TRANSCRIPT

Derrick Michaud: 

Hello and welcome to The Real Hernando, a podcast created to highlight our amazing local community and small businesses right here in Hernando, Mississippi. I am your host Derrick, and this episode is brought to you by Shelby Row Productions. Today I'm talking with Kyli Collins, Head Director of the Desoto Arts Council. The Desoto Arts Council is the arts agency for Desoto County, Mississippi and the surrounding region with a mission to stimulate increased participation in the arts, integrate art into people's everyday lives, advance community support of the arts, and use the arts to affect community unity and change. The Desoto Arts Council is dedicated to expanding art awareness through classes, special events, exhibitions in their gallery, and a space for local artists to share and sell their art in their gift shop. The gift shop and gallery is located at 2465 Highway 51, Hernando, Mississippi, 38632. Probably didn't need to add the zip code to that I don't think anyone's mailing you anything. But nonetheless, Kyli, thank you so much for being here. 

Kyli Collins:

I'm glad to be here. 

Derrick Michaud

And thank you for allowing us to record it in your awesome place here. So right now, we're sitting in the gallery side. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. 

Derrick Michaud

Correct? As you can see, we have some artwork behind us on the wall, and then as I point that way, as you walk into the left, that would be the gift shop. Correct? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. 

Derrick Michaud

So this is great. I guess this is a closed day today that we're getting to do this. So outstanding. I think it was important to do this in here so people can see it and also just even if they're just listening and get the kind of vibe and ambiance of the fact that we're sitting in the gallery and sitting above the jail cell which we're going to talk about a little later. But yes, there's a jail cell in the basement of this building. 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. 

Derrick Michaud

Teaser. We'll find out about that here in a minute. But again, thanks for being here. And before we kind of get into your history and your personal story and what led you here, let's just talk about the present briefly and what your role is and when this started for you. 

Kyli Collins:

Okay. I am the director here at the Arts Council. I started at in April, at the beginning of April and have just loved it, love meeting the people. Everybody that I've come in contact with has been wonderful, supportive. And it's just been a great experience so far. 

Derrick Michaud

So as we record this, this is June 2022. And so just a couple months in. 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah, not very long. 

Derrick Michaud

Cool. Well, we're going to talk about you for a little while here and then get more into detail on what your role is here and really what the council is and organization is as a whole. Well, let's get to know Kyli, and I think that's important because whether it's a business or an organization like this, everything needs a face or a personality behind it. And your role, as I've learned, as the new head director is they're looking at you as the spokesperson. You're the one, you're the face, the voice, the character behind it all. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. 

Derrick Michaud

So part of that is let's get to know who that face is, who that person is. So let's talk about where you're from and what your upbringing was like. 

Kyli Collins:

Okay. I'm originally from Brandon, Mississippi. Grew up there. I was born in Louisiana but moved there when I was really young and grew up there. Raised by my dad. He was a single parent. And the help of some amazing grandparents. We made it through that. I have a brother who's older than me, and he and I are pretty close. I went to Northwest Rankin in Brandon, Graduated there. And then from there I went on to Mississippi State. 

Derrick Michaud

Well, before we get to college though, in high school you were part of the student council? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes, I was. Middle school, high school, I was very involved in all the different clubs. Mu Alpha Theta, The Honor Society, all of those different academic clubs. And then I also did some other extracurricular clubs. And I was also a member of the band. 

Derrick Michaud

Color guard, correct? 

Derrick Michaud

The color guard, the color guard. So that was a lot of fun. I did that for several years. 

Derrick Michaud

So you were one of those students in the high school yearbook that had like the paragraph of extracurricular activity, right? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. I was extremely involved, and I loved school and I loved going there. And I mean still to this day, like if I can learn something, I'm all for it. 

Derrick Michaud

That's awesome. Yeah. I'm definitely one that I don't like Googling things and researching, and other people like yourself thrive on that. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah, that's right I have people on my team that do that for me. So but well, that's excellent. So you move on to college. You said Mississippi State, correct? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. I got my undergraduate degree at Mississippi State in Starkville in elementary education, and that's what I wanted to do. That was what I had my mind set on, and that's what I was going for. And I got it. I completed college in three years versus four. 

