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Wichita Arts

Arts Council

To advance and promote arts and culture in the Wichita community

through advocacy, leadership, education and collaboration.

2010 Arts Council Board of Directors & Ex-Officio Members

The Arts Council. Unity in Action

Board of Directors

  • Judy Goodpasture, Chairman of the Board
  • Robert Lamkey, Vice-Chairman/Special Events
  • Mike Lowry, Treasurer
  • Judy Conners, Secretary
  • Susan Arnold
  • Joan Cole, Advocacy Chair
  • Sharon Fearey
  • Arlen Hamilton
  • Denise Irwin
  • Jodie Justiss
  • Ann Keefer, Art Advisory Chair 
  • Martha Linsner
  • Sharon Mallory 
  • Suja Mathew
  • Jack Silvers
  • Dora Timmerman

Ex-Officio Members

  • Mary Jobe
  • Joe Miller
  • Patricia McDonnell
  • Sue Schlapp
  • Gwen Welshimer
  • Lavonta Williams

Become a member of the Arts Council and help support the arts!
pdf - Arts Council Membership Form

Arts Council Board Member Application Form

History

In March of 1999, the Arts Council entered into a formal agreement with the City of Wichita to serve as the designated focal point for the implementation of the City's cultural arts plan. The Arts Council serves the 424,000+ residents of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Area and has accepted the responsibilities to strengthen all art venues and to promote cultural arts within the community.

Mission Statement

To advance and promote arts and culture in the Wichita community through advocacy, leadership, education and collaboration.

Our Goals

  • To report accurately all Arts Council income and expenditures so that the Arts Council board can make sound decisions.  
  • To ensure Arts Council fidelity through effective by-laws and established policy and procedure.  

  • To encourage the acquisition and display of fine art in our city.
  • To encourage arts appreciation throughout Wichita.

  • To market the Arts Council and its mission throughout Wichita and Sedgwick County.  
  • To honor outstanding contributors to the arts in Wichita and Sedgwick County.
  • To determine and promote the common needs of the arts community in Wichita and Sedgwick County. 
  • To increase membership in the Arts Council. 
  • To carry out the cultural funding grants review process. 
  • To increase and improve arts advocacy efforts in Wichita and Sedgwick County. 
  • To help develop a prioritized list of public policy areas such as economic development, downtown initiatives and neighborhood outreach, upon which cultural arts will have a significant impact. 
  • To keep the City and County Commissioners apprised of Arts Council activities. 
  • Act as an advisory body to ensure the inclusion of cultural arts in neighborhood plans. 
  • Act as an advisory body to assist with City plans for a facility needs assessment of arts organizations throughout 2010. 

Our Services

  • Facilitated the development of the Cultural Funding Committee who granted $1,137,600 in funds from the City of Wichita to 30 arts organizations for 2009.

  • Sponsorship of a full-service website (www.wichitaarts.com) featuring the only Cultural Arts calendar in the area. Growing to over 2,000 hits per month, the calendar is easily accessible to citizens throughout the county as well as those traveling from outside of Kansas. The website offers information and contact information for and about artists, galleries, museums, and arts and cultural organizations.

  • Presentation of the Annual Art Awards, which honor area individuals, businesses and associations that support the arts throughout Sedgwick County.

  • Sponsorship and support for youth programs including fieldtrips and a variety of CityArts programs.

  • Offers local artists and arts organizations visibility by supporting the gift shop and exhibit gallery located in the CityArts building. These venues offer artists a unique opportunity to sell their original creations. Artists are allowed to keep 70% of their gross sales. Artists showing in the gift shop and exhibit gallery are promoted by post cards, e-mail press releases and website announcements. The Arts Council sponsors free, open to the public artist receptions in the exhibit gallery.

Annual Art Awards

SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION:

The Annual Arts Council Awards were established in 1969 to recognize and honor those businesses, foundations and individuals who have displayed consistent and exemplary support of the arts and humanities in Wichita and Sedgwick County.  These awards focus attention on the importance of the arts as they relate to the quality of life in our community and honor those who have made major creative achievements or significant contributions to cultural growth or development.  Approximately 200 people have attended our Annual Art Awards event for the past several years.  A list of past recipients and award categories is included for your information.

