Spring 2016

art matters
With you art can change a life.
Allied Arts Quarterly Newsletter Volume 9, Issue 3, Spring 2016
Arts Facing Potential Funding Crisis
In Allied Arts’ 45 years of campaigning for the arts, there has never been a more difficult fundraising climate than 2016.
With less than 45 days remaining until the end of this year’s campaign, Allied Arts has raised $2.35 million, with a projected
deficit of $600,000. Based on projections, the campaign will likely end at $2.8 million, well short of the $3.3 million raised
in 2015.
Because leading arts agencies are already receiving cuts from the Oklahoma Arts Council, a shortage in grant funding
from Allied Arts will threaten the sustainability of cultural programs and services. Allied Arts has significantly reduced
expenses and has encouraged our arts groups to do the same. Already, our agencies report that they are eliminating or
consolidating administrative and programming positions, reducing performances, assessing ticket prices and tuition rates,
and cutting community outreach activities.
Furthermore, state budget reductions will jeopardize arts education in public schools with many visual arts, music and
drama teachers to be laid off next year. The children who will be impacted the most are the very children who benefit from
arts education the most: children attending at-risk schools who are able to grasp math, language and other core subjects
through arts-integrated classrooms; children who are inspired to achieve greatness when they are allowed to experiment
with their creativity; and children whose families cannot afford extracurricular cultural activities. Schools will rely on Allied
Arts member agencies and grantees to fill the arts education gap which they will be hard pressed to do when they are
facing their own budget shortfalls.
For this reason, it is more important than ever to support Allied Arts. If you have already donated, thank you. We kindly
request that you consider asking a friend to join you, or let your legislators know that you care about the state of the arts. If
you have not donated this year, please consider doing so today. Also, be sure to support Allied Arts agencies and grantees
by attending a performance or touring a museum.
The arts need you; our children need you; and our community needs you. Thank you for your support.
Donor Champions
Allied Arts would like to shine a spotlight on donor champions who are
answering the call and stepping up to support the arts in this difficult
economic environment.
The E.L. & Thelma Gaylord Foundation has been an annual supporter
of Allied Arts since our inception in 1971. For the 2016 campaign, the
foundation renewed its yearly contribution and made a one-time $50,000
grant to help bridge the funding gap.
Chesapeake Energy joined the employee giving program raising more
than $30,000 in one week by taking donations for jeans day passes, the
OKCityCard and the workplace step-up gift, a commissioned scissortail
flycatcher sculpture. Chesapeake and Allied Arts staff worked a table
during lunch hours on the company campus and the company invited its
employees to a lunch event to learn about the impact of the arts in our
community.
Thank you to the E.L. & Thelma Gaylord Foundation,
Chesapeake Energy and all our donor champions!
Chesapeake Energy employees Lindsay
McIntyre (left) and Rachel Hudgens (right),
presented Allied Arts president Deborah
McAuliffe Senner with a cookie cake to
announce the amount raised for Allied Arts
by their fellow co-workers.
Honorary Chair Event
Allied Arts hosted its annual Honorary Chair Event on March 3 to
honor Joan Maguire for her leadership in central Oklahoma’s cultural
community. Maguire was given the position of 2016 Honorary Chair
because her passion to help underprivileged children aligns with
Allied Arts’ chief purpose to ensure the arts are made accessible to
everyone, particularly within underserved populations. The event
was held at the Clark Building in Deep Deuce, generously donated
by Bob Meinders, with approximately 150 of Allied Arts’ top donors
in attendance.
The Honorary Chair Event is integral to the annual campaign as event
attendees collectively donated more than $626,000 to support
the arts in central Oklahoma this year. During the program, guests
enjoyed a performance by two students of Oklahoma Children’s
Theatre and listened to Allied Arts staff member Laura Cunningham
and her OKC String Quartet play throughout the evening.
Joan Maguire (fifth from left) and her family
celebrate her recognition as Honorary Chair.