Derrick Michaud

Nice. 

Kyli Collins:

And then I graduated, and I went to work in Quitman, Mississippi just a little bit south of Meridian and worked there for several years. 

Derrick Michaud

As a teacher?

Kyli Collins:

As a teacher. 

Derrick Michaud

Fourth grade? 

Kyli Collins:

I taught fourth grade for a long time. And then while I was teaching, I got my master's degree in gifted education. 

Derrick Michaud

So again, that overachieving, if there was a yearbook for adult life, you'd have another paragraph. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes, very dedicated to everything I do. Just 110%. 

Derrick Michaud

So what would be gifted education? 

Kyli Collins:

Gifted education, it kind of gets the connotation that it's like the smart kids, but not necessarily. It's the kids who think outside of the box. They think differently than the average child. And the different schools, they offer gifted programs just to give those kids kind of an outlet because they tend to get bored in the regular classroom. And so it just gives them a little extra to look forward to, something else to do on top of their regular school work. 

Derrick Michaud

Engages them more? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. And it's different topics that they would never get to cover if it wasn't for the gifted programs. 

Derrick Michaud

I would gather there's some students that they don't understand what's going on. They don't understand that they're bored because they're not being challenged. But because they're bored I guess, they're probably going to, some of them might even cause trouble. 

Kyli Collins:

Right, right. 

Derrick Michaud

They're just maybe sarcastic to the teacher or just poo-pooing everything, not realizing it's, wow, if I was to get engaged more, give me something more to focus on, give me something more to chew on. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. 

Derrick Michaud

I would gather some kids just don't understand why they're feeling a certain way, right? 

Kyli Collins:

Right. And it kind of helps with like the psychological issues that happen in classrooms and the behavior problems, not saying that all gifted children are behavior problems because they're not. But some of them are. And then you have just some kids who just they were like me and they love school and they want to do the extra. They want to go the extra mile. They want to do a little bit more than what the average student does, and that's what… 

Derrick Michaud

Sort of like AP classes, college prep classes? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. Some of the stuff that we learn about is like how bridges are made. When I taught, we came up with like inventions. The students would come up with their own invention, and like it couldn't be something that was already patented. So they would have to research and all that kind of stuff. 

Derrick Michaud

I made a birdhouse in seventh grade. Does that count? 

Kyli Collins:

You might be a little gifted. 

Derrick Michaud

I'm gifted all right. But well, that's excellent. So you're teaching. You've got your masters now. I would gather at some point now in this point of your life is when you meet your husband. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. I met my husband. His name is Lance. We have three beautiful children: eleven, nine, and one that just turned four. And they are my whole entire world. When my husband I met, we had our 11 and 9 year old. And then we were going to have one more, and I decided at that point that I wanted to be home. I wanted to leave the working force and be able to enjoy my last child, every moment, not have to miss anything, not have to rely on a sitter or anything like that. So when my last one was born, the baby, the little girl, the one that she's just the apple of everybody's eye. But when she was born, I came home and was a stay-at-home mom up until I started working here. 

Derrick Michaud

Well, you skipped over a big thing here. Getting back to that overachieving, you became a stay-at-home mom or chose to be a stay-at-home mom and then open the business. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. 

Derrick Michaud

A work at home cake business. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. 

Derrick Michaud

We got to talk about that. 

Kyli Collins:

Okay. 

Derrick Michaud

What was that all about? 

Kyli Collins:

Okay. Since I was little, I have always loved to cook. And if you ever come to anything at the art council, you will probably taste some of my cooking because I cook all the time. But something that I was really interested in learning about was cake decorating and the art of food. And so when I was a stay-at-home mom, that was the perfect opportunity to open up my own business, a cake decorating business. And I made cakes that were beautiful and tasted good and built up a clientele in Meridian, Mississippi. And just it was a great thing. I don't know what to say. 

Derrick Michaud

Well, sure. I mean I would gather it was nice to still feel like you're earning income. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. 

Derrick Michaud

So you're bringing that to the household and the family. So I'm sure you felt proud of that. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. 

Derrick Michaud

Right? You get to do it from home so you have some of that flexibility. So I would gather you must have had some pride behind all that, right? 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. 

