Message from the President’s Office
Here at Fund for the Arts, we are very excited about the 2012 EXTREME campaign! Folks say the Arts Showcase was one of the best ever, and you should have seen our Board of Directors, led by Dave Calzi at Ernst & Young, dialing for dollars, calling their personal contact lists during the Art-a-Thon. Angela Leet and Nick Phelps are leading the way for our Farnsley initiatives with a goal of 250 people contributing $1,949 or more this year. We have watched first-hand the amazing campaign leadership of Joe Pusateri of Elite Homes. Joe has inspired the entire EXTREME team with his commitment to providing an arts-rich education to children throughout the region. So many volunteers are coming together and embodying the mission of the Fund for the Arts: Together through the Arts, we create a great American city!
Tales from the Trail
Our Cultural Partners have already brought us 32 new workplace campaigns! Red7e, Vogt Power International, and Medlink/Agentlink crossed the finish line with great success. Thank you! Our Bellarmine University campaign got a jumpstart from President Joseph McGowan at the President’s Breakfast on January 19th. Jay talked about the $100 million question, and I followed up with the $9.2 million EXTREME goal conversation. If you haven’t been over to Bellarmine in a while, stop by and feel the excitement.
Art-a-Thon Results
Art-A-Thon Team is all smiles after reaching their goal!
Many thanks to everyone who participated in the weeklong Art-a-Thon generating $422,831 thanks to the $200,000 anonymous challenge we received. Our Board of Directors, Cultural Partners, volunteers and staff all showed up to make this event successful. ACCENT Marketing Services provided the perfect location and gave everyone the opportunity to experience the bridge coming and going. Thanks to Patrick Sheen and the Leadership Louisville class for coming up with this idea! This Art-a-Thon was so successful we are talking about Art-a-Thon 2.0 later this spring! On behalf of everyone at Fund for the Arts and everyone in the community who benefits from our programs, thank you!
Arts Showcase & Campaign Kickoff
Patrick Henry Hughes and the Louisville Youth Choir.
Patrick Henry Hughes and the Louisville Youth Choir.
More than 1,000 community leaders, investors, and schoolchildren attended our annual Arts Showcase & Campaign Kickoff on Tuesday, January 31st at the Brown Theatre. With exciting guest appearances by the University of Louisville pep band and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” participant Patrick Henry Hughes, many of our supporters said this was our best kickoff ever! There were wonderful performances by the Kentucky Opera, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Stage One Family Theatre, Louisville Youth Choir, Louisville Ballet and Walden Theatre. Live painting with artists from the Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft and the Louisville Visual Art Association produced an incredible two-piece image of the Fund for the Arts TARC bus. Joe Pusateri, our 2012 Campaign Chair and famed “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” builder, was proud to announce the Fund for the Arts had already generated $4.3 million, which is the highest amount ever raised by the kickoff. With a goal of $9.2 million for this campaign, we are well on our way!
power2give Update
power2give.org has already exceeded all our expectations. We had a goal of $250,000 by June 30th, but as of today, power2give.org/Kentucky has generated more than $320,000 with more money coming in every day. With more than 46 projects funded to date, this web based platform for crowd-funding has attracted 654 donors making 829 gifts. More projects are being posted each day, and will be matched dollar for dollar as long as matching funds are available. Many thanks to our Matching Funds Sponsors: Republic Bank, Kentucky Arts Council, LG&E and KU Energy LLC, Stites & Haribson, UPS, St. Stephen Family Life Center, and an anonymous donor. We will be celebrating how successful our first 90 days have been on March 19th, and everyone is invited! If you have any questions about power2give, please contact Amber Sexton at 582.0128 or asexton@fundforthearts.com.
Horseshoe Southern Indiana Prospecting Event
power2give.org has created many community connections throughout the region. We’ve been fortunate to forge a wonderful relationship with Julie Schweitzer, Executive Director, Arts Council of Southern Indiana. Together, I know we can accomplish great things for our region! On February 7th, we gathered at Horseshoe Casino with several folks from Southern Indiana businesses who came to learn more about the economic development factor related to regional Arts collaborations. Thanks to Jerry Finn and Judy Hess at Horseshoe Foundation Floyd County, and Dennis Heishman at Old National Bank for bridging these relationships. If you know of a business in Southern Indiana which is interested in becoming involved with Fund for the Arts, please contact Ashley Spurlock at ashleys@fundforthearts.com or 582-0131.
Upcoming Events
NeXt! Recruiting Event – February 29th
On Wednesday, February 29th, Fund for the Arts will be hosting a NeXt! Recruiting Event from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at Stoll Keenon Ogden, 500 West Jefferson Street. We encourage all young leaders interested in learning about our leadership development program to attend,find out more information, and make connections. I’d like to thank Stoll Keenon Ogden, our NeXt! program sponsor, for hosting this event and continuing to be a supporter of the Fund for the Arts. Please RSVP to this fun and informational event by contacting Meghan Mando at 582-0112 or mmando@fundforthearts.com.
Power2give 90 Day Celebration – March 19th
On Monday, March 19th from 11:00-12:00 at the Brown Theatre, Fund for the Arts will be giving money away. To celebrate, those posting projects and our fantastic sponsors will be in attendance. If you would like to attend, please contact Amber Sexton at 582.0128 or asexton@fundforthearts.com.
