Arts & Entertainment
Arts Martha's Vineyard: Gathering Forces
The Island's arts and culture collaborative will update public on past year's efforts today at the Hebrew Center
Arts Martha’s Vineyard, formerly known as the Martha's Vineyard Arts and Culture Collaborative, is a group of volunteers dedicated to supporting and promoting the arts on Martha's Vineyard. Tonight, Thursday February 23, they will be holding a public reception at the to present their work to date, introduce their new steering committee, answer questions, and discuss their plans for the coming year. The public is invited to come and join the group or volunteer if interested.
Arts MV began in October 2010 when the Martha's Vineyard Donors' Collaborative brought together forty arts and culture organizations, including, among others, , Island Theater Workshop, and . Volunteers from those organizations and other interested parties spent the next year looking for ways to make arts and culture stronger on the Vineyard, beginning with an extensive survey of the island's cultural assets, the economic impact of the arts, and the needs of the island's arts and culture community. The work was funded by an Adams Planning Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and additional grants from the and the Martha's Vineyard Women's Network.
The results of this year of study were published last month in an extensive report .
Find out what's happening in Martha's Vineyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Martha's Vineyard is home to hundreds of artists and dozens of arts organizations – three or more film festivals, several theater and dance companies, over three dozen galleries, numerous cultural institutions including museums and libraries, plus hundreds of individual artists, musicians, and writers. They play a major role in the island's culture and have a significant economic impact. According to a study by the included in the report, the direct economic impact of arts and culture constituted 4.2% of the Vineyard's overall economy in 2008.
Stimulating economic development in the arts is part of the Arts MV mission, along with increasing awareness of the island as an arts community through. Developing cultural initiatives, possibly including future arts festivals, and nurturing and coordinating resources for artists, cultural organizations, and arts-related businesses will also help strengthen the arts community. Supporting arts education in schools and in the community at large is a final component of the Arts MV mission statement.
Find out what's happening in Martha's Vineyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
This afternoon's meeting starts at 4 pm and will provide an opportunity to learn more about Arts MV, and to get involved in their work. If you are unable to attend the meeting, but would like to learn more, please email: info@artsmarthasvineyard.org