Tareneh Manning, wearing jazzy fashion by Brandy at Big Sister Studio, straight off her runway show at NWA Fashion Week, in front of the heavenly art installation “Celestial Bodies” by Aimee Papazian

In our 2020 issue, we’re shining the light on some outstanding leading ladies for all their accomplishments and contributions to society.

TARENEH MANNING
INTERIOR DESIGNER, ARTS ADVOCATE AND PHILANTHROPIST

Tareneh grew up outside of Tulsa in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. She moved to Bentonville her senior year of high school before attending the University of Arkansas. She transferred to the Little Rock campus when her husband Lance went to medical school. Tareneh graduated Summa Cum Laude as a Donaghey Scholar with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and a minor in Child Psychology. From Little Rock, she and Lance bundled up their little family and headed to Rochester, Minnesota, for Lance’s residency at the Mayo Clinic. Northwest Arkansas welcomed them back home in 2005 with a lot of love!

Education:
B.A. English Literature with a minor in Child Psychology, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

Did you always know what you wanted to do?
At 5, I was painting rocks from my driveway and selling them to the elderly lady next door. By 10 years old, I was picking out art, paint colors, and moving furniture for family, friends, and neighbors. I had no idea it was a “career” path. I remember in sixth grade explaining to my dad’s best friend after he got divorced that if his home was beautiful that he would feel better and be happier. So we hauled a sad brown flower print sofa to the curb and got to work. I also made a rule that there had to be at least one funny thing in each room, even if it was a private joke, because laughter heals. That special rule has stuck to this day. After I finished his house, I was recruited to “happy up” his ex wife’s apartment and did the same process with her. I was half way through college before I realized that there was such a thing as an interior design degree. Manning House LLC Art and Interiors was born because, despite having a degree in another field, the work naturally flowed to me. In the art realm, I consult and sell art, occasionally it is mine. Recently, I have been steering toward professional development for artists and creatives as well as cultivating local collectors. Strategically supporting the arts and creative ecology is as gratifying as it is to paint, create assemblage pieces, or transform a room into a haven. It is all soul work.

Best part of your job:
Whether this question refers to my paid gigs or my volunteer projects, I am intentionally creating all the time – art, spaces, businesses, communities and a beautiful life. Creating this kind of life means surrounding myself with humans that I love and cultivating those connections is by far the best part of any of my work.

One thing you’d like to master in business and in your personal life:
Business: Graphic design.
Personal Life: Healthy sleep. Well actually, making my husband sleep!

What nonprofits are you involved with, and why?
While I have served many nonprofits, my focus the past few years has primarily been on the Arts Center of the Ozarks and downtown Springdale. During 2018-2019 I served as the Interim Executive Director at the Arts Center of the Ozarks and have since rolled back on the Board of Directors as Past President. I also currently serve on the Skipstone Pictures Advisory Board as Community and Cultural Engagement Advisor; Northwest Arkansas Health Care Foundation Board of Directors; Downtown Springdale Alliance Events Committee; and the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resource Council as Chairwoman Elect. Restore Humanity has a permanent spot in my heart too.

Do you have a personal philosophy that guides what you do?
Would it be shocking if I said that the arts are sacred? And I meant it? If one adopts a spiritual perspective that we are created in the image of our Creator, then it follows that we too must be creators at our core essence. Therefore, the creative process, thus the arts, are innately a spiritual part of our human experience. I’m not talking about religious themed arts; I am postulating about who we really are at the basic spiritual level beyond any religions or dogmas – we are innate creators. Could the arts be sacred in ways that we rarely fathom? I believe they are and I believe they should be used for humanity’s benefit. This underlying philosophy is one of the primary reasons that I work with others to build cultural bridges through the arts and help people prosper in a profession that is their sacred calling. It is not something for the pulpit, but it is what drives me. This big lofty spiritual idea has sprouted into very down to earth applications for me. As a creative professional and arts advocate, I have been living the ACO mission to build community socially, culturally and economically through arts and collaborations. The arts can help build inclusive social structures by connecting people that otherwise might not share in each other’s cultural heritage and experiences, bring a myriad of opportunities for healing to individuals and the collective, and generate a creative economy that not only increases revenue and foot traffic within itself but grows the whole economy in measurable and substantial ways. Wielding the arts in this way has become a 21st century renaissance that creates a vital path to raise the quality of life for whole communities, even positively impacting those who do not participate in the arts. Whenever possible, I champion building bridges through arts experiences that are some combination of celebratory, thoughtful, joyful, witty, poignant, humorous, entertaining, thought provoking and meaningfully engaging. These are soulful ways to connect and bond.

Quality you admire most in women:
Incredible strength that is conceived and built through vulnerability.

What do you do for fun?
Is it terrible to say that my community and creative work is my fun? That is a pretty Capricornian thing to say. Oops, now you know my sign. I absolutely love to get lost in books, the arts, philosophies and religions of the world.

