nashobavalleyartsandculture wiki / notes

Notes from meeting of April 12, 2007

About 20 people braved the elements and met at Indian Hill Music. Mary Chapin Durling explained how the gathering came to happen. In spring 2006, the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts held a charette to determine the funding focus for each of its regions. Subsequently, the Community Foundation decided to fund an arts and culture project in their Nashoba Valley region. The project was two-fold: to create a directory of organizations and to initiate a gathering of those individuals (with the hope that an alliance or coalition would then rise up.)

We then met in 3 smaller groups by discipline (or budget size) for introductions and discussion of our missions. Then we formed 2 groups and discussed collaboration and what this organization could do to serve all of us. The evening concluded with a wrap-up circle with everyone.

The discussions were lively and enthusiastic about the possibilities of connection and collaboration. We can already see the benefit that meeting one another can have for all of us. Each discussion brought new ideas to the fore as people spoke about their organization. Immediate collaborations as well as future conversations ranged from use of the glass containers in the Reuben Hoar Library to publicize the Artists Valentines Project to an exhibition of Art China Now’s work in the Blackman Hall (Indian Hill Music).

Here are some ideas on how this group could serve all of our organizations:

1. Share resources with one another. Topics that came up included:

a. Technical resources such as lighting people, sound people, etc. We’re particularly interested in local people.

b. Grantwriting – advice as well as recommending people who do this

c. Evaluation & assessment – tools and resources for learning on this topic

d. Information on venues – capacity, contact info. Put this in the directory.

2. Cross-marketing – let our constituencies/audiences know about other events in the area in our emails or fliers. Or do this as inserts in programs.

3. Special benefits for our members or subscribers. Create something like the Circle of Friends Card offering special discounts or free admission to other organizations’ events as a benefit to being a subscriber or member at one organization.

4. Website links. Put links to other organizations on our websites.

5. Volunteer appreciation. Thank our volunteers by taking them to another venue for free – examples include an afternoon at Fruitlands, theater tickets at Village Theater Project, tickets to an Indian Hill Music concert, etc.

6. Create a list-serve or wiki page.(!). People are interested in a communication tool for members. We’d also love to have an online calendar that the public could go to and member organizations could update themselves.

7. Additional category in the directory: Rental facilities with capacity information.

We’ll meet again in June. Place TBD. Directories will be distributed at that time.

Attendees of the first gathering:

Ayer Fourth of July Celebration

Mike Ernst

mernst@student.fsc.edu

Ayer Historical Commission

Ruth Rhonemus

e-mail

Art China Now

Show Yang

show@cidermillgroton.com