Talk about a busy week – we’re in the final days of the campaign making pitches, collecting pledge cards, and listening to folks all over town. Remember Dr. Seuss? Oh, the places you’ll go! This reminds me of when I was little. My Mom’s neighbors say that I used to spend all day going from house to house chatting with folks, finding out who had a new refrigerator and who was having what for dinner.
Rumor has it that I when I stopped for a nap at the Peacock’s house, my favorite resting place was Goofy’s dog bed. You’ve got to be kidding! That’s what they say. All I remember is that Helen Heckman made the best butter sandwiches in town and she had one waiting for me every day at 4:30pm. There I sat on her back step waiting for Dad to pull in across the street. “BARBARA ANN! IT’S DINNER TIME!” Regina Lane. “Oh, the places you’ll go!”
Everywhere I go folks want to talk about the Arts and I want to listen. We do take turns. Sometimes I wonder if anyone hears my message when I make the Arts pitch. The first email I received after being named Acting President & CEO of the Fund for the Arts came from Firefighter, Keith M. Jones, Engine 6. He wrote, “Hello Mrs. Smith, I just wanted to congratulate you on your new position. I do some volunteer work with young adults and you have always been an inspiration to me. Thanks again for all you do. God bless you.”
I love making the rounds to the firehouses during the Fund campaign. It takes me back to the after-school programs I used to attend at Camp Taylor Fire Department. That’s where I learned to make loom pot holders and do the Hula! What a site that must have been!
This whole thing works because you want it to. Because people like you give to the Arts and go to the Arts. Bill Hollander, Fund Board Member and Attorney at Wyatt Tarrant & Combs left me a great message yesterday saying their campaign increased by 22.5%. Bill, you know what to do. Tell everybody at Wyatt to raise their hand, turn it around, and pat themselves on the back. Thank you!
Go, give, get. That’s the whole point. There’s a whole lot of shakin’ goin’ on at Central Park. Shakespeare that is. The oldest Shakespeare Festival in the nation opened up this week right here in the River City! GO see the The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) by Kentucky Shakespeare. Three actors perform the hilarious and irreverent abridged version of the entire body of Shakespeare’s work in 90 minutes – comedy, tragedy, history and sonnets.
Now, GIVE me some feedback. Click HERE and take our short survey. We want to engage and activate the community. This is the first of many opportunities to open a dialogue. Your opinion counts. GET on board. The Arts train is pulling out of the station!
Pass this email along to others and ask folks to “Like” Fund for the Arts on Facebook. We’re getting close to the 1,949 “Friend” mark. When we do, all “Friends” win a free ticket to an upcoming Arts event. Woo-Hoo! Click HERE for this week’s photos!
2gether through the Arts we create a great American city!
Fund for the Arts in the News this Week
WFPL interview “Fund for the Arts CEO Says Support Remains Strong After Cowen’s Departure”
