Happy New Year to all! While the trees are bare and the sky is bright, let's come together this winter and enjoy the colors that the Arts bring to our Valley.

As we begin our post holiday clean up, the staff and board of ACNV are thinking about our accomplishments of 2009, as well as our goals for 2010. Recent economic challenges have taught us a lot about true sustainability. They have also strengthened our belief that investment in our arts sector is vital for a healthy community.

Take a look at NVarts.org and you will see just how arts & culture is cooking in the Valley. You can get involved by becoming a member, volunteering, making an in-kind donation, or by providing discounts for ACNV members at your business. Only by pooling our considerable resources can we truly realize all that Napa Valley can be.

Wishing you all the best in 2010,
Kristina Young
Acting Executive Director
Arts Council Napa Valley

P.S. If you haven't already, meet the staff cartoon-style!

Cultural Plan Activity Update
January 2010

In order to keep the local community informed on the progress to implement the Napa County Cultural Plan written in 2008, Arts Council Napa Valley (ACNV) will publish a monthly update. Below you will find the plan’s four major strategic directions, which includes the work ACNV and their partners have done to reach these goals in the past month. The Cultural Plan was drafted in 2008 entirely from community input.

Build Effective Awareness of the Arts and
Increase Cultural Tourism

Click on image for Downloadable Flyer (PDF)

NVARTS.ORG EVENT CALENDAR
In December, ACNV presented information about ACNV's Arts & Culture Calendar (NVarts.org) to members of the Napa City Council, the Napa County Commission for Arts & Culture, the Napa County Board of Supervisors, and members of the creative and philanthropic community. The information was received with enthusiastic support. After seeing the presentation, Margrit Mondavi said, "It's about time Napa had a great calendar!" ACNV is also working on ways to leverage the calendar to most effectively support the arts and cultural tourism industry. Visit NVarts.org!

Arts Council's Facebook fan base has reached over 1,370 and continues to grow. Fans receive updates on local arts & culture events on a daily basis.
Become Fan!

ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY OF THE ARTS IN NAPA COUNTY
ACNV, in partnership with Americans for the Arts, has completed this important study and will publish the results this month. This report speaks to the positive economic impact of the arts sector in our county and will be an extremely useful tool for upcoming grant writing and building partnerships with the business community.

ART SCENE ON TV
Acting Executive Director, Kristina Young, and James Byrum (A.K.A. "The Calendar Guy") will bring you a regular arts segment, "ACNV ART SCENE" on Arty Party's "N.A.P.A. Show", on local TV channel 28 on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. See your first ART SCENE scoop on Wednesday, January 20th at 6pm (Add event to your calendar or send text msg).

ACNV IN PRINT
Grab a copy of the first full glossy January 2010 issue of Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine for an article on the Arts Council by Louisa Hufstader, or click here to read now (PDF pg 15 )!

ACNV printed and began to distribute colorful business cards for NVarts.org & Underground Calendar as promotional tools for these free, local, online arts & culture calendars.

Ensure Inclusion & Expand Local Arts Education

EXPANDED ACNV ARTS EDUCATION
ACNV also received a $9,600 Artists in Schools Grant funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. This funding, matched by local non-profit On the Move, allows ACNV to partner an artist team (Magical Moonshine Theater) with two elementary schools in Napa (Salvador and McPherson) for the rest of the 09/10 school year.

ARTS EDUCATION ONLINE
The ACNV Arts Education program is going green. By February, we will be replacing our printed paper catalog of available artist teachers and performers with a new web presence at ArtsEdNapa.org. On this new website, ACNV will provide expanded information for schools, parents and teachers looking for arts workshops, creative assemblies, and private lessons for both children and adults.

STUDENT ART EXHIBITION AT NAPA CITY HALL
In January, ACNV will install a new Student Art Exhibition at Napa City Hall. The exhibit will feature work from several area elementary schools, all of whom participated in the Napa Country Reads program in October 2009. A public reception will be held during a City Council meeting in February (date to be announced).

