Cincinnati's Fine Arts Fund Remains on Target in Difficult Year

The arts in Cincinnati are not “the icing on the cake. They are the cake,” said Mark Serrianne, chairman of the Fine Arts Fund board of trustees, at the 2008 campaign finale reception April 29 at the Cincinnati Art Museum.
   Serianne, chairman of Northlich, attributed the quote to a friend, but there was unanimous agreement among the volunteers and arts organization representatives gathered to celebrate the successful end of the 2008 Fine Arts Fund campaign.
   Jim Schwab, Cincinnati market president of U.S. Bank and general chairman of the 2008 Fine Arts Fund campaign, announced the total, $12 million plus a $3,000 "bonus."  The total represents corporate and foundation giving and donations from over 44,000 individuals from all over Greater Cincinnati.
   The 10-week campaign, begun in February, met its goal despite a sagging economy.  The 2008 goal, announced in February, was a modest two percent increase over the record $11.7 raised in 2007.  Up until two weeks before the April 29 finale, the fund was still $200,000 short, campaign officials said.
   The Fine Arts Fund provides essential operating support for the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Contemporary Arts Center, May Festival, Taft Museum of Art, Arts Consortium of Cincinnati, ArtWorks, Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center, The Children’s Theatre, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Fitton Center for Creative Arts, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and Madcap Productions Puppet Theatre. The Fine Arts Fund also administers a grants program that annually serves approximately 70 organizations.
   Allocations from this year's Fine Arts Fund will be announced in June.
   Campaign general chairman for the 2009 Fine Arts Fund will be Karen Hoguet, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Macy's.
   A new feature of the annual campaign will be the announcement and presentation of the Scripps Corbett Awards, successor to the Post Corbett Awards, begun under the aegis of The Cincinnati Post, which ceased publication Dec. 31.
   The awards honor outstanding achievement in the arts in Greater Cincinnati and are named for the late Patricia A. Corbett and her husband J. Ralph Corbett, long time Cincinnati arts patrons.
   Scripps executive vice president and chief operating office Richard A. Boehne announced this year's winners at the Fine Arts Fund reception.
   They are, by category:

•    Artist award -- Cincinnati Children's Choir, ensemble-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

•    Organization award -- Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

•    Innovation Award -- Ballet Tech Cincinnati.

•    Special Award, Arts Education -- WOW: Writers of Outstanding Words.

•    Supporter Award -- Harry Fath.

•    Lifetime Achievement Awards went to CSO president Steven Monder,

  Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra president Steven Monder

  who is retiring June 30 after 37 years of service, and Contemporary Dance Theater founder/director Jefferson James,

  Contemporary Dance Theatre Founder/Director Jefferson James

  who pioneered modern dance in Cincinnati  35 years ago.