By Sarah Bishop, Executive Director Buffalo First:
At the beginning of his tenure, County Executive Chris Collins laid forth a vision for Erie County that affirmed the belief that cultural vitality is of utmost importance in contributing to economic and social development. Western New York's arts and cultural institutions make this area "a place where people want to live, businesses want to locate and tourists want to visit," Collins said, citing the arts, architecture and cultural heritage as our greatest regional assets.
That pre-county budget cuts Collins of yore is right. Our local arts and culture encourages repeat visits by tourists, helps attract talent to our area (and retain those great assets), enriches our neighborhoods, provides an aesthetically pleasing environment and actively enhances community life. And in matters of fiscal responsibility, economic development and "the bottom line," funding for arts and cultural institutions makes good economic sense, too. Arts and culture in the United States provide nearly 1.3 million full-time jobs and $37 billion in annual expenditures, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Buffalo First! believes that our city's competitive edge comes when our community runs on the ideals our mission statement advocates - building a just, sustainable and thriving local living economy - and moves forward with the ideology that community and a sense of place are equally as important as money earned.
As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and we're committed to teaching by example. That's why, from now until May 5, five percent of all membership donations received from local businesses, nonprofits and individuals will be set aside for Give for Greatness, a two-month campaign seeking to raise $1 million in support of the 47 arts and cultural institutions that had their county funding eliminated in this year's budget.
Your Buffalo First! membership links you to a community and a cause dedicated to building a better Buffalo through environmentally friendly, economically sustainable and community-oriented programs. And for the next month and a half, your membership will also support and safeguard Buffalo's sense of place - capitalizing on the strength found in our arts and cultural institutions and looking to build on the potential of these rich resources - ultimately creating a healthier, happier and well-rounded life for all.
Artvoice publisher Jaime Moses, whose independent weekly paper is spearheading the Give for Greatness campaign, said it best: "Even if we don't reach our dollar amount, we're doing this to build community. Every time people come together for an event, whether it's planned by the campaign or an outside contribution, we see how important the arts is to a flourishing community."
Buffalo First! and its members are proud to envision and work towards building a future in which our community's success is based upon predetermined goals by vested stakeholders and collective action. We support any initiative that serves community needs, strives to reflect a diverse perspective and preserves regional social and economic security.
And we know you do, too. So, what do you say, Buffalo? Let's be great.
Image: Starlight Studios mural @ Cafe 59
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At the beginning of his tenure, County Executive Chris Collins laid forth a vision for Erie County that affirmed the belief that cultural vitality is of utmost importance in contributing to economic and social development. Western New York's arts and cultural institutions make this area "a place where people want to live, businesses want to locate and tourists want to visit," Collins said, citing the arts, architecture and cultural heritage as our greatest regional assets.
That pre-county budget cuts Collins of yore is right. Our local arts and culture encourages repeat visits by tourists, helps attract talent to our area (and retain those great assets), enriches our neighborhoods, provides an aesthetically pleasing environment and actively enhances community life. And in matters of fiscal responsibility, economic development and "the bottom line," funding for arts and cultural institutions makes good economic sense, too. Arts and culture in the United States provide nearly 1.3 million full-time jobs and $37 billion in annual expenditures, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Buffalo First! believes that our city's competitive edge comes when our community runs on the ideals our mission statement advocates - building a just, sustainable and thriving local living economy - and moves forward with the ideology that community and a sense of place are equally as important as money earned.
As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words, and we're committed to teaching by example. That's why, from now until May 5, five percent of all membership donations received from local businesses, nonprofits and individuals will be set aside for Give for Greatness, a two-month campaign seeking to raise $1 million in support of the 47 arts and cultural institutions that had their county funding eliminated in this year's budget.
Your Buffalo First! membership links you to a community and a cause dedicated to building a better Buffalo through environmentally friendly, economically sustainable and community-oriented programs. And for the next month and a half, your membership will also support and safeguard Buffalo's sense of place - capitalizing on the strength found in our arts and cultural institutions and looking to build on the potential of these rich resources - ultimately creating a healthier, happier and well-rounded life for all.
Artvoice publisher Jaime Moses, whose independent weekly paper is spearheading the Give for Greatness campaign, said it best: "Even if we don't reach our dollar amount, we're doing this to build community. Every time people come together for an event, whether it's planned by the campaign or an outside contribution, we see how important the arts is to a flourishing community."
Buffalo First! and its members are proud to envision and work towards building a future in which our community's success is based upon predetermined goals by vested stakeholders and collective action. We support any initiative that serves community needs, strives to reflect a diverse perspective and preserves regional social and economic security.
And we know you do, too. So, what do you say, Buffalo? Let's be great.
Image: Starlight Studios mural @ Cafe 59
It would be great to see Buffalo First get behind some for of Art Card, whereby patrons and frequenters of Buffalo's cultural org's, can benefit from doing so. An annual donation into an umbrella pool, for instance, provides a discount to theater tickets, etc. It also forces non-donors to pay a premium at the box office.