5.6. SR 07-15-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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ELK RIVER ALLIANCE Item 5.6. 400 Jackson Avenue · Suite205 · Elk River, MN · 55330 · Ph. 763.441.4725 · Fax: 763.441.4725 · elkriverart@sherbtel.net July 10, 2002 Elk River City Council Mr. Pat Klaers, City Administrator 13065 Orono Road Elk River, Minnesota 55330 Dear Mayor Klinzing, Council Members and Mr. Klaers: As you know, the Elk River Area Arts Council and the 2001 Arts Alliance combined forces this year to create the Elk River Area Arts Alliance. Together we are a larger, stronger organization with a broader scope and mission in service to the community of Elk River. We want to thank the City of Elk River for its ongoing support of the efforts of both organizations. We appreciate that City leaders recognize the arts are an essential part of our community's identity and economic vitality. In the past, the City contributed $5000 annually to the Arts Council in large part for its presence as an arts resource, for the Arts in Harmony national art exhibit and the Strings for Youth program. In addition the City has supported Elk River's community festival, ArtSoup, which was sponsored by the 2001 Arts Alliance. We request that the City of Elk River continue its support of the Elk River Area Arts Alliance by donating $10,000 annually to our new organization to cover its services to Elk River. These services include continuation and expansion of the Strings for Youth program, the Arts in Harmony and other arts exhibits held year round, our bi-monthly publication The Eddy, the Arts Alliance website, our new concert series, inter-generational motorcoach art trips, writers workshops, visual arts workshops, Artists Gatherings, and the ArtSoup Elk River Community Festival. Our programming has provided valuable resources to area residents and is drawing increasing awareness throughout the region of the vitality of the cultural life our community enjoys. Our budget this fiscal year is expected to be close to $120,000 with the large majority of those funds used for programming and the ArtSoup community festival. The lion's share of our funding comes from local donations, memberships, and grants. In our presentation Monday night, we plan to demonstrate how the Arts Alliance has grown as an important community resource. For example, with the new availability of performance space at the Elk River High School, the Arts Alliance is now collaborating with local arts groups and regional resources to offer exciting concerts and professional theatre experiences for our community. The positive economic impact of such events for Elk River is important in itself. The Arts Alliance is also continuing to work towards establishing our Family & Arts Center with a large community gathering space in Elk River. Our organization's goals are based on a strong commitment to community development: enriching the Elk River region through the arts. We look forward to telling you about our work and to sharing our vision to help make Elk River great. Sincerely, Elk River Area Arts Alliance Sharon Tracy, Executive Director Tony Darkenwald, Treasurer