, they make sure you were bundled up really
well at that point.
But the minute you were inthere.
Those skyways are fantastic.
They really got you anywhereyou wanted to go in downtown.
Jason Hughes (05:36):
Minneapolis and we were St Paul, oh yeah.
Chris Baker (05:39):
They do have a smaller network of skyways there
, but if you're ever inminneapolis, that was where I
spent most of my time downtownand that one was fantastic.
We would go for 45 minute walksfor an during your lunch, right
, and you could walk all aroundthe entire city just inside the
skyways.
It was fantastic it is amazing.
Jason Hughes (05:58):
Toronto is something.
A similar thing where I livedis it's underground.
Underground it connects.
You know you can walk same Samething.
You can walk 45 minutes, likein my condo.
I could go downstairs downbelow the basement, walk in the
underground and go to the gym,like a 40-minute walk and back
all underground.
That's fantastic yeah.
Chris Baker (06:14):
Wow, oh, that's so interesting.
I didn't know that Toronto hadthat same kind of system.
Jason Hughes (06:18):
Yeah, Okay, yeah, okay.
Chris Baker (06:22):
So one of the other things that we would love to
talk about is a little bit aboutthe collaboration.
So what collaborations have youhad here at ArtServe with
either some other for-profitsthat kind of like you know, move
the organization forward, oreven some other nonprofits that
you brought in and like worktogether with?
Jason Hughes (06:40):
Yeah, I mean our job, our goal at ArtServe is to
collaborate.
I mean that really makeseverything much more rich in the
experience.
Um, funders, people applyingfor grants, um, possible
sponsors, donors, love to seethat collaboration.
Um, it's, it's really important.
So almost everything we do is acollaboration, so we bring
other partners in.
(07:02):
Uh can give you an example wedid an event with the veterans.
We did a veterans exhibitionhere, which is the first time
we've done that and we didusually we do like a big opening
, you know, sometimes a bigevent in the auditorium, and we
involved Mission United, whichis part of United Way.
We worked with them.
We worked with the USS FortLauderdale, the commissioning
ship they're still trying tokeep the name alive, even though
(07:24):
it's in Norfolk Virginia Parkthere since 2022.
But Pat Dumont there, she's anamazing champion of it.
We worked with a few otherdifferent Ed Morse Automotive.
We honored Teddy Morse, who was, or Ed Morse the grandfather,
the father, who was a veteran aswell, so we honored him.
So that kind of collaborationwas really exciting to bring all
(07:46):
these different people together.
Just as recently, we did acollaboration on Thursday with
the Broward County Status ofWomen event, which they honored
18 women in Broward County, alot of judges, former
commissioners, people whostarted nonprofits, activists.
So we partnered with theirplanning committee.
Uh, believe it or not, weworked with tito's.
(08:07):
Tito's vodka gave us a grantfor it to help pay offset the
cost for it.
Um, you wouldn't think thatkind of partnership would would
match not necessarily, but Imean honestly.
At the same time, it's goodbranding, it's great marketing
yeah, it's great good marketingfor them and um and so that kind
of.
You just never know wherethere's money out there and
(08:28):
people who want to collaboratein the for-profit side.
You just never know.
Sometimes you have to ask.
When we did the mental healthexhibitions here, we purposely
went out to a lot of thehealthcare providers Holy Cross,
obviously, your Broward Healthwho were involved, broward
Health who were involved butthen you catch some of the
for-profit companies that arealso interested in being part of
that, because the mental healthissue is a huge issue in every
(08:49):
sector of the economy of lifeRight now.
It's extremely important.
So a further one we did.
We did a one-off kind of townsquare.
ArtServe in some ways become atown square for ideas and people
to talk.
So we did a one-off night forpeople who are unhoused and
homeless two different things.
Homeless and unhoused are twodifferent things.
(09:11):
We brought in Showering Love,where they actually had the
showering buses here to seetours of that we had.
I think we had the mammogrambus here at that time as well.
We had all these just differentpeople here.
And then we invited through Hope, south Florida, and they
brought some people who wereunhoused and we had a student
(09:32):
art exhibition.
So these are students who go toschool, of course, but at the
end of school they go home andlive in the car.
You know they're parents andthe art that these students did
was incredible, incredible.
So we had a little mini artfair for them and the impact of
that was one.
One lady said she works at arent-a-car place by the airport.
She works all night.
(09:53):
The kids sleep in the car withthe father, kids go to school,
she sleeps in the car, he doeshis shift and come back and the
issue is they lost their jobduring COVID, their home sorry
during COVID, their home sorryduring COVID.
And where we live in BrowardCounty, you need first, last and
security deposit for rent andthe rents are so high here.
Often that could be over $6,000.
Chris Baker (10:13):
Easy, easy.
