Back in December 2013, we reached out to ask for your support in raising our fiscal year goal of $20,000 in community contributions by June 30, 2014. Thanks to your support in response to that letter, as well as the contributions made during the Napa Valley Give! Guide campaign and the Creative Change program during Arts in April, we are now only $1,632 from our goal!

Will you help push us over the threshold by making a contribution toward our goal?

Show that you want a vibrant artistic future for the Napa Valley by making a contribution. Your voice and your donation make the difference possible!

Count me in!  I would like to join the arts movement by contributing $10, $20, or $100 today.

How does Arts Council Napa Valley forward arts in Napa County?

ACNV is the official arts agency for the County of Napa.  That means that it’s our job to lay the foundation for a local arts culture by providing ongoing advocacy and services to support, strengthen, and grow the arts in our community.  The key to the success of our mission is to partner with the diverse population of artists and arts businesses to build meaningful connections between the arts and the other industries which impact us in every level of life.  It takes the whole village to bring about a true culturally rich community, one that celebrates diverse ideas, appreciates beauty, and fosters innovation.  So with your help, ACNV will lead the strategies to enhance artistry not only within the arts community, but through our local business, education, municipal policy, nonprofit service, and media.    

Help ACNV set the stage for a vibrant and rich cultural future in the Napa Valley.

Thank you to our donors who have made a contribution toward $20,000 by June 30, 2014.

As a partner in Creative Change, Napa Valley Wine Train CEO Anthony Giaccio presented a check for $7,820 to ACNV CEO Olivia Everett.  The Wine Train donated $1 for every ticket sold during Arts in April® 2014.

What have we done since December 2013?

Launch of Napa Valley Creative Directory: In January, we launched a brand new website along with this new program to connect the locally made to individuals and businesses.  Do you want to set your business apart? Are you looking for a band to play your next event?  Find a creative graphic designer to illustrate your brand.  A writer to tell your story. And a fine art consultant and artists to create your unique environment. Browse our directory for local professional artists and creative services for free.  

Napa Valley Arts in April® 2014: ACNV is the official partner to Visit Napa Valley for this annual month-long celebration of arts and wine.  The month was kicked-off at the Napa Valley Museum with a preview of Napa Valley Collects, an annual exhibit featuring the rarely seen works of local private collectors. Throughout the month, 42 wineries along with partners in Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, Napa, and American Canyon collectively hosted over 60 events with 150 artists; together celebrating works in music, design, fine art, architecture, and photography.  Additionally, 9 art, wine, and hotel partners hosted events taking a peek behind-the-scenes through Napa Valley Collection: Art Conversations, a new countywide speaker series.

Assessment of Arts Education in Napa County (Phase 1): Following the precedent of local cultural planning set in 2008, ACNV initiated the development of the Napa County Alliance for Arts Education (NCAAE) in December 2013 to organize and support arts in local K-12 public education countywide.  Under the direction of the Leadership Team (over 30 local education, arts, funding, and community leaders), ACNV worked with NCAAE Coordinator Robin Hampton to develop the first phase of a two phase assessment of the state of the arts available to our students.  The findings from the complete assessment will drive a collaborative strategy among the school districts, teachers, arts organizations, parent groups and funders to strengthen the educational opportunities for our future generations.    

City of American Canyon Moving toward Public Art Ordinance: As part of an initiative to establish arts proactive policies throughout the county, ACNV has been in discussion with officials up and down the valley about how the arts can aid local goals.  After a presentation by ACNV on the benefits of public art to community development in February 2014, the city council directed staff to propose a new ordinance for adoption.  We are now working with the City of American Canyon to assist in establishing a new public art ordinance.  

Napa Valley Now Launch and Merger: In July 2013, ACNV announced a new partnership with the St. Helena Library, County of Napa, Somos Napa, and CANVAS to launch the Napa Valley Now Coalition – a collaborative effort to enhance communications and engagement within the community and our visitors.  With a grant secured by the St. Helena Library, the coalition launched NapaValleyNow.com – a new shared calendar of events which will soon be available in Spanish at NapaValleyHoy.com.  In May 2014, an official agreement was signed to merge ACNV’s NVarts.org to the new platform and grow the network of contributing partners.

What is there to look forward to in the upcoming months?

Survey of Napa County Arts Education (Phase 2): In the second phase of the Napa County Alliance for Arts Education’s assessment, the Leadership Team will be surveying key sectors of the community (arts institutions, arts instructors, public school educators, students, funders, and businesses) to better understand the current needs for arts education.  This is a vital next step for preparing a well-informed countywide plan for quality arts education.

New Strategic Plan! Over the past two years, you may have noticed some changes at ACNV – a new look and feel directed from the staff and board of directors working to put the house in order – strengthening our internal operations, governance, reworking our business model for sustainability, and building new partnerships.  From this new vantage point we have spent several months in dialogue with stakeholders and review of the current environment for the arts in Napa County, looking at what needs to be accomplished to position the community for a future of success.  We have asked ourselves, “How will ACNV best support, strengthen, and advance the network of artists, producers, educators, and presenters which make up the creative sector of Napa County? How do we work together with the arts and our community partners to grow arts audiences as well as enrich our community through the next three to five years?” After a lot of best practice discussions, detailed chart building and whiteboard brainstorms, we look forward to unveiling our next steps which will be outlined in our three year strategic plan.  But before we wrap things up and finalize these goals, we look forward to hearing your feedback – So stay tuned!  

I want to make the next steps possible!

Get to know our team by visiting our staff and board page at https://www.artscouncilnapavalley.org/about.  

Contact Olivia Everett (olivia@artscouncilnv.org) to share your thoughts or to learn how else you can get involved in the arts!