RIVER'S EDGE ARTS ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
AUGUST 2018JULY 2019
Dear Friends, What a year we’ve had at the River’s Edge Arts Alliance! We shared the role of President of the Board of Directors, and now we are pleased to share this annual report with you. The 2018-2019 season was one of firsts and new beginnings. We had a full year of staffing for the first time in several years. We adopted a new comprehensive database, NeonCRM, for everything from program registration, to ticket sales, to communications. We introduced new and expanded programming. And we welcomed new faces on our board and within our community. None of the work we did this year would have been possible without the support of our members, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and community partners. We are deeply grateful for the generosity that helps us make art happen! Sincerely,
Anna Klashka President, January-present
Lisa Schliker President, August-January
WHO WE ARE The River’s Edge Arts Alliance is a community of art-makers, art-appreciators, and art-supporters dedicated to providing a full spectrum of arts programming to MetroWest and Central MA. Our work is supported by a board of directors, a chief-administrative officer, a full roster of dedicated artistic contractors, and a village of partners from local businesses and organizations who collaborate with us to produce and promote art in the greater Hudson area.
2018-2019 Board of Directors Lisa Schliker, President (August-January) Anna Klashka, President (January-August) Karen Bishop, Vice President (August-December) Danielle Neuffer, Secretary (August-September) and Vice President (December-July)
2018-2019 Staff Danielle Griggs, Chief Administrative Officer Lisa Schliker, Consultant Debra Vanderwerf, Consultant
Julie Bolduc, Secretary (September-July) Kevin Santos, Treasurer Julie-Anne Burdick Christopher Griffith Denise Hurley Ronald Sorgman
THANK YOU TO OUR 2018-2019 COMMUNITY PARTNERS! Assabet Valley Camera Club Assabet Valley Chamber of Commerce Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School Avidia Bank Café 641 Creative Designs in Kitchens First Church in Marlborough First Federated Church Hudson First United Methodist Church Hudson Hudson Business Association Hudson Downtown Business Improvement District Hudson Portuguese Club Hudson Public Library Hudson Public Schools Hudson Recreation Department Hudson Town Hall Ideal Video Strategies Juniper Farms Lazer Sound Pro, Inc. Main Street Bank Main Street Studio Marlborough Chamber of Commerce Mullahy’s New City Microcreamery Office of Rep. Kate Hogan Rail Trail Flatbread Co. Serendipity St. Mary’s Credit Union The Landing at Hudson Mills UMass Memorial Hospitals VeeBop’s Ice Cream Vintage Café
WHAT WE DO The River’s Edge Arts Alliance brings a full spectrum of arts programming to Hudson, Marlborough, and surrounding communities. We offer opportunities to experience visual and performing arts through participation and attendance and contribute to the creative economy of our region. Our programs include long-standing favorites as well as new offerings that we evaluate year to meet the most current needs and interests from our community.
Theater Theater
River's Edge Players
Music
Visual Arts
Arts Education
Community Events
River's Edge Chorale
Art in the Hall
Summer Drama Workshop
Community Festivals
Cafe 641
River's Edge School of Music
Artist Appreciation Concert
Vintage Cafe
STEAM Programming
River's Edge Holiday Concert
REHarmonix
Winter Concert & Performance Series
OUR MISSION: TO ENRICH LIVES AND CREATE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE ARTS
2018-2019 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE The financial performance of this fiscal year reflects some significant investments for the arts alliance that we anticipate will pay off in 2019-2020, including new leadership in our Chief Administrative Officer role; the adoption of our new NeonCRM system to manage memberships, registrations, and more; and initial expenses for the River's Edge Players production of The Addams Family in fall 2019.
Dear Friends, In my first full year with the River’s Edge Arts Alliance, I have been continually amazed by how much impact this relatively lean organization has on the greater Hudson community. The programs we provide, the audience we reach, the range of art we support, the lives we touch with that art, and the ways we contribute to our local economy are all a testament to the many, many hands that help lift up our work. This report provides just a glimpse of our activities, and the individuals and organizations who have supported them, during the 2018-2019 season. Know that our 2019-2020 programming is already well underway, and I invite you to join us for some returning favorites as well as new offerings. With many thanks for all you to do promote the arts in our community, Danielle Griggs Chief Administrative Officer
WHAT DID YOU HELP US DO IN 2018-2019? Provide 980 music lessons in public schools Enrich 1390 lives with public performances, concerts, and special events Introduce 68 students to the magic of theater Bring visitors from 71 communities to our local area Share work from 54 local visual artists
THE YEAR AT A GLANCE August Closed out a successful 30th season of Summer Drama Workshop with Once on this Island, Jr. and The Great Wolf Mashup!
September Opened three visual art exhibits: "Primary Colors" at Town Hall, Kara Waxman at Cafe 641, and Marsel Awad at Vintage Cafe!
October Celebrated fall at several community events; transformed a retail space into a theater for 11 one-act plays at the Pop-Up Play Festival; displayed work from Robea Nordman at Cafe 641!
November Opened the Assabet Valley Camera Club's photography exhibit at Town Hall and exhibited work by Stephen Beccia at Vintage Cafe!
December Rang in the holidays with performances at the Holiday Stroll and the River's Edge Holiday Concert and a festive holiday solutions bazaar featuring local artists and artisans!
January Kicked off 2019 with a "Winter Still Life" Art in the Hall exhibit and a night of Jimi Hendrix-inspired jams with AstroSasquatch to start the Winter Concert & Performance Series!
