2016 · Annual Report

Dear Friends, When we reflect on 2016, there’s one word that quickly to comes to mind – ‘milestones.’ In April, our nonprofit organization celebrated the fifth anniversary of SteelStacks, the unique public-private partnership that brought together the City of Bethlehem, Bethlehem Redevelopment Authority, Bethlehem Area School District, County of Northampton and many other partners to help transform an old, abandoned steel mill into a dynamic destination for music and art. Once the largest privately owned Brownfield in the nation, today this former industrial site is teeming with life, attracting more than 800,000 visitors annually to enjoy music, art and cultural experiences. During Musikfest in August, a record 387 performers descended on Bethlehem, serving up more than 500 performances in all genres of music to the delight of the nearly one million people. And, as the year drew to a close, Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem celebrated its 24th year with an expanded footprint and a record crowd, drawing 70,000 people to Bethlehem to experience everything the Christmas City has to offer. Behind the scenes, our staff worked closely with numerous community organizations and schools to strategically identify ways we can enhance the educational experience for young people and enrich the quality of life for our community. To this end, we greatly expanded our Education & Outreach Programming in 2016, while also rolling out many new classes, programs and events like the InVision Scholastic Photo Competition, Musikfest children’s summer camps, the Food Truck Border Brawl and the Linny Awards, honoring the Lehigh Valley’s vibrant arts community and those who support it. As a community-based arts and cultural organization, our goal has always been enriching and enhancing our community though the arts, with a focus on using arts and culture to support tourism and aid in urban revitalization. In November, we received a pleasant surprise validating all the hard work everyone in the community has done over the past five years as Money Magazine named Bethlehem as the “Best City to Retire to in the Northeast.” Among the reasons it cited were the development of the SteelStacks campus and the presentation of festivals like Musikfest. Imagine that! While 2016 was successful in many ways, we are already looking toward the future, nuturing our next generation of artists and identify areas where there may be new opportunities to add arts programming for our community. Over the past few years, we’ve undergone a major evolution and as we continue to grow, there’s a renewed focus on expanding access to the arts and using our many resources to aid in economic development in our city and our region. As an organization and as a family, we’ve just begun to scratch the surface of our true potential. The support of you - our 2,600 supporting members, 1,900 volunteers, 300 corporate partners and hundreds of community partners - has led us to where we are today. It’s with you and because of you that we can all look forward to even bigger and brighter things for our region in the years to come. Sincerely, Kassie Hilgert ArtsQuest President & CEO 2 As one of the leading arts presenters in the region, ArtsQuest has developed strong relationships over the years with visual and performing artists from across the Lehigh Valley New 2016 and around the nation. Education In 2016, we focused on leveraging these relationships, as well as tapping into our expertise and Outreach in music and arts programming, to develop a comprehensive slate of education and outreach Programs programs for the community. Among the offerings were new programs focused on early childhood education, visual literacy Visual Literacy and afterschool education for grades K-4. In addition, Bethlehem area students were able to • Toddler Storytime with enjoy interactive experiences that brought nationally touring artists like American Idol’s Crystal Bowersox and the High & Mighty Brass Band to their schools for performances as part of the Bethlehem Area Public Levitt Pavilion Artist in Residence Program. Library Overall, more than 2,000 students enjoyed enriching arts education experiences presented Artist in Residence Program by ArtsQuest in 2016, a nearly 100-percent increase from the year before. In addition, dozens of educators and community leaders were able to learn about the many resources and • Donegan Elementary School programs ArtsQuest is able to provide thanks to increased outreach to area school districts and Community Outreach community groups. Programs ArtsQuest’s innovative approach to programming - coupling access to artists with hands-on • Community Action educational experiences - has quickly helped position us as one of the leading arts education resources in the