Presentation to the
Steuben County Legislature
Agriculture, Industry and Planning Committee
March 5, 2014
The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes
Mission
The mission of The ARTS Council of the
Southern Finger Lakes (The ARTS Council) is to
enhance the cultural arts in the communities
we serve by acting as an advocate and
catalyst to increase participation, advance
collaboration and optimize resources.
Board of Directors - Officers
Kamala Keeley President
Steve Kettelle Vice President
Vishoka Balasubramanian Secretary
Jane Garnett Treasurer
Brad Turner Immediate Past President
Staff
Ginnie Lupi Executive Director
Connie Sullivan-Blum Folk Arts Coordinator
Tamar Samuel-Siegel Special Projects Coordinator
Chris Walters Grants Manager
Laura Charles Development Assistant
Programs and Services
 Individual Artists
 Arts and Cultural Organizations
 Folk Arts
 Grantmaking
 Build and strengthen relationships between artists and
art/cultural organizations and schools, and increase awareness
of the importance of arts education
 Serve the community by increasing awareness of and access to
arts and cultural activities of all kinds
Individual Artists
Individual Artists
Individual Artists
Arts and Cultural Organizations
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171 Cedar Arts Center
2 Crocked Pots Pottery
Alligator Mouth Improv
Arts in Bloom-Steuben County Arts Trail
Atrium Gallery @ CCC
BellaCapelli Salon
The Belfry
Benjamin Patterson Inn Museum
Black Sheep Inn
Centre Stage Community Theatre
Corning Area Community Concert Band
Corning Museum of Glass
Corning-Painted Post Civic Music
Corning’s Gaffer District
Crafting Cottage
Crystal Chords
Exhibit A Gallery
Foothills Publishing
Glenn H. Curtiss Museum
Goff Creek Pottery
Gustin’s Gallery
Hornell Area Arts Council
Hornell Art Center
Hornell YMCA
Keuka Lake Art Association
Keuka Lake Players
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Muse of Fire Theatre @ CCC
Once Upon a Lake Storytelling Festival
Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes
Palettes of Keuka
Rockwell Museum of Western Art
Soulshine Studio
Southeast Steuben County Library
Southern Tier Bluegrass Association
Spencer Crest Nature Center
Spencer Hill Gallery
Steuben County Historical Society
Valley Folk Music
Vitrix Hot Glass Studio
Waterman Center for the Arts
Watson Homestead
West End Gallery
Wooly Minded
World Glass
Folk Arts
Grantmaking
 Decentralization supports community arts programs, individual artist
projects and arts in education programs in Steuben, Schuyler,
Chemung and Tioga counties (NYSCA funded)
 QuickARTS funds community arts projects and individual artists in
Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties, with funding from the
Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes
 Electronic Media & Film supports artists for the completion (postproduction) of film, video, sound, new media and Web-based art,
and non-profit organizations for in-person appearances by
independent artists working in moving image media and sound art,
including video, digital and computer-based works. (Statewide NYSCA funded)
Grantmaking
Arts in Education
Community Service
Community Service
Business Plan
THE ARTS COUNCIL OF THE
SOUTHERN FINGER LAKES
FINAL REPORT
DEVELOPMENT OF A
STRATEGIC BUSINESS/
FINANCIAL PLAN
Findings from the board and staff retreat and internal
analysis coupled with external analyses were the basis
for the five interrelated goals listed below:
1.
Establish Diverse and Reliable Sources of Revenue
1.
Develop and Implement a Comprehensive
Marketing Communications Plan
1.
Maintain and Improve Services, Support and
Advocacy for Communities
1.
Increase Board Engagement and Development
1.
Create Succession Planning Procedures
PREPARED BY
SUSAN SCHEAR
MAUREEN VANACORE, MBA
FEBRUARY 15, 2012
Business Plan
 Establish Diverse and Reliable Sources of
Revenue
In 2012, The ARTS Council held the first Recycled
Runway, a very successful fundraising event. The
success was repeated in 2013 and we are
currently planning this year’s event, to be held at
171 Cedar Arts Center on June 7.
Focus is also on major and corporate donor
cultivation, ongoing grant research, and
exploration of earned income opportunities.
Business Plan
 Develop and Implement a Comprehensive
Marketing Communications Plan
Re-branding with new inspire and square logos has been
completed. Marketing consultant has been engaged (with
small NYSCA grant from CNY Arts) to assist in plan
development.
 Maintain and Improve Services, Support and
Advocacy for Communities
Service delivery continues to be outstanding and staff
team actively exploring improvements. mobileARTS has
been particularly effective in reaching artists and
organizations throughout the service area. Move to 79 West
Market Street is already enhancing service delivery.
