#roxytheatre

Photo credit: Aaron Pedersen

Everyone defines resilience differently. But when you’re the Roxy Theatre, it means community strength that not even fire can destroy. Though 2015 left both the theatre and the arts community gutted, neither were ever without hope. Today, as the Roxy rises anew, its resilience is palpable at every milestone. From the golden marquee’s return to the skyline, to the anticipation of three on-site galleries, the Theatre Network promises more space than ever for artists to thrive. If you think you’re excited, you should meet Jared Tabler—the gallery’s curator and advocate of the Visual Arts Program.

Curating gallery space in an Edmonton landmark might be Tabler’s dream job, but it’s not his only one. He’s also the Director at MCQUEEN Agency where he scouts, represents, and develops the careers of artists—and—the CEO of MCQUEEN Creative, a marketing, design, and communications firm. Accomplished? Indeed. But he’s also grounded in his love for his hometown, the arts community that embraced him, and the city he knows Edmonton to be. This week’s “I Am YEG Arts” story belongs to Jared Tabler.

Disclaimer: The Edmonton Arts Council is currently a client of McQueen Creative. McQueen Creative is a marketing and communications firm based in Edmonton, AB and is owned by Jared Tabler.

Tell us about your connection to Edmonton and what keeps you living and working here.

Edmonton is my hometown, so we have some history. I have lived and worked in other cities but have always come back to Edmonton. My family is here, I have a lot of friends here, and I truly believe in the arts community here. The culture, the people, and connectedness of the arts scene in Edmonton is really special.

Tell us about your role as Curator of the Visual Arts Program and how you became involved with Theatre Network?

I am incredibly excited about my new role as Curator. It is such a rare and unique opportunity to open a new building, while also getting to build a program from the ground up. I began collecting art in my early twenties, and that passion eventually spilled over into becoming a dealer. I was a partner in a commercial gallery, and at the opening for one of my favourite artists I met Bradley Moss, the Artistic Director for Theatre Network. It turns out he had a personal connection to the artist; anyway, we all ended up at dinner that night, and both Bradley and I felt that we wanted to work together. When the opportunity to expand the programming at Theatre Network became a possibility due to the additional space in the new Roxy, Bradley approached me about building the visual arts program, and you don’t turn down a dream job.

As artists and the community reach out to you, what are they saying the gallery space and rebuild mean to them?

The response to the new Roxy has been overwhelming, to say the least. The old Roxy meant so much to so many people in the community, and to be able to bring it back, particularly in a way that connects and supports even more artists, is so inspiring. The building has been designed to be a multidisciplinary space, so with that added capacity comes additional opportunities.

Did you always want a career that combined your passion for the arts with your keen business acumen? When did that path become clear?

No. I wanted to be an actor. I wanted to live in New York and perform on Broadway. When I realized that wasn’t going to happen, I embraced business and, as a result, found I was able to support and give back to arts organizations through board work, philanthropic giving, and volunteerism. It eventually struck me that I needed to have art play a larger part in my professional career, and I truly feel like I have the best job in the world.

Top: Forever I’ll wait for you by Kale Barr. Bottom: Railroad Confession by Kale Barr.

Tell us about the gallery’s first call for submissions and what the experience was like for you. What encouragement would you offer artists wanting to submit expressions of interest during the next intake?

Our Artist Open Call had two goals: the first was to let the community know that we have a new visual arts program, and the second was to begin to engage with artists and build relationships in the community. As an art dealer I have many existing relationships with artists across the country, so learning about who else is out there creating great work was really exciting for me personally. In terms of words of encouragement, I would encourage any professional artist who is looking to share their work to submit for any of our open calls. I would also remind them to not be discouraged if they aren’t selected—as their practice and work evolves, we would love to hear from them again.

What does community mean to you, and where do you find it?

Community for me is really about shared values, a sense of connectedness, and finding your people. I have found community in a few areas of my life. As a kid growing up in the theatre, the arts community was really a safe space for me to grow, learn, and explore. That exploration also really helped me come to terms with being a member of the LGBTQ community. Someone once told me to go where you are celebrated, and your community is a big part of that. We all deserve to be celebrated.

Tell us about someone whose support and advice has guided your career.

A friend of mine’s father was really one of my mentors; he is someone who appreciates discretion and values his privacy, and is genuinely a wonderful human. He has supported me during my highest highs, as well as my lowest lows. He worked incredibly hard to build his business and not be reliant on anyone to achieve his goals. He would often tell me, “Dreams are just goals without a plan. If you want to achieve it, write it down.” He has quietly helped numerous people with words of encouragement, financial aid, or tough love when they needed to hear it. He is someone I have the utmost respect for and am thankful every day that he played a role in helping guide my career.

What’s one of your favourite Roxy memories?

As part of its 2002/2003 season, Theatre Network mounted a production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. As a theatre kid who loved musicals, this was monumental. The show is edgy and raw and not your typical family-friendly musical. I probably saw the production five times. I would go with different friends, really anyone who would let me drag (pun intended) them along. Other than Nextfest, it was really my first time spending any amount of time in the old Roxy, but Hedwig remains one of my favourite musicals and one of my favourite productions from Theatre Network.

Production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Photo credit: Theatre Network

What excites you most about the YEG arts scene right now?

I have always believed that Edmonton had some really talented people. The new visual arts program will create even more opportunities, and in working on this program it has revealed to me the absolute need for these types of opportunities. The ability to connect with and share the work of the artists here is humbling.

Describe your perfect day in Edmonton. How do you spend it?

Anyone who knows me knows I love breakfast, so that is how any perfect day starts (shout-outs to Urban Diner, OEB, Ricky’s, Blue Plate Diner, and Blue Chair). From there, gallery visits are essential, and coffee—always coffee. I love walking around the 124 Street area, there are so many great little shops and places to check out, you can easily spend a day there—and it will be even better when the new Roxy opens!

You visit Edmonton 20 years from now. What do you hope has changed? What do you hope has stayed the same?

In 20 years, I hope Edmonton becomes the city it desperately wants to be. There are a lot of really talented, motivated, driven people doing really great things here, but unless we continue to invest in things ((cough, ARTS, cough)) that will make Edmonton a thriving metropolis, we will be at risk of losing that great talent to other markets. I hope Edmonton stays true to its roots, to who it innately is: A community of people that really care, that do incredible things, and are humble about it.

Want more YEG Arts Stories? We’ll be sharing them here all year and on social media using the hashtag #IamYegArts. Follow along!

Click here to discover more about Jared Tabler and the MCQUEEN Agency. Visit Theatre Network’s website for info about the Visual Arts Program, submission guidelines, and how to support the ROXY rebuild.

About Jared Tabler