Access Makes the Arts Grow Wider | Expanding Gateways

by Randall Forte, executive director, Lehigh Valley Arts Council This article appeared in The Express-Times newspaper on March 4, 2013. The arts have never been more important to the Lehigh Valley. Hundreds of creative industries, nonprofit cultural organizations, and thousands of individual artists of all disciplines—dance, musical, theatrical, visual, literary and media arts—are invested in…

Why Public Funding for the Arts? It’s Life Changing.

Guest Post by Arts Council member, Jennifer Scavuzzo Just yesterday I heard a radio program discussing how to combat the high level of dropouts from our high schools, and one student who was featured discussed how "bored" he is with school.  Given the opportunity to see what a better high school could offer (while still…

Advocate for Lehigh County Funding to Maintain Local Quality of LIfe

by Randall Forte, LVAC executive director This article appeared in The Morning Call newspaper's Town Square section on September 22, 2012. The Lehigh County Board of Commissioners is preparing to vote on the 2013 budget. The 2013 quality of life grants, which fund many Lehigh County arts and cultural nonprofits, are in jeopardy of elimination.…

Meet Our Board Members–Danielle Kulnis, vice president 2012-13

This post continues our series featuring each of the current members of the Arts Council's board. We thought you'd like to get to know a few things about the people who help direct the organization, support its mission, and work to secure its future. Ours is a volunteer board of leaders from the community who…

The Arts Count–Numbers Reveal the Impact

by Randall Forte, executive director The arts are invaluable to the Lehigh Valley’s economy and quality of life. We have the numbers and experience to prove it. During 2011, the Lehigh Valley Arts Council gathered data from ninety-one arts and cultural organizations as part of a national economic impact study, “Arts & Economic Prosperity IV.”…

Meet Our Board Members–Debora Roberson, vice president

This is the second post in a series featuring each of the current members of the Arts Council's board. We thought you'd like to get to know a few things about the people who help direct the organization, support its mission, and work to secure its future. Ours is a volunteer board of leaders from…

Meet Our Board Members–Tom Stathos, president

 This is the first post in a series featuring each of the current members of the Arts Council's board. We thought you'd like to get to know a few things about the people who help direct the organization, support its mission, and work to secure its future. Ours is a volunteer board of leaders from…