WHO WE ARE
CO FOUNDER
What do you do with House Lights?
I act as “Chief of Staff”- that is, dealing with all things communication and people. I provide on-going support to our fellows as they manage their projects and nurture all of House Lights’ relationships.
What drives you?
I spent the early days of my acting career performing for non-traditional audiences in unusual spaces. From those experiences, I learned I felt the most fulfilled with my work when it seemed to interrupt the regularly scheduled programming of someone’s life- when I could sense everyone left the experience having learned something different about the world or themselves. I want to create a new pathway for like-minded artists and do away with the “starving artist” archetype – we can create a better quality of life for ourselves by doing the same for others.
What does your current artistic practice look like?
I do the acting thing in L.A.- most recently working on several independent short films. I also teach young people the art of storytelling, and am currently recording and producing my first collection of original songs!
ALEX JOHNSON
CO FOUNDER
What do you do with House Lights?
I direct our strategy and vision, recruit and engage partners and supporters, and lead our training programs.
What drives you?
I want more people to have direct experience with creating art. In my career, I've been lucky to teach everyone from middle schoolers to nursing home residents, and I know that real creative opportunities are life-changing. Making art isn't about creating masterpieces- it's about building relationships, finding meaning, and feeling joy.
What is your artistic practice like right now?
I'm currently working on two writing projects for the stage- an adaptation of G.B. Shaw's Heartbreak House and a new play about Gregor MacGregor's fraud in Poyais (look it up! fascinating story). Once it is safe to get back to the theater, I hope to get these on their feet and in front of audiences!
OUR SHARED DREAM
SARAH MASS
House Lights Fellowship intends to be a leading catalyst for the integration of creative practice into our communities, revolutionizing the role of the artist in our society.