I mean, that's not even aquestion, and that's probably
even just for a studio for someplaces.
Jason Hughes (10:20):
It's crazy.
Chris Baker (10:21):
So, yeah, I understand that that is a lot of
money to come up with.
Just even get in to have a safespace to.
Jason Hughes (10:27):
Yeah, how rough over your head and I hadn't, I
hadn't thought of that it's.
It's that, you know, even ifyou have jobs doesn't mean that
you don't have the money to putdown on a place.
And then if you have children,you need two bedrooms, sometimes
three, you know so.
So it's a lot.
Uh, the other thing we did waswe had one of the organizations
create uh food, what a food bankwould give to show, like beans,
just the.
(10:47):
You know it's enough protein toget by in a day, but that's not
the kind of food that are givenout to networking events and
and galas and balls.
You know what I mean.
So we wanted people toexperience what homeless and
unhoused people eat every day,you know.
So that kind of a, that kind ofcollaboration, bringing those
people together, is exciting.
Chris Baker (11:07):
I think that would be very eye-opening.
It was for me.
Because, honestly, when youthink about it, you do go to a
gala, you go to a networkingevent and you probably have a
nice surprise.
You have the sandwiches youhave.
You know, sometimes, dependingon it, you have shrimp and you
(11:31):
have all this amazing foodchoices, but then you come to
this one event yeah, and here's,here's your protein.
Yeah, just proteins.
Yeah, here's your hard starchyep, some rice, yep, that's it.
That's it, and this is whatpeople are living on.
It is true.
It's true because, like Iremember, when I was talking to
my best friend and she washaving some money issues at the
time, this was years ago and shespecifically said that her
therapist said you need proteinand beans are cheap beans and
(11:53):
rice and that's it, and I didn'treally put it together until
you just said this again.
It was like you know, that'svery true that there is, there's
, a lot of good protein in beans, but it's, it's not that
flavorful, it's just very bland,right, right, but at the same
time it does get you some of thenutrients that you need to get
by Exactly, exactly, and we areblessed to have other options
(12:18):
out there, and not everybody hasthat.
Jason Hughes (12:20):
Right.
Chris Baker (12:20):
Exactly, we need to take that into consideration.
So I really love the fact thatyou put that in an event style
so that people could see it andexperience it.
Jason Hughes (12:28):
Yeah, I think that was really important.
You know, I tell my nieces andnephews I have 22 of them
between husband and I.
That's a lot and I tell themall you're three months away
from being homeless.
You're three months away frombeing homeless.
You need to have cash on hand,you know available.
You need to have a plan, youknow you need to have a support
group built in.
You can't just wing it.
You can't just wing it becauseeveryone is three months away
(12:51):
from being homeless.
Chris Baker (12:52):
It doesn't take much.
One wrong thing, thing thatgoes wrong, like there's an
extra bill and a medical expense, whatever that case may be, you
work for a clone.
Boom, boom yeah, and you loseyour job, lose your job.
Jason Hughes (13:05):
There's a lot of things like that.
So that's why I so much enjoyworking at ArtServe and doing
what we do, because we can talkabout these issues and talk
about these ideas and bring themto community.
And a lot of what we do is wetry to research and hear what's
going on before the communityeven knows what's going on.
Like we were the first one todo a veterans mental health
exhibition.
Specifically, we met withBroward uh BSO, broward
(13:27):
Sheriff's office.
Chris Baker (13:28):
We met with some um Fort Lauderdale police about
their needs from their mentalhealth perspective I mean, that
was just eyeopening and some oftheir um people that were on the
panelists back and we actuallyinterviewed them, and so it was
fantastic to have Heather andKat and Ed even come back here
(13:51):
and like specifically get someof those in-depth interviews
after the panel was actuallydone Right.
Jason Hughes (13:56):
Yeah, it's like a debrief.
You know it's interesting tobring that up because panelists,
you get up there and you planfor it, you execute it.
You can't really remember whatyou said.
Chris Baker (14:04):
Yeah.
Jason Hughes (14:04):
And then people want to talk to you afterwards,
which is great.
But then it's nice to have likea one-on-one time with yourself
or an interview like that.
Just kind of think about whatjust happened.
Chris Baker (14:12):
You know it's more interspect uh, inter perspective
perspective, inner, inner.
Yeah, you get to relive it, butin a different way.
Introspective, yes,introspective.
So it is that taking thatdebrief, like you called it and
I think it actually brings itforth like oh wow, I really did
(14:34):
talk about this.
I really like this is real,yeah, like you're taking it in a
little bit more deeper.
So I think that actually wasextremely valuable that we
actually got to help put thatvideo together.
Jason Hughes (14:45):
Oh yeah, it was an incredible video.
What you guys do is incredible.
You know documentation video.
