The Fund for the Arts celebrated the end of the 2014 fundraising campaign on Friday, July 11th in Central Park, revealing the grand total of just over $8,000,000. This is the third consecutive year the Fund topped the 8 million mark and is the final campaign for retiring President & CEO, Barbara Sexton Smith.
“Over the last three years there has been a remarkable change in the Arts ecosystem“ Sexton Smith said. “We are seeing long-term sustainability and growth in the Arts on every front. Collaboration and innovation are leading the way to revolutionary strategies in management, outreach, and especially education – and the Fund for the Arts is the engine that drives the Arts economy!”
The Celebration, which took place prior to the opening night of Kentucky Shakespeare’s Hamlet, featured a performance by Motown singing group 2nd CHANCE, a stirring performance of the National Anthem by Terri Foster, Director of the Louisville Youth Choir, and Gregory Rahming, Director of 2nd CHANCE, and special honors for the region’s top employee campaigns.
Top 2014 Employee Campaigns included:
#12 Baptist Health
#11 Fifth Third Bank
#10 PNC Bank
#9 Republic Bank & Trust Company
#8 American Commercial Lines & Jeffboat
#7 KentuckyOne Health
#6 LG&E & KU Energy and IBEW Local 2100
#5 Norton Healthcare
#4 Yum! Brands, Inc.
#3 Jefferson County Public Schools
#2 Brown-Forman
#1 Humana Inc.
“It’s a real community effort, “ said Mark Wheeler, 2014 Fund for the Arts Campaign Chair. “The Arts matter here, it is personal to everyone in this community. Arts are truly what make this a great American city.”
Mary Newby was honored with the first ever Fund for the Arts Life Time Achievement Award for her longtime service to the Fund. As Norton Healthcare’s Director of Special Projects, Newby has led the charge to raise more than $1 million dollars for Fund for the Arts through Norton’s Charitable Giving Campaign. Jim Allen, Fund for the Arts Board Chair said, “It is people like Mary Newby who make a difference in this community. Quietly doing. Consistently investing. Not just for one moment, one campaign, but throughout their lives. We salute Mary and everyone like her.”
Together through the Arts we create a great American city!
