Read the Arts Communities' Letters to Governor Mckee
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Rhode Island Arts Community Welcomes Governor Daniel McKee Rhode Island State Council on the Arts One Capitol Hill, 3rd Floor Providence, RI 02908 401-222-3880 Email: [email protected] February 3, 2021 His Excellency Daniel J. McKee Governor State of Rhode Island Rhode Island State House Providence, RI 02903 Dear Governor McKee: On behalf of the Rhode Island arts community we would like to congratulate you on your Inauguration as Rhode Island’s 76th Governor. It has been our distinct pleasure to work with you and your office over the past six years. We have valued your support of the arts in Rhode Island, and your championing of small arts-related businesses throughout our state. You have recognized the valuable role the arts play in Rhode Island’s economy, in the education of all students – no matter where they live or their economic conditions – and in the quality of life we enjoy here in the Ocean State. We look forward to a McKee Administration where • the arts are part of a commitment to small business, where access to business support and capital are available to arts-related businesses, and where our non-profit arts community is supported – financially and through programs and services – so they can contribute to a vibrant economy; where • the arts are an integral part of the education of all Rhode Islanders, and where students are encouraged to explore arts-related fields as a viable career path; and where • cities and towns can take the lead in encouraging their local artists and arts organizations to contribute to a culturally vibrant community. You helped make this happen during your term as Mayor of Cumberland, and we look forward to your continuing to do so as Governor of Rhode Island. We’ve assembled a number of letters from Rhode Island arts organizations and arts-related businesses, congratulating you on your Inauguration and pledging their support to your Administration. On behalf of all of us at the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA), we also pledge our support, and look forward to the next several years under your leadership. Sincerely, Libby Slader Randall Rosenbaum Chair Executive Director WQ Cl:Sll: K East 0 .. .... .. .... .. .. ... 131 �I���.�<?��.... .......... ·, ................. ••············· Woonsocke1 : 106 197 Cumberlan 12 Hill @t 114 ( 0 ompsqn ■ascoag Attleboro Woodstock North 0 Smtthfield Smtthfield0 ■ Tau 0 0 44 Glocester PROVIDE 118 North i.Jcke1 0 East Dighton 0 : x) Killn1gly Rehoboth0 MASSACHUSETTS Seekonk RH O D E C U T · ingto'a a�r- ; ............... ············"" ···west··•·" · � . 169 Warwick �L·. 0 Couen1ry ■ .l,ris1ol •. .. ·· .. 24. K E N T ,• . ········ ..... ·····,: ················· Nm-agansm � 4 &y 0Wes1 llxeter Hailh Kllbs1own 0 I NE\f\JPORT 164 138 -dletown !� DO N 0 ■ Preston ,.,.port King Aqui�ck Island • edyard W A S H I N G TO I./ opkinton :enter Wakef • 0Narragansett Pier _J 0 Charlestown 0 West Mystic >oquonock 3ridge Fishers R //odeIsland Island � Sound � London-Block Island felJJI, A t I BlockIsla 11d Great C Sound SaltPond 0 Old Hamor Island Organizations and Individuals Providing Letters of Welcome to Governor McKee Block ■ TABLE OF CONTENTS RISCA Introduction 2 New Urban Arts 46 Map of Organizations Providing Letters 3 Oasis International 47 List of Letters ‐ Table of Contents 4 Ocean State Pops Orchestra 48 Academy Players of RI 5 Outsider Collective 49 Alliance of Artists Communities 6 Quisqueya In Action 50 Arctic Playhouse 7 Providence Art Club 51 Arts Alive 8 Providence Athanaeum 52 AS220 9 Providence Children's Museum 53 Banda Nova Alianca 10 Providence ¡CityArts! for Youth 54 Blackstone River Theatre 11 Providence Dept of Art, Culture and Tourism 55 Chamber Orchestra of Barrington at St. John’s 12 Providence Public Library 56 Choral Collective of Newport County 13 Providence Singers 57 Chorus of Westerly 14 pump house Music Works 58 Common Fence Music 15 Raising Hope, Inc 59 Common Fence Point Improvement Association 16 RI Chamber Music Concerts 60 Community MusicWorks 17 RI Civic Chorale & Orchestra 61 Community String Project 18 RI Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School 62 DeBlois Gallery 19 RI Wind Ensemble 63 Dirt Palace Public Projects 20 RISD Museum of Art 64 DownCity Design 21 RISE‐ RI State Ensemble 65 Eastern Medicine Singers 22 Riverzedge Arts 66 Epic Theatre Company 23 Sankofa Community Connection 67 Esperanza‐Hope 24 South County Art Association 68 Everett 25 Stages of Freedom 69 Festival Ballet Providence 26 State Ballet of Rhode Island 70 Fifteen Minute Field Trip 27 The Steel Yard 71 First Works 28 Swamp Meadow Community Theatre 72 Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival 29 Teatro ECAS 73 Gallery Night Providence 30 The Players 74 Gamm Theatre 31 The Rhody Center 75 Girls Rock! Rhode Island DBA RIOT RI 32 Tomaquag Museum 76 Greenwich Odeum 33 Trinity Repertory Company 77 Hera Gallery, Hera Educational Foundation 34 Warwick Center for the Arts 78 Imago Foundation for the Arts 35 Warwick Symphony Orchestra 79 Jamestown Arts Center 36 