You know I'm your champion.
No, thank you, I mean that'swhere it is, you know.
Also, I think it's importantwhen you're collaborating is to
not only have the quote expertsin the field.
It's good to have regular,everyday people up there
sometimes.
Chris Baker (15:09):
In my opinion, I really wish that there was
always at least one personthat's not necessarily in the
field, but it's the regular Joeor Jane or whatever we're going
to call them being on that panelto get the other perspective.
Because sometimes we don't getthe whole round scope because
we're like we're living in ourindustry, we talk specifically
our own verbiage and theneverybody else doesn't actually
(15:33):
hear it or understand it right.
But if we could pull ittogether and like ask the right
questions so that everybody islike oh, that's the way that
they're interpreting and that'sthe way they're explaining it,
because you have that otherperson on that panel to really
pull it in two examples of that.
Jason Hughes (15:47):
Like I wish we'd done the unhoused exhibit or
event a little differently.
I wish we did it more in theround in a way, and not on stage
, because the people who talkedabout their actual experiences
were in the audience and thosewere really sometimes more
impactful than the executivedirectors of the organizations
who are talking about theirorganization and I can say, like
no one wants to really hear metalk.
I would.
That's why my introductions arequick, sweet over with Um, but
(16:12):
I want to give time for otherpeople to talk and I think that
would have been really good tohave that more in the round.
Another example is we did acoming out day, national coming
out day for a couple years.
We used to do a panel there andone woman came and said her son
had come out and his father,her husband, divorced her,
dropped the kid and they juststuck alone with him because he
(16:34):
came out and we had thisdialogue with her and she was
off the stage, you know, in thestand in the dark in the chairs,
and I brought her up to thestage just to talk, like not on
stage but to talk a little morebecause what she was saying was
more impactful.
You know, so you cancollaborate with other people in
the community in your ownaudience, and you don't even
know they're there.
You don't even know who's there.
Chris Baker (16:56):
You know, you really don't, cause there's so
many people out there that theirstories are the ones that
actually make the most impact.
Yeah, yeah.
Jason Hughes (17:02):
Well, that's what reporters do.
I mean, reporters don't gointerview the CEO all the time,
they go and interview the peoplewho are impacted.
Exactly Right, that's what.
That's what a reporter does,and I like to think, I think my
journalism background having mymagazine and taking journalism
at Carolina is that, I think,and even with the way we
approach things, our curator,you know, working with her to
try to figure out.
We're journalists, we're tryingto figure out what the issues
(17:23):
are and we try to figure out whodo we bring in together?
Chris Baker (17:26):
such a hub for moving forward, you know,
bringing something ahead of thecurve before everybody else in
the community actually gets toit, because you are looking at
it more as a journalist.
Yeah, Um, and you're trying tomake sure that.
Hey, we're staying current andwe might even be ahead.
(17:49):
Right right, right.
So you're taking those issues,you're bringing them forward and
making sure that it's beingdiscussed.
Jason Hughes (17:54):
And the great thing about ArtServe is like
having you know Visuals by Momo,having you and Chris, you,
chris and Momo here, yourselfand all our other organizations
like Funding Arts, broward here,our artists here who are
Artists, studios we all cancollaborate, talk about
different ideas and don how wecan help each other out.
Exactly, right.
I mean, we recommend you guysall the time to everybody and,
(18:15):
you know, recommend, hey, cometo ArtServe, hold your event
here, that kind of thing.
We're working together.
Have you seen Sharon Swift'sart?
Have you seen Julian Castro'sart?
That kind of thing.
Yeah, you know, and I thinkthat's the nature of this
incubator that's been set up.
It was so brilliant because,you know, we were only one of
six arts incubators in Americain 1989.
Today we're the only one ofthose six remaining, that's yeah
(18:38):
, and now there's art incubatorseverywhere, everywhere, right,
but because the model At thetime, yeah, one of six.
So I mean that just shows howthe community has supported this
organization.
It also just shows the needTrue, the need for Artserve and
an organization like this, whereit's important.
We have a diversity of people,for-profit and non-profit
companies, different types ofartists, and the goal is, I mean
(18:58):
, the artists don't want tomaybe hear it, but we want them
to come here and then we wantthem gone Because we want to
bring new people in.
Well, yeah, that's the goal.
Chris Baker (19:06):
You want to get them to the point where they've
learned what they needed.
They've gotten the skills thatthey needed so that they can get
their own space exactly, and sothey're actually bringing out,
um, yeah, and doing biggerthings yeah exactly, that's the
goal.
That's the whole goal.
That's the whole goal.
You know, like you said, it'san incubator.
Yep, yep.
Well, you know, you don't havebaby chicks in a incubator
forever.
