5.4. SR 03-08-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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August 19,2003 Elk River City Council Mr. Pat Klaers, City Administrator City of Elk River 13065 Orono Road Elk River, Minnesota 55330 Dear Mayor Klinzing, members of the Elk River City Council, and Mr. Klaers: ERAAA Mission Statement Recognizing that the arts are essential to the quality of life and health of our community, we promote an environment that offers quality arts education, arts experiences, artist support, and appropriate facilities for arts expression. . The Elk River Area Arts Alliance has a strong commitment to community development in its mission with an emphasis on service to the Elk River area through the arts. The City of Elk River can be proud of its history of supporting the arts by helping fund the Arts Alliance and its programs and events. City funding is most appropriate given the numerous benefits the arts provide to our community. An active arts community is a valued component of our city's community profile. The Arts Alliance impacts Elk River economically with the additional commerce created through our exhibits, performances and festivals. Performances, events and inter-generational arts activities and classes build vitality in our community through the positive interaction they provide. The arts provide healthy alternatives for youth and ways for families to become engaged. They nurture and promote quality individual expression and preserve our history. The Elk River Area Arts Alliance has made excellent headway in establishing an organization that has been embraced by our community. In addition to the quality of the arts programming we are providing for all ages, we are working to establish a permanent home at the historic Handke. As we work with Community Education to create a community center in Elk River, we will be restoring and renovating Handke school as one of Elk River's most prominent landmarks. With the Rotary's effort to secure the Handke Stadium on the National Historic Registry, it is fitting that the adjacent Handke school, very much a part of the character of the stadium, receive maximum public use. . We have come a long way in the last two years. In addition to strengthening the ERAAA through reorganization, we have strengthened our traditional offerings. For example, · Strings For Youth continues to offer 90 to 100 area children classes in strings instruments and orchestra and has expanded to include a pilot school day program.