Derrick Michaud

And the delicious food. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes, yes. And my husband loved for me to make cakes because he got to all the extras. He got to have… 

Derrick Michaud

20 pounds later, he's like, man. Because my daughter went through a little phase, and I was eating some pretty doughy stuff and being nice and some things were delicious. I let her have her moment and explore and everything. But before I knew it, I'm like, man, I'm eating a lot of flour and sugar here. 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah, he loves it. But and also, it was an outlet for me because being a stay-at-home mom can be very secluding. You don't get out as much, and I'm a very social person by nature. I just enjoy having a conversation with anyone. And when I was little, they used to say that I could talk to a wall, and I would. I would talk to perfect strangers and like it scared my parents a little bit. But anyway, so it allowed for me to be more social too and out in the community and playing a part in the community. 

Derrick Michaud

How were you connecting? Was it through social media, website? How did you bridge to a clientele and a customer base? 

Kyli Collins:

I actually had a large clientele base from my teaching job because I baked while I was teaching too. And so they kind of knew what my food tasted like, and they bought from me. But it was mainly ran through social media and Facebook and had a little Facebook page and ran promotions and all that kind of stuff. 

Derrick Michaud

Prime example of the positive of social media. We forget there is a good purpose with social media unfortunately. There's so much other stuff going on with it. But that's great. So that must have been fulfilling? 

Kyli Collins:

It was, and I really enjoyed it. I really did. 

Derrick Michaud

So at this point, again, your husband has kind of a role in how inevitably you guys ended up in Hernando. And part of that story is took on a new job that moved you all to Jackson, Tennessee. Correct? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. The whole time my husband I have been married, up until recently, he worked off. He was in the oil field. He worked offshore. Then he worked on land rigs in Texas. But both situations, it was a thing where he was gone two weeks, home two weeks. And he finally just got to the point one day, and he was like, I don't want to miss half of my kids’ lives. I want to be there for them. I want to do something local. So he applied for a job in South Shelby County, so Memphis. And it was kind of a spur of the moment left one job, went to another job really quickly. So in the space between the time that we sold our house in Meridian, we lived with my dad in Jackson, Tennessee. And then we were trying to find the perfect area for us, the perfect—

Derrick Michaud

So right now your husband's commuting from Jackson to Memphis back and forth? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. He's commuting an hour and a half one way. So three hours a day driving. But he gets to be home every night. So it was worth it. And then so while we're trying to find the perfect place, we have a camper, and we enjoy going camping. And last summer, we came to Hernando Point, went camping. It was closer for him to go to work so it wasn't an hour and a half drive. I'm a stay-at-home mom so I have no job requirements to be anywhere. So our kids and us were camping at Hernando Point. One Saturday, we came to the farmer's market on the Square in Hernando, and he and I just fell in love with Hernando. And we were like this is where we have to be. We want to be in this town. The schools are great. The people are great. We love this. On Saturdays, they have a farmer's market. The community, the unity within the community and all that. We were like, this is where we want to be. This is our place. So from that moment on, we started the house search, and it took us quite a while because of the housing market. Because we chose to move—

Derrick Michaud

And this was last year, 2021?

Kyli Collins:

Yes, yes. So it was at the end of 2021, like November, December. 

Derrick Michaud

So relatively not too long ago from when we're sitting here today. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. So we start the house search, which was a horrible housing market. And we put in offers on I can't tell you how many houses and got outbid or something didn't work out. Well, then we finally came upon a house on Facebook. So that's another thing where social media turned out in our favor. And it was for sale by owner. I kind of learned how to do the real estate thing because I was the one doing all the paperwork and everything. And we follow through with that, got the house, put in the offer and everything, and now we're here. 

Derrick Michaud

Goes back to how much you like learning things. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. 

Derrick Michaud

I wouldn't want to do any of that. 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. See, like if I don't know how to do something, I'll figure it out. I'll research it. I will figure it out. 

Derrick Michaud

So now you're settled in. You're in Hernando. Did you move your cake business with you or did you kind of let that slide?

