Ah Haa Annual Report 2017

2017 Ann uAl rePo rt

dear Friends, it is with enthusiasm and excitement that we share our 2017 annual report, showcasing the expansive and diverse offerings of the Ah Haa School for the Arts. these pages offer a glimpse into our programs and the people we serve, and paint a robust and colorful portrait of telluride’s thriving arts education organization.

After 27 years and exponential growth, Ah Haa still strives to meet the needs of a changing world with diverse, in-depth, quality programming, and remains vital to our community. Providing authentic, meaningful experiences that connect people to each other and the larger world are more important than ever. the Ah Haa School not only enhances the quality of life for residents, it contributes to the region’s economic vibrancy in relevant and tangible ways. our success is the result of our passionate and committed staff, board, trustees and instructors.

And of course, we would not succeed without the support of our community and the generosity of our donors. Without you, we would not be here! thank you for believing in Ah Haa and the PoWer oF Art!

richard cornelius, Board chair

Judy kohin, executive director

creative endeavors for all For 27 years, people of all ages and backgrounds have come through the Ah Haa School’s doors to experience the authentic joy of creating art. Whether experiencing art for the very first time or evolving their personal expression through “ah haa” moments, everyone is offered the chance to expand the creative landscape of their lives.

330 2313

# 18 347 of Workshops

Student Participants

events + lectures

days open

Proceeds from class tuition cover just half of our annual expenses, so we rely on donors to help cover open studios, art exhibitions, lectures, special events, and (most importantly) tuition assistance, which is offered to anyone in financial need. We keep our doors open yearround, offering creative opportunities to all.

ages 4 through 18 Children explore their worlds through spontaneity, imagination, experimentation, and play. Their innate lack of inhibition is a gift, and through their art we are offered a window into their worlds. Ah Haa embraces the natural creativity of youth by providing rich experiences, quality materials and skills that will help them become lifelong learners, thinkers and artists.

Through after-school classes, Art PE, Early Release Art Tuesdays and summer camps for ages 4 through 18, we offer hands-on experiences in a wide range of media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, mixed media, sculpture, installation art, and more.

185 1425

Youth Workshops Offered

$26,044

in Youth Tuition Assistance

Youth Student Participants

adult The Ah Haa School celebrates the creative, inventive spark in everyone, and strives to help each person who visits the school to recognize their own potential and challenge themselves to try something new. This endeavor is reflected in the diversity of our adult programs. Ah Haa offers over 120 classes for adults at all levels, from introductory to professional, in a wide spectrum of media from pastel, oil, acrylic and watercolor painting, to photography, printmaking, jewelry-making, ceramics, acting, writing, fiber arts and more. 2017 saw an expansion of adult programming to include philosophy, art history, music and other creative outlets beyond visual arts.

124 $12,397 762 Adult Tuition Assistance

Adult Workshops

Adult Students

With classes taught by local talents such as Craig Childs and Meredith Nemirov, and visiting artists such as Sam Levy, Krista Harris, Antonya Nelson and Shawna Moore, Ah Haa’s 2017 adult programs ran the gamut of creative adventures.

6

weeks of classes

Tps Tuition Assistance

$14,737

Most painting schools can offer students intensive technical instruction, but few also emphasize the important journey that all artists must take to discover their own unique voice, or celebrate the courage it takes to express that voice in their work. This is the ethos of the Telluride Painting School — to help students navigate the process of creating deeply meaningful and uniquely personal work through comprehensive and provocative instruction.

The 2017 Telluride Painting School season saw the return of New Yorkbased artists Ying Li and Sam Levy, as well as new TPS instructor Deborah Kahn. And through a generous donation from the Johnson Family Foundation, we were able to offer up to four merit scholarships for each two-week session.

In addition to hosting workshops and classes all year at our beautiful facility on North Willow Street, in 2017 AAB launched its first national touring exhibition and competition of fine binding, OPEN¡SET. The juried exhibition featured 50 fine bindings and traveled to 7 different cities, including Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Iowa City, Salt Lake City, Denver and Telluride. Due to its success and popularity (over 75 books were submitted from 12 countries plus the US) we anticipate hosting OPEN¡SET every three years. The exhibition is a vehicle to promote fine design binders and the art and craft of bookbinding.

