Connecting to Futures, Diversify to Amplify: Aireonna McCall-Dubé

Aireonna McCall-Dubé proceeds at full throttle: as the founder and owner of three intertwined businesses—Extraordinaire Photos, EP Events, and EP Studio—she also holds a full-time day job as community manager for a Tremont real estate developer, Sustainable Community Associates.

“Going into every day with open arms is fun,” says McCall-Dubé. “It keeps me excited about what I do every day.” That day may include a photo shoot for clients like General Motors Company, The Cleveland Orchestra, or individuals celebrating a wedding or a family milestone; creating a timeline, floorplan, and décor styling for an upcoming event; or meeting with an artist applying for one of four annual residencies at EP Studio at 78th Street Studios on Cleveland’s West Side.

“In my photography work, I take a lot of pride in having the ability to make people feel comfortable and confident in the moment,” says McCall-Dubé. “And there is something wonderful about being the conductor of someone’s day—whether during a photo shoot or an event—being that reliable person to come put out fires before the client even knows they happened.”

She arrived at this place in her career through a mix of educational choices and experiential learning. “I’ve realized it’s OK to create my own path. Success doesn’t have just one definition—it can be a multitude of things.”

McCall-Dubé started thinking about a career in the arts in 2009 during her senior year in high school. At that time, the economy was stagnant with the housing crisis and recession, and her high school teachers and counselors cautioned that no job was guaranteed. A lot of her friends knew exactly what they wanted to do: she did not, but knew she liked working with people. She also knew she liked photography. Her class schedule didn’t accommodate taking art classes at school; instead, McCall-Dubé got her first point-and-shoot camera and began playing around with it, learning photography basics and exploring her artistic vision.

McCall-Dubé attended Notre Dame College in South Euclid (now closed), majoring in psychology and minoring in art and philosophy. Psychology and philosophy classes enriched her understanding of human behavior while art classes gave her another method of interacting with people.

During college, McCall-Dubé kept practicing her photography craft and by her junior year, decided to build a business and a brand. Friends and family members were her first customers for weddings and lifestyle portraits, and “a lot just came from asking people if they needed what I could offer”—like a pitch to a local clothing retailer, Avalon Exchange, that resulted in a series of lifestyle images featuring decades of vintage fashion.

McCall-Dubé notes that her BA in psychology gave her an understanding of human behavior that is foundational to every facet of her business, while studying both art and philosophy showed her how to break out of typical constraints and make an impact. “Everything in work and life revolves around people,” she says. “And while I did a lot of self-education [in photography], my professors and employers inspired, pushed, and motivated me. If they hadn’t, I’d be in a constant state of questioning, ‘Holy shit, what did I get involved in?’”

Family support is another throughline for McCall-Dubé’s career success. Her parents bought her first camera, encouraged her to “master this machine so I could get better at my craft,” and supported her new photography business. When she started her business in college, McCall-Dubé’s oldest brother upgraded her equipment, buying her a new camera and lenses, saying he wanted to see her excel because she was so passionate about the work.

After graduating from college in 2013, McCall-Dubé worked as a senior photographer for a portrait studio specializing in school and commercial photography, honing her technical skills in lighting and using DSLR cameras as well as becoming proficient in working with different-sized groups and with a variety of brands.

And while working at the portrait studio, McCall-Dubé met fellow photographer Julian Dubé; great work and a strong relationship blossomed, and they married in 2022. “He’s my rock. Our business took off when we got together. It’s a challenge to live and work with your spouse, but it’s definitely the best part of my job.”

As she increased her photography skills, McCall-Dubé also pivoted toward the gallery side of the arts industry. In 2019, she joined 78th Street Studios as the operations manager, and worked as the gallery manager and event coordinator at Hedge Gallery.

McCall-Dubé is definitely an experiential learner, and calls artist and Hedge owner Hilary Gent a mentor. “I had never worked in a gallery,” says McCall-Dubé. “It was a great place to be around to learn about arts organizations, installations, how to establish and promote a gallery, and how much art there was going on in Cleveland.”

As operations manager at 78th Street, McCall-Dubé gave tours of the facilities to interested artists, and she herself became more intrigued by a space on the lower level. “The more I kept coming down here, the more my vision of what might be possible for my own business came about,” she says. “Besides, taking clients out for drinks gets expensive; having a place to sit down and discuss projects is what was needed.”

And so she pivoted again. In 2023, McCall-Dubé left 78th Street Studios and Hedge Gallery and joined Sustainable Associates as their community manager. At the same time, she and Dubé started planning the launch of their triple-focused business: photography, event services, and supporting emerging and established artists through a residency program. By February 2024, they opened EP Studio on the RAMP level at 78th Street, and showcased their first three-month artist residency.

“I am impressed by the depth of the art community in Cleveland,” says McCall-Dubé. “It’s a mix of an older generation of both artists and gallery reps who are well-established, but who are also willing to work with a new base of artists coming up. It might be a little more cutthroat in New York or Miami, but in Cleveland, we all kind of really support one another here. And it’s the same with people who aren’t artists themselves but who love to support local makers and creators. It’s really nice to know that people love what we have to offer.”

McCall-Dubé notes that being a business owner is not for the faint of heart. She suggests that all artists take at least one business class, because “even traditional artists wear a number of hats as a business manager, marketer, creator. I learned as I went, which took me a little longer to get to where I wanted to—I wish I would have taken even just an intro to business class.”

She also suggests picking the brains of teachers, employers, and mentors, to learn from their experience. And to have no fear. “Keep taking risks—trust yourself, trust your gut and the process. Lead with confidence. Even if I’m not sure of something myself, I’m going into it as if I were confident.”

What’s next in her future? The momentum continues: expanding into services for larger events, more immersive art experiences, classes, and workshops, and continuing photography that “makes people feel like they can be their true, authentic selves.”