This Looks Like a Job for…the ACTION AGENCY!

The amazing friends and community members who give to Art-Reach are an absolutely vital piece of our mission to bring arts and culture to those who need their benefits most. They are powerful, kind-hearted, and have the ability to change lives. We’re not sure, but they may also be faster than a speeding bullet and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Our donors are a part of the Art-Reach family, which is why we are pleased to unveil the ART-REACH ACTION AGENCY!

The Action Agency program provides Art-Reach donors the opportunity to connect on a much more personal basis with the work they make possible. Each year, when a friend of Art-Reach makes a gift of $250 or more, he or she will become a member of the Agency, and be entitled to several really cool benefits. Check them out:

Buff ($250-$499)
•    Agent Passes (2) to attend 2 Art-Reach events/year.
•    2 tickets to an inclusive production at the Amaryllis Theatre Company.
•    Invitations (for 2) to attend our Annual Action Agent Cocktail Party (featuring special guests from the Philadelphia cultural and human-service communities).
•    Free subscription to our quarterly Action Agent e-newsletter.
•    Your name featured in our annual Art-Reach newsletter and Web site.

Fanatic ($500-$999)
Every Buff level benefit, PLUS:
•    Agent Passes (2) to attend 2 additional Art-Reach events/year.
•    Reserved VIP seating at Art-Reach events.
•    10 FREE tickets to a live arts event for an Art-Reach member group of your choice.
•    2 additional invitations to our Annual Action Agent Cocktail Party.

Guru ($1,000+)
Every Fanatic level benefit, PLUS:
•    2 additional Agent Passes to attend 4 Art-Reach events/year.
•    10 additional FREE tickets to a live arts event for an Art-Reach member group of your choice.
•    1 FREE In-Facility performance for an Art-Reach member agency of your choice.

I am personally so excited about this program, because it gives us the opportunity to give back to our donors. And I’m not talking about t-shirts and mugs. The Action Agency gives our donors the satisfaction of seeing their dollars in action. They can even directly sponsor arts experiences for the human services agencies closest to their hearts.

A few weeks ago, we posted a cryptic blog article about the Hypno design firm Create-a-thon and the top-secret Art-Reach project these talented artists and copywriters tackled. Well, the Action Agency moniker and design were completely created by the folks at Hypno. We think that they truly captured the spirit of Art-Reach and our donors! Check out the official Action Agency Brochure and tell us what you think!

Several great friends and strong supporters of Art-Reach have come together to form the Action Agency Leadership Council. Special thanks to Joyce and Ron Burd; Patricia A. Gritzan, Esq.; The Phoebe W. Haas Charitable Trust A, as recommended by Carole Haas Gravagno; and the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Arts Education Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation for “leading the charge!” The Council has set a challenge for the first year of the Agency. If we are able to raise $20,000 in Action Agency gifts by June 30, 2010, the Council will personally match the amount! Each dollar given to the Agency will automatically be doubled! Please give today and help us reach this goal!

For more information, check out the Art-Reach Action Agency brochure or call me at 215-568-2115, ext. 2.

-by Sage Young

The gift of design

Since 2002, Hypno Design, Inc., a marketing and design firm, has pulled one really impressive all-nighter per year. October 15th-16th, 2009 marked the 7th annual CreateAThon, a 24-hour marketing marathon where volunteer artists, designers, photographers, and copywriters work around the clock to create unique marketing materials for five local non-profit organizations. And did I mention that they do it for FREE?

Hypno collects proposals from local organizations all vying to be a part of this awesome opportunity. As you may have already guessed, Art-Reach was chosen by Hypno’s owners Richard Cardona and Allison Judah as one of the lucky beneficiaries! After we received the good news, Executive Director Michael Norris and I booked a PhillyCarShare and drove out to the Hypno office in Moorestown, New Jersey to meet with the team.

