Agenda Item 2AAGENDA ITEM # 2A
NOVEMBER 26, 2007
October 13, 2008
Honorable Mayor and Commissioners
The City of Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach City Hall
800 Seminole Road
Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
Dear Mr. Mayor and Atlantic Beach City Commissioners,
BEACHES
~INEiARTs
The Board of Trustees respectfully requests funding in the amount of $5,000 for the
Beaches Fine Arts Series, now in its 35`" season of providing world-class cultural
enrichment to the residents of Atlantic Beach and the communities of northeast Florida.
All of our musical and dance performances are free to attend and offer an opportunity for
our neighbors to enjoy superior quality and world-renowned artistry.
Our season opens every September and continues through April with one performance
per month, typically held at St. Paul's by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Jacksonville
Beach. Each artist or group on our schedule, aside from performing at a free concert,
also presents an educational outreach for school children. Most recently, our country's
oldest and best known brass ensemble, the American Brass Quintet worked with the
children of Mayport Elementary School while they were here for an extended residency
which also took them to Jacksonville Beach Elementary School and Mayo Clinic where
they played for patients and staff at a noon concert.
This past week we proudly presented jazz great and multi-Grammy winning vibraphonist
Gary Burton with Japanese superstar pianist, Makoto Ozone. This free concert delighted
an audience of 600+ beaches and Jacksonville residents. Next month we bring another
internationally acclaimed group, Trio Virtuosi with flutist Eugenia Zukerman. This
concert will coincide with the Sea and Sky Spectacular encouraging beach goers to stay
at the beach after the excitement has ended to broaden their horizons with top-notch
classical music.
Another exciting aspect to our free concert season is the presentation of the Jacksonville
Symphony Orchestra performing at the Sea Walk Pavilion for a Mother's Day Pop's
concert. This event has entertained 6,000+ beach residents for the past several years, and
the Beaches Fine Arts Series is delighted to be partnering with the City of Jacksonville
Beach for this presentation in 2008 and for many years to come.
When we are not playing host to musicians from azound the world and adding to the
cultural enrichment of our communities and schools, we aze busy managing atriathlon -
the BFAS Sprint Triathlon Series is the major fundraiser for our concert season, and has
become an enormously successful event itself. Consisting of three triathlons (one in
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AGENDA ITEM # 2A
NOVEMBER 26, 2007
Page Two
Request for Funding
City of Atlantic Beach
Honorable Mayor and Commissioners
May, June, and July each year) these races, now in their 22nd season, aze considered the
best of their kind in the State and made their humble beginnings in Atlantic Beach where
they have been located off and on for many years.
Both our concert season and our triathlon races are well publicized and reported in the
local papers. A few of the many examples are included for your review. As well, I am
enclosing letters of recommendation attesting to the value of what BFAS does for the
community.
All of our programs, both concert and triathlon series, are supported by Atlantic Beach
businesses. For 30 years we housed our artists at the Sea Turtle Hotel, and we encourage
them to dine at Atlantic Beach restaurants. Many of our concert patrons (those who make
cash donations of $350 or more) aze from Atlantic Beach. Zip code surveys show us that
18% of our audience lives in Atlantic Beach. Likewise, 10% of our triathlon athletes are
from Atlantic Beach and we have found that on average each athlete brings two
spectators, also from Atlantic Beach. We have current and past Boazd members that are
from Atlantic Beach. In fact, the current and recent past President of the Boazd of
Trustees for BFAS is an Atlantic Beach resident.
While our programs are free, they aze not without cost. With an annual budget of
$350,000, we are requesting a contribution of less than 1'/z % from the City of Atlantic
Beach to allow us to continue providing this valuable service to the school children and
neighbors in our city.
Thank you for considering our proposal and we hope that you will look favorably upon
our request.
Sincerely,
~~ ~ e
Lisa Goo 'ch
President, Boazd of Trustees
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