By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Money is being raised to support the arts in St. Joseph.
The Allied Arts Council fund drive is underway, hoping to surpass the $235,000 raised last year, even during the coronavirus pandemic.
Allied Arts Council Executive Director Teresa Fankhauser says the arts drive is important to keep the arts affordable.
“We want to make sure that the arts are available to everyone, that the arts aren’t elitist,” Fankhauser says during a visit on the KFEQ Hotline.
Fankhauser says the money raised during the fund drive allows organizations, such as the St. Joseph Symphony, to keep ticket prices low. She adds all of the groups supported through the fund drive work hard to provide a range of ticket prices so any St. Joseph resident can attend.
The fund-raising goal this year is set at $240,000.
The drive last year surprised many, according to Fankhauser, because it met its goal despite the pandemic.
“St. Joe likes the arts, what can I say?” Fankhauser says. “They really think it’s important. They really believe that they need to support it. And when we were talking about the fact that our main goal was to keep the organizations alive, let them make it through this pandemic and come out on the other side and they answered the call.”
The Allied Arts Council fund drive runs through April 30th.
Members of the Allied Arts Council which have applied for funding this year are Creative Arts Productions, Performing Arts Association, RiverSong, Robidoux Resident Theatre, St. Joseph Community Chorus, Saint Joseph Symphony, and Allied Arts Council.
Click here for more information about the Allied Arts Fund Drive.
This article has been updated to clarify which groups have applied for funding this year.