Today I’m pleased to report that some of that statement is now true — I’m leaving the staff of the Wren’s Nest in September 2011. (No, I don’t have a sweet job lined up. No, I haven’t been asked to leave.) You might have already read the notice in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

When I arrived here in 2006, my job was pretty clear — see if you can’t revitalize this all but shuttered Atlanta institution.

Five years later, with the help of an invigorated board, dedicated donors, fantastic volunteers, key partnerships (like our latest collaboration with the Atlanta Opera) and an indispensable staff, we’ve done just that. The museum looks spectacular, and our programming is dynamic, engaging, and growing.

The executive director position at the Wren’s Nest is entirely different than it was in 2006. Our organization is infinitely more viable. We no longer need groundbreaking ideas like, “Let’s get an email address!” or “Let’s consider paying the light bill!”

What the Wren’s Nest needs now is to move from viable to robust.

Starting in September the plan is that I’ll serve as chair of our board of directors. There’s a real opportunity to shake things up there in a way that I can’t do as a staff member. That means we also have the opportunity to hire someone for my position who actually knows what they’re doing. Plus, they’ll have a passionate, knowledgeable advocate for a board chair who’s been through delicate transitions like this before.

Do you want my job? Read up on how to apply.

If you’ve got questions, comments, concerns, or bundles of money you’d like to hand over, please shoot me an email (lain@wrensnestonline.com) or give me a call (404-753-7735), or leave a comment below.

Because, as we surely all know by now, “memory” is the theme of this year’s International Museum Day. City Cafe is doing it up right — all this week they’ll interview plenty of other folks about memory in Atlanta’s museums.

John and I talked about my favorite artifact in the Wren’s Nest, pictured above and below. Brer Fox escorts Brer Rabbit to jail for stealing vegetables, and Brer Rabbit drops the evidence along the way. It’s an intricate Bavarian wood carving from the early 1880s. Plus, their heads pop off to better use as a humidor for tobacco.

The piece illustrates just how revolutionary these African American folktales really were. It was the first time animals walked, talked, dressed, and sassed like humans in American literature. Uncle Remus was like Aesop 2.0.

These stories were also the first serialized narrative in children’s fiction, where the animals exist in a kind of alternate universe. There’s no beginning, middle or end to the story. Brer Rabbit was like jumping from Turner and Hooch to The Wire overnight. It’s no wonder Harris had received this gift from Bavaria about 18 months after Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings debuted.

I’ll spare you more. That’s where City Cafe’s “A Visit to the Wren’s Nest” comes in.

I know some of y’all might not like April 1st foolin’, but let’s be real for a second — it’s probably Brer Rabbit’s favorite holiday, and we have to represent. Trickery is in our by-laws.

Let’s consider this a trial run for when I do leave the Wren’s Nest. Though given your reaction, maybe I should leave now. After all, Akbar always says: “Sit down while they still want you to stand.”

Previously:

• Disney to Release Song of the South on Blu-ray and DVD in 2009
• Atlanta History Center to Acquire the Wren’s Nest, Move it to Buckhead

When I started at the Wren’s Nest, my objective was to turn the organization around. Recall:

• • We didn’t have a website.
• • We didn’t have a brochure.
• • We had $112,000 in various debts to 19 different creditors.
• • We were only performing the Brer Rabbit stories 6 times per year.
• • We didn’t have any other programming.
• • The house — a National Historic Landmark — was kind of falling apart.

Today’s organization is very different from what I found in 2006.

• • We have a website courtesy of Lampe-Farley Communications. We also have a Facebook page and a Twitter account.
• • We have a sweet brochure courtesy of Huey + Partners.
• • We have only 1 debt now, and it’s a lot less than $112,000.
• • We performed the Brer Rabbit stories over 225 times each of the past 2 years.
• • We have a summer publishing program and are kicking off a middle school writing program next week.
• • We’ve put about $200,000 of work into the house.

Plus, people now know that the Wren’s Nest exists, which is helpful in terms of our survival.

In short, I felt like it was okay to start looking around for other jobs in fields where I’m better suited. I’ll always be involved at the Wren’s Nest in some capacity, but there are folks much better qualified for my position.

Over the next few months I’ll be working very closely with our board to develop a succession plan. Of course, I’ll keep y’all posted throughout the process.

It’s a little premature to thank y’all, but I want you to know that this blog and its readers have been such a great source of inspiration over the past few years. The Wren’s Nest is much better for your help, your comments, and your involvement. And I’m much saner for being able to have an outlet like this one.

So, thank you very much everyone. I really appreciate your help in making this organization viable again.

I sat down to speak with the indefatigable John Lemley about the controversy surrounding the film and its relationship with Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus stories.  Listen to the podcast here.

Unfortunately, while at WABE I did not see Lois Reitzes and thus could not challenge her to a rap battle.

Really, Lain won one of the coveted 40 Under 40 Up and Comers awards.  There were over 400 submissions.  I think it’s fairly obvious how many folks made the cut.   The winners weren’t ranked, though Lain did win the award for “Only Person to Submit a Head Shot in Which They Are Wearing a T-Shirt.”  Highly coveted.

This is especially noteworthy because Lain, former English major, got a C- in Economics.  Hopefully that factoid made the print edition, which is on newsstands today.  Sidenote: Lain was also probably the only winner when, speaking about buying the paper, remarked, “It’s really expensive — like, $2.00 a copy.”

Now, while it’s certainly special that Lain was inducted into a select group of Atlanta business types “to watch,” the real achievement of the evening was the gift bag.  For real, check out the main prize:

IT’S A PADDED CALCULATOR!  No more bruising your fingers on the tough plastic of lesser models, no sir!  That’s what I look like full of love, for the record.

But lo, that’s not all.  Let’s take a look inside, shall we?

Post-its!  In colors!  And in the shape of arrows!  I am going to point to more stuff in the next month than anyone ever thought possible, so help me JCH.  Yay to Lain and yay to gift bags!

]]> http://www.wrensnestonline.com/blog/atlanta-business-chronicles-2009-40-under-40-lain-made-the-cut/feed/ 12 http://www.wrensnestonline.com/blog/atlanta-magazine-features-the-wrens-nest/ http://www.wrensnestonline.com/blog/atlanta-magazine-features-the-wrens-nest/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:51:21 +0000 Lain http://www.wrensnestonline.com/blog/?p=5223

Find us in the October issue of Atlanta Magazine! We’re in between the angry letters about the Real Housewives of Atlanta and a feature about the director of the CDC.

Or, be our guest and check out the article online.

The print edition has a few more photos by Jamey Guy (awesome dude).

What do you think about the article?