Organization Newsletter January 2024

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Subject: Organization Newsletter January 2024

News & Information for Arts & Cultural Organizations & Creative Businesses in Fairfield County

January 2024

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We hope you have had a restful holiday season with family and friends. We're energized for a new year of collective growth and partnership. This year, we will continue to host our peer network convenings and professional development workshops as well the Spotlight on Arts & Culture radio show on WPKN, our annual ACE Awards ceremony, a visit with Randy Cohen from the Americans for the Arts, and MORE!

We are incredibly grateful for the support our Annual Appeal has gotten from our CAFC members and the community! If you haven’t made your contribution to support our mission to strengthen arts and culture in coastal Fairfield County, there is still time! You can donate right now, by clicking the button below. Here's to another great year of growing together!

Erika K. Wesley,

CAFC Executive Director

DONATE NOW

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

The Miguel Camarena Art Gallery specializes in showcasing artwork that covers a wide spectrum of styles, including southwest, contemporary, and abstract. The collection includes pieces in various artistic genres, featuring both original creations and top-notch giclée prints on canvas. Inspired by the rich culture of Arizona. WEBSITE

CAFC NEWS

January Spotlight On Arts & Culture

Across Fairfield County, Bridgeport is recognized as a vibrant arts community where innovative placemaking occurs collaboratively. In this episode featuring special guest, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, we will explore placemaking in Bridgeport and the investments the Mayor's administration has made in the arts. We will also discuss how artists and creatives can partner with municipalities to advance efforts to placemaking. Tune in live on WPKN 89.5 FM Monday, January 8 at noon.

Listen Live

January Funding Booster

Funding Sources 101

January 18th | 10:30am - 12:00pm

with Nicole Shaia

Fundraising for your project and/or mission can be both exciting and stressful. There are so many ways to creatively raise money but deciding the best option(s) that work for you can be overwhelming. In this workshop we’ll share insights on a variety of funding sources, the pros and cons of each, and discuss creative ideas to kickstart your fundraising journey. The funding booster workshop session will address funding sources for one hour with a question and answer time with Nicole for the last 30 mins as needed.

Get the most out of your membership

When you become a Member of the Cultural Alliance, you are immediately plugged into a network of arts and cultural organizations and individuals plus a host of services and benefits. Our mission is to support you by providing:

CONNECTION

PROMOTION

ADVOCACY

INFORMATION

Each month, we encourage you to keep us up-to-date on your news, events, and opportunities so that we can share it far and wide. Log on to your account regularly at culturalalliancefc.org While you're there, this would be a great time to update your profile page too!

LOCAL & REGIONAL NEWS

CT ARTS ALLIANCE ADVOCACY TRAINING

Join CT Arts Alliance on January 10th & 17th at noon for an advocacy training session that will teach you how to reach out to people you don’t know, especially those in positions of authority. During the two lunchtime online sessions you will learn about the legislative process and some effective ways to have an influence on your State elected officials. Become the best advocate for Connecticut’s arts and culture community that you can be! Tickets are FREE for Arts Alliance members and $20 for non-members.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CELEBRATION

Dr. Clarence B. Jones, the longtime speechwriter and confidant of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will be the guest of honor at Westport’s 18th annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, to be held Sunday, January 14, 2024, at 3 pm at The Westport Library. The keynote conversation is free of charge; registration is highly encouraged. The event also will be livestreamed. Dr. Jones served as legal counsel, strategic advisor, and draft speechwriter to Dr. King from 1960 until King’s assassination in 1968. He is credited with writing the first seven paragraphs of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, one of the most iconic and enduring addresses in American history.

CT HISTORY DAY

Judges serve a critical role in CT History Day. Without the generosity of volunteer judges, who bring their love of history from a variety of backgrounds, the program simply would not exist. In providing fair and impartial review of student projects, judges allow us to ensure that each contestant is given the commensurate amount of encouragement & acknowledgement throughout the process. This results in a fun and enriching experience for all parties involved.

BECOME A JUDGE

WHAT GALLERIES LEARNED

When the pandemic brought the world to a standstill, art galleries found themselves at a crossroads. Since then, there have been lasting changes to collector behavior that have forced galleries to adapt. One of these changes has been a significant move towards digital engagement in the art world. Artsy’s Collector Insights Report 2023 showed that 80% of respondents purchased art online in the past 12 months, up from 76% in 2022. On top of this increased digital engagement, galleries are actively learning how to approach their new customers, with 51% reporting that their online collectors are primarily new to their business.