Your Investment at Work
In its second funding cycle of the fiscal year, Allied Arts awarded
$74,468 in educational outreach and capacity-building grants
to 29 nonprofit cultural organizations. Funded youth education
projects include Arts Council Oklahoma City’s All Access Arts,
which placed a teaching artist at Lee Elementary to provide
arts-integrated curriculum for English as Second Language
students to strengthen their overall learning and achievement;
Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art’s “Visual Thinking Strategies”
which is training Tecumseh teachers to use art in student-led
discussions to expand students’ thinking, enhance creative
problem-solving skills like inference, and promote positive
behavioral skills; and scholarships for low-income students to
attend classes and camps at Oklahoma Children’s Theatre,
Oklahoma Contemporary and The Sooner Theatre.
Unfortunately, limited funds led the Allied Arts grants committee
to cut educational outreach funding by 50% in this grantmaking
cycle. The decrease in funding will reduce the number of
children receiving free and low-cost cultural programming in
their classrooms, afterschool sites and community centers –
leaving the very children who receive their only arts exposure in
this way without the opportunity to gain confidence, creativity
and important life skills through visual arts, drama and music.
Metropolitan School of Dance students receive instruction
during an artist-led workshop.
CHIP IN FOR THE ARTS
2016 GOLF TOURNAMENT
Please join us Monday, May 9
Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club
Shotgun start: 12:30 pm
For sponsorship, team & individual
player registration information, visit
www.chipinforthearts.com
Email or call:
Meredith.Gresham@AlliedArtsOKC.com
405.278.8944 x206
WIN BIG
In celebration of Allied Arts’ 45th anniversary, we
are holding an online raffle to mark the milestone.
We want to recognize 45 years of supporting the
arts with you and all our donor champions. We
hope that you will celebrate with us by buying 45
Day Giveaway tickets and helping us spread the
word about the online raffle. 100% of proceeds
will help bridge the current funding gap for the arts.
Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 26 and drawings
will be held weekly starting on Wednesday, May 4.
Grand prize drawings to be held Thursday, June 9.
AND SUPPORT
THE ARTS!
April 26-June 9
More than $38,000
in great prizes
TICKETS:
1 for $5 • 5 for $20
45DAYGIVEAWAY.COM
GRAND PRIZES:
Safe room shelter
Donated by Ground Zero Storm Shelters
A 65” 4K LG TV
Donated by Hahn Appliance
22kt yellow-gold and green peridot necklace
Donated by Naifeh Design
Signed Thunder basketball
Donated by Oklahoma City Thunder
Below are just a few of the amazing weekly prizes you could win:
One year of gasoline
$500 in cash
Four-piece patio set
$2,000 shopping spree
$1,000 shopping spree
YETI Cooler
GoPro Hero 4
Four Energy FC season tickets
with parking passes
Two Dave Matthews
Band concert tickets
Apple Watch
Suite for 16 at a home
Dodgers game
Donated by OnCue
Donated by Suburban
Contemporary Furnishings
Donated by Allied Arts
board members
Two-night golf vacation
Donated by Quartz Mountain Resort
Donated by Allied Arts
board members
Donated by Balliets
Donated by Prodigal
Donated by Allied Arts
board members
Donated by Amini’s Galleria
Donated by Colin FitzSimons
Donated by Live Nation
Donated by the
Oklahoma City Dodgers
Visit 45DayGiveaway.com to buy your tickets today!
Raffle ticket purchases are not considered tax-deductible donations to Allied Arts and are not eligible for donor benefits. Ticket buyers must be 21
years of age or older. Other terms and conditions can be found on the 45 Day Giveaway website.
ARTini ARCADE
More than 600 guests attended the 13th annual ARTini fundraiser hosted by Catalyst, Allied Arts’ young professionals group.
Through ticket sales, sponsorships, raffle and art purchases, this year’s ARTini raised more than $50,000 with proceeds to
benefit the Allied Arts campaign. The 2016 ARTini was chaired by Callie & Chris Gruenwald.
