Showing Up for Each Other by Mary-Margaret Zindren, EVP/Executive Director There’s a book I love – anyone pulling it from my bookshelves would know this from the dog-eared pages and underlined passages. It’s the collection This I Believe.   One of the essays in the collection includes the quote from poet Gwendolyn Brooks: “We are each other’s business; we are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.”   In the midst of all the heaviness of these times, my belief in this truth has become stronger than ever. Our interdependence has never been more clear. We choose, every day, how we show up for each other; how we demonstrate that we see each other and that we value the ties that bind us together.   Two of those opportunities to show up for each other within this architecture community are here before us: the AIA Minnesota Annual Conference and the Homes by Architects Tour.   We often think of these gatherings as opportunities to gain continuing education credits or to be inspired by experiencing great architectural solutions. These are valuable outcomes of attending these events, to be sure.   But there’s another whole realm of opportunity here: to demonstrate that we care about each other; that we are here for each other.   This year, there are 169 members of our architecture community – from Minnesota and across the nation – who are speaking at the Annual Conference. There are 94 industry partners that are supporting this event through virtual exhibit booths, ads, and sponsored sessions. There are 14 architecture firms whose work can be experienced in the virtual Homes by Architects Tour. There are 44 industry partners that have sponsored or otherwise supported the Tour.   When we show up at these events, our presence says we value our colleagues’ and partners’ work; their perspectives, their voices.   So, when you register for the conference, when you purchase your Homes by Architects Tour tickets, I ask that you think about the people involved and how you can express enthusiasm, encouragement, and gratitude. Also know that simply by showing up, you are demonstrating that you, too, believe in our interdependence; that you, too, believe we each other’s magnitude and bond. View the October 2020 edition of Matrix.