WaterFire Providence 80 Johnson Dance and Performing Arts J‐DAPA 37 What Cheer Writers Club 81 JDP Theatre Co. 38 Wickford Art Association 82 Kingston Chamber Music Festival 39 Wilbury Theatre Group 83 Music on the Hill 40 Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council 84 Musicians of Musica Dolce 41 LETTERS FROM INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AND Narragansett Bay Symphony Community Orchestra 42 ARTIST‐RUN SMALL BUSINESSES 85 Newport Art Museum 43 Newport String Project 44 newportFILM 45 February 11, 2021 The Honorable Daniel McKee Governor of Rhode Island Rhode Island State House 82 Smith Street Providence, RI 02903 Dear Governor McKee: The Academy Players of RI would like to congratulate you on your new appointment as Governor of the state of Rhode Island! The Academy Players of RI was organized in 1955 by a group of enthusiasts in East Greenwich. The intent of the Academy Players is to provide the community with theatre on a high level to create civic pride in our organization, while offering a satisfying medium for those who participate. We are staffed by a dedicated team of volunteers. Our actors, musicians and crew are from all over Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Academy Players is a 501.c3 non-profit corporation. Our income to produce yearly productions, special events and programs to benefit the community is generated solely from business sponsorships, donations from benefactors, ticket sales and grants - such as the generous grants awarded to us from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. As you know, due to COVID-19, we have suffered a tremendous loss, financially, physically and mentally. We look forward to working with your administration and hope that 2021 is a better year for all performing arts. We believe the Rhode Island government will do everything they can to continue to support the Arts as well. We look forward to your new administration and hope to see you in our house enjoy a show! Sincerely, Rita A. Maron, Raechel M. Robidoux, Artistic Director President Letter of Welcome from Rhode Island arts community to Governor McKee Page 5 Winner of fourteen Broadway World Regional 2020 Awards including Theatre Company of the Decade ALLIANCE OF ARTISTS COMMUNITIES PO Box 23212 Providence, Rhode Island 02903 USA tel +1.401.351.4320 www.artistcommunities.org [email protected] Board of Trustees February 3, 2021 Mario Garcia Durham, Chair Independent Consultant Sanjit Sethi, Co-Vice Chair Dear Governor McKee, Minneapolis College of Art and Design Elizabeth Chodos, I hope this note finds you and your family well. As the Executive Director of the Providence- Co-Vice Chair based Alliance of Artists Communities, I heartily congratulate you on becoming the 76th Miller ICA at Carnegie Mellon University Governor of Rhode Island. I look forward to working with your administration. Tamara Ross, Treasurer Independent Consultant The Alliance of Artists Communities (AAC) is the international association for artist residencies Brad Kik, Secretary and arts organizations. We serve a field of +1,500 programs worldwide that provide time and Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology space to artists to advance their creative practice. We work directly with arts organizations to support the development of fair and equitable practices; provide trainings and networking Rob Bailis opportunities; and advocate for creative environments of all kinds. Since 2004, the AAC has Eli & Edythe Broad Stage provided more than $4.5 million in direct grant funding to artists and residency centers. Ryan Dennis Mississippi Museum of Art As an international organization, we are proud to be headquartered in Rhode Island. This state is Melissa Franklin The Pew Center for a testament to the incredible power of artists, and their role in healthy, vibrant communities. Arts & Heritage Through our membership programs, we are honored to work with AS220 (Providence, RI), The Mark Golden Steel Yard (Providence, RI), Norman Bird Sanctuary (Middletown, RI), Dirt Palace (Providence, Golden Artist Colors RI), Rhode Island Writers Colony (Bristol, RI), RISD Museum (Providence, RI), among others. Tony Grant These artist residencies provide jobs to hundreds of creative workers and support RI’s robust Sustainable Arts Foundation network of artists with studio space, professional development, and funding. Gia Hamilton New Orleans African American Museum We value the support we get from the state through RISCA. We were honored to manage their Melissa Levin Rhode Island Artist Relief Fund last year, a critical funding program for Rhode Island artists who Independent Consultant have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we consider exciting potentials and Craig Peterson important work in the year ahead, we are excited to partner with your team in support of the Abrons Arts Center | Henry Street Settlement arts! Shey Rivera MIT CoLab Sincerely, Geoffrey Jackson Scott Peoplmovr Huong Vu Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Amy Wheeler Lisa Funderburke Hoffman Playwright Executive Director Kibra A Yohannes The Andrew W.