You have them until they'vegrown and then you set them out
(19:28):
into the, you know, the pastureor wherever they need to be.
Jason Hughes (19:30):
Well, a lot of kids still live at home in their
20s, in their 30s, yeah, watchthat rent thing.
Chris Baker (19:38):
There's a lot of the rent thing, especially with
all the prices going up andeverything.
But one of the things that Ilove about being here and I do
bring people here a lot becauseI like having the meetings here
specifically- Right right, andso we get to use the creative
hub.
We get to use the creative hub,we get to walk people through
and say, hey, here's all thesedifferent tenants, all these
different people here inArtServe, and I walk by and like
(20:00):
, here's, you know, wham, hereis Sharon Swift, here is Julian,
all of these different pieces,yeah, we get to showcase them.
Jason Hughes (20:09):
Yeah.
Chris Baker (20:09):
And we get to do it as a community as like a family
, almost Exactly being a part ofArt Fair.
So I love it Exactly.
Jason Hughes (20:15):
Yeah, that's exactly what I was going to say.
Yeah, and we love that.
I mean, I love giving peopletours here.
I tell them do you have fiveminutes or 50?
Yeah, great question.
I would like to know, because Icould like go on and stuff, and
because people half the peoplecome in here never know this.
(20:36):
This site exists.
Of the building they don't know.
Chris Baker (20:38):
They actually see the auditorium gallery, the
gallery.
Yeah, they see the library andthat's like the kind of like
stop yeah, yeah and they're likeoh, we didn't know I could go
back there right.
Jason Hughes (20:50):
Well, back in the day, you couldn't sure.
Sure, that's why we opened itup?
Chris Baker (20:54):
when did when did it actually open up back here
for the tenant?
Jason Hughes (20:57):
well, it's always been.
This used to be the businesscenter, um, and it was a
computer center back in the 90soh years were around, so it was
a very big computer center, uh,and when tech went, everybody
had their own computers andprinters and stuff at home it
wasn't necessary.
So these were always set degreesome degree of studios and
offices, but it was always kindof doors were closed.
And that's what I want to do isopen the doors up, like the
(21:17):
creative hub we have right nowwas a gift shop that no one ever
went to.
I'm like you know, um, and, andI wanted people to have a place
they could come, fire up theirlaptop, you know, have a cup of
coffee, meet other people andjust just relax.
There was no place to sit here.
You know what mean.
And it's such a great placebecause it's in between the
business center and the studiosand the gallery and whatnot.
(21:38):
So that's why we created theCreative Hub.
Chris Baker (21:40):
This art serve is a safe space for everybody, and I
do feel that and I reallyappreciate that, because that's
something that you don't have alot of, those spaces out in the
community.
So having art serve here, be asafe place it's, you know,
important it is yeah yeah, andyou see that by, you know the
art fund foundation hall.
Jason Hughes (22:00):
They sponsor the hall at art serve, our big hall.
Recently, this last year, wehad florida power and light
company sponsor a gallery, whichis a great for-profit.
You know major companyinvesting for several years in
art serve and what we do, andthose, when those sponsors come
on board, others want to beinvolved, others want to be
involved in it, and then theystart to see other people's art,
other people oh, we have designby Momo here when they would
(22:22):
never know, and then they gotell people about it.
It's that trickling effect, thetrickle effect of it, which is
really really, really cool.
Chris Baker (22:29):
So we did ask a few people about ArtServe and they
did not know about ArtServe.
Jason Hughes (22:34):
Yeah, oh, it happens all the time.
Chris Baker (22:35):
It happens all the time, all the time.
Jason Hughes (22:37):
To me it's an opportunity.
It's not a challenge.
It's an opportunity Becausesome people, if they have not
been here before, great, let'sget them in.
Once we get them in, then theygo.
Oh, I love that place Once theyget them in.
But it's fascinating becauseyou have some people who knew
this as a central library backin the 80s, 70s and 80s.
This was the whole thing was alibrary.
So a lot of people came here,did their homework after school,
(22:58):
right and whatnot, and partiedin the park.
Chris Baker (23:03):
That's still happening.
Jason Hughes (23:04):
It's still happening, yeah yeah, that was a
change and then when it becameor, people didn't really know
what it is.
Some people say, oh, I votethere, that's a big thing.
Or people are like I lived inVictoria Park for 30 years.
I've never been in thatbuilding Because there wasn't
the sense of welcoming in here.
You know, that's one reason wehad Lori Pratico, one of our
original artists, do that muralup front.
We had all these people in theworld, all the words.
(23:38):
It's a way to in the county toredo the outside of the building
to make it look fresher and getrid of some of the old shrubs
from the 80s.
You know, you know things likethat to make it more welcoming.
And also look at the influx ofpeople moving into fort
lauderdale.
Look at fat village.
