Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathy Wallis.
Hi Kathy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My family was a musical one, so I grew up singing in choirs and ensembles, including in college. After graduating from Duke, I moved to the Jacksonville area in the mid-seventies, where I met Jim Johnson, the Founder of Beaches Fine Arts Series, who was the choirmaster at St. Paul’s by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, the home venue of BFAS. My husband and I became volunteers for the series, recognizing the enormous gift of FREE great music that the concerts offered to our community. While my background was not in nonprofit or concert presenting, Jim recognized that I would be a good replacement for him, and asked me to take on the ED position in 1997. Since then, with the enormous help of many volunteers and our small staff (2 full time, 2 part time), we have grown the concert series’ budget by more than ten-fold, and added award-winning educational outreach programming to it. St. Paul’s -by-the-Sea has been a faithful supporter of all of our efforts; the sanctuary has phenomenal acoustics and has been regularly featured on the American Public Media iconic program, Performance Today, since 2003.
Now in its 53rd season, BFAS looks forward to many more years of great concerts, ranging from classical to jazz to world music.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Because our high-quality concerts and educational programs are offered free of charge, supporting our mission “to enrich our communities by sharing the transforming power of music and art, free to all” is a challenge which involves corporate and grant support and importantly, our extremely generous individual donors. Our major fundraiser, First Coast Dancing with the Stars, raises one third of our budget and introduces a new audience to our programs through the selection of local celebrities each year. The biggest challenge over the years has been the raising of funds to support the free programs. One lesson learned is that there are many generous businesses in our community which have offered monetary as well as in-kind support. For example, Carrabbas and SoNapa Grille both donate post-concert dinners to our artists and guests following every concert. They also join with many other restaurants to provide the buffet for our fundraiser. We have been fortunate to receive reduced rates at hotels, which also saves thousands each year on lodging.
As a small nonprofit organization, with only 2 full time employees, much time is spent seeking corporate and grant support. One major challenge to this process is the uncertainty of outcomes for such endeavors, where the time may end up with a rejection of our efforts. Multi-year grants or corporate support is always most welcome, as it allows us to effectively plan our programs.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Executive Director of a small nonprofit arts organization that presents free concerts and educational outreach programs, offered free of charge to all.
During my time as ED, I instituted the BFAS Educational Outreach Programs, targeting Title 1 schools and after school programs for at-risk youth. BFAS has always provided bus reimbursement for these programs so that all schools can participate without a monetary contribution. We also reach students at UNF with master classes and other programs featuring our artists. As the programs have grown, they have been awarded several honors, including the Florida Music Educators’ Association (FEMA) Distinguished Service Award in 2014, and most recently, the “Positively Jax Award” from WJXT and Closets by Design in 2025. As it grew, the programs have expanded to include HUD-supported retirement facilities as well as Pine Castle (Intellectual/Developmental Differences) in addition to Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Become a volunteer supporter of the organizations you hope to lead in the future, particularly if you are interested in the nonprofit world. BFAS has student volunteers for much of our programs and our fundraiser. Many organizations have internships that teach the dynamics of the nonprofit world, giving potential future employees a chance to understand its workings.
My other advice would be to introduce yourself and make as many connections in the field you pursue as you possibly can.
Pricing:
- FREE
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beachesfinearts.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beachesfineartsseries/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Beaches-Fine-Arts-Series-170692637251/
- Twitter: https://Twitter.com/beachesfinearts@BFAS_concerts
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@beachesfineartsseries5653