February Filled the Town Hall auditorium for a spicy, interactive performance from favorites Flamenco Boston with the Winter Concert & Performance Series!
March Opened "Buds, Blossoms, & Blooms" for Art in the Hall and Elliot Mednick's show at Cafe 641; celebrated St. Patrick's Day with an REAA members' reception at Medusa Brewery and a sold-out Celtic Night Winter Concert & Performance Series!
April Displayed work from Melba Juez-Perrone, Roszi Adean Moser and Paula Steffen; explored acoustics with a STEAM education workshop; and applauded students' progress at the River's Edge School of Music spring recital!
May Promoted local arts with kids' activities and performances at ArtsFest Hudson; raised money for the arts with our fourlegged friends at Paws for the Arts; opened "In My Neighborhood" at Town Hall!
June Kept it local at HudsonFest; sang along with Broadway's stars for Tony Night; drew a crowd for our Artist Appreciation Concert; and showed Denise Hurley's work at Cafe 641!
July Kicked off our 31st season of Summer Drama Workshop, featuring Disney Villains and Frozen, Jr. and the Summer Drama Showcase at Wood Park!
OUR SUPPORTERS 2018-2019 Individual Donors *includes in-kind gifts Jim Anderson Linda Brown Robert Cooke Janet Daigneault Bobbie Ewels Marnie Frankian Robert Gill Danielle Griggs Donald and Adele Gross Ellen King Kathleen and William Leon Maryalice McCormack Katherine and Neal Ogle Ken and Jan Patterson Teresa Quinn Kevin Santos Chuck and Lisa Schliker Melissa Silen Mark and Debra Vanderwerf Hilary and Christopher Yates
2018-2019 Community Business Partners These businesses and organizations supported the arts alliance with a donation, in-kind support, membership, or event sponsorship in 2018-2019. Assabet Valley Camera Club Avidia Bank Creative Designs in Kitchens Hudson Portuguese Club Ideal Video Strategies Main Street Studio Mullahy’s New City Microcreamery Office of Rep. Kate Hogan Rail Trail Flatbread Co. Serendipity The Landing at Hudson Mills UMass Memorial Hospitals
The River’s Edge Arts Alliance is also grateful for 2018-2019 grant support from: Berlin Local Cultural Council Bolton Local Cultural Council Foundation for Metrowest Hudson Local Cultural Council Marlborough Local Cultural Council Morgan Stanley Foundation Robert Lloyd Corkin Charitable Foundation United Way of Mass Bay and Merrimack Valley
2018-2019 Members Stephen Beccia
Maura Hollmer
Cynthia Rodday
Karen Bishop
Deborah Holt
Joshua Ruminski
Ellen Blake
Jennifer Horne-Elliott
Bruce and Janet Saluk
Kristen and Brian Blake
Denise Hurley
Rashmi Sastry
Cynthia and Greg Bockweg
Hope Joslyn
Joanne Sawyer
Julie and Christopher Bolduc
Melba Juez-Perrone
Natalie and Dominic Schiavone
Linda Brown
Michael and Pamela Kavaleski
Chuck and Lisa Schliker
Russell and Julie-Anne Burdick
Ellen King
Jena Schnell
Andrew and Marcia Burnett
Anna Kirejczyk
Ellen Seebacher
Ellen Busch
Anna Klashka
Linda and Warren Shelales
Ralph Caputo
Michael Klein
Ivan Slovin
Jason Caron
Catherine and Salvatore LaRosa Stephen Smith
Everett and Gretchen Carr
Valerie Leri
Ronald Sorgman
Tracey and James Carter
Mary Levesque
Anasophia Souza
Sheila Casto
Julie L’Heureux
Jennifer Stacy
Pamela Chiasson
Christina and Robert Luongo
Ronald Tango
Ellen Church
Susan Lynch
Kristine Togneri
John Coz
Todd and Maureen Mathieson
Mark and Debra Vanderwerf
Karen Crane
Kristin Matthews
Nick Wakely
Janet Daigneault
Sean and Noelle McCullough
Jennifer Wallingford
Stephen and Karen D’Alessandro
Laura and Matthew McDowell
Brian and Carrie Walsh
Masaka Dauria
Linda McLatchie
Kara Waxman
Tom and Trisha Desmond
Yvette Monstad
Colleen and Jeremy Weatherall
Angie Edmunds
Danielle Neuffer
Michelle Weatherbee
Nina Encarguez-Kalina
Amy Nicolosi
Shanna Weston
Angela FitzDaniel
Robea Nordman
Melanie Whapham
Amy Flanagan
Karen Nunley
Douglas Wooldridge
Sandra Garry
Katherine and Neal Ogle
Barbara and Ralph Worrest
John and Stephanie Gill
Andrea O’Keefe
Lindsay Yanklowski
Carolyn and John Paul Giugliano
Afeso Ologun
Hilary and Christopher Yates
Alison Gontarz
Manoj Padki
Assabet Valley Camera Club
Shannon Gorr
Roger Paquette
Brush and Easel, Inc.
Christopher Griffith
Mai Mai Pietrowski
Friends of the Hudson Public Library
Danielle Griggs
Thomas Powers
Le Petite Studio Photography by Nicole LeBlanc
Christine Hannan
Heather and John Reardon
Main Street Studio
Edna Harrington
Stacey Resnikoff
VeeBop Ice Cream
Jessica Hennessy
Beverly Rinck
Worrest Photography