Allied Arts Council leaps into new fundraising campaign

By Harry Loomis

The Allied Arts Council kicked off its Arts Fund Campaign on Thursday, hoping to raise $300,000 for arts programming and activities in St. Joseph.

The 42nd year of the campaign kicked off with a party at the Trail Theatre. This year’s theme is “Leap Into an Art-Venture.”

“We try to take the different elements of how the arts are important to our community and utilize those kind of eyes to brainstorm what the campaign theme should be,” said Allison Stewart, chair of the Arts Fund Kickoff.

Donations will go toward education and allowing as many kids to be part of the arts as possible.

“We have a lot of great momentum going because we have local businesses who really stepped forward and said this is an important aspect of our community and they’ve committed money to support all of these different agencies,” Stewart said. “Our campaign this year, we’re actually starting off quite great. We are almost to $200,000 already raised.”

The campaign is raising money for several entities in town, including the Robidoux Resident Theatre and the Saint Joseph Symphony.

“Everyone can participate in the arts in some way,” Stewart said. “The key elements to making a community vibrant, successful and healthy is to have a vibrant and successful arts community because it’s good for mental health, physical health. And it is it is good in attracting businesses and families who want to make St. Joseph their home.”