While Richard and Allison had read in the proposal about Art-Reach and the initiative we were looking to promote (A secret soon to be revealed!…stay tuned!), they took this opportunity to learn even more about the spirit and mission of Art-Reach. We left the meeting confident that they understood where we were coming from and would represent us in a unique and effective way. And then, we waited…

On Friday, October 20th, Michael and I crossed state lines again to see what Hypno had cooked up for Art-Reach. We arrived at an office full of coffee, chocolate, and pastries, all the essentials to work through the night. We met with the talented artist and copywriter who put our ideas into words and images; they spoke about their creative process and the buzz words they used to describe Art-Reach: connector, agent (there’s a clue!).

Finally, the moment arrived – our professionally designed materials were presented to us. We are going to debut them VERY soon and they are amazing! The Hypno team distilled our goals and ideas into a distinctive design concept, which is also cohesive with our general logo and graphics. I enjoyed this experience for many reasons, but mostly because it’s so interesting how an outside party (especially one consisting of design professionals!) can describe your organization in a way you’ve never imagined. We provided the tools, but these artists created a masterpiece! Within the next two weeks, these materials will be shared and Hypno's brilliance is sure to be appreciated by all who believe in the power of the arts and Art-Reach!

-by Sage Young

Art-Reach Gives Back to NOLA through Annual Jazz Brunch!

This year’s Jazz Brunch will honor the rich history and spirit of New Orleans. To give back to a region still facing so many challenges, Art-Reach has formed a unique partnership with New Orleans non-profit, YA/YA (Young Aspirations, Young Artists). This organization, which provides cultural and entrepreneurial education for artistically-talented inner-city youths, has contributed an original painting by one of its young artists, 19-year-old Quinton Gilmore, to Art-Reach’s Jazz Brunch. This artwork (pictured left) depicts popular New Orleans musician Trombone Shorty. It is featured on the Jazz Brunch invitation and the original piece will be auctioned at the event, with proceeds benefiting YA/YA. 

YA/YA has a broad vision for its young participants, which is why their programs focus on artistic growth and business savvy. These young artists are also encouraged to give their time to various community service projects and create socially-conscious artwork. Galleries around New Orleans display and sell the students’ artwork, and the artist earns a commission on each piece sold. As they progress through the program, passing milestones, their commissions increase. It’s no wonder these young people emerge from the program as well-rounded individuals primed for personal and professional achievement. According to YA/YA, “students who join YA/YA for at least one year achieve exceptional rates of high school graduation, college enrollment, and professional success.” Many graduates of the program return as apprentices and mentors to inspire a new generation of artists.

Art-Reach is thrilled to partner with an organization whose mission aligns so closely with our own. To buy a ticket to the Jazz Brunch and have a chance to bid on the YA/YA artist painting, please visit the Art-Reach website. For more information about YA/YA, visit their website .

- by Sage Young

Celebrate the Sights and Sounds of New Orleans at the 18th Annual Art-Reach Jazz Brunch and Silent Auction!

Join Art-Reach this fall for a party in the French Quarter! Staff and volunteers are quickly wrapping up the final stages of planning for this year’s big event. Dixieland Jam: A Celebration of New Orleans Jazz will be taking place Sunday, November 1st, 2009 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue in Center City, Philadelphia. At the event, 250-300 guests will be treated to a delicious, authentic Cajun brunch, traditional cocktails, the sounds of New Orleans performed by the John Hoey Orchestra, and an array of exclusive silent auction prize packages.

In addition to celebrating another year of bringing quality arts and cultural experiences to underserved audiences, Art-Reach will also be honoring the recipients of this year’s Commitment to Cultural Access Award. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations that are making the arts more accessible to people with disabilities or economic disadvantages. This year’s honorees are Christine Rouse, Founder and Executive Director of Acting Without Boundaries; and The Arden Theatre Company.

The Jazz Brunch is Art-Reach’s most important fundraising event, generating over 15% of our annual operating budget. Tickets to the Jazz Brunch are $85 or $175, the latter including free parking at the Bellevue and admission to the exclusive VIP Brunch Preview in October. Corporate packages range from $1,500 to $5,000 with various benefits. For tickets and more information about the Jazz Brunch and; Silent Auction, call us at (215) 568-2115 or log on to www.art-reach.org/ARR_SpEv.html.

-Sage Young
Development Manager