14 | FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE The Chandler Cultural Foundation board plays a vital role as stewards for CCA. “It’s always been my personal mission, whether it was as a volunteer coordinator or as the program director, to build equitable practices into everything I do,” she said. “For 20 years, I’ve been working on diversifying our programs.” Today, as the cultural arts manager, she focuses on directing and collaborating with the center’s core team, fostering strong community relationships and “everything in between,” she said. During her tenure, Mac Lennan has been instrumental in diversifying the center’s board, artists and audiences. In its early days, the center primarily catered to an older audience, many hailing from the nearby senior communities. This is common for arts centers, Mac Lennan said, citing that the demographic generally has more disposable income. “I really wanted to change that,” Mac Lennan said. “Not to not include them but to also include people who historically had not been included.” Under her direction, CCA has made significant strides in fostering inclusivity by actively connecting with the community through their many outreach programs and strategic partnerships. Embracing the belief that art should reflect the community it serves, the center brings together patrons and artists from various backgrounds to share in the transformative power of the arts. CREATING CULTURE

FRONTDOORS MAGAZINE | 15 CCA artist-in-residence Michael Mwenso uses the message of Black music to uplift, heal and empower individuals and communities. “Where can you get 1,500 people to agree on anything?” Mac Lennan asked. “At a concert. It’s that experience that can never be replicated; no matter what people say, it can’t.” Two years ago, the center took on its first multiyear resident in Michael Mwenso. A Sierra Leone native, Mwenso is a band leader, activist, musician and educator. In his residency, he is dedicated to connecting the community to the arts through outreach, speaking engagements and live performances. “We profit on the backs of artists, so they should have a seat at the table,” Mac Lennan said. “Without the artist, we’re nothing. We learned that in COVID; we are nothing without the artists. So we really shifted to where we’re going to be artist-centric as much as possible.” The residency program isn’t the only new venture for CCA. In 2022, the center stepped into co-commissioning with “NORTH: The Musical,” a theatrical production following a mother and son’s journey escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad. Co-commissioned with three other arts organizations in the U.S., the show has its sights set on Broadway. And this year, for the first time, the center is co-producing a show, “Beauty and the Beast,” with Showtune Productions, slated to hit the stage in March 2024.