The Arts Council recently approved a new mission statement, which is printed at the top of this document.  The City Council has helped to support this mission since 2005 by dedicating one mill levy to be awarded to non-profit organizations through a re-granting process called Cultural Funding.  In 2006 this was equivalent to almost $3 million.  This funding has been a tremendous boost to help raise the level of the arts in Wichita.  However, in two years it may be gone.  It is vital that the arts community band together to find a permanent funding source.

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS:

$10,000 or more in kind/cash: logo on poster, designated as presenting sponsor on program and invitations, website, link to your website, 16 tickets to the awards dinner, 8 tickets to the private reception

$5,000 or more in kind/cash:  logo on poster, program and invitations, website, link to your website, 8 tickets to the awards dinner, 4 tickets to the private reception

$2,500 or more in kind/cash: listed on poster, program, invitations and website, 4 tickets to the awards dinner, 2 tickets to the private reception.

$1,000 or more in kind/cash: listed on poster, program, invitations and website, 2 tickets to the awards dinner, 1 ticket to the private reception

$500 or more in kind/cash: logo on poster, program and invitations, website and mention in all media advertising, 2 tickets to the awards dinner.

For more information, please contact: Susan Arnold (316) 683-8178, susan7033@cox.net

PURPOSE: The Wichita/Sedgwick County Arts and Humanities Council established the Annual Arts Council Awards in 1969 to recognize and honor those businesses, foundations, and individuals who have displayed consistent and exemplary support of the arts and humanities in Wichita/Sedgwick County. These awards focus attention on the importance of the arts as they relate to the quality of life in Wichita/Sedgwick County and honor those who have made major creative achievements or significant contributions to cultural growth or development.

CATEGORIES:

Gordon W. Evans Award (Given by the Arts Council) – Given to a patron demonstrating outstanding leadership and special support for the arts. This award is presented at the discretion of the Arts Council.

Arts Organization – Given to a public, not-for-profit organization that presents or provides arts opportunities to the Wichita community and region.

Special Project – Given to a neighborhood, business, corporation or group that has provided support for a single event or project.

Arts Educator – Given to an individual who has devoted a career to teaching the arts in an educational environment.

Arts Advocate/Individual – Given to an individual or couple dedicated to furthering the cause of an art form or the arts in general through promotional, volunteer, administrative, legislative or professional efforts.

Arts Advocate/Group – An organization dedicated to furthering the cause of an art form or the arts in general through promotional, volunteer, administrative, legislative or professional efforts.

Individual Artist – Given to an artist actively working in such categories as Choreography, Music Composition, Film/Video, Theatre, Interdisciplinary/ Performance Art, Two-Dimensional Visual Art and/or Three-Dimensional Visual Art, who has shown outstanding achievement.

Youth Recognition Award – Given to a high school and/or middle school student who has shown outstanding achievement and development in the arts.

Business Award – Given to a business or foundation providing broad-based and continued support of the arts through its operation or other foundation funds.

Burton Pell Award – A new award created in memory of Mr. Pell a long time member and past president of the Arts Council. It will be given to an outstanding individual in music.

ELIGIBILITY: Any individual, business, organization or institution currently residing in Wichita or the surrounding area involved in arts and cultural activities located in the area at the time of nomination is eligible to be nominated.

INELIGIBILITY: Ineligibility includes any self-nominations, posthumous nominations and previous Arts Award winners. If needed, the Arts Council will make decisions on any unusual circumstances that might occur after the nomination committee has met.

NOMINATIONS: Nominations are accepted from Kansas citizens and organizations seeking to recognize individual artists, art educators, advocates, organizations, individual patrons, and patron organizations. Nominations may be submitted with or without the knowledge of the nominee.

SELECTION: Award recipients will be chosen from among the nominees by the nomination committee, which will include members of the Arts Council. At the discretion of the panel, selections may include more than one award in a category. Conversely, the panel may decide not to give an award in every category if the total ranking does not merit an award.

SELECTION CRITERIA: The criteria the panel will use to rank & select awards will be:

  • Significance and magnitude of the creative achievement
  • Length of time and intensity of activity dedicated to the arts.
  • Leadership that stimulates growth, support and/or availability of the arts
  • Contributions to excellence in the arts.

FURTHER ASSISTANCE: For further assistance or information in preparing this form, contact Melissa Plymale, CityArts, (316) 462-2787 x793 or mplymale@wichita.gov.

Copyright © 2010 WichitaArts.com.  Sponsored by the Arts Council.