Meet Blair Williams, a Creative Placemaker, owner of the Art Spirit Gallery in downtown Coeur d'Alene and board member of the Idaho Humanities Council.

1) What's new at the Art Spirit Gallery, and what's coming up?
Celebrating our 28th year in business, we still change our exhibits once a month. We will be opening our new exhibit, “Scratching the Surface,” today at 11 a.m., and hosting an artist talk and demonstration featuring artist Doug Fluckiger.

2) What are you working on with the Idaho Humanities Council now?
We at the Idaho Humanities Council are working hard to offer the IHC North Idaho Distinguished Humanities Lecture and Dinner, which will feature author and political analyst David Brooks.

David Brooks is a keen observer of the American way of life and a savvy analyst of present-day politics and foreign affairs whose columns are among the most read in the nation. He has a gift for bringing readers and audiences alike face to face with the spirit of our times with humor, insight and quiet passion. The author of six books, many of which are bestsellers, Brooks seeks to further explore and explain humanity and the way we live with every addition to his critically acclaimed body of work. With intellectual curiosity and emotional wisdom, he underscores the value of community and the importance of nourishing the inner and social self in our journeys to live fulfilling lives.

Ticket prices for the North Idaho Distinguished Lecture are $75 for standard individual tickets, $600 for a table of eight separate tickets, $125 for benefactor tickets and $1,000 for a table of eight benefactor tickets. Benefactors are invited to a private reception with David Brooks before the lecture, including a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres. The program starts at 7 p.m. Following the event, the author will sign books, which will be available for sale at the event through the Well-Read Moose.

We are also preparing for our fall board meeting in which we will be working to award grant monies to various organizations throughout the state. This is by far my favorite meeting of the year! The depth of the conversations we as board members hold about each of the applications fills my soul and excites me for the future of humanity.

3) What does it mean to you to have captured your dreams in your hometown, where you share the beauty of art with others?

It means everything! It is more than I could have dreamt to be a part of. I only wish that counselors at our region's high schools would share the idea of arts administration with their students. After graduating from Coeur d'Alene High School, I left to major in architecture and it wasn’t quite a good fit for me. When I discovered "arts administration" as a degree I was thrilled! There is so much you can do in the arena to drive our creative economy.

4) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I was once invited to join the San Jose/Cleveland Ballet troupe "Dancing Wheels." It was an honor to be invited, but I was so busy building my career that I had to pass. That said, I got to meet Rudolf Nureyev.

5) If you could say anything to our community, what would it be?

Come together. Be nice to one another. Rather than spend your energy pointing out our differences, work together to raise our community up. We don’t have to all agree … but we do all have to coexist.