JCAC Fundraising

What Makes the Jasper Community Arts So Special?

As the City of Jasper proudly promotes its 2007 Governor's Arts Award and the role the Jasper Community Arts plays in its arts programs, the question of Why are we so special? has been echoing through my mind lately. What do we do that is unique? How are we different from other arts organizations? What do we offer that people can't get anywhere else, at least not in the area?

The answer to that question can be distilled into one word. Experience.

A hundred years ago, our entertainment options were limited. You might sing in the church choir or listen to the local band play on the courthouse square. Maybe you took in a Sunday afternoon baseball game or kept time on the porch swing as your daughter's piano tunes drifted through the open parlor window. You often made your own entertainment and that was pretty limited.

Nowadays, we live in a high-speed, connected-to-everything world with a dazzling aray of options. We have hundreds of channels on our satellite TVs and radios. We have multiplex theaters or can have movies delivered directly to our doors. We have thousands of books and magazines printed each year. We are swamped with streaming video, and have an infinite choice of music on CDs or to download. The Internet Cafe is open 24/7. The choices are mind-boggling and sometimes, just plain confusing.

So, where does the Jasper Community Arts fit into this modern maze of entertainment options? Just what do we do that is so special?

We offer you the opportunity to experience the arts. To sit in a theatre, surrounded by a few hundred friends and neighbors, and to enjoy real, live entertainment. You, the audience, become part of the performance. There is no comparison between real, live entertainment and watching a performance on television, at the movies, or listening to a CD recording. No comparison.

The art experience we offer is not just contained in our theatre but is part of the Jasper Community Arts entire mission to bring the arts into the community. You don't need to drive to a big city to experience high quality art up close and personal. The Krempp Gallery displays the work of artists from across the nation as well as that of local and regional artists. Our art classes and workshops are designed to "grow" artists from preschool age through retirees. Did you know that the performances your children enjoy in school are brought to you by the Jasper Community Arts programming efforts? Our Kennedy Center partnership also allows us to teach teachers how to incorporate the arts into their classrooms.

Our mission to promote the arts extends far beyond our doors. The annual spring Chalk Walk event allows families to participate and enjoy fun-filled art activities for an entire day. The INteract group, as part of our Region 11 program, brings together artists from a multi-county area to discuss, experience, and participate in art. This is what makes the Jasper Community Arts so special!

But all of this wonderful art experience is not free. This is where we need your help.

We are very proud to be a department of the City of Jasper, a unique situation in the entire state. This status provides us with an organizational structure and services which we would be hard pressed to afford if we were a free-standing entity. The City generously provides up to 50% of our annual operating budget. The remaining operating monies come from several other sources: ticket sales, grants, rentals, and commissions. An important part of our income comes from donors like you.

Your donation specifically allows the Jasper Community Arts to continue to bring the experience of art to our community. You can invite your best gal or guy, your mother, or even your best friend to join you in this experience. You help keep ticket prices affordable for everyone. You are part of the reason we are able to provide so many free and low cost services. We would not be able to do what we do without your generous support.

I hope that as you are considering the many charitable requests for your help, that you will keep in mind that which makes Jasper Community Arts so special. Your donation helps make the art experience possible. You ensure that our community will remain a special place in which to live, work, raise a family, and to visit.

Our services meet the needs of approximately 40,000 people each year from preschool age to retirees. This is all accomplished with a small staff and over 150 volunteers. With only a portion of our annual budget being provided by City Support, we rely heavily on income from services, rentals, grants, and the generosity of patrons like you. Your support will ensure that ticket prices and workshop fees remain affordable for the very best arts programming while providing an atmosphere that celebrates the creative spirit.

Won't you please complete the attached pledge card and mail it along with your check, made payable to JCA? We will credit your contribution in our Performers Series program for one year. Please feel free to contact me at (812) 482-3070 should you have any questions.

Thank you for your generosity and for helping us to bring your community alive through the arts!

Sincerely,

Kit Miracle, Director

P.S. Please share your commitment for keeping alive the experience of high-quality arts programming in your community by sending a generous donation to Jasper Community Arts. Your donation can be directed to our general fund in support of current programming, or, for those with a vision towards the future, you may designate your money towards our building fund. We want to keep the art spirit alive and thriving in the Jasper community!

Click here for the JCAC Board of Directors