2011 Was a Good Year

Friday, 02 December 2011 00:26

Visibility and positive media coverage for Metro Detroit has never been higher. We know that with all that arts and culture have to offer, we as a sector are a big part of what makes this region’s story so compelling.

The national television commercial from Pure Michigan in which arts and culture attractions are highlighted is one example. Beautiful and informative, the ad required a great deal of collaboration among various sectors and organizations behind the scenes. This was made possible thanks to the efforts and funding from many organizations, including MCACA, The Henry Ford, the Ann Arbor Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Cultural Alliance.

Larger, Engaged Membership
We added 18 new members in 2011. And they joined an engaged Cultural Alliance. Of our members, more than 70-percent participated in at least two Cultural Alliance programs and attended meetings. And 48-percent of our members participated in six or more programs. Which of these did you take advantage of in the last year? There were several workshops including Storytelling and the Institute of Museum and Library Services seminar where 65 participated.

Community Relations Teams
Created to build local and regional awareness of arts and culture, the Cultural Alliance CRTs generated an Educators Action Plan for 2012. The program will help students and teachers experience the region’s cultural treasures, performances and attractions in the coming year.

Give the Gift of Art and Culture
Sixty-one members are participating in our annual listing of special holiday offerings – twice as many as last year. Shining light on special performances and gift ideas from many of the region’s leading arts and cultural organizations, the listing is shared with media and posted online with links to CASM member’s homepages. Click here for details.

Summer Camps and Programs
Thirty Cultural Alliance members participated in the inaugural Summer Camp and Spring Break Listing. In the program, the not-for-profit organizations detailed their offerings for young people interested in the arts and cultural treasures in Southeast Michigan. We helped publicize the offerings of our members through the news media and online.

The Cultural Concierge
Thirty-five CASM organizations participated in the group sales program this past year- a unique service for members. Be sure to take a look at The Cultural Concierge website for a list of holiday performances and to see just one of the ways we working to support our members this season!

Museum Adventure Pass
Since its launch four years ago, more than 300,000 library visitors have taken advantage of the program for free admission to museums and cultural attractions. The new Summer Program runs Memorial Day to Labor Day 2012.

New 2011 Programs
Kennedy Center Program – Fifty-two Cultural Alliance members participated in these in-depth training sessions designed to strengthen arts and cultural organizations, presented by the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the Kennedy Center. Topics covered include: fundraising, programmatic marketing, strategic planning, planning a season, and board development.

Financial Services – This new Strategic Alliance initiative provides tools and resources to help your organization best manage its money. Designed to strengthen the capacity of Cultural Alliance members, the initiative has three components:
1. An educational program, managed by the Cultural Alliance.
2. Accounting and financial consulting services provided by Apparatus.
3. Financial peer networking opportunities for building supportive relationships and sharing expertise
Click here to learn more.

Culture Volunteer – CASM launched with Volunteer Match the only online resource for volunteer opportunities in arts and culture. The service is FREE to all CASM members though December 2012. The program invites the public to “engage their cool” as volunteers serving your institution. So far, more than 60-percent of our members are taking advantage of it. Are you? Click here to learn more.

An Example of Collaboration: META
A strategic alliance of professional theater groups, the Michigan Equity Theatre Alliance pooled a pair of season tickets from each of its seven members to create a grand prize to raise awareness of its members. While one lucky entrant received a pass for two to more than 40 live stage performances, META stole the show by netting 1,700 email addresses, expanding their database and building new relationships. Learn more about META.

We’ve moved!
If you’re wondering where we’ve gone to, heads-up! We’ve moved into larger digs. We’re still in the same building-just relocated into a new suite. Please note: Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan, 3434 Russell Street, Suite #105, Detroit, Michigan 48207-2057.