Perry F. Kendig Awards Recipients

Congratulations to this year's Perry F. Kendig Award recipients! Roanoke College was our host as we celebrated the 25th anniversary and asked everyone to wear something silver, which they did! The evening was glittering and sparkling with silver and talent!

This year's recipients are incredibly gifted, are passionate about the work they provide to our community and very giving of their time and talents.

We celebrate and thank them for being the creative forces that make the Blue Ridge Region rich, diverse and artistically excellent!

http://theartscouncil.org/events/kendig.html

The VCA Prevails Thanks to Arts Advocates!

Folks sometimes ask me what advocacy means and why it's important. Here's a perfect example of what advocacy can do!

Virginians for the Arts - Legislative Action Center

I've heard from my mentor at the Nevada Arts Council (Nevada's state arts agency - like the Virginia Commission for the Arts) and other states are not fairing as well as VA and NV.

We must continue to send invitations to our representatives AND thank them each and every time we receive funds from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Oh, and we should send them letters about the other great things the VCA does: ArtWorks Conference, Grant Writing Workshops, and Technical Assistance (every time you call them and ask a question - which they respond to right away/pronto!) There are TONS of things they do for us, but you get the idea.

Joan Vannorsdall's Editorial in The Roanoke Times - A Must Read!!!

Check this out. Joan provides specific examples of how the Virginia Commission for the Arts helped her as an individual literary artist and other important facts.

http://www.roanoke.com/editorials/commentary/wb/239293

Making Sure Everyone Has Access to the Arts

Funding from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts (remember - the feds provide matching funds to the Virginia Commission for the Arts)enable arts organizations to offer many FREE programs and/or activities at a reduced cost so individuals within our community can participate.

Example: Jefferson Center's Sisters of the Circle is a FREE program for young immigrant women to learn self-esteem and language skills through the arts alongside professional artist Toni Blackman.

The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra provides opportunities for area school children to experience a live performance with a full orchestra. The reduced cost to participating schools is provided, in part, by support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Keep the Virginia Commission for the Arts alive so all citizens in the Commonwealth have access to dance, theatre, literary & visual arts, music and filmmaking. The arts should be for ALL and not just a select few who can afford it.

Let Your Voice Be Heard! We Need the Choir More than Ever!!!

The fight for The Virginia Commission is not over!!! I had someone say to me last week, “Sorry to hear about the arts.” I jumped to my feet and said, “It’s not OVER!! Call, write, fax right now!”

It looks like a 50% cut remains a possibility so please continue your efforts.

Also, if the VCA receives these cuts, this will impact the funds they receive from the National Endowment for the Arts (through their State Partnership Grant). Someone told me last week that they (VCA) would still receive NEA funds even if the VCA wasn’t around. NOT TRUE!!! If the VCA isn’t there to submit their grant to the NEA, they (VCA) won’t receive the funds. (They’ll also receive fewer funds if they receive these cuts. Think about how you submit your grant applications and if you don’t have enough matching funds, you can’t apply for as much money! It’s the same process except on a statewide/national level!) Keep in mind that the VCA applies for grants just like we do!

If you already called, that’s okay. Call/write again! Laura

Go here for names/addresses http://www.vaforarts.org/Content/Documents/Document.ashx?DocId=114087