The Wood River Arts Alliance has been hard at work in the Wood River Valley since 1990, bringing all the valley's arts organizations together. Celebrating that contribution, the Hailey and Sun Valley-Ketchum chambers of commerce have named it 2008 Arts Advocate of the Year.
"The arts community has grown in its level of sophistication and programming," said Claudia McCain, actress, co-founder and chairwoman of Wood River Arts Alliance. "In the last two years, it has really blossomed and changed who we are and how we are perceived. It's a new direction."
The alliance has organized arts programs and speakers, secured funding and promoted legislation.
"We have always worked on the behalf of the arts, arts organizations and arts advocacy," McCain said. "As artists we need to talk to people who are not artists and how we partner in being an economic driver. We try to listen and help with that. It is a big job for us with everyone, including government, community needs and arts community needs."
Co-founder and treasurer for the alliance and director of Footlight Dance, Hilarie Neely has been working for 20 years in the arts education system and is an important voice for arts education on the state and regional level.
"Idaho has been very progressive in the arts curriculum," Neely said. "With the No Child Left Behind Act, arts became a core subject matter, but the first step was to procure funding. The alliance tries to establish relationships with schools and create more effective programs."
The alliance has been successful at pooling resources within the arts community of the valley. Students receive a more rounded education by participating in drama and dance through the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, Footlight Dance, the Sun Valley Center for the Arts and Company of Fools.
"Our community is advanced and creative," McCain said. "There are big prospects on how we can do more with a new symphony building, The Center's new building and the nexStage facility's enhancement. It is all about how the arts change us and offer programming. There are artists in residence at Boulder Mountain Clayworks, The Center and Company of Fools. Thank goodness for the patrons. We have to pay homage to them."
New Executive Director Shannon Finnegan is working on new ideas, grants and art advocacy for the alliance, taking the work of McCain and Neely to a new level. Finnegan was behind a successful Children's Art Festival in January. In addition, the alliance plans to meet with the Sun Valley Resort to provide it with the results of an economic study done last August that indicates that arts in the Wood River Valley are important to tourism.
"We brought all the cities together for the first summit in two years and the Hailey mayor wanted an arts commission and it happened," Neely said. "Ketchum wants to establish one and has it in place but needs to appoint members."
The alliance will continue to increase awareness, promote a Web site, build upon the Children's Arts Festival and maintain classes throughout the valley.
"The arts are not frivolous," Neely said. "It's a basic need because everyone makes art choices every day."
Chamber awards
The Sun Valley-Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau and the Hailey Chamber of Commerce will present a joint Community Awards Night on Wednesday, April 23, at 7 p.m. in the Sun Valley Inn's Limelight Room. Cash cocktails, accompanied by piano music by R.L. Rowsey, will precede the dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for $50 may be purchased through Nichole Britt, chamber office manager, at 725-2103.
Wood River Arts Alliance Executive Director Shannon Finnegan and founders Claudia McCain and Hilarie Neely will accept the Arts Advocate of the Year award, given by the Hailey and Sun Valley-Ketchum chambers of commerce. Photo by Dana DuGan
