Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Beach

Hi Leah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.

For my final project in art school, I decided to share the story of my great-grandmother, Treva Yohe, who was living with Dementia. She had been in her 13th year of living with the condition, and I spent hours in her memory care unit with other patients who were in a similar situation. Despite her not recognizing me, I found it fascinating to observe her and others as they navigated through their days. It became apparent that she was essentially waiting to pass away, living only in the present without any concept of the past or future. I found something hauntingly beautiful about her experience.

As I delved deeper into understanding how people live with Dementia, I noticed that most information and images were from Western countries. This inspired me to photograph individuals living with Dementia in developing countries. I sought out opportunities and eventually found an internship in Kenya through Global Vision International. After selling all my belongings, I embarked on a one-way journey to Shimoni, Kenya in September 2014.

In Kenya, I used my creative skills to develop photographs and graphics that could benefit the local community. This experience of living in this remote community and using my skills to help others eventually led me to found the Developing Artist Collaboration (DAC), my artist development nonprofit. Additionally, I had the chance to work in a clinic and learn about how Community Health Workers (CHWs) serve rural communities. I collaborated with a Nurse from the UK to educate the CHWs about Dementia, using the photos I had taken as visual aids.

After completing my internship, I presented the photos to Alzheimer’s South Africa and expressed my desire to share the story of people living with Dementia in Africa. This led me to travel to Cape Town and Bloemfontein, where I witnessed the harsh reality of how individuals in poor rural townships cope with Dementia. I encountered a lot of stigma and even instances of abuse towards the elderly with Dementia.

Returning from Africa, I continued my project in Guatemala, a country known for its progressive approach to Dementia care. I collaborated with Grupo Ermita Alzheimer and documented the complexities of Dementia care in Guatemala. I was deeply moved by the dedication of caretakers and the challenging conditions in which they operated.

Upon sharing my work with Alzheimer’s Disease International, they were impressed. They not only licensed my work for use across various associations in the UK but also invited me to London to discuss further collaboration. They even commissioned me to photograph at the ADI International Conference in Japan and subsequently head to India.

This was a dream come true, and I felt honored to continue this vital work. My work helped share the narrative of Global Dementia at the World Health Organization assembly in Geneva in 2016. I realized that Artists actually do have the power to help change the world.

I decided to dedicate my life to helping other Artists use their talents to make the world a better place. I dove into building DAC, continuing to take photos, creating murals, and developing my signature art style. After returning from India, I shifted my focus from photography to creating murals and smaller art projects, hoping to establish a successful art business to support myself while building DAC. However, I struggled to find resources and guidance online, so I had to figure everything out on my own. Eventually, I became known as one of the go-to artists in my town for murals, unknowingly laying the foundation for the future of DAC.

Before the pandemic, DAC was thriving with pop-up gallery events, artist studios, and a DIY (do-it-yourself) space generating revenue. However, the pandemic drastically changed our trajectory. With limited operational funds, I leveraged my mural business to support DAC. We shifted our DIY projects into kits, launched an e-commerce platform, and developed a program to help artists build websites.

As the pandemic persisted, I faced challenges in managing the cash flow of a growing organization and struggled to pay myself. However, the DAC team and our artist members persevered with a startup mindset.

In 2021, I took on a complex mural project at a Military Hospital in Bethesda, MD, which involved designing a safari-themed wallpaper and painting life-size decals. This project showcased the sustainable approach I developed through DAC’s artist development program.

By 2022, DAC had received substantial grants and funding, and I had completed transformative projects, including an outdoor public art market. However, the rapid expansion led to loss of control, and I faced the possibility of dissolving DAC due to its shaky foundation.

Instead of giving up, I brought in experienced leadership to steer DAC through the challenges. This painful but necessary decision saved the organization, emphasizing the importance of the people who stood by it during this transformative period.

After almost losing DAC in 2023, I spent that last two years evolving as the leader I always knew I could be and am proudly back at the helm of leading my organization. I am dedicated to building a sustainable organization that will transform the lives and careers of Artists worldwide. I continue creating collections of paintings and pick up my camera from time to time. My ultimate dream is to place Artists in partnership with NGO’s around the world to have them uplift underserved communities just like I did.

In the meantime, Im just enjoying the ride of being a leader.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

My road was extremely bumpy, and there is really only one person to blame for that. The biggest obstacle I have had to overcome has been learning that it doesn’t have to be so hard. I endured a lot as a child, and my nervous system was conditioned for chaos. It wasn’t until I learned about regulating my nervous system that I realized so much of the pain I endured over the last decade was because I was living my life in chaos. I literally did everything the hard way. From business to personal. Taking a year to heal and learn to be better inside has changed my life. Im a better leader, artist, friend, and partner because of it. I know I can always ask for help and just because I am not qualified doesn’t mean I can’t be at the top. I know it’s about who you surround yourself with.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?

I am so proud of my nonprofit, the Developing Artist Collaboration. I have built a nonprofit model unlike anything else. We operate on just over half a million dollars a year and I have 6 full-time staff members. We built a outdoor public art market from scratch, an innovative DIY (do-it-yourself) artist workshop space, and a communal 20-studio building. We are dedicated to helping artists build sustainable creative careers. As an artist, I have learned to build a nonprofit of our size and have built business tools to help people with brains like me. Trust me, if I can do it… anyone can. We’ve spent the past five years researching and developing tools that address the core needs of modern artists. EMERGE combines targeted virtual lessons, group learning, and individual consultations designed to elevate emerging careers. We believe in practical tools, accessibility, and empowering individuals to take ownership of their craft.

Emerge is divided into three verticals: Mindset, Business, and Marketing. Lessons consist of virtual videos and workbooks beautifully designed with modern Emerging Artist in mind. Each vertical will consist of eight lessons reflecting the needs of contemporary emerging artists across all disciplines.

Our intention is to grow Emerge into a virtual program that can help Artists anywhere in the world. We are going to continue growing the arts community right here at the Delaware Beaches.

My goal is to write a book and venture into public speaking to raise awareness for important Artists are. My purpose in life is to eradicate the starving artist mentality.

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?

The Pandemic allowed me to discover the purpose of DAC. It changed the way people consume art and artists needed to pivot to be able to reach them still. Us answering that call to help Artists made us discover a huge hole in the Market. There wasn’t anyone out there trying to actually give Artists the tools and a plan to build a sustainable career.

I believe people who had innovative dreams were able to shine during that time. It was tough, but I think my tenacity allowed me to thrive during the Pandemic.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://leahbeach.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/leahbeachcreates
• Other: https://developingarts.org

Image Credits

Maria DeForrest Photography