The event’s theme, ARTini ARCADE, allowed guests and participating
restaurants to revel in a flashback era when video games and neon ruled.
Special thanks to Amini’s Galleria which donated the use of six video games
to bring the theme fully to life and provided the opportunity for guests to
rekindle arcade memories and refresh their Pac-Man and pinball skills.
A major highlight of the event was the artwork submitted by local artists and
curated by a committee of volunteers. ARTini ARCADE exhibited more than
100 photographs, sculptures and paintings from both up-and-coming and
well-known Oklahoma artists.
Local restaurants also participated by providing food and martinis that
corresponded with the ARTini ARCADE theme. A panel of celebrity judges
tasted the offerings of the 11 competing restaurants and named Packard’s
New American Kitchen as Best ARTini, Park Avenue Grill as Best Décor
and Pizzeria Gusto as Best Dishes. All guests in attendance had the
opportunity to vote for their favorite martini and named Mickey Mantle’s
Steakhouse its People’s Choice winner. Thank you to all the participating
restaurants including Bolero Spanish Grill & Tapas Bar; Flint; Guernsey
Park; Guyutes; In the Raw; McNellie’s Public House; and Museum Cafe.
(above) ARTini co-chairs Callie and Chris
Gruenwald pose in front of the TETRIS wall
created by 110 Events. (below) Comedians
Ryan Drake and Spencer Hicks, ARTini
judges, enjoy the Amini’s Galleria arcade.
Presenting Sponsors were Devon Energy, OGE Energy Corp., 110 Events
and Traction. Signature Sponsors were Deloitte, The Oklahoman, Prairie
Wolf Spirits and Edible OKC. VIP Sponsor was Kickapoo Casino Harrah &
Shawnee; Art Gallery Sponsor was GableGotwals; Entertainment Sponsor
was Cox Business; and Valet Sponsor was AT&T Oklahoma.
(left)
Guests
enjoyed
viewing and
bidding on
more than
100 pieces
of art from
Oklahomabased artists.
Thanks to all
who donated
and purchased
art work
this year!
Save the date!
club cabaret
Oct. 21, 2016 @ the criterion
With [you] art can change a life.
DONATE TODAY
1015 N. Broadway, Ste. 200
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
office: 405.278.8944
web: www.AlliedArtsOKC.com
follow: @AlliedArtsOKC
www.alliedartsokc.com/donate
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Follow us to learn how your support is impacting lives:
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IN THIS ISSUE:
• Projected shortfall for
the 2016 campaign
• Donor champions
• Spring grants
announced
• Celebrating Allied Arts’
45th anniversary
• ARTini ARCADE
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Save big. Make an impact.
Save with the OKCityCard
Baseball season is upon us! With a new season you
need the latest Dodgers gear to show your team pride.
Bring your OKCityCard to receive 20% off one item
at the Oklahoma City Dodgers Team Store.
Before or after a game, present your OKCityCard at
various Bricktown eateries to save while you dine out.
Bolero Spanish Grill & Tapas Bar will take 10% off
one entrée; Bricktown Brewery and West will
discount 10% off your food bill; Earl’s Rib Palace will
give you a free drink with the purchase of a sandwich
or entrée, while Mickey Mantle’s Steakhouse will
give you a free appetizer under $15 with the
purchase of an entrée; you’ll receive 15% off your
order at Pearl’s Crabtown; buy one cheeseburger
and you’ll get one free at Sonic Drive-In; and
Yucatan Taco Stand Tequila Bar & Grill will take
$5 off your $20 food purchase (not valid Tuesdays,
Thursdays or during Happy Hour).
Support the arts with your OKCityCard.
Cimarron Opera offers 2-for-1 or 50% admission
to performances including its upcoming “Sing Me A
Story” on April 30. Oklahoma Shakespeare in the
Park opens its 32nd season with “Much Ado About
Nothing” on June 2. Use your OKCityCard for 2-for-1
or 50% admission to all of their summer season
productions.
For a full list of partners and discounts, visit OKCityCard.com