Business Plan
 Increase Board Engagement and Development
Intentional recruitment has resulted in a significant, positive change
in Board engagement. The Board Development Committee is
currently reviewing all Board materials and policies.
Board Development, Fund Development, Marketing, and Finance
committees meet regularly.
 Create Succession Planning Procedures
A succession plan has been established for the Executive Director
position and Board officer succession procedures are being
reviewed by the Board Development Committee.
79 West Market Street
79 West Market Street
79 West Market Street
Q&A
The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes
History 1972 - 1981
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Founded in 1972 as the Chemung Valley Arts Council, housed at 171 Cedar Arts Center.
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Corning’s cultural festival, Soundings 1972, was the organization’s debut. The all day, all evening
outdoor downtown street festival involved artists, musicians, dancers, actors, about 20 service
groups, local businesses and downtown merchants.
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Received initial funding from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) in 1972 for
orchestral production and flood-related support to affected arts groups.
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The ARTS Council’s ongoing arts calendar effort began in 1974 with a printed, bi-weekly
calendar of events.
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Became a NYSCA Decentralization regrant test site in 1977, making grants for community-based
arts activities in Tioga, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben, Allegany and Cattaraugus counties.
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In 1980, partnered with Taylor Wine Company on Taylor Vintage Summer of Song, attracting
over 30,000 people to six State parks in the Finger Lakes region.
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By 1981, The ARTS Council had 40 member organizations and provided services including a
calendar, newsletter, weekly art news updates, computer access, technical assistance, and other
community resources.
History 1983 - 1989
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1983 was the first year of the organization’s Folk Arts program, studying folklore and folklife
activities in Schuyler County.
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In 1985, the Corning Crafts Project implemented (in collaboration with Corning Glass Works) a
program through which individual artists could obtain low interest loans in exchange for their
establishing an "open studio" and shop on Market Street. A quarterly publication, ARTSCOPE,
was launched, and monthly calendar of events mailed to over 500 addresses.
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In 1986, the organization received funds from NYSCA for planning and development of arts
education programs in Steuben and Chemung counties. Also, The ARTS Council hired its first
folklorist, with support from NYSCA.
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In the late 1980s, The ARTS Council opened a second office, on Gray Street in Elmira, made its
first ARTS Partnership Awards, was honored by the President’s Committee on the Arts for the
Corning Crafts Project, and hosted the late Tom Buechner as keynote speaker at the 1987
Annual Meeting.
History 1990 - 2000
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Despite State budget cuts in the early 1990s, The ARTS Council added Tompkins County to the
Decentralization program, and held the first Old Time Fiddlers’ Gathering at Watkins Glen State
Park. The organization also closed its Elmira office and moved its main office to the basement of
the Baron Steuben building in Corning.
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The ARTS Council moved to the first floor of the Baron Steuben in 1994, creating an arts
information and box office service for regional arts events, and in 1995 added a toll-free
ARTSLine to provide community event information.
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In 1996, the organization offered arts groups a guide for self promotion through its Marketing
Assistance Program, and provided seminars and workshops to build skills and share information
and resources. Also in 1996, THINK with the Arts campaign was launched to increase public
awareness of arts in education.
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The ARTS Council moved to the second floor of 52 East Market Street in the late 90s.
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The late 90s saw development of the Canvases … Just Down the Road, funded by NYSCA, the
NEA, and local businesses. The project debuted in 2000 and featured regional artists’ work
reproduced on billboards throughout the region.
History 2001 - 2007
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In 2002, The ARTS Council moved to 32 West Market Street, Corning. The storefront space
featured a gallery for member artwork and increased the visibility of the organization significantly.
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Also in 2002, The ARTS Council held its first ARTS Connections Institute. Funded by NYSCA,
the program brought regional educators and artists together to discuss best practices in
integrating the arts into academics. The annual program ran until 2007.
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2002 – 2005 saw expansion of NYSCA-supported grantmaking for community and school-based
arts programming, lots of activity in the gallery, and development of a new website design for
www.eARTS.org. In 2005, the organization began using a dba and marketed itself as The ARTS
of the Southern Finger Lakes.
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National Youth Art Month debuted in 2005, exhibiting over 700 pieces of student artwork in
businesses throughout Chemung, Schuyler and Steuben counties. The annual event has grown
considerably; the 2013 celebration featured over 1,280 pieces of artwork exhibited in 46
businesses region-wide.
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The ARTS Council’s weekly e-newsletter, Arts & Culture: What’s going on? launched in 2007,
after several months as a monthly e-publication. The newsletter’s impact was immediate and
significant: within six months, artist membership increased 600%, and cultural partnerships
increased 300%.
