| Message from the Director
You're gearing up for a busy new season, and so are we. Our report this month outlines how we are working with and for you to advocate for arts and culture over the next year.
Last spring's Arizona Town Hall, "Capitalizing on Arizona's Arts and Culture," produced energetic recommendations for growing Arizona's arts and culture industry. Over the next several weeks, you can do your part to help make the Town Hall recommendations a reality.
First, you can engage leaders in your community in the Town Hall recommendations by inviting them to join you in one of the Town Hall follow-up sessions scheduled all over Arizona in September and October. Click here for the full schedule and registration.
Like our friends in other non-profit sectors, if we are to be effective advocates, the arts and culture industry must become more active in the political process. You can learn how to ramp up your own efforts by attending the "Reclaiming Our Community's Power" Nonprofit Forum on Oct. 5 at the Disability Empowerment Center, 5025 E. Washington Street in downtown Phoenix; which Arizona Citizens/Action for the Arts is helping to sponsor.
You can also learn about more effective board leadership by participating in Valley Leadership's "Get on Board" - Tools for the Nonprofit Board Member workshop, Wednesday, November 2nd 2011, 3 pm to 6pm at ASU Skysong.
And as we prepare our advocacy agenda for the next legislative session, we also are working with a number of you on ways you can develop relationships with your elected officials. Our objective - as the economy improves - is to be better poised to discuss how to help the arts and culture industry make a recovery, too. If you'd like to learn more about being a Legislative Liaison, please contact artsed@azcitizensforthearts.org.
Finally on a personal note, thanks for your congratulations and good wishes as I take the Executive Director job permanently. Your kind words are appreciated, but not more than your enthusiastic, personal commitment to building the arts and culture industry into all it can be for Arizona. I look forward to continuing this work with you.
Catherine 'Rusty' Foley
Executive Director
Arizona Citizens/Action for the Arts
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| Phoenix City Elections are August 30th
It's not too late to Vote Arts
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Get out and vote in the City of Phoenix Elections. The election for mayor and city council seats ends this Tuesday, August 30th, 2011.
Any City of Phoenix voter can vote at any of the 26 voting centers. Vote the day of or drop off your mail in ballot if you haven't already sent it in the mail.
Before you cast your vote, please consider the responses of candidates who replied to a 6-question Arizona Citizens/Action for the Arts survey.
Please remind your neighbors to Vote Arts on the 30th!
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Follow-Up Town Hall Meetings Being Scheduled
Please Attend
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The first regional follow-up meetings to the 98th Arizona Town Hall (Capitalizing on Arizona's Arts and Culture) are being scheduled in Yuma, Kingman, Flagstaff, Sierra Vista and Douglas beginning later this month. For a complete list of community outreach meetings and registration, click here.
These meetings are your chance to hear recommendations from the Arizona Town Hall, provide input and perspective, and encourage support arts and culture in Arizona.
Among the Town Hall recommendations
- Dedicate a seat on the Arizona Commerce Authority for arts and culture and establish a legislative priority to secure this seat by amending the existing statute.
- Restore funding to the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
- Develop a statewide quality of life ballot initiative to provide a dedicated funding source for arts and culture that cannot be diverted or reduced through legislative action.
The full list of recommendations and the final report of the 98th Arizona Town Hall can be found at www.aztownhall.org or at www.azcitizensforthearts.org. Stay tuned for more details about the follow-up meetings.
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Join Arizona Citizens/Action for the Arts
Annual Membership Drive | |
A shout-out to partnering organizations and individuals who have already sent in their membership fees for the 2011-12 Fiscal Year.
We're coming off a record year in individual and organizational memberships, but with a tough political climate ahead we can't let up at all.
Your dollars are critical to our ability to work for you. We need you to continue standing up for Arizona's arts and cultural communities. To join AzCA/AA click here. Individual memberships start at $10. Organizations may join by contacting info@azcitizensforthearts.org.
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Arts and Business Council
Names Business in the Arts Award Winners | |
 Rural Metro/Southwest Ambulance was named Large Business Partner of the Year at the 21st annual Business in the Arts Awards Breakfast organized by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Phoenix. Free Arts for Abused Children of Arizona was named Arts Organization of the Year.
Six honorees were recognized at the event on Wednesday, Aug. 17 at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort. Honorees were chosen by an independent panel of judges based on nominations from across Maricopa County.
Other honorees were: Small Business Partner of the Year: Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe; Arts Advocate of the Year: Vern Mathern of Mesa, nominated by Mesa Arts Center; Arts Board Member of the Year: Zelda Faigen of Phoenix, nominated by Arizona Theatre Company; Special Business Volunteer of the Year: Elizabeth Berkshire, Scottsdale.