LEADERSHIP NAPA VALLEY: ARTS DAY
ACNV is again coordinating "Arts Day" for Leadership Napa Valley, Class 23 on January 8, 2010. The day will begin with a panel discussion "Keeping Our Best & Brightest in Napa" about how the arts can play a role in engaging and nurturing a vibrant creative community. Panelists include: Olivia Everett, Wandering Rose & ACNV; Jakey Lee & Taylor Hight, Body or Brain; Taylor Bartolucci & Barry Martin, Lucky Penny Theatre and City of Napa Community Outreach Coordinator, Gordon Huether, Artist & Napa City Planning Commissioner; and Napa teens Mason Rising and Josh Ross, both of whom are working to create an arts space and music venue in Napa. The agenda will also include tours of local arts institutions including: Napa Valley Opera House, Lincoln Theater, and di Rosa; as well as studio visits with some our incredible local artists including: Nick Cann, Bev Wilson, Carl Ciliax and Gordon Huether. The day will end with an improv workshop at Dreamweavers' Theatre, led by board member, Dan Monez.

Establish Effective Arts Public Policies & Build Arts Advocacy Coalition

ARTwalk: NEW SCULPTURE PROGRAM
Plans for the new Napa ARTwalk are underway. ACNV is working with the Napa City Redevelopment Agency and local public art consultant, Chandra Ceritto, to bring this program to Napa by summer 2010. The intention of the program is to increase foot traffic downtown while providing a showcase of Northern California sculpture. A call for artists will go out this month — stay tuned!

PUBLIC ART ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF NAPA
On December 3, the Public Art Ordinance for the City of Napa was passed with a consensus vote by the City Planning Commission. The ordinance will now go to City Council for review and vote in February (Date TBA). It is crucial that City Council see and hear from the arts community at this meeting! If you would like more information, please contact us or contact a member of the City Council directly.

AWAKENING DOWNTOWN NAPA
ACNV invites the arts community to be present at the third Downtown Napa Specific Plan Workshop on Tuesday, February 2 (6-8:30pm) at Napa City Hall (955 School Street, Napa), with the Planning Commission and City Council (Add event to your calendar or send text msg). Your presence will help transform Napa into a more vibrant arts and cultural community.

Maximize & Mine Arts Resources

NEW ARTS COMMITTEE
A new committee, "Artist Tree" was established from the Wandering Rose forums on creating a community arts space in Napa. Artist Tree seeks to create a greater creative energy within downtown Napa by providing exhibition and performance spaces, utilize vacant buildings and public spaces, and be supportive and work with surrounding businesses. The committee had its first meeting on December 17th led by Founder & Coordinator, Christy Bors. Many creative ideas were proposed at that meeting for small interim steps towards realizing that dream. Artist Tree invites you to join in on the next meeting set for Monday, January 18, 6:15pm - location TBA (Add event to your calendar or send text msg). Visit ArtsCouncilNapaValley.org for more info.

BE A PART OF THE CHANGE!
Arts Council is putting together a comprehensive framework for volunteerism for the Community Cultural Plan project to enliven arts and culture in the Valley. If you are interested in helping to carry out this very important Plan, please contact us. Detailed information on this project will be provided on the website early 2010.

Other Arts News

SPECIAL THANKS to David Auerbach of Carols in the Caves for donating a portion of his proceeds to Arts Council Napa Valley from his January 2 & 3 Cave of the Drum performances at Clos Pegase!

Become a Member and/or Donate

ACNV is a support and promotional organization for arts and culture in Napa County. Consider becoming a member and/or donating. Your membership sustains Arts Education, supports NVarts.org calendar—which increases the local and cultural tourism industries and thrusts new programs into action such as ARTwalk and more! Benefits.

Donate To: Arts Education	Student/Senior $25	Member Artist/Supporter $25	Registered Artist $50
Non-Prof Annl Bdgt $100-500k - $100	Non-Prof Annl Bdgt $500k-1M - $200	Non-Prof Annl Bdgt $1M+ - $300	Corporation $300

Thank you Major Donors, Sponsors & Arts Associates

BECOME A PARTNER For those interested in directly supporting the arts, please consider becoming a partner with the Arts Council by offering discounts to ACNV members. Click here for more info.

Arts are Cookin', No Boredom in Napa Art, ACNV Art Scene & Happy Holidays
photography and graphics by Kristine Cummins.