Who is your biggest inspiration?
Living: Kat Wilson and Ashley Longshore – I am a total art groupie when it comes to these two phenoms!
Dead: Tony Duquette – My heart literally swoons over his theatrical interiors, stunning jewelry, ostentatious set design, and his high low hand crafted decorative objects and art because “More is more!”
Poets: Maya Angelou and Khalil Gibran – My words about their words are not worthy to grace their names.

Personal Mantra:
“I truly believe that we are here to bless and prosper each other.” – Louise Hay

Best advice you’ve ever received:
Show up every single day and take at least one step in the direction of your dreams. It doesn’t matter how big or small your steps are, the magic is in showing up every day and putting one foot in front of the other.

Advice you’d give to other working women/moms:
Despite which choices you make about your career and family, guilt and angst will come calling. She will call often and she will ring you through family, friends, and through your own thoughts and beliefs. So PREPARE logical, emotional and spiritual responses that you can whip out to tame that beast when she tries to tear your world down. Know that every woman has to wage this internal battle too, so be kind and encouraging to your sisters even if they are choosing a path you don’t understand. Help each other thrive.

Best part of your day:
If I said “the best part of my day is when I connect with God before opening my eyes in the morning,” that would not be accurate. But it is useful advice. The truth is that my waking prayers are tools to set the day aright or to stave off anxiety of all there is to do. That morning routine is crucial to my well being but the most magical time of day is when I am alone in the house midmorning, sitting with my coffee and getting lost in the spiritual journey of Matt Miller’s meditation painting above my fireplace or gazing out the window at some peaceful or powerful weather. Art, nature and a beautiful peaceful room nurture me. These moments are where my heart and soul really open to divine ponderings, questions and inspirations.

How are you practicing self-care?
I live in hot water. It is not a secret that I visit a sacred hot spring in my temple several times a day. Joking aside, a hot bath is the nicest way to warm up, get centered, meditate, and it can also serve as the most fabulous office space. For instance, I’m typing this from the tub. Yes, I understand that might be just a tad too much information for the readers. 😉

How do you stay motivated?
For me, motivation comes via purpose and persistence. While purpose ignites my motivations and creates a solid foundation for my work, it is understanding and using the power of persistence that keeps everything moving when I am exhausted, dejected or questioning why I am even trying, or whether I am making any difference at all. Persistence is a daily commitment to the long term. For me, this is a commitment to supporting community arts and creatives in a way that propels, not just the creative community, but the larger community to develop socially, culturally and economically. In a world so divided by political, racial, religious and socioeconomic dynamics, arts and culture serve so many healing functions! Some of those are found in advocacy, activism, art for arts sake, therapy, and others. Those are very important and deserve support, but so does insuring that there is an approachable community place that people from all different walks of life can celebrate and share one another’s culture through the arts. It is a welcoming place not just for people my age but for young children, and grandparents and the community teens have their slice too; a true communal place with creativity and arts at its heart. Building cultural bridges through the arts is slow persistent work that isn’t always reflected in impact studies because it must grow authentically over time. It is those relationships, especially the deep seeded friendships, that heal us and will ultimately shift our society to dissolve some of its worst divisions. Our cities are beginning to understand and utilize the arts as social and economic tools. One of the more interesting results that I foresee is that the real human to human relationships can eventually help balance power structures since people will naturally pull up their seat to the table without some “hierarchical someone” having to beg others to join or “give” them a seat at the table. Art, like science, has the power to heal and advance the individual and the collective. Since the role and power of the arts have been displaced and undervalued for too long in the United States, it is remarkable to behold and be a part of a great societal shift for the better. My belief in wielding the healing power of the arts is at the crux of my purpose and why I persistently show up everyday to do the work that I do.

Surprising fact about you:
I am a certified hypnotherapist.

Do you still seek out mentors or mentees?
One does not seek it, when it is one of those magical experiences that occurs as a natural daily connection with others; I am inherently didactic, so learning and teaching is one of my frequent communication modalities. I especially enjoy when we take turns being each other’s mentees and mentors. There are many mentors and mentees in my life now and in my past that support different facets of my growth as a human being. Those relationship gifts are special and lasting. Yet my experience has been that even in brief encounters or small fleeting moments, we can create powerful opportunities to learn or share wisdom with someone we may never meet again. I have had huge mentorship moments with strangers in unassuming places like Walmart and Cracker Barrel. It may seem peculiar that I continue to consider people who have exited my life as really beautiful mentors that taught me so much, and in some cases still do, as I quietly observe, applaud and learn from their new achievements and philosophies.

Thing you’re most proud of:
Who cares! There is new stuff to accomplish, and I am excited about it!

You can view Tareneh’s page in the Leading Ladies segment of the 2020 3W Magazine here.