5. HRSR 05-03-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. • ~~ ~• . N t P.O. Box 737 716 Main Street Elk River, MN 55330 Cathy Mehelich Director of Economic tJevelopment the City of ENc R ver 13065 E3rono Pkwy Elk River, MN 55330 E)ear Cathy, alliance 763-441-4725 info@elkriverart.org www.elkriverart.org Afxil !2, 2f)1~ In December you asked for information as to how the Arts A##iance vrFOttld use the store front nexf to our present location. We are interested in expanding our'operatiorts and this trvoufd be a viaf#le solution for us at the present time. To this end our Board of t}irectors has initiated a feasibility stud~r to assess ihis option. We havebeery ~ our present fc~catron for two years, and it has albwed us to expanc# ou-' programs, provided us greater retx5gnit~n within the Elk River community, arx provided us with additional storage and staging leas #ot our other programs. Specifically, we have adc~d artt classes for bath children and adults, an art gallery and gift shop in support of local artists, storage space for equipment needed for the biennial ArtSoup festival in downtown Elk River, and a staging area for art pieces far our annual Arts in Harmony, a national juried show that has grown to be tfte largest exhibit of its kind ~ the State. f~u•e C~,Ertft White our present k~cat~n has allowed us to expand our programs, it is rat sized or equipped to offer some of the serviires contained in our mission statement. In particuur, the or3e elassraorrm is not large enough to accorrrmodau chose wishing ~ enroll in cusses. In the two years we have been at this location, enrollment for many of our classes has grown from a minimum of four students to an enrollment of ten wifh waiting fists (ten is the rra~cirnum number of students the classratm will accommodate). Nor is the classroom equ~ped to offer many of fhe art disciplines that are -standard in other municipal art +~nters, and vr~icfi are popular with their constituencies; in particular, painting, multi-media and cerarres art classes. We also lack space to have small performances, lectures or meetings. While our Performance Series offers tour or five lure perforrnanees from local and national. groups each year in the Nth School theater, rive believe there is a need to offer smaller, rare in#ormal presentatrons. It would also be attractive to offer dance classes. l~easlb+F#ty Study Before making a formal request to the city, the Arts ANance needs to assess the support for such an expansion within the ~wntown business community and within cwr membership. We are presently surveying the business community, and volt conduct a needs assessment within our membership in M.ay and June. we gave also surveyed fourteen other art centers withiro the region to evaluate class enratlments and rnunicipa) support.. Art Classes Arts in Harmony ArtSoup Gallery & Gift Shop Performance Series Strings for Youth