We now have two current staff members—Beth Garrett-Coleman and Bea Bohannon—who have progressed from volunteer, to intern, to staff assistant, to coordinator, to manager, to now a Director level position within our organization. Quite a journey! We sat down to hear from them what that progression has been like.
Beth Garrett-Coleman, Director of Programs:
Describe your journey at Free Arts. What has the progression from a Coordinator role to a Director role entailed? I’ve held a lot of roles in my time at Free Arts! I began as an intern before moving into the Programs Assistant role. After that I got to be the Weekly Mentor Program Coordinator before becoming the Program Manager. I feel as if I have gotten to see Free Arts mission, vision, and values from various angles with each new role. Sometimes that’s small, like helping out in the art room as an intern, and sometimes that’s big, like putting together a Theatre Camp as a Program Manager, and lots in between.
What advice would you give to folks who are interested in a career in the arts, youth development, or nonprofit work in general? The nonprofit would goes ’round because the people in it care deeply about something – whether that’s children, mental health, the arts, all three, or something else. It is really easy to care so much that you forget yourself, or your life outside of the work you’re doing. My best advice is to model that self-care in whatever way feels best for you – rest is an essential, but often overlooked, part of productivity.
What is the biggest challenge you have overcome in your career at Free Arts? (Internally, I’ll share that the biggest challenge is the turnover – frequent shifting, change, and loss of institutional knowledge can make it hard to move forward, but not impossible. This is standard for the nonprofit world, but difficult, nonetheless. In case you need an answer more fitting to share on a bigger scale:) The biggest challenge is when someone has an incredible experience with us in a program, and then that program needs to change to better suit the needs for the populations we serve or because resources need to be reallocated. Those shifts are always made with providing the best services we can, but not everyone loves or is comfortable with change, especially within things that have provided a deeply meaningful experience for them.
What about Free Arts has made you want to stay for as long as you have? The people and the mission. I have always been connected to work with children, the arts, mental health, and community. When I see people who knew me when I was a child or teen and I get to share what I do now, they always say how much sense it makes for me to be here! It’s a unique convergence of some of the things I am most passionate about. But I also have gotten to tap into a special world here – our artists, mentors, partner agency staff, Free Arts staff, and other community members make this a great place to work.
If you could time travel back in time to your first year here at Free Arts, what would you tell your younger self? I would tell her to trust her own gut more! I think like a lot of women, I’ve grappled with imposter syndrome, but I’ve really gotten to grow and be so supported by the people at Free Arts.
Bea Bohannon, Director of Philanthropy:
Describe your journey at Free Arts. What has the progression from a Coordinator role to a Director role entailed? I first learned about Free Arts in 2013 while volunteering in high school, where I handled admin tasks and organized the art room. In 2020, after earning my degree in Art Studies, I applied for a Development Assistant position to deepen my involvement in arts organizations. I focused on learning about fundraising and soon became the Development Coordinator, managing our Annual Fund and enhancing donor stewardship. In 2024, I transitioned to the Philanthropy and Marketing Analyst role, analyzing giving trends and segmenting our supporters. Joining the AFP Greater Phoenix Chapter and their Professional Mentorship Program significantly broadened my understanding of successful fundraising practices. When the Director of Philanthropy position opened, I felt prepared to advance Free Arts’ mission, and I’m excited to continue growing in fundraising while positively impacting the community.
What advice would you give to folks who are interested in a career in the arts, youth development, or nonprofit work in general? Anyone starting in nonprofit work should take on projects outside their expertise to build self-efficacy and new skills. Stepping out of your comfort zone accelerates learning. Embracing the mindset of “fake it until you make it” can boost self-confidence. If you struggle with Imposter Syndrome, envision what it feels like to be an expert and focus on developing those skills. Adopting this approach will lead to genuine expertise over time.
What is the biggest challenge you have overcome in your career at Free Arts? When I joined Free Arts, I was new to fundraising and quickly realized I needed to embrace our database. I spent my first two years learning the software, but when we transitioned to a newer version, it challenged my sense of security. As the process unfolded over months, I engaged in conversations about improving the database while watching tutorials and learning from experts. Although it was one of my biggest challenges, I’m grateful for the experience and believe it will benefit me in the future.
What about Free Arts has made you want to stay for as long as you have? I believe wholeheartedly in the transformative nature of art! The Arts have changed my life for the better, whether that be self-regulating with a quick sketch, journaling in the morning, sequencing my synthesizer, or going on a national tour playing the organ. The Arts have helped me learn more about myself and have helped me to build skills in areas adjacent to art. I am a big proponent of STEM to STEAM, and I know for a fact that I would not be as good at math or technology if it were not for the arts. Art Heals and Free Arts has done amazing work in the community that I am lucky to see firsthand. It is very exciting to see Free Arts continue to work with Indigo Cultural center to continue examining the tangible benefits and outcomes of our programming. It makes for a compelling case for support when approaching donors and grantors!
If you could time travel back in time to your first year here at Free Arts, what would you tell your younger self? I would tell myself “That the pyramid is for everyone including you”. We often talk about our outcomes pyramid of what we hope children and teens will experience during our programming – Safety, Self Expression, Skill Building, Self Efficacy and Resilience. During my time with Free Arts, I have experienced a wide range of emotions, like any job, there are some days that are harder than others. Remembering that the pyramid is for everyone is a great way to ground myself in the fact that it is normal to move around between the tiers. Somedays building a sense of safety for myself looks like making sure I am having a solid morning routine or just trying to get my easiest tasks done early in the day before tackling things that will take more time and effort.
