An Interview With Orlando Zayas
My investments fall into different buckets — arts, culture, community, health, childcare — but each are rooted in equity, health, happiness, and creative expression. These are the qualities of prosperous people, communities, and investments.
As a part of our series about “Social Impact Investors”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Laura Merage.
Laura Merage is an accomplished artist and venture philanthropist who leads initiatives that impact the lives of thousands of people every day. Laura’s generosity has made a profound impact on Denver’s Art and Culture landscape, including the 2008 launch of RedLine Contemporary Art Center, an urban art laboratory fostering education and engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change. As RedLine flourished over the last decade, Laura envisioned another dynamic nonprofit, and founded Black Cube in 2015, a nonprofit, experimental art museum that operates nomadically and aims to nurture the self-sufficiency of artists and inspire people to experience contemporary art beyond traditional white museum and gallery walls.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
First and foremost, I’m an artist. I studied in Los Angeles and New York City for my undergraduate and graduate degrees respectively. After getting my MFA, I went out into the world full of enthusiasm, ready to pursue my career. My naivete was met with the harsh realities of the profession. I struggled to find studio space, funding, and peer support. I felt alone and isolated, and as a result, my work suffered. I founded RedLine, an urban art laboratory promoting the creative expression of resident artists with that experience in mind. RedLine was created to support emerging artists, and provide creative opportunities for local residents. The space serves as an incubator for a thriving group of resident artists, through an in-depth, two-year residency program that includes free studio space, community engagement opportunities, and professional development. Since launching, RedLine’s won over a dozen awards for its relentless hyper-focused commitment to local artists and surrounding communities. The center’s success inspired me to launch Black Cube, a nonprofit, experimental art museum that nurtures the self-sufficiency of artists and encourages people to discover and appreciate contemporary art beyond traditional white museum and gallery walls.
Can you share a story with us about the most humorous mistake you made when you were first starting? What lesson or take-away did you learn from that?
When we were in the throes of remodeling RedLine, the architects called to my attention the fact that we didn’t have any spaces allocated for offices. At the 11th hour, we had to carve out those rooms. I was so immersed in the process as an artist that I forgot to zoom out and think about our operational and business needs. It was — in retrospect — a hilarious reminder to always have your head on a swivel and think big picture.
Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?
When Gonzo, our Reach Studio coordinator joined our staff, I knew were headed for success. When I first met Gonzo, he was living on the back steps of RedLine. We’ve developed a friendship since then. His warmth and sensitivity have taught me so much about our shared humanity. Gonzo happens to be an artist as well. Today, thanks to RedLine’s residency opportunities, he makes a living off that work. His remarkable journey from homelessness is not the only one of its kind. Each and every day, I hear stories from people in RedLine’s ecosystem who were irrevocably changed by the center’s programming. Whether it provided a way out of substance abuse, homelessness, loneliness, or a creative rut, RedLine’s success is anchored by those lives that we’ve changed.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person or mentor to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
The women in my family. While my mother was forced to abide by the stringent gender roles of her time, she was strong-willed and worked tirelessly for her family. I credit her for my grit and resourcefulness. My daughter Sabrina also inspires me. She’s an incredibly bright, empathetic, and sharp businesswoman and philanthropist as well. Sabrina is my compass. I know I’m on the right track when she believes in the work I’m doing.
You have been blessed with great success in a career path that many have attempted, but eventually gave up on. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path but are afraid of the prospect of failure?
Oftentimes, artists throw themselves into making and creating. Meanwhile, they neglect the more laborious administrative duties of being an artist e.g. invoices, studio fees, shipping costs, etc. The same can be said about nonprofit management. Organizations often sputter because they’re singularly focused on their mission and less strategic about their operations. To be successful, you need to be shrewd and entrepreneurial just as much as you are imaginative and altruistic. That said, don’t be afraid to ask for help. When I was early in my career as an artist, I thought I had to have all the answers and do everything myself. It’s courageous to ask for help and you need to be courageous to be a successful artist and philanthropist.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main part of our discussion. The United States is currently facing a very important self-reckoning about race, diversity, equality and inclusion. This is of course a huge topic. But briefly, can you share a few things that need to be done on a broader societal level to expand investment opportunities for women, minorities, and people of color?
