It's a great pleasure to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of Art-Reach. I look forward to working with all of you to keep this unique organization strong and moving forward.

I grew up in Chester County, went to Temple University and have lived in Philadelphia for over 20 years, so I'm a big booster for this region. I've spent the last decade in the Philadelphia cultural community, where I witnessed first-hand the power the arts can have to enrich the lives of people with disabilities and economic disadvantages, so Art-Reach's mission has a special meaning for me.

In the few months I've been here, I've had the opportunity to hear from many of our member human-service agencies about how much they value our work, how having access to the arts inspires and motivates their residents and clients. I've also seen Art-Reach in action, attending a wonderful show by students at the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy in West Philadelphia and lively performances by Mafalda and Daria, two of our wonder in-facility artists. All left me even more motivated to ensure the continued success of Art-Reach's unique mission.

So where do we go from here? I envision a future where Art-Reach is firmly established as the go-to organization for connecting audiences with special needs to cultural opportunities. Where we serve as a vital resource for arts groups committed to developing special-needs audiences. Where even more human-service agencies use us as a link to connect their clients with arts and cultural opportunities. Where we connect special-needs audiences with the arts beyond observing a performance through hands-on, participatory workshops and classes.

Now is the perfect time for all of us involved with cultural accessibility to step back, take stock and look to the future. As a member of our extended family, I welcome your thoughts on the future of Art-Reach. Please contact me at (215) 951-0316 or mnorris@art-reach.org with your thoughts, ideas and dreams.

Art-Reach is in the midst of our first-ever discretionary fundraising campaign. The Campaign for Art-Reach, a five-year campaign projected to raise $500,000, will allow us to strengthen core programs, expand our services to reach more special-needs audiences and upgrade our technology so we can better serve human-service agencies and arts organizations. To date, Art-Reach has received $101,250 in gifts and pledges. If you are interested in making a gift or pledge to The Campaign for Art-Reach, please contact Development Associate Meredith Palmateer at (215) 951-0330 Ext. 129 or via email at mpalmateer@art-reach.org.

In December 2003, Art-Reach and Full Circle Theater completed the second session of the Generating Community intergenerational workshop program. Generating Community brings together middle-school students and senior citizens from the Bridesburg/Lower Wissinoming neighborhoods of Philadelphia to use the arts to explore community issues. Session II culminated in an improvisational Bingo game centered on the community categories of Buildings, Ideas, Neighbors, Geography and Organization (BINGO). Session II participants also had the opportunity to visit the Atwater Kent Museum and experience a Temple University opera workshop.

The third and final session of Generating Community, which focuses on the exploration of living history in Bridesburg/Lower Wissinoming, launched on February 4, 2004. In Session III, the intergenerational participants will work together to collect living histories about the community and to create an original theater piece based on these stories. Participants received free tickets to arts and cultural events such as the Philadelphia Flower Show and a museum field trip to the National Constitution Center.

The final presentation is scheduled for Wednesday, April 28th from 4-6:00p.m. at the Emmanuel United Church of Christ in Bridesburg.

Generating Community is made possible through a grant from the Community Partnership Initiative of the Rohm and Haas Company and the hospitality of the Bridesburg Heritage Center.

AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals has renewed its funding to Art-Reach to support arts access in Wilmington, Delaware. Through this partnership, human-services agencies and public schools in Wilmington will have access to Art-Reach’s Ticketing and In-Facility programs. The In-Facility Program brings the arts directly into participating agencies, nursing homes and schools. Arts venues will be invited to participate in the Access Guide expansion project. All human-service agencies and public schools in Wilmington will be eligible to participate. AstraZeneca will also aid in recruiting Wilmington arts organizations for inclusion in the online Access Guide Expansion project.

In 2002, Art-Reach converted our award-winning publication, Access the Arts, etc… A Guide for People with Disabilities, to a fully searchable, easily navigable online version for increased access to individuals with disabilities. Art-Reach is in the midst of an expansion project of the online guide, which will include a minimum of 25 venues from Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Wilmington, Delaware. Each additional venue will undergo a site survey of their facility and will receive a summary of its accessibility along with recommendations for cost effective adjustments, when appropriate.

Art-Reach has contracted with Blaik Associates, an accessibility-consulting firm, to conduct the site surveys. The cost for inclusion in the online access guide, website link and site survey is $100. The Annenberg Center, Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, the Curtis Institute of Music, the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center, the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, the National Constitution Center, Point Breeze Performing Arts Center, Wheaton Village, the Rosenbach Museum and the Wood Turning Center are the most recent additions to the online guide. For more information, please contact Development Associate Meredith Palmateer at (215) 951-0330 Ext. 129 or via email at mpalmateer@art-reach.org.

Founded in 1986, Art-Reach is dedicated to joining the arts and special-needs audiences including people who are economically disadvantaged and those with disabilities. Art-Reach's primary activities to overcome financial and physical barriers and make the arts more accessible to those it serves are:

    – The Ticketing Program, which distributes donated and discounted tickets to performing-arts events, museums, and other cultural institutions.     – The In-Facility Program, which brings the arts directly to our constituents through on-site performances and arts activities at participating agencies and schools. We have coordinated over 900 In-Facility performances to date, with an average of 20 performances per month.
    – The Workshop Program, which provides in-depth, participatory arts programs that address specific social needs.
    – The Access Guide, the region’s premier resource for structural and programmatic accessibility information about arts and cultural venues and organizations, available in printed form and online at www.art-reach.org.

Art-Reach is the only organization of its kind in the region focused on addressing these community needs through unique programming.

“Hey, when are we going to hear jazz again?” “Can we go see the people dancing?” “When will we go to the Kimmel Center?” “I want to hear some live music!” “When can we go to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and make something with our hands?” “Remember when we went to see the people who spin and flip around? That was great!” “Can we go hear some drumming and rhythms?”

As the Activities Coordinator at the Judith B. Flicker Residences, these are some of the comments and questions I hear from our residents who have attended an Art-Reach event. Run by Bancroft NeuroHealth in New Jersey, the Flicker Residences consists of six group homes, housing a total of 36 residents with developmental disabilities and traumatic brain injuries. Our residents can experience the world differently through the arts and are grateful for the opportunities Art-Reach provides them. They feel part of the larger community and are willing to go anywhere as part of the Art-Reach program.

Though many were reluctant at first, the residents have had opportunities to see incredible performances and participate in hands-on, creative experiences that they might have never seen or experienced before. Now they can’t wait for the next event. The individuals at the Judith B. Flicker Residences have had the opportunity to experience such arts performances as the Kodo Drummers, Buddy Guy and Los Lobos, and circus presentations at the Kimmel Center and the Keswick Theatre. They love the care and attention of the ushers and staff at many of the performance venues.

Art-Reach offers a diverse selection in the arts, including music, theater, dance and performances. The wonderful Art-Reach staff provides the support needed so that the event goes smoothly. I wish everyone could see the excitement on the participants’ faces after experiencing an Art-Reach event. They know these events are something special and are grateful for the opportunity.

Each performance elicits positive verbal interaction between the participants and the staff at Bancroft NeuroHealth. The arts experiences bring out the best from this exceptional group of people. They are so grateful for the generosity of the ticket donors. Their generosity helps this group of people become more motivated and enthusiastic. It is really beyond words to express what Art-Reach has offered the participants of the Judith B. Flicker Residences of Bancroft NeuroHealth. Thanks to everyone who supports Art-Reach.

- Linda Miller, Bancroft NeuroHealth