Five Rivers Arts Alliance Strategic Plan

March 23, 2006

Mission Statement: To connect regional arts, culture, and heritage through advocacy, education, promotion, and celebration.

Paintings by Arlene Morris

Key Components to achieve the mission:

1. Organizational Capacity
2. Identity, Publicity & Communications
3. Membership
4. Programs & Promotions
5. Facilities

1. Organizational Capacity

Theo Holtwijk, Chair
Susie Wren
Roger Fenn
Will Vernick
Liz McGhee
Harriet Mosher
Kathy Durgin Leighton
Dave Tilton

Vision: Build and retain a strong organization through:

1. a full-time Executive Director,
2. invested Board members,
3. a large pool of committed volunteers, and
4. stable finances with income coming from a variety of sources.

Action 1-1: Form a limited number of subcommittees to address each of the key components of this strategic plan. Retain community members to assist the subcommittees where needed.

Action 1-2: Develop a multi-year financial plan where implementation responsibility for sponsorship and membership fundraising falls on all board members, and where the Executive Director will continue to take the lead on grant applications.

Action 1-3: Develop a volunteer plan for recruitment and retention.

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2. Identity, Publicity & Communications

Liz McGhee, Chair
Susie Wren
Maret Hensick
Theo Holtwijk

Vision: Have, and promote, a strong and recognizable organizational identity with the general public in the region and its arts, culture, and heritage providers.

Action 2-1: Make a final decision on the organization’s name.

Action 2-2: Develop logo to go with adopted name.

Action 2-3: Evaluate current communication tools on a regular basis to assess their viability or make recommendations for adjustment.

Tools include:

1. Arts Around Us Calendar (published every two months in Times Record) - Cathy Matero
2. Voice Newsletter – Harriet Mosher, Karen Saltus
3. Arts Directory
4. Cultural Map & Guide
5. Website – Roger Fenn, Mike Heath, Claire Adams, Harriet Mosher

Action 2-4: Develop promotional package and identify opportunities for distribution and promotion by board members.

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3. Membership

Maret Hensick, Chair
Roger Fenn
Kathy Durgin Leighton
Jamie Silvestri
Dave Tilton
David Wall
Harriet Mosher

Vision: Create, and maintain, a growing pool of diverse members who make annual financial contributions to support the organization.

Action 3-1: Develop, and implement, a membership campaign that addresses the following questions:

• Who are our members?
• What benefits do members receive?
• What additional benefits should we offer?
• How do we identify and reach present and potential members?

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4. Programs & Promotions

Bob Santerre, Chair
Roger Fenn
Will Vernick
Harriet Mosher
Claire Adams
Jamie Silvestri

Vision: Hold programs and promotions that meet the needs of audience, sponsors, participants, and organizers.

Action 4-1: Evaluate the organization’s current programs and promotions on a regular basis to assess their viability or make recommendations for adjustment.

Existing programs/promotions include:

1. Second Friday Art Walks (May-October, Brunswick) – Liz McGhee
2. Family Arts Festival (September, Brunswick) – Roger Fenn
3. Arts Downtown & All Around (December, regionwide) – Bob Santerre, Liz McGhee, Jamie Silvestri, Christine Macchi
4. Arts Nights at the Library (Bath, Brunswick) – on hold
5. May Arts in the Park (May, Bath) – Jamie Silvestri, Harriet Mosher, Sharon Pyne, Susan Perrine
6. Visual Artist Lecture Series – Maret Hensick, Kathy Durgin Leighton
7. Brag Book Promotion – Dave Tilton, Jamie Silvestri, Liz McGhee
8. Creative Economy meetings (regionwide)

Action 4-2: Identify new programs and promotions.

New programs may include:

9. public forums to focus on economic development and marketing for artists (Bath, Brunswick, Bowdoinham)
10. business skills training for artists (TBD)
11. Creative Communities Institute 2-day conference (pending NEA grant)
12. Opportunities for artists to sell their art products at events, via organization’s website, or through coop marketing.

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5. Facilities

Susie Wren
Liz McGhee
Theo Holtwijk

Vision: Provide programming in a variety of rented or donated locations in the region and increase the organizational presence to reach the broadest audience possible. 

Action 5-1:  Consider relocation of the administrative office to a ground floor storefront location of a major street in Brunswick, Bath, or Topsham after staffing levels are addressed adequately.

Action 5-2: Consider creating a flexible space where visual artists could be provided an opportunity to sell art products.

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Ad Hoc Planning Committee for Creative Economy Forums: Harriet Mosher, Kathy Durgin Leighton, Liz McGhee, Susie Wren, Theo Holtwijk, Jeff Sneddon, Mat Eddy, Alexis Mann, Al Smith, Elizabeth Lardie, Abbe Levin, Christine Macchi