|
 About Us THEN
The Valley Arts Alliance was established in 2004 as a group of
artists and supporters of the Arts in the Sebasticook Valley Area of
Central Maine. Our goals were originally to...
•Determine the artistic and cultural nature of the Sebasticook Valley
Area.
•Offer an opportunity for artists and groups living here to
collaborate.
•Create new opportunities to be creative in the arts.
•Draw attention to the various groups and sites of cultural interest
in this area.
•Create a readily accessible file of people and places, available to
tourists, art buyers and other audiences.
Since January, 2005, we have held meetings and programs of interest
to our local artists. Beginning January 2006 we charged a $10.00
membership fee per year, which went up to $15.00 in 2009.
Artists generously volunteered their services and programs were free
of charge. We had music by Charlie Haiss and Sam Hoekstra, and art
sharing. At one meeting Jim Miller took photos of artists’ work to
put on the website.
We’ve held workshops for the public on Self Promotion in the Arts, a
Hands-On Workshop in various crafts.
We created by-laws and elected officers.We established tax-free
status and created a corporation. This helped us seek financial
support for more activities in the arts for local residents, since
many grants require non -profit status.
The Cultural Directory of all local artists and cultural groups in
this area, as seen on the VAA website, was created, then updated in
2008.
We became more firmly established in the community by continually
publishing our activities and meetings in the Rolling Thunder and
SVWeekly newspapers and our website.
In the Fall of 2005 and 2006 many of our artists had Open Studio
Days, and a percentage of items sold was donated to the building
funds of the Pittsfield Library and the Newport Cultural Center
(about $250 to each cause).
We have participated in Newport’s Summerfests, the Pittsfield Egg
Festival, Corinna Old Home Days, the Sebasticook Vally Chamber of
Commerce’s Trade Show and Communbity Fairs and Sparkle fundraisiers,
for example.
About Us NOW
The Valley Arts Alliance is a group of over thirty artists and
supporters of the Arts in the Sebasticook Valley Area of Central
Maine.
Our goals are to...
•Offer an opportunity for artists and groups living here to
collaborate.
•Create new opportunities to be creative in the arts.
We hold meetings and programs of interest to our local artists, the
fourth Wednesday of the month, at 6:30 P.M. Locations for meetings
vary.
Membership in the Valley Arts Alliance is open to anyone interested
in promoting the arts and being creative in the arts. The membership
fee is $15.00 yearly, payable January 1st.
The alliance supports three locations for exhibiting works by our
visual artists:
•SVWeekly Showcase Main Street, Newport
•Tim Horton’s in Newport
•The Sebasticook Federal Credit Union in Pittsfield
A percentage of items sold is donated to charitable causes and to
support of the Alliance. We have contributed to the building funds
for the Pittsfield Public Library and the Newport Cultural Center.
Through a grant from the Maine Community Foundation, we feature one
artist a month in local publicity, on the website, and through an
exhibition of their work at one of our three exhibition spaces. The
cultural directory is updated.
We participate in Newport’s Summerfests, Corinna Old Home Days, the
Sebasticook Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Trade Show and Community
Fair and Sparkle fundraisers.
|
About Us 
