Biography

JEFFREY P. INGRAM: Co-Founder and Executive Director

GREETINGS FRIENDS. IT ALL STARTED IN THE WOODS AROUND THE HOUSE WHERE I GREW UP IN TALLMADGE, OHIO. THERE WERE
TREEFORTS, AND RAILROAD TRACKS, AND UNDERGROUND
MINESHAFT HIDEOUTS THAT SERVED TO STIMULATE THE
IMAGINATIONS OF ALL THE YOUNG KIDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
"IMAGINATION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWLEDGE",
SAID ALBERT EINSTEIN. THAT IS THE SEED FROM WHICH MY LOVE
OF THE ARTS HAS GROWN.
AT THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN, I KNEW I WANTED TO WRITE PLAYS. I¹D ALREADY WRITTEN SEVERAL AND WHEN I ENTERED OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY IN THE FALL OF 1983, I WAS EXCITED TO BE IN THE THEATRE DEPARTMENT WHERE I COULD TEST MY SKILLS. AFTER REALIZING THAT MOST OF MY PROFESSORS WERE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN ORIGINAL THEATRE, I STARTED A COFFEE HOUSE THEATRE COMPANY WITH A FELLOW STUDENT. WE CALLED
IT "HARD TRASH THEATRE" AND WE WROTE AND PERFORMED SEVERAL PLAYS AT THE KING AVENUE COFFEE HOUSE IN COLUMBUS. THAT WAS 1987.

AFTER GRADUATING, I SPENT A YEAR IN THE FORENSIC UNIT
OF THE CENTRAL OHIO PSYCHIATRIC UNIT. (AS A PSYCHIATRIC
ATTENDANT, NOT A PATIENT.) THEY DECIDED I DIDN¹T QUITE FIT
IN THERE AND SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASED ME TO PURSUE MY
CREATIVE ENDEAVORS IN LOS ANGELES.
I LIVED FOR A COUPLE YEARS IN LA, SLEEPING ON MY
BROTHER¹S COUCH AND WORKING FOR THE SECOND CITY THEATRE
AS AN ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER IN SANTA MONICA. AFTER THE
THEATRE CLOSED, I CONTINUED TO WORK AS A SET DECORATOR
AND ART ASSISTANT ON FILMS AND MUSIC VIDEOS UNTIL I DECIDED
I COULDN¹T IMPOSE ON MY BROTHER¹S COUCH ANY LONGER.
IN THE SPRING OF 1991, I MOVED TO SEATTLE AND LIVED
FOR A WHILE UNTIL I GOT A JOB ON AN ALASKAN FLOATING FISH
PROCESSOR. I HOPED TO EARN ENOUGH MONEY TO MOVE TO SAN
FRANCISCO AND START A THEATRE COMPANY. AFTER 6 MONTHS
AT SEA, I HAD PLENTY OF MONEY DO JUST THAT, BUT ON MY WAY
TO THE GOLDEN GATE CITY, I FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL AND
DROVE INTO AN ONCOMING LOGGING TRUCK. THIS ALTERED MY
COURSE AND SENT ME BACK TO TALLMADGE TO RECOVER AT MY
PARENT¹S HOUSE.

AFTER SIX MONTHS OF RECOVERY, I WAS READY TO GRAB
MY CANE, AND STEP OUT INTO THE WORLD ONCE AGAIN, WHERE
I DISCOVERED BOTH AN APARTMENT AND A GALLERY SPACE
ON NORTH WATER STREET IN KENT, OHIO. IT FELT LIKE IT WAS
MEANT TO BE. I¹VE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE AND FEEL BLESSED TO
BE A PART OF A COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS.
IT IS MY SINCERE DESIRE AS CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF STANDING ROCK CULTURAL ARTS TO PROMOTE
THE ARTS IN ALL FORMS AND CELEBRATE THE CREATIVITY AND
INNOVATION OF OUR LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND GLOBAL COMMUNITY.