18

Weeks Of Classes

Aab Tuition

$19,200 Assistance

104

Students

Communities that care Art can be a conduit for understanding ourselves in relation to others, a means for recognizing our interdependence, and a way for global unity and understanding. Ah Haa partners with many community organizations, working together to strengthen our collective impact.

Telluride Arts District • Art & Architecture Weekend • First Thursday Art Walks • Regional private & public schools • Youth Art Awards • Art/Skate PE • Telluride Theatre • One to One Mentoring Program • Sheridan Arts Foundation • Pinhead Institute • Telluride Mountainfilm • Telluride Medical Center • San Miguel Resource Center • BRAvo • Wilkinson Public Library • Telluride Figure Skating Club • Telluride Adaptive Sports Program • No Barriers • Telluride Blues & Brews • July 4th Hot Shot Photography Contest • Telluride Yoga Festival • Telluride Science Research Center • Telluride Literary Arts Festival • Talking Gourds Poetry Club • Telluride Foundation • Telluride Venture Accelerator • Ride Festival • Tri-County Health Network • True North • Telluride Public Schools • Telluride Institute

photo courtesy of @tellurideskirt

programming 47%

12%

FINANCIALS

revenue

15%

5% 4%

DEPOT RENTAL

16%

GRANTS AAB PROGRAMS ADULT PROGRAMS

Operating an art school in a small, isolated community is a financial challenge.

15%

33%

kids PROGRAMS

Tuition income covers less than half the cost of running our classes, and Special events

a number of our programs are free or subsidized. Ah Haa is able to meet its

DONATIONS

Fundraising 53%

budget requirements each year, thanks to the generosity of so many donors and supporters. Over 50% of our revenue comes from donations, grants and special events.

administration 10%

10%

As Ah Haa looks to our future in a new building, we aim to grow our revenue

fundraising 12%

12%

22%

and programming while continuing to keep expenses down.

administration

EXPENSES

fundraising

30%

26%

adult PROGRAMS kids PROGRAMS

programming 78%

AAB PROGRAMS

our new home

C A P IT A L C A M P A IGN DONOR S

Ah Haa has partnered with the Town of Telluride to build a new home in the center

Anonymous / Stuart & Joanna Brown Charitable Fund / Dan & Liz Caton / Scott Chambers /

of town. Located on a vacant lot across from Baked in Telluride, this mixed-use

Nancy Craft & Rob Schultheis / Beverly Crilly & Lou Mintz / Elizabeth & Allen Cutler / Dalton

development will include an underground public parking structure with 70 spaces,

Family Foundation / Arline Dowling / Evans Family Foundation / Cindy Farny & David Mallette /

10 affordable housing units, and approximately 10,000 square feet of new space for

Kathy Green / Barbara & Walter Hinterkopf / Lisa Hogan & Family / Johnson Family Foundation

the Ah Haa School. The building should be finished in 2020.

/ Gail & Fred Kittler / Bill Lewis & Rick Underwood / Becca & Jay Markley / Beth McLaughlin / Catherine McNamee & Chris Miller / Aela & Don Morgan / Barbara E. Parish & Gary Roberts /

With a centralized location in the heart of downtown Telluride, Ah Haa’s new home

Kim & Simon Perutz / Tom & Joanne Pike / Julie & Ted Rolfs / Darenda & Ed Sheridan / Diane

will not only provide increased visibility, but it will help establish a sustainable

Sherman / Joanne & Jim Steinback / Janie & Bob Trenary / Rose Community Foundation, Richard

future for the Ah Haa School. In this purpose-built space, new and improved

B. Tucker Family Fund / Kim Roberts / Janna & John Welborn / Katherine Borsecnik & Gene Weil

programming will perpetuate the school’s success for many years to come.

In addition to planning the construction, design and interior architecture of the new Ah Haa facility, we are in the midst of a $9M capital campaign. We are under contract with the Telluride Science Research Center to purchase the Depot, which will give us over $5M towards our campaign. That leaves $4M needed in cash, of which we have secured over $2.2M in pledges to date. If you are interested in participating in this exciting project, please contact director Judy Kohin.

truSteeS Ark Foundation / Joanna & Stuart Brown / lynn Brubaker & richard cornelius Susan & Mark dalton / Arline dowling / Judy & carl Ferenbach / Bunny Freidus & John Steel / lisa Hogan Jud ireland / Johnson Family Foundation / Bill lewis & rick underwood / Aela & donald Morgan genevieve Plamondon / kim roberts / diane Sherman / Janna & John Welborn

