Cultural Community Plan

The Community Cultural Plan is helping direct the Alliance's activities and has since last year. It clearly laid out some short and long term goals which we are using for our strategic direction.

Since the plan was approved, the Alliance has worked on these goals:

Create a high powered arts event showcasing York and its creativity.

• Presented the Governor's Awards for the Arts with Rocco Landesman, Chair of the NEA, Jonathon Katz, President of the National Association of Local Arts Agencies, Executive Director of the PA Council on the Arts, Philip Horn, Governor and Judge Rendell, Jeff Koons and Del McCoury to name a few.

Connect arts with York's citizens

• Presented the July 4th Symphony Concert and Fireworks show at the York Expo - estimated crowds 20,000 plus

Strengthen the sector

• Revised the allocation application to focus on two things: Audience Development and Finanical Sustainabilty

Open our "tent"

• Currently creating a web page designed specifically for artists
• Designing capacity building workshops for organizations and individual artists
• Exploring health insurance to be offered to small organizations or individuals

Increase Resources for the Sector

• Working like crazy to finish the campaign over goal!!!!!

Create an awareness of York as a destination through public art

• The public art process is underway. It will help make our city more inspiring, our lights and sidewalks more interesting, and showcase both the history and future of York.

Diane Mataraza, the author of this vision, is coming back to York in November to check in with us and help with the heavy lifting. Stay tuned.

Mind Bending Public Art

The Cultural Plan gave us our marching orders - one of which was to create public art in York to celebrate our city and help make it memorable. Through a gift from the Women's Giving Circle, the Cultural Alliance and a public art committee has begun facilitating a public art process for York. Questions asked - Where does it seat itself? How are sites and then artists chosen? How is it funded?

We've met a few times and a huge question is 'what is public art'? In order to answer that, Genevieve Ray, a Loeb Fellow herself, invited 4 more Fellows to present their experiences to York. They are public art experts from around the country. They will come here and 1. Present their 'mind-bending' public art to everyone in York and 2. hold a lively conversation about what works/what doesn't/and what might be a good way to go in York.

They will have a working day to educate the committee and answer our questions. What a treat! To experience this level of expertise is just unbelievable. We are all eager to learn and to keep moving the goals of the Cultural Plan forward.

4th of July

We are excited! After a decade of helping the Fireworks Committee present the 4th of July concert and fireworks, the Cultural Alliance is taking the lead in presenting the event this year. Though we still have the support of the Bon-Ton, Glatfelter Insurance, Susquehanna Real Estate, and the York Newspaper Company, we have 2 brand new sponsors. Columbia Gas of PA and BAE Sytems are the lead sponsors this year, ensuring that York's 4th of July continues. We are proud that York will continue this 30 + year old tradition while communities all around us are cancelling theirs due to finances. York is just an incredible and supportive community so if you see our sponsors, shake their hands for helping keep our 4th at the Expo Center alive.

While we will continue our wonderful traditions, symphonic music and song, we have a few surprises in store for you this year. And don't forget our surprise ending - the fireworks sounding off at the end of the 1812 Overture! Dah dah dah dah dah dah duh duh da - BOOM!

The young Wagman boys, who played blue grass so beautifully for Del McCoury during the Governor's Arts Awards, will also play. It's just going to be fabulous and we don't want anyone to miss it.

Remember - this event is free and open to the public. For more information and to download song lyrics for our sing-along, visit our web site, 4th of July section, at www.culturalalliance-york.org/JulyFourth.htm