I moved here 18 years ago.
The fat village was just wherea couple warehouses, you know,
and the art walk and a greatirish pub wires.
That's gone, you know.
(23:59):
And now it's like if you lookat fat village, all those you
know people are moving here,generally under 40 living in
those buildings have neverprobably even come to this side
of holiday park.
You know, they go to the beachthey go to los olos, they stay
in their, their neighborhood.
Then you get another group ofpeople who lived inland families
, who are empty nesters.
They're selling their homes,they're buying condos down the
beach or downtown.
(24:19):
They kind of lived a suburbanlife for a long time.
So they've never.
They don't know what ArtServeis.
So to me it's an opportunity.
Chris Baker (24:28):
So what would you want to say to the community,
like as we were talking to thoseindividuals on the street, like
they didn't know what art surfwas like, what would what would
be something you'd like to tellthat the community in the whole?
Like, come down to answer.
What is your call to action tothem?
Jason Hughes (24:44):
it is such a hard uh story to explain what art
surf is.
Do you know what I mean?
The often need the 5 to 50minutes.
How long do you have is like,how long is the elevator if your
speech is a 34 building, or isit?
You know five story?
Um, what I would say is you gotto just come in, come in, come
in, say hi, check out the artgallery.
Talk to anyone on the staffhere, the team here.
We'll give you a tour, show youaround, find out what your
needs are.
Are you looking to take classes?
(25:04):
Are you do you like coming toart openings?
We do four of those a year.
They're always free.
All our events are free, exceptfor our fundraiser, hence,
hence, fundraiser.
Yep, yeah, to raise funds, buteverything's always free.
We used to have other eventswhere you paid to come in and we
stopped.
All that.
You know it honestly, isgetting people in the building.
Then they know about it, theyconvert it and they feel a sense
(25:27):
of almost like pride and slashembarrassment.
They didn't know about itbefore.
You know, which is interesting.
What other things did peoplesay?
I want to know.
Chris Baker (25:36):
What else did they say?
I want to keep going to thegala, actually, because that's
actually coming up.
Jason Hughes (25:42):
It is April 25th, friday.
What we do is it's our thirdannual Impact Awards we honor
unsung heroes generally in thecommunity, some people who don't
normally get nominated.
Yeah, so this year we have fournominees, different categories
we have like Philanthropist ofthe Year, collaborator of the
Year, artist of the Year,educator of the Year.
(26:03):
And what we do here at ArtServeit's catered, and when I say
catered it's a huge, massivemeal made by a dear friend, mark
Montorano, who's very generousin the community and doing
events, hosting events at hisown home as well.
We have four tables of foodaround the world Tuscany,
mediterranean, a huge desserttable.
Asian.
(26:24):
We do the awards ceremony.
We have champagne in thebeginning, we have an amazing
silent auction and we have DJJoy Joy this year, who is the
top DJ in Broward County and thefirst female DJ ever as DJ of
the year in Broward County.
First, first 2024, first femaleDJ.
Chris Baker (26:43):
Wow so she's amazing.
Jason Hughes (26:45):
So it's very exciting and it's just a really
nice community event.
It's a fundraiser for Artserve.
Obviously, it's presented bySeacoast Bank.
Seacoast Bank again, obviously.
obviously they're a bank forprofit uh, but wonderful
community partners, you know,they just get it.
They get it.
Yeah, and in florida, power andlight again are a sponsor and
what we do is we don't have alot of sponsors.
I call it logo soup.
What do you have?
(27:06):
Multiple sponsors everywhere,like no one sees it.
You know um dr steven atclickMagazine, the owner of the
publisher he and I talk aboutthat all the time is that he can
have his logo stamped, you know, with 20 other people and it
doesn't mean anything.
We'd rather focus on good,great sponsors than we can
provide impact to them at theevent and pre-event and
(27:27):
post-event.
Chris Baker (27:29):
That's one of the things that we've actually been
trying to change at.
Visuals by momo is actually,it's not about the placement of
the logo because, like you said,it does get lost in a sea of
all these other logos.
As a sponsor, right, what canwe stand out and how can we do
it differently to help impactand make a bigger impact either?
A for the sponsor, sponsors,collaboration with a non-profit,
(27:51):
and so one of the things thatwe are trying to collaboratively
look at is what if they hadsome type of ad component as
their sponsor level?
So they're going to come in,they're going to get like a
video ad.
Obviously, when you do add yeahand we'll create it, yeah and
it's a higher tier, it's anextra level of them standing out
(28:13):
a little bit more.
They're getting some actual youknow media in addition to
getting their name and helpingout the organization.
So working with a nonprofit,that's something that we've been
trying to work on and like addon as another.
Jason Hughes (28:28):
That's an excellent idea.
You know it's funny.
