{"id":49458,"date":"2017-10-20T23:45:54","date_gmt":"2017-10-21T03:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=49458"},"modified":"2018-04-26T22:21:08","modified_gmt":"2018-04-27T02:21:08","slug":"allentown-art-museum-launches-bold-plan-arts-lehigh-valley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=49458","title":{"rendered":"Allentown Art Museum Launches Bold Plan for Arts in the Lehigh Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

Featured Image\u00a0 By Marco Calderon<\/p>\n

Allentown Art Museum Launches Bold Plan for Arts in the Lehigh Valley<\/h2>\n

Museum Brings Arts to the Community and Community to the Museum<\/h3>\n

ALLENTOWN. PA \u2013 Reaching into Arts Park, a crowd of hundreds soaked up the energy and excitement that flowed down the steps of the Allentown Art Museum, spilling onto 5th St. Thursday evening as \u201cThe Big Reveal\u201d was unveiled and an ambitious trajectory was set for the arts in the Lehigh Valley.<\/p>\n

On a Third Thursday, it\u2019s not a coincidence that the Museum would reveal its strategic plan for the 21st Century, drawing the curiosity and attention of over 250 Lehigh Valley residents, museum members and supporters, politicians, professionals, business people and art lovers during an evening of film, art, music, performance, poetry and discussion lasting until 9pm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are here today to \u2018Ignite the imagination and light the slow fuse of the possible,\u2019 said Priscilla Payne Hurd President & CEO David Mickenberg, quoting author Emily Dickinson, as he set the stage for revealing the 5-year plan to transform the Museum.<\/p>\n

\u201cA little over 2 years ago the board designed, created and adopted a strategic plan. We are in a very changing world. So, we\u2019ve got to change,\u201d said Museum Board of Trustees Chair Dolores Laputka. Laputka said the board overwhelmingly supports a commitment to embracing all of the arts and making the Museum the epicenter for artists, educators and the community, and declaring the arts a pathway to cultural and social discourse and collaboration.<\/p>\n

Mickenberg announced the new strategic plans and operational, programatic and management initiatives derived from four key pillars: increase community impact, ensure excellence, engage audience and build capacity. These include:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Center for Innovation and Creativity, an expansion of the current Museum structure, revenue generating affordable artist housing, conference center and community space;
\n\u2022 Museum Institute, a think tank for collaborative community and cultural discourse on the role of the arts, also where artists are taught to be educators. The Institute will be the core of the Museum\u2019s strategy to engage the community in the arts of all forms;
\n\u2022 Middle School Summer Arts Camp, free to 100 students, starting in summer 2018
\n\u2022 Artline walking trails from 30 Allentown schools to the Museum traversing parks, historic sites, architecture, public art, conservation lands;
\n\u2022 City Center Allentown partnership includes memberships and programming for the downtown Strata apartment residents, artist residences and programming partnership with the Museum Institute.<\/p>\n

Board Development Committee Chair Michelle Stringer backed up the plan with strong financial and operational successes noted in the Museum\u2019s 2016 Annual Report. \u201cThese museum doors opened 90,000 times to visitors last year. We are transforming our community one person, one idea at a time, meeting social and economic and educational goals of our community. But we are also transforming ourselves,\u201d Stringer said.<\/p>\n

The Museum\u2019s location in downtown Allentown created the opportunity for collaboration with schools, government, and business, and with City Center Allentown, a hallmark downtown developer.<\/p>\n

\u201cArts organizations and their patrons have generated over $186 million for the Lehigh Valley in 2015 alone, and the Allentown Art Museum has been a foundational institution in our arts community for over 80 yrs. It\u2019s not only been a cultural leader but it\u2019s been a key economic driver,\u201d said JB Riley, City Center Allentown president, CEO and Co-Founder. \u201cWe are very excited about the future of Allentown and the expanded role the arts will play to make this a more vibrant and livable community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dan Wells, chair of the Board of Trustees Marketing Committee, said the visual persona of the Museum is transitioning. The new logo \u201cis flexible and gives the opportunity to deal with all of the new initiatives,\u201d he said before introducing Easton-based designer Sarah Clark of Kudu Creative who explained the concept behind the new logo. \u201cThe colors cyan, yellow and magenta are all sub-primary colors and when you mix those colors together you can create any color in the rainbow. This speaks to the idea and the strategy that the museum is a source of art for our community, \u201c Clark said.<\/p>\n

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Allentown residents Kate and Peter Kareha, co-chairs of Circle 31, represented the Museum\u2019s future through their leadership in Circle 31, the voice of the younger generation providing guidance and feedback to the Museum as the new programs and partnerships are developed. The mission of Circle 31 is to identify and inspire a new generation of patrons and future leaders charged with advancing the Museum\u2019s reach and impact.<\/p>\n

How will the Museum accomplish all this? Mickenberg says plans are being developed to expand current facilities, design a marketing program to reach untapped audiences, address staff development and training, and launch a capital campaign. Sustainability and financial stability will also be evaluated. The Museum is looking toward a future of growth and expansion with manageable debt and revenue generation through creative use of the proposed expanded facilities. The logo, a new website, expanded social media reach and Synergy, a redesigned magazine for Museum members, will help share in-depth information with the community about what the Museum is doing and why.<\/p>\n

For more information about the Allentown Art Museum check our website<\/a> or Facebook<\/span> <\/a><\/span> or follow us on \u00a0Twitter<\/span><\/a><\/span>. If you have a question about our programming email us at askus@allentownartmuseum.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 
\nInformation and images provided to TVL by:
\nAngela Zanelli
\nVP Development and Communications
\nAllentown Art Museum<\/p>\n

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