MEMBER NEWS

The Flinn Gallery of The Greenwich Library is pleased to announce that Barbara Richards was honored with a Light A Fire Award as an Agent of Change and Supporter of the Arts. This award honors people in the community who go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others. They are the unsung champions of giving who see a need, roll up their sleeves and get to work. Hilary Martin Lea, Chair of Friends of the Greenwich Library, expressed gratitude for the impact that Richards has made on the availability and visibility of the visual arts and arts education in Greenwich. READ MORE

INTEMPO announced a collaboration with Stamford Public Schools to offer high-quality classical and intercultural music education to SPS New Arrivals Classrooms (NAC). NAC supports students in grades 1-12 who have been in the U.S. for one year or less and have minimal English, providing intensive English language development. The collaboration adds high-quality music education as an additional enrichment experience in the classroom. INTEMPO is also happy to announce that their Founder and CEO, Angelica Durrell, was named as a Musical America Worldwide Top 30 Professional. Durrell started INTEMPO with $1500 in graduation gifts back in 2011 and today the organization boasts operating revenues of more than $1.2 million due to a $500,000 Lewis Prize for Music Award in 2022. They serve over 700 immigrant students across ten sites providing high quality classical and intercultural music education. READ MORE

KEYS (Kids Empowered by Your Support) welcomes Westport resident, Dick Jay, to the KEYS Board of Directors. Jay is a serial entrepreneur whose ventures spanned book publishing, Cabbage Patch kids, real estate development, retail displays and an airport refueling business serving both the private and military sectors. Dick considers his most successful ‘business’ endeavor as board leader of The Child Center of NY, where he currently serves as Vice-Chair. Dick is currently Chairman and part owner of Port City Air in Portsmouth, N.H. and was the former President and Chairman of New York based Display Technologies LLC.

Metro Art Studios is collaborating with Norwalk Art Space and Housatonic Art Museum in a new exhibition called "In Our Hands: Gun Culture in America," opening in Metro’s Crown Gallery on January 21, 2024. Juried by Housatonic Museum Executive Director Jennifer Reynolds-Kaye, Mary Himes, co-founder of Unload Foundation Inc, and Norwalk Art Space Executive Director, Duvian Montoya, "In Our Hands" is set to engage a broader audience through art to encourage community dialog about gun violence and inspire positive action, by presenting thought-provoking work exploring all perspectives of gun culture in America. Proceeds will benefit Street Safe Bridgeport and Sandy Hook Promise.

The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is starting the new year with a new strategic plan which aims to deepen the community’s connection to Long Island Sound and the ocean over the next 10 years and inspire bold action to protect and sustain our blue planet for future generations. In an initiative called "An Aquarium Without Walls," the organization seeks to redefine the way we think of an aquarium – one that not only showcases the wonders of the Sound and the ocean within its facility, but one that creates new experiences and new ways to think about the Sound and the ocean beyond its facility and beyond the traditional.

The New Paradigm Theatre Company (NPT) in partnership with Wakeman Boys and Girls Club, is seeking short plays from middle school students. Five grand prize winners will receive a staged reading of their play, performed and directed by Broadway pros and talented young actors at the Madison Ave Community Clubhouse’s Black Box Theatre in Bridgeport in April 2024. Every entry will receive feedback from a theatre professional. to participate, students in grades 6-8 will write an original 10-minute play based on this year’s social justice theme: ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS. They are also offering a Career Prep day for students to learn best practices for college and careers. LEARN MORE CAREER PREP

Rise Up for Arts has reported the impact that they have made in their communities. These numbers include 80 Public Art/Placemaking Installations; $600K Invested in Public Art; 19 impacted communities across CT and Philadelphia; 500 youth impacted, plus hours of workshop time for youth and adults in their creative incubator spaces in Bridgeport and Hartford.

URSA Gallery proudly announces the completion of its second public works project, Secondary Eclipse, a captivating light installation that now adorns the awning of John Street, attached to the Reads Art Space Building. This project marks a significant step in enhancing the city's cultural and artistic landscape. Secondary Eclipse is a testament to the gallery's commitment to integrating art into the spaces of Bridgeport. This installation, involving an intricate play of light and shadow, is designed to transform the awning into a dynamic canvas that changes with the time of day and weather, offering a unique visual experience to all passersby. The light installation is now open for public viewing. We invite everyone to visit John Street and experience this mesmerizing work of art firsthand.