Kyli Collins:

I didn't. When I moved to Jackson, I kind of let that slide for a long time. I had a lot of customers, and I was driving them back from Jackson to Meridian or meeting people. Because there's other cake businesses. But once you find your cake person, that's the cake person you want to use, and that was kind of the deal for a long time. So I would do like big promotions. Like I know I did one in February for Valentine's Day, and I had a bunch of orders. And I was like, okay, if you want something from me, you're going to have to order it on this date because this is when I'll be down there. And so I made everything in Jackson, transported it down there, and it was great. But I was like that's a little much. 

Derrick Michaud

A lot of work. 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah, it is. 

Derrick Michaud

It’s not as much stay at home anymore, is it? 

Kyli Collins:

No. And then you think about transporting like tiered cakes for four or five hours and having to keep them at the right temperature and making sure it didn’t fall over. Yeah, it's a stressful ride. 

Derrick Michaud

Because there's pressure there. They're counting on a perfect cake. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. 

Derrick Michaud

Right? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. And I want the cake to be perfect because I'm pretty much a perfectionist. So if something happened to it, like I would be more upset about it than they would probably. 

Derrick Michaud

Sure, yeah. 

Kyli Collins:

My clients. Because they're like, it still eats the same. 

Derrick Michaud

But you're like, wait a minute. 

Kyli Collins:

But it's not pretty anymore. So yeah. And when I moved to Jackson, I kind of slacked off, and then I moved here. I still do like on the side like stuff for people, family, friends, co-workers or whatever. But it's not technically my business anymore. 

Derrick Michaud

It’s more word of mouth. 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. 

Derrick Michaud

Help people out here and there.

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. 

Derrick Michaud

Well, that point comes where you kind of just faded away from the cake business. It's not really a big part of your daily life anymore. You're in Hernando I'm guessing at this point. What triggered you to even think about looking for a job-job that would take you out of your house? 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. We actually decided to put my four-year-old in preschool because she was kind of dependent on me, and we're like, she's about to start kindergarten. That's not going to be good. That's not going to be a good thing for me or her. And so we're like we got to get her out of the house and with other kids. And with my other two kids being so much older, it's like she was pretty much, I mean she wasn't an only child, but it seemed that way. She kind of had characteristics of that only child. So we're like, we got to get her around kids her age so she can learn some social interaction. And so I was like, well, I'm going to be at home by myself, and I'll go stir crazy. So I got to looking online, and I saw this job opportunity as the director of the art council. And I was like, I like art. I can be a little artistic. I'm organized. I like to talk to people. I'm like this is perfect for me. And so I applied never really thinking that it would go anywhere. Because as far as like non-profit directing, I don't have very much experience, but I am a quick learner and go-getter and I will put my 100% effort into everything. So Mr. Randy, who is the president on the board, called me one day and set up an interview. And we did a phone interview, and then we did an in-person interview. And then I had to go appear before the board, which is part of how the art council is ran. I had to appear before them twice. And then I was voted in, and I've been here ever since. 

Derrick Michaud

How long did that whole process take? 

Kyli Collins:

It took about three weeks to get everything, just to coordinate schedules and make sure everybody was here and just to make a decision. And I remember after the board meeting, I went out to eat. And I remember Mr. Randy called me, and he was like, can I speak to the new director of the Desoto Arts Council? And I was like, oh, I’m so excited.

Derrick Michaud

Nice classy way to hire you. That's awesome. Now just so we can get more specific, what's Randy's last name? Who's Randy? 

Kyli Collins:

Randy Martin. He's the president of the Desoto Arts Council board. He's also a book editor, does a lot of book work. He's a singer/guitarist, a very talented, knowledgeable person. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah. I had the fortune to meet him last week with you. Yeah, he's definitely a knowledgeable guy. He does a lot of different things and in the arts space too. So obviously, if you're giving your time to be the president of this organization, there's a lot of passion behind that. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. And he definitely has a lot of passion for our goals and what we're here for. 

Derrick Michaud

So if I have learned correctly, before you, there wasn't really that secured face spokesperson director. So are you the first one to really come in? And it's a position, it's a full-time job. Are you the first one to take that role? 

