Next Friday, June 26, Fund for the Arts is launching #ArtIs: In Your Hands to raise money and awareness for local arts. Starting at 8 a.m., Fund for the Arts will begin the journey by speaking to Teddy Abrams, Louisville Orchestra conductor, over coffee. The organizers will then continue on to various art locations in the Kentuckiana area, broadcasting each site on various social media networks. Some stops you should look out for include The Louisville Ballet, The Carnegie Center for Art & History in Southern, IN, The Shawnee Cultural Center and The Lincoln Elementary Performing Arts School.
These artistic explorations will continue throughout the day with a new location every hour, running till 9 p.m. To get this more in-depth look at the local arts and what’s going on in the community, follow Fund for the Arts @fundforthearts on Periscope (a mobile app created by Twitter), Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Updates and live feed will be streamed to each of these accounts, “literally putting art into your hand.”
I spoke with Eric Gurevich, Manager of Communications and Engagement at Fund for the Arts, to learn more about this organization and the event.
Fund for the Arts was founded in 1949 and is the oldest United Arts Fund in the U.S. It works to maximize the impact of the arts through economic development, education and quality of life. Every year, Fund for the Arts holds a campaign from January to June to raise millions of dollars that go towards maximizing the arts' impact in the community. Cultural Partners of the organization are Actors Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Kentucky Opera Association, Kentucky Shakespeare, Louisville Ballet, Louisville Orchestra, Louisville Theatrical Association, Louisville Visual Art Association, Louisville Youth Choir, Louisville Youth Orchestra, StageOne Family Theatre, Walden Theatre Blue Apple Players and West Louisville Performing Arts Academy.
Gurevich said that by helping these organizations thrive, "the city thrives.” The donations are also used for other Fund for the Arts initiatives and programs such as “Five by Five,” which works to ensure each student (in JCPS and in independent schools) participates in at least five professional art experiences before the 5th grade.
Gurevich emphasized that by using social media to bring art directly to each individual, they are breaking down the assumption that “art is with a capital ‘A’ and can only be enjoyed by paying large sums of money.”
"You don’t need a lot of money to appreciate art and enjoy it,” Gurevich said.
Fund for the Arts will be taking donations throughout the day via a link to their site that will be included with each social media post. The organizers will be showing their appreciation for supporters and thanking them for the role they play in helping Louisville arts thrive. The goal of bringing art into “your hands" is to show that the arts are part of the community and are indebted to the community for its support and contribution.
#ArtIs: In Your Hands is a brand new initiative for Fund for the Arts, and they are excited to engage the community and start a conversation in regards to what art is, what it means and why it’s important. Gurevich emphasized how each tweet and post on June 26 will merely be a “snapshot" of places accessible to the public on a daily basis.
“By embracing the arts and cultures,” Gurevich said, "[we] showcase how we are building a stronger, better community.”
Photo Courtesy of Fund for the Arts’ Facebook Page
