Arts Fund campaign extended through June
May 8—Community members have a little extra time to help the Allied Arts Council meet its $300,000 fundraising goal.
The 42nd annual Arts Fund campaign is now set to end June 30. The council plans to announce the progress of the campaign on July 18 at its annual Allied Arts Council meeting.
The Allied Arts Council supports many local organizations across St. Joseph, including the Robidoux Resident Theater and the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art. This fundraiser proceeds are divided between some of the partnering organizations. Each entity can then decide how the funds will be used. Some choose to use the money for things like site improvements, utilities or even to keep admission prices low.
Lindsay Prawitz, program director at Robidoux Resident Theater, said their partnership with the Allied Arts Council helps them showcase the world of arts to the community.
"We've worked closely with the Allied Arts office and the other arts organizations in town the last couple of years to try to build those bridges and build our community back better," said Prawitz. "So that everybody is involved with kind of everything that's happening in the arts."
The Allied Arts Council Arts Fund helps organizations make business decisions and ensures events and programs run smoothly. Plus, it brings all of the St. Joseph organizations together under one roof.
"We hope that our arts money goes to keeping our costs down for our patrons," Prawitz said. "To help improve our space so our patrons have a nice location to come to and to choose shows that we know that they would enjoy to see."
Prawitz said one improvement they're looking to make with the fundraiser money is upgrading the restrooms.
"They look like they're straight from the '80s," she said.
They also plan to finish their backstage area and do some painting here and there.
"The structure of it is done, which was through some high-end donors that we have, but also through the arts money, which is amazing," Prawitz said.
But the Allied Arts Council doesn't just help financially. They also help with planning among the different organizations.
"We all kind of work together to help put on our events at the right times a year. So we're not overlapping too much," said Eric Fuson, executive director of the Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Arts. "They also kind of help represent us at the state and federal levels."
Fuson also says the Allied Arts Council is a huge part of making St. Joseph so unique.
"I hear people from all over the country come into town, they're really impressed," he said. "They're surprised with the size of the city that we are, just how much we have to offer as far as the arts go."
Having these various art programs is very beneficial, says Fuson. He said he believes art gives people a creative outlet after work or after school.
"The arts play an extremely important role in all our lives from the clothes we wear to the cars we drive," Fuson said. "Without the arts, things would be pretty boring."
The Allied Arts Council will be accepting donations at its upcoming Beer Walk for the Arts, this Saturday from 2-5 p.m.
Prawitz said it's an event she looks forward to every year.
"I think the beer walk is cool because you get to see the inside of some historic homes that some people may have never been inside of."