You mentioned that because justyesterday I was reading an
article about how to make yourgalas build it different than
they usually are.
And the gentleman was saying,instead of doing people up there
doing introduction reading it,have a video introduction.
Chris Baker (28:42):
Yeah, exactly.
Jason Hughes (28:42):
Or have a friend or colleague of theirs do it,
but do it by video.
Chris Baker (28:46):
Exactly, you know.
Jason Hughes (28:47):
We're hopefully getting pretty much are getting
a massive LCD wall in the backof the auditorium.
We have a new partnership witha new tenant City First
Fellowship at church and they'veagain investing a lot of money
in redoing the auditorium andstuff.
And once we have that LCDscreen it's going to change
things forever.
I've been trying to get ascreen for like two years,
trying to find donors andsponsors for it.
(29:09):
The price has come down a loton that.
But to me that visual, thatdigital visual thing, is going
to change that space entirely,because anytime I'm at an event
where they have a digital screen, it changes the event.
Chris Baker (29:21):
Well, it's going to actually make renting out that
space that much easier.
Yes, because you're alreadyproviding.
You know, you're alreadyproviding sound, you're already
providing space, you're alreadyproviding all the tech and all
of that's already included.
Yeah, but now you're going tohave these LED screens.
Yeah, like it's just going tobe a wow.
No, exactly Exactly Like whendo I sign up?
(29:42):
How do I get it?
Yeah, it's going to be thislike hard to get into now, which
is good.
Jason Hughes (29:49):
Yeah, that would be awesome, but I love that idea
.
I think that's so important andit's something we'll look at
for our next year, because, yeah, I would love to have, you know
, dan Chappelle from SeacoastBank here, or Eddie Rodriguez,
who's the market president, comein and talk about why they want
to sponsor and then fill thatout.
Do we still have time for that?
I don't know.
I've got four weeks.
Chris Baker (30:08):
So yeah, yeah, we don't have a ton of time, but
yes.
Jason Hughes (30:11):
That's really really a smart idea.
Chris Baker (30:14):
Yeah, thank you very much, Because it's
something that we're trying togive more value and, I think,
the more that we can give thatcollaboration, partnership, not
only just between us and helpingnonprofits, but us and the ones
that are supporting thenonprofits.
Jason Hughes (30:29):
Right.
Chris Baker (30:30):
Like make a triangle collaboration instead
of just a one-to-one.
Jason Hughes (30:33):
Well, the one you did when we did the Florida
Power and Light dedication thatyou did with Juliet here.
You had her speaking.
I mean, that goes all overLinkedIn, all over Insta, but
they send it around.
She sends it around and it's somuch different sponsoring.
We wanted something and youguys did it so masterfully of
capturing by video what exactlyhappened, because the next day
the logo is up there and it's astatic logo.
(30:54):
How do we keep that messagegoing on?
Chris Baker (30:57):
and now they have a video that is forever correct
yeah, you don't it lives andit's captured in that time
period.
Jason Hughes (31:05):
But you have something to document the entire
journey so when I got married,we just had a photographer,
didn't?
I didn't think aboutvideographer, didn't even like
think.
Now, this was like 12 years agoyeah didn't even think of it
and, um, I wish we had.
Now I have a photo album, soit's funny this, but the photo
album is like you have to bringthat moment alive in your memory
, whereas, but then, as the openbar was ending, I'm kind of
(31:28):
glad there was no video but thatcan always be cut, yeah it's
always got guts.
Yes, you have 30 of your collegefriends at your wedding, you
know yeah yeah, oh, like areunion yeah, I, I do understand
.
Chris Baker (31:41):
I can actually picture my wedding, yeah, and,
like my brother-in-law at thetime was completely drunk like
through the roof.
It was not a pretty sight, yeah.
But the interesting thing thatyou say about that is you want
to keep that memory because yourpictures are wonderful, but
(32:04):
sometimes it's those othercomponents, like maybe your
father was at your wedding andthey're no longer with you, but
at least you captured themspeaking at you know, or giving
away their the daughter, whoever.
However, the wedding was,happening.
Hearing their voices and get toexperience it in another manner,
and you may not need that for10 years.
Jason Hughes (32:24):
Right, right right .
Chris Baker (32:25):
But after that 10 years, like I wish I had that,
yeah, and now you think back.
So it's very valuable, even ifyou're capturing anything
document all of the massive bigevents in your life, yeah yeah.
Because it's so valuable.
Right, exactly exactly.
I am going to do a plug for usright now.
(32:46):
So one of the things that wehave actually done now we're
talking about weddings is,specifically, we do wedding
documentaries.
So the minute you actually getengaged, it will follow you the
entire time, for your entirejourney.
