By Joyce Kryszak
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wbfo/local-wbfo-974639.mp3
Buffalo, NY – Arts groups abandoned by Erie County will soon have two full-time organizations working to make them sustainable.
Organizers for The Give For Greatness Campaign announced Wednesday that $90,000 was raised during a two-month long blitz of fundraising events. But they said that is only the beginning.
Megan Callahan also was introduced as the new Executive Director for what will now be a year-round fundraising effort. A private donor is funding Callahan's position to provide stability for the new organization. Callahan said she looks forward to making it a success.
"I am so grateful and honored to be working with this very, very worthy organization that is going to be providing ongoing, sustainable arts support for the entire community," said Callahan.
Events and online donations will be ongoing. The original goal of the campaign was one million dollars. $400,000 was already in place from private foundations and the City of Buffalo recently restored $200,000 of arts funding.
Vincent O'Neil with the Greater Buffalo Cultural Alliance said there has been an extraordinary coming together in support of the arts.
"In a sense the decision to cut county funding was a catalyst that brought together this entire community, so there is a good side to this," said O'Neil.
The crisis also will soon give birth to another support agency. The Alliance is spearheading organization of a not-for-profit that would replace the defunct Arts Council. Randy Kramer with the greater Buffalo Cultural Alliance said the new entity will provide advocacy and administrative support for struggling arts groups with little support staff.
"It's really going to fill a need in the community that, theoretically, at one time the Arts Council would have done. It hasn't been done for a long time, so this is something that will help all of us," said Kramer.
The agency, which will be formally announced in the near future, will have an executive director and three full-time staff.