5.2. SR 02-10-2003M =MORANDUM
Item 5.2.
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Mayor and City Council
Pat Klaers, City Ad~rator
February 10, 2003
Elk River Area Arts Alliance Presentation Regarding 2003
ArtSoup Festival and Budgeted City Contribution
The Elk River Area Arts Alliance is requesting that the City Council release $10,000 that is in
the recreation budget for 2003 arts activities and the ArtSoup festival. Attached for your
review is the February 5, 2003 letter from the Arts Alliance that requests the release of
budgeted funds. Representatives of the Elk River Area Arts Alliance will be at the City
Council meeting to discuss the request and ongoing arts related activities.
Also, attached for your information is the July 10, 2002 Arts Alliance letter, which originally
requested the city contribution and explained the rationale behind this request. In the efforts
to balance the 2003 city budget, this $10,000 contribution was always "on the chopping
block" but also always survived. However, the situation is different today with the
anticipated cut in state aids being on the horizon.
S~ Council/ Pat/.4rt.4lh)nce / 02100 3
ELK RIVER
ALLIANCE
1170 Main Street · Elk River, MN 55330 · Ph: 763.441.4725 · Fax: 763.241.3521 · elkriverart@sherbtel.net
February5,2003
Elk River City Council
Mr. Pat Klaers, City Administrator
13065 Orono Road
Elk River, Minnesota 55330
Dear Mayor Klinzing, City Council Members, and Mr. Klaers:
This letter is to officially request the release of the 2003 funding approved for the Elk
River Area Arts Alliance.
We want to underscore our appreciation for the continued support the City of Elk River
has given the Arts Alliance, making it possible for us to serve our community through the
arts. We are well into the planning for this year's ArtSoup Elk River Community Arts
Festival and are eager to tell you about the numerous performances, exhibits, children's
activities and educational workshops scheduled. We are particularly excited that ArtSoup
has been chosen this year to be part of Arts Across Minnesota, a state-wide collection of
prominent arts events.
As always, we are collaborating with organizations, schools and businesses to make the
festival a well-rounded community event. Elk River's Community Recreation department
is already making plans for its participation in ArtSoup and we have begun working with
Phil Hals to work out the logistics of the festival weekend. Of course, we plan to hire the
Elk River Police Reserve again for daytime and ovemight security.
With the growth of our organization, its expanded list of quality arts activities, and the
Arts Alliance's emphasis on community through events such as ArtSoup, we believe that
the support from the City of Elk River is well placed.
We look forward to visiting with you Monday evening.
Sincerely,
Elk River Area Arts Alliance
Tony Darkenwald
Treasurer
Executive Director
ELK RIVER
'.LLIANCE
JUL
Item 5.6.
400 Jackson Avenue · Suite 205 · 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