We'll go with you to the venuesto try the food, see the
different venues, try on thedress, try on the tux all those
(33:07):
back end stuff that most peopleright the bride and the groom
never get to see.
We'll capture it from bothangles, right, and then we put
it into this short like moviefor you, okay?
Jason Hughes (33:17):
how long is the movie?
So the?
Chris Baker (33:19):
last one we did was about 30 minutes long cool and
it captured all of the pieces.
And then we actually showed upat the wedding and we captured
all of that.
So it was just this amazingstory.
By the end of it, you gotinterviews from family members.
You got interviews from theparents.
You got interviews fromeverybody that they cared about
you and they wanted to talk toyou, about you.
(33:41):
It's beautiful, yeah, and it'sjust this beautiful video.
That's a lot of work.
It is a lot of work, yeah, butat the end of the day, like this
is something that's going to becherished for years and years
and years to come.
Jason Hughes (33:53):
Yeah, Okay, so it's, that is really.
That's really.
That's a great idea, Because ifyou do think about it like the
of the bride and groom the groomand groom the bride and bride,
yeah, we've got that shot list.
Chris Baker (34:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Jason Hughes (34:04):
And then the pictures.
Then you see that and then it'slike okay, but really what
makes a wedding is everyone elsearound.
Everyone else around you, Ithink, like you do officiate
weddings as well, right, and therecent trend the last couple
I've done, which has become alittle I just wish they'd give
tell me in advance is drones.
So I was doing one wedding andI did my niece's wedding the
(34:28):
other couple years and it's likeyou're reading, you know drones
, like where they're, like youcould have told me you're having
drones, you're giving me ahaircut, like you're right on
top of me.
So if you do do drones, evermake sure that people know
there's going to be a drone.
Chris Baker (34:45):
And, yes, drones are A whole different thing.
Yeah, it's a whole differentother thing.
So there's a lot of legalissues that you have to take
into consideration, so make sure, A lot of times that's a third
party.
And it needs to be, Because,honestly, you have to have
somebody that actually knows howto use it.
They can look at the laws andmake sure that you're saving,
flying it safe, and you're not,you know, over the head of
(35:06):
people or all of the other stuffthat needs to go with it.
It's crazy, yeah, wow.
Jason Hughes (35:11):
I mean, I guess you could take that concept with
you know the weddings to like,even behind the scenes of
starting a new marketing projectfor a for-profit or even
nonprofit business.
Profit in business, I mean,even like talking about a gala,
you know, let's just take themayor's gala.
Chris Baker (35:24):
Yeah.
Jason Hughes (35:24):
You know going on, which is a huge event on the
hard rock every year.
I think they have almost 800people there.
It'd be fascinating to see, youknow, the planning behind it.
You know, and what's the mayorreally think about that?
I want to know what he thinksabout 800 people.
They're all focused on themayor.
It's a lot.
What do you think?
So, like you know, did theyleave early?
No, I guess not.
You know things like that, buteven any any kind of a gala
(35:45):
event, or or you know if you'relaunching a new brand, a new
product line or something.
I'd like to hear how the copy.
I want to be in the room tohear the copywriters what
they're talking about, conceptsand groups.
Yeah, all that's fascinating,fascinating things.
No, it's like remember inschool how a bill becomes a law
(36:06):
remember that you know thatconversation and that'd be a
study.
Yeah the studying.
It's all like that you're kindof documenting that whole
process, which is you do yeah,that behind the scenes.
Chris Baker (36:13):
I mean, if we look at a lot of documentaries that
are actually being played rightnow on tv, you have a lot of
that backstage component um, oneof my favorite ones I watched
recently was about Pink.
I love her as an artist and she, you know, had all of her
journey, like her kids are withher, like this is what's
happening.
This is all the training shehad to do so that she could
(36:35):
basically be suspended and flyaround her concerts, Like all of
that.
You're showing everything.
They didn't show anything ofthe actual like stage
performances, but a coupleminutes.
I mean it's an hour hour and ahalf long, yeah, and they only
showed that it's mostlyeverything that's back behind
the stage and that's the mostinteresting part.
It is yeah.
Jason Hughes (36:55):
Because you get it behind the scenes.
I just recently watched oneabout we Are the World.
Chris Baker (37:01):
They're making a.
Jason Hughes (37:01):
We Are the World.
Okay, so I had no idea it wasall done during the award show.
That's how they got all thoseartists there, because they're
all in LA at the same time andthey had a 20-hour window.
There was no after parties.
They'd get in there.
They finished writing the songovernight.
Some people left because theygot tired of it and the process
behind it.
Just seeing Michael Jacksonthere and seeing like who's
spring scene, like how hechanged his voice, the pitch and
(37:23):
how it all came about it almostthe song is almost irrelevant
at this point.