Kyli Collins:

There were people prior to me, but they were more on the business end and kind of behind the scenes and just making sure everything ran a certain way and not as active in the community. But there were people here before, but their job titles kind of changed since it's became my position. And when I got hired, we have a board of directors, and each one is given like a certain task that they're over. And then I'm overseeing them. Like if there's a task for sponsorships, we have a divisional director who does sponsorships, and I just follow up. Whereas before me, there wasn't the divisional. There wasn't as many people. It was just one person doing everything. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah, that's overwhelming. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. So it was kind of hard to get out in the community and do stuff. So they've kind of done some restructuring and rearranging and trying to make things run smoother. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah. Having you as that connector is critical. You can have an amazing organization and provide all these benefits to artists, but it's hard to, how do you connect with the public and the community? And I can see why they're like let's get someone that has less of the more behind the scenes stuff so they have time to set things up and have some events. 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. And when I came in, that was my main objective, my main goal. The main thing they hired me for was event planning and just community work and being out in the community and letting people know who we are and what we do. 

Derrick Michaud

Well, let's get into the who, what, and how of the Desoto Arts Council. So I guess in a more detailed way, what exactly does an art council do for a community and what does it provide for the public and the artists? 

Kyli Collins:

The art council is pretty much like a networking thing that artists can come together with like mindedness, hobbies, whatever it may be and get together and kind of bounce ideas off of each other. And also, our goal is to bring art out into the rest of the community. To be part of the arts council, you don't have to be this magnificent painter. You don't have to be a basket weaver. You can be a part of the arts council and appreciate art. It doesn't have to be necessarily a talent that you have. 

Derrick Michaud

Right. And you can become a member to help support it, right? 

Kyli Collins:

Right. If you have an appreciation for art, definitely being a member would be beneficial to you and just joining the community together. I'm stumbling. 

Derrick Michaud

That's all right. So the membership feeds two different people: someone that's more like myself that would just do it to support it, but also now I'm getting an email list of events and all the different things that's going on. But then the membership for the artists comes with—I mean the member gets all of these fringe benefits, but not everyone has the same needs. So when the artist becomes a member, let's start there. What do the artists get by becoming a member of this organization? 

Kyli Collins:

If you're an artist and you make a product and you become a member of the Desoto Arts Council, you can sell whatever your product is in our gift shop, and it works on kind of a commissions base, like a consignment type thing. And then also whenever we have festivals, we have our arts festival, Water Tower Festival, Red Door Market, all those kinds of things, and we have booths set up. So if you're an artist and you do that type of thing and you're a member, you get a discount on those booths. When we have our kids camp, members—artists or not—get a discount on the enrollment fee of that. So if you think about becoming a member, it's a really low price, but whenever you do, if you utilize it and do some of those things, the discounts in themselves, you make your money back. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah. And so let's talk about some of the annual events that you do have. So you have the art festival. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. We have the Arts Festival which usually coincides around Earth Day, the opening of the farmers market. And then around Christmas time, we have our Red Door Market, and it's just pretty much the same idea. It's different vendors and they set up a booth and they sell their products. 

Derrick Michaud

Where is that held? 

Kyli Collins:

It's right here. 

Derrick Michaud

So just the same location? 

Kyli Collins:

As the Arts Festival right next door, right next to the square. 

Derrick Michaud

Okay. Yeah. I was here for the opening day of the farmers market and Earth Day and the Arts Council. 

Kyli Collins:

It's a huge event.

Derrick Michaud

It is craziness. Yeah. But it was great. So yeah. So that parking lot, if you're looking at the building, which we're going to get into the actual location here in a second. But when you're looking at the building, to the left, there's that open lot. That's where you set up all your booths, right? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes, yes. 

Derrick Michaud

So okay. So then as far as someone like myself that becomes a member, what does it do for me in the sense of obviously I know I'm glad I'm helping and I'm getting emails? Is that really the way to connect with the community is just kind of push it out there and invite people into certain events? 

Kyli Collins:

Right. And then we have our back porch parties. The first Friday of every month from May until September. And whenever you're a member—artist or not—you get the notifications, the reminders. Anybody can come to those back porch parties. They're open to the public, but it's hard to remember without getting an update, this is when this is happening or this is when this go is going on. So becoming a member just puts you in the know a little bit more than not being one. 

Derrick Michaud

In the newsletter, are you also promoting things that are for sale, art that's for sale? 

