Creative Leadership Alumni in Action- Sara Nephew, Associate Director of White Bear Lake Center for the Arts shares her reflections on how one area arts organization is responding to local current events. Thank you for your creative leadership, Sara! If you are an alumni and have a story to share, please reach out to the MACL director. We'd love to highlight your work as living examples of what it means to lead creatively.________________________________________________________________________________________It began with a question about how many students were staying home because their families felt unsafe. When we reached out to our local partners, the need was clear and significant. Children were home. Families were anxious. Schools and food shelves were doing everything they could to respond.So we did what we know how to do. We ordered art supplies. At first, it was 200 art kits. Within a day, that number grew to 600. We invited our community to come help assemble them – to gather over coffee, to sort and stamp and pack, to do something tangible. More than 200 people gathered. What struck me most wasn’t how quickly it came together or how many kits were assembled. It was the feeling in the room. People weren’t just there to pack art supplies. They were there to be together, to stand next to one another, to channel worry into action, and to feel less alone.There were hugs and introductions between strangers, and a steady buzz of conversation. The assembly line wound through the building, and spontaneous leadership emerged as people rearranged tables, set up new stations, and stepped into roles without being asked. Each kit included a sketchbook, pencils, paint, brushes, and modeling clay, along with a note inviting the hands that opened the kit to imagine a world they would like to explore and begin shaping it in their own way – a reminder that their imagination is still available. The kits weren’t the only thing being assembled that morning. Courage, connection, and community were, too.In the Creative Leadership program at MCAD, we talked about staying present when things feel hard – about acting without waiting for perfect clarity, about listening deeply and responding with care. Last week, those lessons came alive around folding tables and cardboard boxes.The need continues. Schools and food shelves have told us they could easily distribute all 600 kits. Our community is already asking when we’ll gather again. We will. What moved me most was not just the urgency, but the goodness – a reminder that when given the chance, people want to show up, create something hopeful, and be together. And sometimes leadership doesn’t look like a plan. Sometimes it looks like 200 people saying yes.If you would like to help us continue assembling art kits for families, you can donate here: https://whitebeararts.org/give/ Categories Alumni in Action Creative Leadership Topics in Creative Leadership Published on February 09, 2026