region. Continuing to capitalize on this growth in 2016, we are already Committee of Lehigh Valley planning on adding several new creative aging, afterschool enrichment and arts education Family Movie Night at Levitt programs for 2017. Pavilion School Field Trips “We like to call ArtsQuest our preferred partner. We look to • 1,000 Bethlehem 5th Graders them when we’re thinking of improving our academic programs. Taking Steel Walking Tours ArtsQuest is a tremendous resource with a lot to offer.” • 400 Students and Adults Jack Silva, Bethlehem Area School District Assistant Superintendent for Education from Area Schools and Community Groups Levitt Pavilion Artist in Residence Program • Crystal Bowersox at Donegan Elementary School • High & Mighty Brass Band at Broughal Middle School Educator Outreach Initiatives • Educator Open House • Educator Round Table • Meetings with Area School Principals 2016 Freedom High School Playwright Showcase • First time a school has ever produced and presented a show at SteelStacks 3 2016 Partners Community Partners Bangor Child Care Bethlehem School District Bethlehem Area Public Library DaVinci Science Center Dripped on the Road Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley Holy Infancy School Homebase610 Hush Little Angels Day Care Lehigh University Lehigh Valley Arts Council – Arts & Access As a community-based arts organization, one of our primary goals is providing access to Lehigh Valley Charter Arts arts and cultural experiences for all ages. Perhaps nowhere is this more evident than in the programming of Banana Factory. Based on Bethlehem’s SouthSide for the past 19 years, this three-story arts center has Lincoln Leadership Academy long been a hub of arts activity, offering classes, workshops and programs for toddlers to octogenarians. Over the past two years, we have transformed our arts programming under Mikayla’s Voice the leadership of our visual arts staff, increasing greatly the opportunities for area residents to immerse themselves in the arts. Moravian Academy In 2015, the Banana Factory presented 300 classes and workshops. In 2016, we tripled that, offering almost 1,000 opportunities, ranging from multi-week classes in clay and photography - to name just a few - to the make-your-own glass art program called the “Hot Glass Northampton Community Experience.” College ArtsQuest’s major visual arts initiatives are geared toward attracting visitors to South Bethlehem to explore the many shops, restaurants and businesses. Launched in 2015, the Pennsylvania Youth Theater SouthSide Arts Festival is a showcase featuring dozens of local artists and art activities like graffiti art and 3-D chalk design, while the First Friday open houses, where guests can Sands Casino visit the 25 resident artists at work in their studios, are a launching point for discovering everything the SouthSide has to offer. 4 The visual arts programming also extends well beyond the walls of the Banana Factory. Throughout the year, we offer visual artist residencies at area elementary and middle schools; opportunities for artists to apply for shows like Christkindlmarkt and Handwerkplatz at InVision Partners Musikfest; and unique art competitions designed to engage and promote artists on many Allentown Art Museum levels. Just are few of the many highlights include: • Touching the lives of hundreds of school children through arts education and The Art Establishment afterschool enrichment programs such as: Bethlehem Fine Arts • Holy Infancy Catholic School Art Education Program Commission - Bethlehem • B-Smart Afterschool Enrichment Program with Bethlehem Area School Town Hall - Rotunda Gallery District • “Faces of the SouthSide” Documentary Photography Program Bethlehem House Gallery • Art Smart at Donegan Elementary School Dan’s Camera City • Partnering with Olympus America on the InVision Photo Festival, which brings together some of the nation’s top photographers for dynamic workshops and Eagle Nest Gallery, Nazareth presentations. Area High School • 26 art exhibits featuring local and national artists, at the Banana Factory and at The Gallery at St. John’s SteelStacks. • Expanding the ArtPop Billboard Competition, a partnership with Adams Outdoor Image Archives Advertising, to include artists from Berks, Bucks and Montgomery counties. Institute of Contemporary Art • Hosting 10 FREE Toddler Storytime Sessions, designed to promote visual literacy and early childhood development. The Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts Morning Call Amateur Scholastic Digital Photography Contest Lehigh University Art Galleries More than 180 students from 47 schools entered this contest as part of the Olympus InVision Photo Festival. In addition to being featured in The Morning Call, winning works were Main Line Art Center

Load more