Kyli Collins:

We do. And we promote the different artists. One of our annual events—well, several of our annual events in the gallery is we have a featured artist, and we display their work. So in those newsletters, you'll get to know a little bit more about the artist that we're featuring and who they are and what they do. Because it's not just necessarily paintings. We have several that do like basket weaving and sculptures. 

Derrick Michaud

Awesome. And we're going to get into how you want to broaden the horizon a little bit. But first, we're going to talk about the building we're sitting in right now. So this used to be the city hall, correct? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. This was the city hall. Then it was City Hall Cheesecake. It's been the chamber of commerce. And then it’s us. The art council actually started in 1997 and became a non-profit organization in 1999. And we started in several different buildings. We started in a little house, and then they call it the big house. And then now we're here. So it's moved around a lot, but it has been here since pretty much 1997. 

Derrick Michaud

In this building? 

Kyli Collins:

No. 

Derrick Michaud

No, no, no. Like how long has it been in this building? A little while we’ll say.

Kyli Collins:

A little while. 

Derrick Michaud

Well, it's great because it's got such character to it because it's an old building. And because it used to be a city hall, there's a jail cell in the basement. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. And there's lots of stories that I don't think I want to know about the jail cell. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah, I mean your office is right around the corner from it. So we always joke if you hear voices, what's going on there. But I remember when we first met, I was so intrigued by that. I was like, wow, that's so cool. And I even said, we got to record down there. Well, you wouldn't know it's a jail cell without the actual jail door. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. 

Derrick Michaud

Because now it's just storage, and it looks like any kind of storage room. But it is pretty interesting. It's such a flashback to simpler times. 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. It very much reminds me of Andy Griffith. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah. Like your desk was probably the deputy sheriff. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes, yes. And then you have that one little jail cell. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah. So all right. So, as I call it, the 10,000 foot view, without giving away information that's not ready for the public yet, I understand in any business organization there's always thoughts, plans, and stuff that's not prepared. But as we spoke, there are some things that you can talk about, ideas and plans that you would like to see happen. So let's talk about that. Now one of that was, you just mentioned it earlier, how the art that you show off in here isn't just paintings. It was basket making, right? So one of the things you're looking to do is broaden the kind of arts that are included. And let's talk more about that. 

Kyli Collins:

Right now, the Arts Council, we do have opportunities for performing arts as far as music at our back porch parties and things like that. We do have opportunities for the basket weaving to display those. But what we're trying to do in our growth and our goal is to provide opportunities for all different kinds of art, not just visual. More of the performing arts, the art of dance, the art of food, the art of cooking, all those different kinds of things that right off the top of your head you don't think of it as an art form, but it is. And so our long-term goal is to have a space and an opportunity for the Desoto community to be able to display those different forms of art.

Derrick Michaud

So that also, like you said, a space for housing all that, I would gather at some point, you'd like to increase your footprint and just get a bigger place right now. And maybe some things we can't talk about there, right? 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. 

Derrick Michaud

But for right now it's in this really cool spot. I think it's great. And I know I've lived here for a year now, but I've been coming to Hernando for years and years and years. I never knew this building. You just drive by it. You don't realize it's an art room, a gallery, and a gift shop. So anyone that lives here, we're right across the street from the gas station on the corner of Commerce and 51. 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. 

Derrick Michaud

And the parking is in the back. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. 

Derrick Michaud

So you have to go down 51, take a left, I forget the name of that street, and then hook around. 

Kyli Collins:

To Memphis Street. 

Derrick Michaud

Memphis Street.

Kyli Collins:

It’s off of Memphis street right behind the Underground Café is our parking lot. 

Derrick Michaud

Okay. Good to know. And what are your hours? 

Kyli Collins:

We are here Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 to 4:00. And then on Saturdays with the farmers market, we're here from 9:00 to 1:00. 

Derrick Michaud

Okay. And totally open to the public and anyone can come in and go to the gift shop and let's patronize these artists. Let's support them, right? 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. 

Derrick Michaud

Because selling art is pretty difficult for anyone. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. And sometimes, a lot of our volunteers that work in here are the actual artists. So depending on what day you come in, you might get to—and that's always been kind of a neat concept to me that hey, I actually met the person who did this. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah. There's that connection that, one degree removed connection. It's not like going to this big fancy art show and being miles separated from ever meeting the artist. 