An analysis of 18 major U.S. art museums found their collections are 87% male and 85% white. While I don’t need studies to prove to me what I’ve seen for years as an artist, I founded RedLine and Black Cube with this inequity in mind. I wanted to give a platform to artists, particularly women and people of color, who’ve been at the margins in the industry. On a broader societal level, we need to invite these people to the table, amplify their voices, and adequately invest in their work. As a Jewish-Iranian woman, I appreciate a diversity of perspectives and expressions. My life experiences and ethnic background have taught me to be open and non-judgemental. Diversity is also good for business. Countless studies show that if you have more women and BIMPOC in positions of leadership, company performance improves.
You are a Venture Philanthropist who is focused on investments that are making a positive social impact. Can you share with us a bit about the projects and companies you have focused on, and look to focus on in the future?
I’m one-half of the David and Laura Merage Foundation. David and I share a tenacious, hands-on approach to philanthropy, investing our time, capital, business acumen, and problem-solving skills into scalable, sustainable social impact initiatives and policy changes across the arts, early childhood education, mental health, and Israel. Through programs like Early Learning Ventures, Mini Heroes, Care For All Children, and EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children), we champion access to quality, affordable childcare, drive policy change, and incubate organizations that ensure early learning equity. Our investments in the creative arts aim to increase public access to the arts beyond traditional gallery and museum walls. In Israel, we lead initiatives that empower individuals, from supporting lone soldiers and strengthening intergenerational ties to developing sustainable organizations.
What you are doing is not very common. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were going to focus on social impact investing? Can you share the story with us?
I focus on social impact investing because an inherent aspect of my personality is that when I identify something sticky or challenging I address it head-on. It stems from the combination of all my childhood and life experiences. As an Iranian-Jewish woman, navigating a world that’s often inhospitable to women, immigrants, and people of color, drove me to think outside myself and about initiatives that might cultivate more equitable and prosperous communities.
Can you share a story with us about your most successful Angel or Venture Philanthropic investment? Or an investment that you are most proud of? What was its lesson?
At RedLine, we are attuned to the urgent issues revealed by our current time and responsive to the needs of the communities we are a part of. We strive to make every program, experience, and exhibition inclusive, and we endeavor always to be down-to-earth, grounded, and friendly. We believe art is a vital tool for change, and we experiment to foster growth, innovation, and true collaboration. We are hyper-local in our neighborhood of Five Points in Denver, CO, and we engage with a multitude of residents by providing space and creative opportunities for them to connect. Most importantly, we support and nurture artists, and we are the go-to resource for professional artists and local communities to create positive social change. RedLine continues to be one of our most successful investments, which fills me with so much pride. That said, Black Cube was one of our most adventurous investments. Unlike stationary museums defined by their permanent architecture, Black Cube operates nomadically. We roam from place to place as a traveling contemporary art museum, producing site-specific artworks in the public realm. Open, experimental, and flexible, we rely deeply upon collaboration and the willingness to explore bold ideas.
Can you share a story of an Angel or Venture Philanthropist funding failure of yours? What was its lesson?
We tried to take RedLine international but faltered. I realized replication isn’t always the right formula for success. At the same time, it was an important reminder to stay attuned to community voices.
Is there a company that you turned down? Can you share the story? What lesson did you learn from that story?
We’re often approached by big museums and universities. These larger institutions have strong donor bases. They don’t necessarily need our capital. I know our investments will go further through early-stage ventures.
Super. Here is the main question of this interview. What are your “5 things I need to see before making an investment in a philanthropic venture” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
I will answer your question with a question or rather a series of questions I ask myself before making a philanthropic investment in a social impact venture.
- Does the mission align with my values? Passion is the most important ingredient to a successful investment.
- Is there a strong leader at the helm?
- Will the project survive financially, becoming sustainable in the long term?
- Can the project scale?
- Is there a material need for the service being provided?
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
My investments fall into different buckets — arts, culture, community, health, childcare — but each are rooted in equity, health, happiness, and creative expression. These are the qualities of prosperous people, communities, and investments.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Today, we’re divided across every issue. If we don’t meet this moment with compassion, empathy, and eagerness to know more and do better, there’s no end in sight to our polarization. When we look beyond our differences and work toward equity for all, we create a rising tide that lifts all boats.
We are very blessed that a lot of amazing founders and social impact organizations read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you’d like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this. 🙂
I would have breakfast with Gloria Steinem. I’d ask her about her experience working against an overwhelming tide of negativity. I’m also curious how she reflects on her legacy now, especially as women’s rights have an uncertain future, despite many of the advances we’ve made since her early days of activism.
How can our readers follow you online?
- merage.org
- Newsletter (https://merage.org/stay-connected/)
- IG: https://www.instagram.com/laura_merage/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Investors: How Laura Merage Is Helping To Empower Artists was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.