One of the highlights of the Neary year is sitting in on the Pierce County allocations committee of ArtsFund, the local corporate council for the arts. Comcast donates to the arts in both Pierce and King counties through this organization where our Senior Vice President Len Rozek serves on the board of directors. Because my focus includes Tacoma and Pierce County, I thought I’d brag on what they’re doing here; but the list below also includes King County, of course. You can find the King County news release here. The following news release comes direct from ArtsFund:
ArtsFund Grants to Pierce County Arts Groups Up Thirty Percent Over 2010
ArtsFund, the region’s central fundraising organization and a strong advocate on cultural issues, announced today that it will make grants to eight Pierce County arts groups totaling $182,575, an impressive 31 percent increase over last year’s Pierce County grants.
These Pierce County grants were part of ArtsFund’s overall $2.374 million in grants to 63 Pierce and King County arts groups.* This $2.3 million grant total for 2011 is 13 percent higher than ArtsFund’s 2010 grant total.
In making the announcement, Jim Tune, President & CEO, said, “ArtsFund is delighted it was able to increase grant amounts this year. Even though the economy in general is pulling out of the Great Recession, that recovery is slow to reach the arts. Overall, arts groups are managing extraordinarily well. They are effectively concentrating resources on the artistic product, but many continue to have furloughs and many other cutbacks particularly on the administrative side. Since ArtsFund grants are general operating support, organizations can use the money where it’s needed most.”
Jim Duncan, Chairman and Principal of Sparling and Chair of the ArtsFund Board of Trustees, commented, “On behalf of all the arts, we are deeply grateful to the 300 businesses and foundations and 2,000 individuals who contributed to this year’s campaign and to our Board and members of our volunteer Associates program for their tireless fundraising efforts.”
The campaign was led by ArtsFund trustees Stellman Keehnel, Partner, DLA Piper and Sandy McDade, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Weyerhaeuser.
In addition to support from annual contributions, this year’s grants were funded with an exceptional allocation of earnings from the ArtsFund Foundation. The current balance of funds in the ArtsFund Foundation is $14.4 million.
Since it was founded in 1969, ArtsFund has made grants of more than $63 million to King and Pierce County arts groups. In addition to raising and distributing funds, ArtsFund also supports the cultural life of this region through such research as its recently released economic impact study of cultural organizations and their patrons, through extensive advocacy on important arts issues and through capacity building work such as its Board Leadership Training Program.
2011 ArtsFund Grants
Charter Members
King County
5th Avenue Theatre……………………………………………………………………………………….. $82,868
ACT Theatre………………………………………………………………………………………………… $118,772
Henry Art Gallery………………………………………………………………………………………….. $102,508
Pacific Northwest Ballet…………………………………………………………………………………. $211,005
Seattle Art Museum……………………………………………………………………………………… $261,117
Seattle Children’s Theatre………………………………………………………………………………. $137,820
Seattle Opera………………………………………………………………………………………………. $270,311
Seattle Repertory Theatre……………………………………………………………………………… $157,418
Seattle Symphony………………………………………………………………………………………… $178,416
Village Theatre…………………………………………………………………………………………….. $108,143
King County Subtotal………………………………………………………………………………….. $1,628,379
Pierce County
Broadway Center for the Performing Arts…………………………………………………………… $63,324
Northest Sinfonietta………………………………………………………………………………………… $9,557
Tacoma Art Museum………………………………………………………………………………………. $54,735
Tacoma Opera……………………………………………………………………………………………….. $10,631
Tacoma Symphony…………………………………………………………………………………………. $19,470
Tacoma Youth Symphony………………………………………………………………………………….. $8,875
Pierce County Subtotal………………………………………………………………………………….. $166,592
Total Charter Members Grants……………………………………………………………………… $1,794,971
Continuing Members & Members
King County
Artist Trust……………………………………………………………………………………………………. $18,553
ArtsWest……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. $3,123
Auburn Symphony Orchestra…………………………………………………………………………….. $2,250
Bellevue Arts Museum……………………………………………………………………………………… $3,820
Book-It Repertory Theatre……………………………………………………………………………….. $35,440
Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas…………………………………………………………………. $5,040
Early Music Guild of Seattle………………………………………………………………………………. $13,720
Earshot Jazz Society of Seattle……………………………………………………………………………. $5,967
The Esoterics…………………………………………………………………………………………………… $2,096
Experience Music Project………………………………………………………………………………….. $7,255
Federal Way Symphony…………………………………………………………………………………….. $1,340
Frye Art Museum…………………………………………………………………………………………….. $1,820
Giant Magnet………………………………………………………………………………………………….. $7,235
Jack Straw Productions……………………………………………………………………………………… $8,162
Kirkland Performance Center…………………………………………………………………………….. $1,720
Nordic Heritage Museum…………………………………………………………………………………. $18,605
Northwest African American Museum…………………………………………………………………. $3,355
Northwest Film Forum…………………………………………………………………………………….. $10,225
Northwest Puppet Center…………………………………………………………………………………. $9,383
On the Boards……………………………………………………………………………………………….. $31,628
Pratt Fine Arts Center……………………………………………………………………………………….. $5,405
Richard Hugo House…………………………………………………………………………………………. $8,625
Seattle Arts & Lectures……………………………………………………………………………………. $17,144
Seattle Chamber Music Society…………………………………………………………………………. $21,181
Seattle Choral Company……………………………………………………………………………………. $2,470
Seattle Men’s Chorus/Seattle Women’s Chorus…………………………………………………….. $9,531
Seattle Pro Musica………………………………………………………………………………………….. $11,095
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra………………………………………………………………………… $8,003
Seattle Shakespeare Company…………………………………………………………………………. $37,224
Seattle Theatre Group…………………………………………………………………………………….. $22,033
Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras……………………………………………………………………. $6,955
SIFF……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… $12,088
Spectrum Dance Theater…………………………………………………………………………………… $7,235
Taproot Theatre Company……………………………………………………………………………….. $15,259
Three Dollar Bill Cinema…………………………………………………………………………………….. $4,255
Town Hall Association……………………………………………………………………………………… $23,631
UW World Series at Meany Hall………………………………………………………………………….. $9,555
Vashon Allied Arts……………………………………………………………………………………………. $3,655
Velocity Dance Center………………………………………………………………………………………. $4,215
The Vera Project……………………………………………………………………………………………… $2,555
Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience………………………………… $35,469
Wing-It Productions…………………………………………………………………………………………. $3,835
King County Subtotal…………………………………………………………………………………….. $462,156
Pierce County
Museum of Glass…………………………………………………………………………………………….. $5,360
Tacoma Musical Playhouse………………………………………………………………………………. $10,623
Pierce County Subtotal……………………………………………………………………………………. $15,983
Total Continuing Members & Members Grants………………………………………………….. $478,139
Special Grants
ArtsFund Plestcheef Design and Decorative Arts Grants:
Bellevue Arts Museum……………………………………………………………………………………. $10,000
Henry Art Gallery…………………………………………………………………………………………….. $5,000
Museum of Glass…………………………………………………………………………………………… $10,000
Tacoma Art Museum………………………………………………………………………………………… $5,000
Subtotal……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. $30,000
Kreielsheimer Remainder Foundation Grants……………………………………………………… $66,157
Designated Workplace Giving Funds to Non-beneficiaries……………………………………… $5,046
Grand Total 2011 ArtsFund Grants…………………………………………………………………. $2,374,313
*Note that of this amount, $72,326 was from individuals directly designating to specific arts organizations.
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