Don’t get spooked! Dominic Facio is here for you

Editor’s note: As the national platform for Springboard for the Arts, Creative Exchange has long been a platform to highlight the artists, resources, and efforts in our national network. In this pandemic, as Springboard for the Arts’ work is increasingly online and accessible nationally, we’ll be turning the spotlight on Springboard staff and our Artist Career Consultants, to share more about who we are, and the work we do. Enjoy!

Just in time for Halloween, meet Springboard’s spookiest staff member, Dominic Facio! As Springboard’s Rural Program Coordinator, Dominic makes sure that our Fergus Falls office and Rural Program run smoothly and stay responsive, bringing his many talents – organizing events to design, collaboration, and execution – to the work. With a capacity to adapt to the times (like an impromptu Trunk-or-Treat event) and a flair for the dramatic, Dominic creatively brings people together.

A person in zombie makeup growls at the camera
Dominic at the Fergus Falls Zombie Crawl, 2017.

Share a little about your creative practice.
My creative practice is rooted in creating new experiences for the Fergus Falls community. My work began with experimenting with makeup design, photography, and DJing. I brought these skills together with my first event, the Fergus Falls Zombie Crawl. I invited the community to dress up in their best zombie costume, meet in a central location, then walk together up and down our Main street. The walk would end at a local eatery/venue with live music, DJ sets, and food/drink specials. This free, public community event was hosted yearly from 2009-2018. After 10 years, in 2019, I felt it was time for a new chapter, so I created the Fergus Falls Monster Mash, which expanded the creativity from only zombies to whatever the community wanted.

In 2018, I started Danse Macabre, a free, monthly alternative dance night where attendees could explore the Goth/Post-Punk subculture through playlists and socializing. I sourced local and regional DJs to play sets alongside myself. Danse Macabre was hosted every month for two years (January 2018-December 2019). Due to the current pandemic, I have moved to live streaming when possible. Also, in June of 2018, as part of Springboard for the Arts’ Year of Play initiative, I created the first ever drag show in Fergus Falls called the Catwalk Party. I sourced local and regional performers, built a T shaped catwalk stage, DJ’ed the event, and sold over 100 tickets. Since the first performance, to meet the demand, I have produced a total of four Catwalk Parties, and have expanded to a larger venue.

How did you start working with Springboard for the Arts?
I moved back to Fergus Falls after living in Fargo/Moorhead for five years, and I stopped in the Fergus Falls Springboard office with my resume. That happened to be the same day that the person that was in my current position put in their two week notice. I interviewed with Michele and Naomi in person, and with Carl on the TV screen. I had already been organizing fun community events for about eight years at that point, so it felt like a very good fit. After an amount of time, when Michele called me to offer me the position, I had to contain my excitement. I had never been so excited to be offered a position! Since then, I have been the Rural Program Coordinator, managing our resource center and building, and assisting with daily tasks and the Hinge Arts residency program.

A person with tall, long black hair and makeup, dressed in black, stands at a computer DJingDominic DJing the Catwalk Party.

What are projects that you have going right now or an idea in the making? What’s a project you’d like to see happen?
In my role with Springboard, I’ve been working with the Emergency Relief Fund team, doing correspondence and anything else that needs to get done. Most recently, I created the new Hinge Arts poster and artist biography packet.

Personally, due to the current pandemic, organizing community gatherings is mostly on hold, for now. I have turned more to DIY/wearable art. I’ve been fixing old articles of clothing, studding, dyeing, cutting, ripping, sewing together, etc. I’ve recently helped a friend come up with a visual design for their Earth Day project.

What’s something you wish others knew about you?
I really enjoy hearing people’s ideas on design, marketing, successes/problems in their arts career, etc. I feel like sometimes, simply lending an open, listening ear to a creative will help them come to their own conclusions or solutions.

Springboard Resources
Artist Career Consultants, available for virtual consultations: https://springboardforthearts.org/consultants/
Hinge Arts Residency: https://springboardforthearts.org/jobs-opportunities/hinge-residency/
Personal Emergency Relief Fund: https://springboardforthearts.org/additional-resources/personal-emergency-relief-fund/

Cover photo: Dominic Facio (far left) at the Catwalk Party, November 2019.