A conversation with SoFA founder Hope Fell
By Bella McDaniel | Photography by Bella McDaniel
My first salon launched me out of my comfort zone when I had to act out a skit inspired by a sofa.
As much as the exercise and lecture pushed me beyond the limits of my daily activities, the part that left the strongest impression on me was mingling with the attendees before the theatre salon started. Inside LeMoyne Arts Gallery in Tallahassee, students, artists, and soon-to-be actors gathered to chat while pondering the artwork featured in the gallery and dining on homemade apple pastries.
We gathered with juice boxes in hand and were asked to contemplate the qualities of the dark green sofa that was our centerpiece and muse. Then, we formed groups based on our observations. After devising our scenes, we put on a show that featured dead cats and a polycule. It was a beautiful experience, made even more meaningful by a mini lecture from FSU School of Theatre Chair, Dr. Kris Salata.
This salon was one of many hosted by an organization called the Salon of Fine Arts, or SoFA.
SoFA primarily hosts salons in a variety of subjects, such as poetry, music, and theatre, each with a prominent guest artist to speak about their craft. In the past, SoFA has featured professionals such as painter Carrie Ann Baade, poet David Kirby, and novelist Jeff VanderMeer.
SoFA also features the work of young artists on its website and social media platforms in the Armchair Review and Art Column. It also collaborates on projects such as CouchSurfing Photoshoot with photographer Olivia Ammon and the Backyard Gala with DogNewsTV.
When I first came to FSU, I wished for a space like SoFA. Fortunately for others like me, a fellow student,
Hope Fell also found herself wanting a space for creatives to connect while at FSU, and decided to start SoFA in her freshman year.
Fell got the idea for SoFA after hearing about author and screenwriter Aleksander Hemon and his wife, Terry, hosting their own salons in Chicago. Fell’s mother, who was a bridesmaid in their wedding, actually told her about it while she was sitting on a sofa.
“I had heard of it maybe in a history lesson prior, but I hadn’t really thought of it in that way before, that it could be done,” Fell says.
“I was a freshman at the time, and I thought, ‘Do I have to wait four years to get this started, to move to Chicago, to be a part of this kind of arts community? No, I’m lonely now. I’m needing an art scene now. I’m needing to connect and network and expand my portfolio with my peers now.’”
Fell initially applied for an IDEA grant but was rejected, so she ended up doing it almost entirely on her own and with no funding.
One of Fell’s main sources of encouragement was her classmate Aidan Little. In addition to being the written arts director, Fell describes him as their “smile guy.”
“He was a really big motivation factor for me when I had doubts. That’s a big part of what SoFA is – I don’t think anything can really be created alone, and it takes a village. My salons wouldn’t have been anything had people not come to them.”
Over the course of starting SoFA, Fell realized that curating is a natural part of who she is. She has also been able to develop her public speaking skills and has gotten more comfortable connecting with people.
“SoFA has been a big outlet to make sure that I keep creating and keep honing my abilities,” Fell adds. “I do a good portion of graphic design for it, whether it’s the website or if it’s for social media.”
Fell is also a writer of fiction and nonfiction essays. She planned to be a doctor for most of her childhood, but realized that what she really wanted was to be an artist.
“I want to write for literary magazines, be a creative director, be able to curate events,” she says. “It’s hard to encompass everything I want to do, which is kind of why I had to make my own role.”
As for the future, Fell plans to make the art spaces of SoFA more accessible to students, possibly moving on campus and partnering with the Museum of Fine Arts, while still staying connected with LeMoyne Arts.
The main event for this upcoming fall semester, however, is the gala. Fell is particularly excited for the event, especially since last year’s was such a success.
When asked for advice for artists and creative people trying to find support or a community, Fell stresses the importance of simply showing up to events, pointing out that each year we become more and more dependent on technology for our social interaction.
“I sound old when I say this,” she laughs, “but I think our generation is perhaps the most afraid out of all previous generations. Every generation before us could go somewhere, and they would either have to look out into space or talk to somebody rather than look at their phone.”
“My biggest piece of advice would be: do not go into a social institution, interaction, or event thinking that you A) can’t go if you’re alone, B) can’t talk to somebody if you don’t know them, and C) feel like they won’t like you, because none of those things are gonna be true ninety-nine percent of the time. People want to connect, and they’ll feel kind of flattered that somebody would want to talk to them and that you’ve already done the hard part in coming up to them.”
Additionally, Fell warns against waiting. “A lot of times we go about our lives and think that we can put things off,” she says. “But I think about it all the time – if I had started SoFA a semester later, maybe even a month later, I don’t know if it would’ve happened.” SoFA’s first guest artist, Jeff VanderMeer, ended up going on tour for his book, Absolution, right after his appearance at the salon. Fell doesn’t know if he would’ve said yes had she waited any longer, or if the salons would’ve been a success after that.
“SoFA is really just trying to get people up off their own sofas and into a community of other people. And that’s something that can’t wait, that shouldn’t wait, until after college. You need to find your own community here and now because the talent is here, the people are here, the creativity is here right now. People need to stop waiting until they can go to New York or Chicago to find that creative community when it’s already right here in front of us. So don’t go away.”
Bella McDaniel is a writer and social media content creator. An editing, writing, and media graduate from Florida State University, Bella has contributed to numerous professional and student publications.
