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

Cultural Plan Roll Out/Bob Pullo

Yesterday, more than 200 people attended the Cultural Alliance's public roll out of its year long Cultural Plan. The consultant, Diane Mataraz, explained that we are "opening our Tent" and becoming more that just a fundraiser. While still funding our current grantees, we will also fund partnerships, projects, and individuals who need help.

No longer members, the cultural sector are our partners in driving community through creativity. Very exciting stuff and we will need everyone's help to make York, Hanover, and York County more vibrant and unique than it already is!

At the morning roll out, at Crispus Attucks, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, announced that our own Board Emeritus, Founder, Funder and all around arts guru, Bob Pullo, has been approved by the Senate to be the first Yorker ever to sit on the PA Council on the Arts' board. They couldn't have picked a better person - and we are so lucky to have Bob as our county's spokeperson on the Council.

We have a Plan!!!!

On Tuesday, June 9, Diane Mataraza will unveil the results of the Cultural Alliance's Community Cultural Plan which took a year to complete. The Alliance board has approved its direction and it was incorporated into our strategic plan. The Cultural Alliance now begins transforming the York Community through its leadership.

The Public Roll out will be held three times on June 9.

• Crispus Attucks - 9:00 AM
• Studio at the Strand - 1:00 PM - Philadelphia Street Entrance
• York College - 7:00 PM - Humanites 218 - Creekside - Film Viewing Room

We want York to come and hear what all your words translated into - as you know, more than 3300 Yorkers weighed in on what they want this cultural community to become. Please join us and then HELP us implement this plan to everyone's delight!

Governors Arts Awards

I have wonderful news! Governor Ed and Judge Marjorie Rendell are hosting the Governors Arts Awards on October 1 in York!!!! The Cultural Alliance is the lead community resource and the Strand is the venue. It's like the academy awards in York.

Last year they honored artists, organizations, and patrons. The winner of the Arts Award was Micheal Keaton, Batman, who was born in Pittsburgh.

We don't know who is coming, but we know that the Strand holds 1200 seats and we want to fill them. There will also be a post show reception, around 8:00 - details to unfold.

Along with the awards, we want to have a celebration of excellent creativity around the Strand to showcase our city and our creative sector. Please contact us if you want to help!

It is a great honor that we have been chosen - let's all make it wonderful.

We are about to begin our 10th annual campaign at the Cultural Alliance. Keep Art and Soul on a Roll is our campaign slogan, and we have incorporated a new 10th anniversary logo. Check it out on our campaign page.

We also have a new look on our web site. After 10 years in business, we ( and by we I mean Mary Anne) wanted to update our look - and it turned out beautifully.

Our campaign kicks-off on January 6, 2009 - boy it's hard to write a 9 instead of an 8 - at York Little Theatre. Our consultant, Diane Mataraza, will speak about transforming York through arts, heritage, and culture.

We are inviting any volunteer who worked for us over the past 9 campaigns to join us at York Little Theatre. Please come and hear the news - and also get your proper thanks for helping us become one of the best United Arts Funds in the country!