After several years of financial challenges, including a rained out festival in 2012, a festival in 2013 that didn’t meet its attendance goals, along with declining ticket sales and sponsorships, Cityfolk has announced it will focus on jazz, while canceling its 2013-14 season and its plans for a 2014 festival. It will also discontinue its residency program, Culture Builds Community, … Read More

Our new year for the Campaign for the Arts began July 1, and PNC Bank started us off with a wonderful Campaign, bringing in over $8,900 in support of arts & culture earlier this month – a huge increase in employee donations from the prior year! PNC employees work across the Dayton region in many different branches and locations, so PNC Workplace Coordinator … Read More

Culture Works announced today that it has awarded grants totaling $433,250 to local arts organizations for the 2013-2014 funding year. The largest grant of $256,200 was awarded to the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance, who applied for the first time as a single organization in 2013-14, following the July 1, 2012 merger of the Dayton Ballet, Opera, and Philharmonic Orchestra. Other organizations receiving grants … Read More

As we wrap up our fiscal year and look at the success of this year’s Campaign for the Arts, we certainly owe great thanks to our many Workplace Giving Sites across the Dayton region. Employees responded generously to the appeals of the Workplace Giving Coordinators at many sites as they were asked for help with supporting arts and culture in … Read More

We are very pleased to announce that Amber Best has been elected as Culture Works Board of Trustees Chairman for the 2014 fiscal year. As Vice President of Communications and Government Affairs at NewPage Corporation, Amber manages strategic initiatives for both internal and external programs, and was instrumental in the establishment of the company in 2005. She is the recent … Read More

The Greater Dayton RTA ran a great Campaign for the Arts last week! RTA employees are very involved in their campaign and many of them participate in giving to Culture Works. RTA provided a pancake breakfast Monday morning and several pizza parties through the week. Guitarist Jim McCutcheon performed in the Driver’s Lounge at RTA headquarters, and RTA Executive Director … Read More

Dayton Children’s Hospital just completed their Workplace Giving Campaign. Our creative and enthusiastic Workplace Giving Coordinator at Children’s, Terry Wiegel, planned some great entertainment and staff events to encourage Culture Works donations. On Monday, the very cute and talented McGovern-Ceili dancers danced several Irish dances in the cafeteria. On Tuesday, Springfield musician Terry Van Auker entertained the diners with guitar and singing. Thursday’s event … Read More

Culture Works was presented with the Workplace Giving Campaign for the Arts check from Montgomery County at the Commissioner’s Meeting on June 18. Montgomery County increased their giving by over 62% this year, and we are thankful for the enthusiasm and dedication of Workplace Coordinator Dorine Ragsdale and her committee: Michael London, Anne Bissacco, Emily Bradford, and Brenda Wills. Martine Collier, President and … Read More

LexisNexis, our largest single Workplace Giving site, kicked off their Campaign for the Arts on May 20. As always, it was planned and executed beautifully! Puzzle of Light performed in the LexisNexis auditorium to start things off, and there were daily events to engage the employees and remind them to donate – ranging from karaoke, an online auction of over 150 donated items, an … Read More

On May 15, Culture Works spent the day at Arts Day and the Governor’s Awards Luncheon. This event is a very important day for all the Arts Organizations in Ohio. Much of the day is spent visiting with our elected officials, advocating for the arts and encouraging our Senators and Representatives to continue to fund for arts and culture in the budget. In … Read More

Culture Works was nominated for the Better Business Bureau Eclipse Integrity Award in the Non-Profit Category this year. Our entire staff was able to attend the lovely dinner event on May 14 as guests of Steve Petitjean of Fifth Third Bank. Alan Schaeffer, our current Board President, and Annie Bowers, our graphic artist, also joined us. Culture Works congratulates SICSA for their win, as well … Read More

NewPage Corporation kicked off their Campaign for the Arts on May 1. NewPage is a wonderful friend to Culture Works. In addition to the generous contributions of their employees, NewPage has donated all the paper necessary for the printing of our annual Guide to Arts & Culture for the last two years. That’s a lot of paper! They also make … Read More