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SPOTLIGHT
ON THE ARTS - December 2004 by Deanna Mascle Allied in the Arts
“The Henderson Area Arts Alliance is a non-profit arts organization. Our goal is to create and sustain a healthy arts community. This involves our performing arts series, arts in the schools, summer music festivals, art exhibits and more. It isn’t just about Broadway shows and country music stars. It’s ensuring that the next generation can experience the arts in their hometown,” says Ashley Denton, of the Henderson Area Arts Alliance. The Henderson Area Arts Alliance began life as the Henderson Arts Council, which was organized in 1978 by the Henderson-Audubon Area Chamber of Commerce when innovative residents recognized the need for an arts organization. The Henderson Arts Council remade itself into the Henderson Area Arts Alliance one year before the opening of the Henderson Fine Arts Center. The $6.5 million facility opened in June 1994 on the campus of Henderson Community College. The purpose behind the reorganization was to bring area arts groups together under one umbrella. The reorganization also served to streamline fundraising. “We realize the importance of the arts in society and work to make cultural and artistic opportunities available to everyone in our community,” Denton says. The mission of the Arts Alliance is to “ally the arts organizations of the Henderson area and to provide resources for member affiliates.” HAAA also seeks to enrich the quality of life in the area, promote economic development and tourism, educate and incorporate students in the arts and humanities and provide a wide array of programming at affordable prices. A key objective for HAAA is to provide a full season of performing arts at the Henderson Fine Arts Center, which houses the performing arts series as well as many visual arts exhibits. “We strive to enrich our patrons with culture, entertainment and exposure to new art forms. Our performances and the underwriting associated with them enable the Alliance to provide grant money and resources for our affiliates and advertising opportunities for our sponsors,” adds Denton. Although now HAAA is known for its quality programming, it took time to build that reputation. “Being able to present big-name Broadway productions and name musical acts around 1997 helped us grow into a new category of presenting. Now our audience expects great quality and name recognition from our performing arts series.” These events include hosting the Oak Ridge Boys, Emmy Lou Harris, Burt Bacharach, John Hartford, Bill Monroe, The Smothers Brothers, Randy Travis, and the Peking Acrobats. All of the organization’s needs are met each year through one fund drive to support a season of performing arts and financially support all arts affiliates and other area arts activities, according to Denton. HAAA also does the programming for the Arts in the Schools program. “These activities, residencies and performances help us make art accessible to a broader audience, specifically pre-school through 12th grade students, their teachers and administrators, all the while assisting the school system with the fulfillment of KERA mandates and preparation for the annual CATS tests. “We hope to continue presenting world-class performing arts events at the Fine Arts Center, presenting great summer festivals and art exhibits and instilling the belief in our students that the arts are a natural and necessary part of life,” Denton adds. “Our goal is to keep presenting quality performing arts series here at the Fine Arts Center.” Deanna Mascle is a
staff writer for The Lane Report. |
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The Henderson Area Arts Alliance is in the midst of its 11th season of arts programming at the Henderson Arts Center, but the organization’s history extends further back.
Denton notes that HAAA’s most outstanding quality is the organization’s commitment to the community. “Even in difficult economic times we still provide our residents with entertainment, culture and opportunities to create their own art,” Denton says.