Kyli Collins:

Right. Yeah. And everything in our gift shop is local other than our baskets, and they're from Ghana. And the proceeds for them go to support education there. 

Derrick Michaud

Outstanding. That's so cool. Well, before we close this up, let's do some more call to action as I call it. Like where can people go to become a member, get more information on the council, website, social media? Where can people find more information? 

Kyli Collins:

We actually have two Facebook pages, Desoto Arts and Desoto Art Council. We post a lot of events and upcoming information and announcements through those. We also, if you aren't ready to become a member but you still want to get the emails and the information, you can drop by, and we can add you to the email list. And then also, we have our website. It's www.DesotoArtsCouncil.com. And on there, you can join, become a member. You can sign up for the different classes that we offer. There's updates and little blurbs about what's going on here all on our website. And then also, we have an Instagram page which just is @DesotoArtsCouncil. Also, anytime that we're open, you can come in here and ask questions. You can become a member directly here with a person. Sign up that way if the internet is not your thing. But feel free to call and talk to somebody here, and we'll be willing to help you. 

Derrick Michaud

And come to the back porch party. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes.

Derrick Michaud

Come check it out, first Friday of each month. And then you can come into the gift shop and sign up then too if you're interested. But there's a nice spread of food and drink in the cash bar and live entertainment. 

Kyli Collins:

Yes. And it's a different artist every time, and it's a different genre. So it goes to a different type of person. It just depends. And it's a good time. It's a good time to socialize and meet new people. 

Derrick Michaud

And it's chill. It's not hundreds of people. It's pretty chill, laid back. You have some tables and also a lot of standing room. But it's just a nice vibe. So I suggest anyone come and check it out and support. So that'd be great. Well, look, thank you for doing this. This has been a pleasure to get to know you. This is like the fourth time we get to see each other. So this is fantastic. I think you're a super nice person. Not that I know how to hire a director for any kind of organization, but you definitely have that sociability, that vibe, that that spirit. and I saw at the back porch where you’re just on top of it and it was very just cool and nice to see you move around and do your thing. And I really hope that it helps you personally and brings you the enjoyment that you desire to have a job and then because of that, helps grow this organization. So I think that's key. So any last words from you that you might want to say to the community or anything else that we might have missed about the organization that you'd like to talk about or share with us? 

Kyli Collins:

Just that if you haven't come by here, just drop by. If you're not a member and that's something that interests you, go ahead and do it. We have some great things going on, great things coming up, and you're going to want to be a part of it. 

Derrick Michaud

And being a member is what? $60 a year. 

Kyli Collins:

For a family. It's $35 for an individual. 

Derrick Michaud

For a year? 

Kyli Collins:

Yeah. For a year. 

Derrick Michaud

Yeah. So I'm signing up today. Well, great. Awesome. Thank you for doing this again, and it's been a pleasure talking to you today. So now let's talk to our listeners, Kyli. Because we're going to ask them for a favor now, and that is to give them the best tip on how to grow this podcast, but more importantly, grow you in this organization. That is by sharing this episode. So go to our website, TheRealHernando.com. Go ahead and find this episode, grab its URL link, and share it to the world. Email friends, throw it on your Facebook page, promote it on Instagram. You can also go to our social media sites. We are on Facebook and Instagram, which is both The Real Hernando. Share our posts, comment, give us a like, throw it in your story, anything you can do to help spread the word helps everyone in this camera shot here. And then it just spreads through the community too. The more people that know about this podcast, the more they'll know about people like Kyli Collins and other businesses and organizations in this community. That's what this is all about here. So check out our socials and our website. You can find everything at TheRealHernando.com. Plus, you can find our podcasts on all major platforms, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Stitcher, Audible. Any place you can find a podcast, we're at. And I mentioned YouTube. So this is also a video format as well. If you go to our website and you look at the episode, you can listen to it, watch it, and read it. We transcribe this whole thing. So you get to read my mumbling and the more tactful eloquent speaking from Kyli. And that's it. So, again thanks for watching, thank you for listening, and thank you, Kyli, for being here today. 

Kyli Collins:

Thank you.