Westport Country Playhouse raised funds for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp during their holiday show, “A Sherlock Carol” in December. This camp was founded in 1988 by Paul Newman. Mark Shanahan, playwright/director of “A Sherlock Carol” and incoming Playhouse artistic director stated that meeting campers, their family members, and camp staffers inspired him to envision for ‘A Sherlock Carol’ the character of a grown-up Tiny Tim as someone who, with a little help from a certain benefactor, battled his own childhood illness and went on to become a doctor. The camp provides “a different kind of healing” to thousands of children with serious illnesses annually, completely free of charge. LEARN MORE

OPPORTUNITIES

FUNDING

NEH Media Projects

DEADLINE: JAN 10

Preservation Assistance Grants for Small Institutions

DEADLINE: JAN 11

Digital Humanities Advancement Grants

DEADLINE: JAN 11

Public Humanities Projects

DEADLINE: JAN 11

Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections

DEADLINE: JAN 12

Community Engagement Grant

DEADLINE: JAN 17

NEA ArtsHERE Grants

DEADLINE: JAN 19

CT Humanities Quick Grants

DEADLINE: FEB 2

NEA Grants for Arts Projects

DEADLINE: FEB 15

2024 Native American Library Services Basic Grants

DEADLINE: MAR 1

21st Century Museum Professionals Program

DEADLINE: MAR 1

American Latino Museum Internship & Fellowship

DEADLINE: MAR 1

Responsive General Operating Support Grants

DEADLINE: MAR 11

CFGNH Small Grants

DEADLINE: APR 1

NEA Challenge America Grant

DEADLINE: APR 24

DECD Survey and Planning Grants (SHPO)

DEADLINE: ROLLING

Historic Restoration Fund Grants (HRF)

DEADLINE: ROLLING

NEFA National Theater Project Presenter Travel Grant

DEADLINE: ROLLING

Connecticut Office of the Arts Strategic Partnerships Grant

DEADLINE: ROLLING

NEFA National Dance Project Presentation Grant

DEADLINE: ROLLING

JOBS

Office Manager

Fairfield Museum & History Center | Fairfield

Director of Development

American Mural Project | Winstead

Chief Operating Officer

The Bruce Museum | Greenwich

Director of the Arts

Greenwich Country Day School | Greenwich

Program Director

Connecticut Community Foundation | Hartford

Library Director

New Britain Public Library | New Britain

Director of Development

Greater Hartford Arts Council | Hartford

Production Manager

Yale University | New Haven

Program Coordinator

Yale University | New Haven

Development Associate Arts for All
NYFA | Remote

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

NYFA Emerging Leaders Program

JAN 16

2024 Nonprofit Advocacy 101

JAN 23

Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts & Culture

JAN 30

2024 Advocacy for Nonprofit Boards of Directors

FEB 1

Proven Strategies for Connecting with Major Donors

FEB 8

ACA 2023 Equitable Capacity Workshop Series

MAR 27

NEH Virtual Workshop: Museums

ONGOING

Arts U Support Program

ONGOING

DECD READI Professional Development Series

ONGOING

How to Partner with Your Local Chamber of Commerce

ONLINE

SPREAD THE WORD!

Did you know that, in addition to this monthly Organization Newsletter, we have a monthly Artist Newsletter and a weekly e-Buzz event listing? Subscribe to any or all of our publications and share a sample with a friend or peer. Please help us expand our reach by sharing and subscribing here:

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BECOME A MEMBER

The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a nonprofit membership service organization that supports its members in many ways. When you become a member of CAFC, you are immediately plugging into a network and a host of services and benefits including marketing, capacity building, professional development, networking, and advocacy services. Our region includes Bridgeport, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, New Canaan, Norwalk, Shelton, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport, and Wilton.

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THANK YOU

SPONSORS & MEDIA PARTNERS

The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a 501(c)(3) cultural nonprofit membership organization. We are grateful to our members and our donors whose support enables us to do our work. In particular, we are grateful for support from:

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VISIT US AT CULTURALALLIANCEFC.ORG

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