More information: www.artsbusinessphoenix.org.
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Arizona Citizens/Action for the Arts
Co-Sponsors Nonprofit Forum
 Arizona Citizens/Action for the Arts is participating in an important community nonprofit forum, "Reclaiming Our Community's Power," on Oct. 5 at the Disability Empowerment Center, 5025 E. Washington St. in downtown Phoenix. Lindsay Hodel, founder of the Colorado Participation Project and Director of Training and Partnerships at Nonprofit Vote, is the keynote speaker.
Conference goals are to inspire 501(c)3 nonprofits and other community groups, agencies and related businesses to effectively influence the 2012 elections through nonpartisan community engagement, to provide practical tools and actions and to empower the people they serve to be full participants in election activities and outcomes.
Among those involved are: the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, Valley of the Sun United Way, Children's Action Alliance, Recovery Empowerment Network, Arizona Foundation for Woman, Arizona Coalition against Domestic Violence, Arizona Council of Human Services Providers and Association for Supportive Childcare.
On-line registration is $12 per person and includes box lunch and resource book at www.pafcoalition.org/conferences.
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Valley Leadership Seminar on Board Leadership
Set for November 2, 2011
 Arizona Citizens for the Arts is a community partner with Valley Leadership which is conducting a seminar to provide information and insight into serving on nonprofit boards of directors.
Attendees will learn what it takes to be a good board member through instruction on board governance and responsibilities.
The seminar on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm is scheduled at ASU Skysong on the southeast corner of McDowell and Scottsdale roads.
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Arts News and Notes
Summer 2011
Crayola Launches "Creativity as a 21st Century Skills
Crayola is launching a new professional development project called "Creativity As a 21st Century Skill" in conjunction with the Department of Education to strengthen arts education curricula in schools and give educators and school administrators the tools needed to broaden the teaching of arts into other subject areas.http://tinyurl.com/3eeojv4
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| Member Organization Spotlight
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Beginning in September, as it does every year, the year starts for Hilltop Gallery in Nogales when new exhibits open each month showcasing solo, group or themed exhibitions that include the annual Members Show and the May Judged Show.
Since opening in 1972, Hilltop Gallery has presented more than 20,000 works of art from both sides of the U.S-Mexico border. Classes are held every week and a Summer Art program during June and July exposes children 6 to 15 to a wide range of artistic experiences.
Hilltop Gallery is supported and maintained by members of The Patrons of the Arts, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization.
More information: http://hilltopgallery.net.
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Advocacy Spotlight
El Mirage Arts Group | |
Advocacy is going strong in El Mirage in the far northwest valley through the El Mirage Arts Group, an organization encouraging support, appreciation and participation in the arts through community involvement.
The organization focuses on four core areas of involvement: Projects for Public Art, Creating Community Gardens, Supporting Artistic Growth and its own Awesome Arts Festival on Sept. 23 at the El Mirage City Plaza.
If you're interested in participating or for more information, visitwww.emag-az.org.
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| Upcoming Events |
Phoenix City Elections
August 30, 2011
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 | | Board of Directors | |
OFFICERS
Steve Martin,
President, Arizona Citizens
Brenda Bernardi,
Vice President, Arizona Citizens
Joel Hiller,
President, Arizona Action
Julie Richard,
Vice President, Arizona Action
Tom Chapman,
Secretary
Dawn Brown,
Treasurer
Jeff Rich,
Member-At-Large
Jessica L. Andrews,
Past President, Arizona Citizens
MEMBERS
Allan Affeldt,
La Posada Hotel
Robert Benson,
Peoria Unified School District
Jennifer Burns,
Community Volunteer
Sam Campana,
Audobon Arizona
Mary Dryden,
Tucson Symphony Orchestra League
Karen Falkenstrom
Odaiko Sonora
Representative Steve Farley
Arizona House of Representatives
Wes Gullett,
First Strategic
Phillip C. Jones,
Community Volunteer
Cathy Knapp,
Quarles & Brady LLC
Kate Marquez,
Southern Arizona Arts & Culture Alliance
Senator Michele Reagan,
Arizona State Senate
John Tannous,
Flagstaff Cultural Partners
Jackie Thrasher,
Washington Elementary School District
Lynn Tuttle,
Arizona Department of Education
Roberta Ukura,
City of Yuma Park & Recreation
Cathy Weiss,
Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts
Mark Feldman,
Community Volunteer
Barbara Fenster,
Free Arts of Arizona
Bill DeWalt,
Musical Instrument Museum
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