University Communications

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Poster Promotes St. Croix Valley Arts

By Linda Abel
University Communications

FEB. 16, 2009—A new poster promoting nonprofit St. Croix Valley Arts organizations is being distributed throughout towns, cities and villages along the Minnesota and Wisconsin sides of the St. Croix River.

The production of the “Explore, Experience, Discover: Arts in the St. Croix Valley” poster was a project initiated by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Leadership Training and Development Program participants, including Carolyn Brady, an administrative specialist in the admissions office, Robin Murray, professor of communication studies and theater arts department, and Cynthia Wells-O'Malley, outreach office program manager. It was funded by a $600 UWRF Institutional Enhancement Grant, which supports faculty development to improve the community within the University and surrounding areas.

The poster's goal is to help “involve the university community in the grassroots arts of the region,” says Brady. The poster is designed to list opportunities for people in the area to enjoy and experience art, says Brady, and it not only meets a need of the community, but is also of general interest to visitors and others.

“It is the intent of this project to heighten awareness of—and participation in—cultural and arts programming opportunities in the region,” she said. “As advertising and marketing costs go up for these nonprofits, the aim of the poster was to help these organizations promote their programming.”

The poster, designed pro bono by UWRF graphic artist Rita Zawislak-Brandt, lists selected nonprofit arts organizations in the valley and highlights major events. It has been distributed in public buildings such as libraries, city halls and post offices through out the Washington County in Minnesota and St. Croix, Pierce and Polk counties in Wisconsin.

Each venue listed on the poster has something different to offer, from high school art shows and spotlight artist's showcases to arts crawl events as well as classes, concerts, community dances, theatrical performances and youth acting camps.

Groups and web site info included on the poster are:

ArtReach Alliance, Hammond Art Alliance, Lake Elmo Regional Art, River Falls Community Art Base, River Falls Community Theatre, St. Croix Art Barn, The Phipps Center for the Arts, The Space: A Centre for Creativity, UWRF Falls Gallery 101 and Art Department, UWRF Dance Theater, Valley Chamber Chorale.

For more information, to obtain copies of the poster, or to request inclusion on the next edition of the poster, e-mail artsinthevalley@uwrf.edu .

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