Louisville Arts Projects Looking to Double Funds Raised via ArtsMatch

A Fund for the Arts selections committee has chosen 16 arts-based projects for the second cycle of its ArtsMatch crowdfunding program, which provides an opportunity for cultural providers to more effectively raise project funding.

From now until June 30, 2017, the selected groups will raise funds using the ArtsMatch platform, which will help the selected projects reach new audiences and invest in innovation.

Community members are invited to explore the ArtsMatch website and choose projects to support. Participating groups receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds for the amount they raise now through June.

Each cycle of ArtsMatch has central funding priorities, which are selected by the community sponsors for that particular cycle. There are main two themes for cycle two of ArtsMatch.

LG&E and KU Energy LLC will support arts innovation projects. The Yum! Family Series will support youth and family engagement projects. Tom Noland and Vivian Ruth Sawyer are providing matching funds for a critical renovation of the West Louisville Talent and Education Center (WESTEC).

"Through ArtsMatch, and the generous support of our sponsors, we are able to provide needed funds to arts-based projects impacting Greater Louisville," said Christen Boone, President and CEO, Fund for the Arts. "This unique fundraising platform gives donors the opportunity to support projects that they are passionate about and give back to the community in a very personal way."

"Innovation is an integral part of our culture and success at LG&E and KU Energy, so this theme is a perfect fit for our support of ArtsMatch," said Paul W. Thompson, President and COO of LG&E and KU Energy, and current Fund for the Arts Campaign Chair. "We are eager to see how these arts groups branch out, create change and better the community with the funding that they earn through ArtsMatch."

"The Yum! Family Series is committed to making the arts more readily available to underserved groups and individuals," said Jerilan Greene, Yum! Brands Inc. Chief Communications Officer. "We are proud to help enrich the lives of Greater Louisville artists and families by supporting ArtsMatch."

"As the Board Chair of Fund for the Arts, I see firsthand how supporting organizations like WESTEC inspires and changes the lives of Greater Louisville students," said Tom Noland, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Humana Inc. "My wife, Vivian Ruth Sawyer, and I are proud to help ensure talented students have a safe place to hone their skills and develop their artistry."

A committee of artists, community, and neighborhood representatives selected the following cultural providers and projects for cycle two of ArtsMatch.

Arts Innovation supported by LG&E and KU Energy LLC:

- Allegro Dance Project: In Our Element - Engaging special needs students in original works of dance

- Arts Council of Southern Indiana: Bridge to Peace - Art exhibition addressing violence in Louisville and Southern Indiana

- Artist Todd Smith: Bike Sense Louisville - A public art project, using bikes to illustrate sounds

- CirqueLouis: East of the Sun - Circus theatre and puppetry, bringing the stage to life

- Frazier History Museum: Stories in Mind - Active engagement through storytelling - crafting stories to engage adults with memory loss

- Josephine Sculpture Park: Fall Arts Festival - Building a stronger community through shared arts experiences

- Kentucky Shakespeare: Survivor Shakespeare - Creative and emotional expression for cancer patients and survivors

- Steam Exchange: Community and Commercial Screen Printing Shop - Art fueling creative expression and entrepreneurship

Tom Noland & Vivian Ruth Sawyer supporting:

- West Louisville Talent and Education Center (WESTEC): Building Our Sound - Giving new life to a loved building

Youth & Family Engagement supported by Yum! Family Series:

- International Order of the EARS: Tell Your Story; Sing Your Song - Telling the story of Louisville's arts and cultural landscape

- Kentucky College of Art & Design: Visiting Artist Program - Engaging Smoketown in arts experiences

- Louisville Youth Orchestra: Master Artists Chamber Players - Advancing musical education and 21st century skills

- Speed Art Museum: Speed Family Pass - Expanding museum access for local families

- Teatro Tercera Llamada: La Cucarachita Martina - Engaging generations in a Spanish-language play

- West Louisville Performing Arts Academy: After School Tutorial - Integrating arts and academic support for West Louisville students

- YPAS: The America Project - Young performing artists journey to Scotland

The first cycle of ArtsMatch projects, which launched last November, included projects that focused on expanding access to the arts, addressing topics like cyberbullying, offering at-risk youth in Portland the opportunity to express themselves through circus arts, and the creation of a festival to encourage participation in the cultures of Appalachia and Latin America, among others.

Unlike public crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and GoFundMe, programs selected as part of ArtsMatch receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds up to $10,000 from the program sponsors. In total, $85,000 is available in matching funds.

To make a donation to this cycle of ArtsMatch, visit www.fundforthearts.org/ArtsMatch.

Fund for the Arts is a regional nonprofit with the mission to maximize the arts to drive economic development, education, and quality of life in our community. The Fund conducts one of the oldest united arts campaigns in the country and supports world-class institutions, community organizations and arts in education. Fund for the Arts also hosts the nationally recognized NeXt leadership development program for young professionals, and leads collective action across the arts and cultural sector. For more information, visit www.fundforthearts.org.