ALEXANDRIA — Nicole Mulder likes to say that “comparison is the thief of joy.”

She also likes to quote the Greek philosopher Heraclitus: “No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”

Mulder, business consultant employed to work with Theatre L’Homme Dieu on a six-month contract, ended up serving as the Theatre’s executive and artistic director for eight years, before she

announced her resignation late last year

.

Now she’s hard at work on a new project, named, in part, after the quote from Heraclitus that so inspires her.

Rivana is part event series, part subscription series, even part economic development project. “We’re going to redefine how we’re going to connect in greater Minnesota,” says Mulder.

For one thing, the initiative is flinging wide the doors with respect to venue. Everything is on the table: from formal performing arts spaces to living rooms in people’s homes.

“What makes it different is that it’s not just it’s not tied to one venue,” says Mulder. “So we’re going to find different areas of Alexandria that are perfect for each event. I (recently) went into a living room and I was like, ‘Oh, I know exactly the show I want to see in this space!’ So we’re going to find these different spaces throughout Alexandria. So it’s discovering more than events, it’s discovering your community — really trying to foster that community civic pride and explore those spaces that are cool.”

“We’re building it for connection,” Mulder continues. “We’re going to use those spaces that we’re going to find together. This is really a concept for people who collect moments, not things.”

For another, it’s

a subscription service

offering three options for Rivana events, although some will be open to the public.

At the Insider level, membership can be purchased annually or quarterly. It offers early information on dates and locations of at least eight events per year, early access to tickets before they go on sale to the general public, and invitations to members-only events.

The Reserve membership level offers everything available at the Insider level, but adds reserved seating for two at select events and first access to limited-seating events.

The Premiere membership level boasts all those perks, plus access to the annual programming session, a swag bundle and two tickets to an annual Premiere Membership Party.

Some of that connection-building, says Mulder, involves other businesses in the area, as well. “The other thing that’s really interesting, I think, about this program, is that it’s more than just events, it’s community and economic development,” she says. “We are bringing people to town. There’s already a great amount of interest for the Blues and Jazz Fest for February. And we had visitors coming to town. But this is also working with other people.

“We want to work with local artists” she adds. “We want to work with other venues, other chefs, anything that’s going to help to build that, foster that civic pride, build bridges to shared experiences, and then again, finding other cool things to do. So, everything that I’m doing is a collaboration. It’s a partnership. It doesn’t just benefit me, it benefits our community.”

She’s also introducing a new paradigm into an arts series, with the tiered subscription model. “This is a new kind of concept,” Mulder says, “I haven’t really been able to find anything like it anywhere. We’ll make some changes if it doesn’t pan out here, but I think it’s looking pretty good. There’s been a lot of interest, and I feel pretty good about it.”

A couple of events already on the horizon

include JoJo Green in concert, June 20, at Carlos Creek Winery; and 4 Points of Light: 4 Artists + 4 Visions, an art show Aug. 12 at Gathered Oaks. More information on the series and upcoming events can be found at

rivanaevents.com

.