History 2007 - 2008
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In 2007, as The ARTS Council celebrated its 35th Anniversary, it assumed management of a
gallery space in the lobby of the newly-renovated Palace Theatre in Corning.
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In 2008 changed its legal name from Chemung Valley Arts Council (dba/The ARTS of the
Southern Finger Lakes) to The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes.
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Also in 2008, The ARTS Council initiated a Cultural Diversity and Inclusion in the Arts project to
assist cultural partner organizations, and coordinated an eight-county regional arts and
economic development summit as part of NYSCA’s Cultural Blueprints initiative. Both projects
were funded by NYSCA with one-time grants.
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Also in 2008, The ARTS Council assumed management of the New York Foundation for the Arts
(NYFA) Strategic Opportunity Stipends grant program for individual artists in a 6-county region.
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The QuickARTS: Community Arts Money in a Jiffy! grant program, a partnership with the
Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, was initiated in 2008.
History 2009 - 2010
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In 2009, The ARTS Council assisted a group of young international artists in mounting How is
This Glass?, a 4-venue exhibit in vacant storefronts on Market Street in Corning, held during the
Glass Art Society Annual Meeting.
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Also in 2009, the organization collaborated with the Community Foundation to bring StoryCorps
to the region to record stories about the Hurricane Agnes flood of 1972.
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Due to changes in management at the Palace Theatre in 2009, The ARTS Council moved its
additional gallery space to 38 West Market Street, donated by Andy Sprague. The space was
utilized through the end of the year.
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In 2010, The ARTS Council began working with WSKG-TV on a documentary about the
Hurricane Agnes flood, and created a toll-free telephone service to record additional stories.
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Also in 2010, The ARTS Council received a grant from the Schuyler County Tourism Promotion
Agency to market the 21st annual Fiddlers’ Gathering. The funding supported brochure printing
and distribution, extensive print advertising, and a new web page, and resulted in a 250%
increase in attendance.
History 2010 - 2011
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Late in 2010, The ARTS Council was given a grant from the Corning Incorporated Foundation to
hire consultants to assist the organization in development of a business plan. ARTISIN, LLC was
engaged in 2011.
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In 2011, The ARTS Council, in collaboration with Southern Tier Economic Growth and with a
grant from the Community Foundation, held its first Business of Art workshop series. Ten
workshops were held from February - June and 26 artists participated.
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Also in 2011, The ARTS Council hosted regional State Legislative representatives and cultural
partner organizations for a discussion about proposed cuts to the New York State Council on the
Arts.
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In 2011, The ARTS Council again received a grant from the Schuyler County Tourism Promotion
agency to assist with marketing the annual Fiddlers’ Gathering. This year, the Gathering moved
to Lakewood Vineyards in Watkins Glen.
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At the end of 2011, The ARTS Council hired a half-time Development Officer.
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The ARTS Council assumed management of two statewide NYSCA grant programs in electronic
media & film in 2011 – Presentation Funds and Finishing Funds.
History 2012
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In 2012, the organization began working with a group of volunteers to plan Arts in Bloom, the
Steuben County Arts Trail. The event was held April 27 & 28, 2013 and was very successful.
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In 2012, ARTISIN, LLC delivered a completed business plan to The ARTS Council. After
thorough review by Board and staff, the organization’s Marketing committee was charged with
development of a marketing plan based on ARTISIN’s report. Using funds from a NYSCA grant
awarded by CNY Arts, Meghan Parsons was engaged to assist in the process.
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Also in 2012, The ARTS Council held its first Recycled Runway fundraising event.
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In 2012, The ARTS Council again received a grant from the Schuyler County Tourism Promotion
agency to assist with marketing the annual Fiddlers’ Gathering, held at Lakewood Vineyards in
Watkins Glen.
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The organization inaugurated mobileARTS in 2012. A variation on regional office hours, ARTS
Council staff rotate monthly through the 4-county service area, visiting artists and organizations.
History 2013
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In March 2013, The ARTS Council, in collaboration with Southern Tier Economic Growth and
with a grant from the Community Foundation, held the second Business of Art workshop series.
20 artists participated in the weekend workshops.
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In 2013, The ARTS Council, in partnership with the Community Foundation, expanded the
QuickARTS grant program to include a separate grant for artist opportunities, similar to the
defunct NYFA SOS program. The program is titled QuickARTS: GO!
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The second Recycled Runway fundraiser was held in early May 2013 and was completely sold
out.
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Also in 2013, The ARTS Council signed a 10-year lease on 79 West Market Street in Corning.
The organization moved on July 15 and opened its new Gallery in August.