BoArd oF directorS richard cornelius President / robert Weatherford vice President / danny craft treasurer kathy green Secretary / nick Farkouh / lisa Hogan / lang ingalls Beth Mclaughlin / Aela B. Morgan / Julie rolfs

StAFF Judy kohin executive director / Jess newens Assistant director karen overn operations director / kathleen cole Marketing & Special events Manager kris kwasniewski Adult curriculum Manager / tara carter youth curriculum Manager Julie Mcnair exhibitions coordinator / cindy Fusting Bookkeeper American Academy of Bookbinding katy Baum Managing director / deb Stevens Marketing coordinator & Program Assistant

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DONORS! We are truly grateful for your support.

Ah Haa must raise half of its annual budget to cover operating expenses through grants and private donations. Proceeds from class tuition cover just half of our annual expenses, so we rely on donors to help cover open studios, art exhibitions, lectures, special events, and (most importantly) tuition assistance, which is offered to anyone in financial need.

Salvador dali Bonnie & Louis Cohen Colorado Creative Industries/ National Endowment for the Arts Kate Fisher El Pomar Foundation Telluride Foundation Marsha Lewis & Diego Veitia Audrey Marnoy Town of Telluride

henri matisse Alpine Bank Katrine & Bill Formby Just for Kids Foundation Ashley Hayward & Michael Goldberg Jesse & Mary Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Martin Mannion The Robinette Family Frances Rogers Slate Gray Gallery

Eduard Manet Charles & Karen Baughn Amy Jean Boebel Katherine Borsecnik & Gene Weil Bruce Derrick Cathe & Chip Dyer Peter Edwards & Rose Gutfeld Hugh & Sarah Fitzsimons Kathy Green Jeffrey Katz Leslie Larson & Donald Katz The Lehman-Stamm Family Fund Mary Jane’s Medicinals Diane & Adam Max Susie Meade Merle & Gerald Measer Reese Henry & Co, Inc. Gwen & Rod Rehnborg Francesca & Sam Rehnborg Judi & John Temple Daniel & Carmen Tucker Frida Kahlo Patty & Chris Arndt Barefoot Wine & Bubbly Dan & Liz Caton Sara & Chris Chaffin

Scott C. Chambers Ann & Kevin Cooney Durfee Day Cindy Farny & David Mallette Barbara & Walter Hinterkopf Kristin & Kevin Holbrook Gail & Fred Kittler Jim & Sue Lincoln Aric Maloy Hank Rutter & Susan Fralick Karen Shaff & Steven Jayne Shasheen Shah Jane Shivers & Bill Sharp Julie Smith Society Turn Business Center Karen & Tony Wilcox Sheryl & Gary Wood Chris Zieve Pablo Picasso Denise & David Barmak Danny Craft Angela Dye & Bob Mather Polly Franchot Debbie & Gary Freedman

Kara Gerardi Jenn Heflin-Witt Mick Hill Carol & Henry Hintermeister Susan Hunt Suzanne Kohin Barbara & Roger Kohin Linda & Peter Krivkovich Gwen & Harvey Mogenson Kathryn & Scott Petty Thalia & John Pryor Tony & Josie Russo Susan & Clint Viebrock JoAnn & John Weisel Nancy Werner Georgia O’keeffe Lisa & Scott Andrews Kathryn Bergmann Susan & Richard Blank Kendall & Stephen Cieciuch Clark’s Market Tina Duemler Lael & Dave Fruen Kameron & Dave Gerber Kate & Rick Hartfiel Matt Hintermeister Dylan Hoos Deke & Lori Hunter Mark Kozak

John & Sloan Lehman Lynn McGrew Amy & Paul McPheeters Victor & Lisa Nemeroff Julia Reid Pamela & Emile Sante Deb Segaloff Ska Brewing Co. Wendy & Allen Solomon Elliot Steinberg Jonathan & Tiffany Sweet Judy Thompson ANDY WARHOL Richard Arnold & Marshall Whiting Adrienne Christy Katie Cox Pia Gedeon & Trond Skramstad Art Goodtimes Tami Huntsman Krista & Kevin Kirton Wendy & Ken Kowynia Amy Levek Wesley Link Lexi Tuddenham Goedele Vanhille & John Fahnestock Molly & Peter Wickwire-Sante

tHe PoWer oF Art 300 South townsend telluride, colorado

970.728.3886

www.ahhaa.org