It's like the the behind thescenes was what was so
incredible and we just see thefinished product of them sitting
on the stage yeah yeah, so Iagree with you.
I mean so that was like an hourdocumentary.
My husband hated me forwatching it and then he was like
this was amazing you know, andI think with documentaries
(37:45):
people don't realize that um howmany great ones there are are
out there because I mean, yeah,there's a, there's an amazing
amount of documentaries outthere that really kind of show
toronto has an amazing onecalled hot dogs festival.
Hot dogs is one of the biggestfestivals in the world.
Yeah, in toronto.
Yeah, hot dogs, it's called.
Yeah.
Chris Baker (38:02):
Hot Dogs Docs.
Jason Hughes (38:04):
Docs D-O-C-S.
Chris Baker (38:05):
Yes, like documentaries, oh okay.
Jason Hughes (38:06):
Hot Dogs is like a whole different thing.
Chris Baker (38:08):
Yeah, I was going to say Like.
Jason Hughes (38:11):
Look at my poodle.
Look at my poodle.
Chris Baker (38:15):
Or look at my hot dog.
Jason Hughes (38:16):
Look at my hamburger.
Oh, wow, yeah, hot DocsInteresting and your branding
for what you guys are doing forweddings.
Chris Baker (38:23):
We love that.
We really do love actuallyworking with creating that
document, that behind-the-scenescomponent, because not
everybody gets to see it and alot of times it doesn't get
documented, which isn'tsomething that we want to do.
Jason Hughes (38:36):
If you documented mine, you would have seen me
pick up our wedding cake andthey had the wrong cake day of.
You want to see Bridezilla atPublix?
Bridezilla had the wrong cakeday of you want to see
bridezilla?
I publix bridezilla.
Chris Baker (38:47):
Fair enough, the culmination of the same dead
wrong some parts you might wantto cut, maybe, yeah, so, as we
wrap up today, what is thelegacy that you would love to
leave for future generations andand this is the personal side
question- oh, personal side.
Jason Hughes (39:04):
Well, a couple weeks ago we had a couple come
in.
I was in here on a Saturdayrandomly and, long story short,
he was the one that designed thespace back in 1989.
He designed the space, thewhole build-out of that, and she
actually was one of the firstemployees at ArtServe.
And they now live in NorthCarolina, in Chapel Hill
ironically is where I went toschool.
They moved there and they justcame down to Fort Lauderdale.
(39:26):
They've been here in like adecade or something and they
came by here and they couldn'tbelieve what ArtServe turned
into like.
They felt so proud of how niceit looked and, and what a random
chance that was here on aSaturday and they just were here
.
So we had a great conversationand I was thinking like I want
to be that person that comesback in my 60s or 70s and see
art serve and be so proud ofwhat they've done, to take
(39:48):
something to another level,different level, that we hadn't
thought about.
Um, I don't think I'll beworking in my 60s and 70s here,
but well 60s maybe we'll stillbe here, we'll both be like talk
loud.
What, what, chris?
What's your question?
It?
Chris Baker (40:03):
It's there.
Jason Hughes (40:04):
Yeah, I think from an art server perspective.
You know, that's it.
I've had a really blessed, coolcareer.
A lot of my friends are lawyersand doctors and they do amazing
things, but for me beingbackstage at an event is like
the coolest thing ever.
I mean, I've done working atfor-profit radio stations and tv
stations.
I'm in, you know, an elevatorin a sound stage with b arthur
(40:26):
for world aids day at a sportsstation because we were owned by
a sports station score so allthe sports guys had to leave.
But they all came back and saidb arthur from the.
And then you know I'm in theelevator with her purse
lettering downstairs and herphone's ringing and her pr
person like be your phone, yourphone.
She's like what your phone,your phone's ringing.
She's like what your phone,your phone's ringing.
She's like what I'm.
Like.
This is the best.
It's those little experiences.
Chris Baker (40:49):
It's those experiences that make life just
amazing.
Jason Hughes (40:52):
Yeah, like so, yes , I think being behind the mic,
behind the lights, behind thecamera.
You know, backstage are some ofthe most exciting things out
there.
Chris Baker (41:03):
Oh my gosh, this was an amazing episode, so thank
you, jason, so much for beingon.
Visual Eyes today.
Jason Hughes (41:08):
Thank you, chris, thanks, thanks a lot.
Chris Baker (41:12):
Thank you for joining me on this episode of
Visual Eyes.
We hope that the inspirationand practical insights can help
you foster stronger connectionsand meaningful change.
Don't forget to subscribe,share the episode and leave us a
review.
To learn more about Visuals byMomo and how we support
collaboration and storytelling,visit visualsbymomo.
com.
(41:32):
A huge thank you to everyoneout there listening.
Until next time, remember,collaboration fuels change and
your connections can inspire theworld.
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