press room

For Immediate Release

12/16/2004

Contact:
Virginia Anagnos
Goodman Media International
212.576.2700


New Members Elected to United Arts Funds Council

Washington, DC — December 16, 2004 — Americans for the Arts announces the election of Christine Harris, Joanne Riley, and Alecia Townsend to its United Arts Funds Council, a group which advises the Board of Americans for the Arts about the development of programs, publications, and services designed to meet the needs of the nation’s more than 70 united arts funds. Council members also provide peer-to-peer assistance on the improvement of existing united arts funds and the development of new ones.

“With private giving to the arts in decline over the past decade, Americans for the Arts welcomes the leadership of Christine Harris, Joanne Riley, and Alecia Townsend to the United Arts Fund Council,” said Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “The need to boost private sector giving to the arts is great, and we are pleased to have such proven voices that will encourage support for the arts in our nation’s workplaces and homes.”

United Arts Funds (UAF) are private agencies that work to broaden support for the arts, promote excellence in the arts and arts management, and ensure that arts organizations are financially stable. No two UAFs are alike, as this allows each to meet the needs of the community it serves. While UAFs are primarily fundraising organizations, many also use the arts to address community development issues and support arts education advocacy efforts.

Following are brief bios on the newly elected United Arts Funds members:

Christine Harris is the president of the United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF) in Milwaukee, WI. UPAF serves more than 40 performing arts groups with fundraising and other activities throughout the Milwaukee area. She is a Milwaukee native and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Joanne Riley is the executive director of the Cultural Alliance of York County (PA), where she is responsible for administering a newly formed united arts fundraising agency focusing on the corporate community that funds nine member agencies. Before arriving at the Cultural Alliance of York County in 1999, she was executive director of YorkArts. She received a B.S. in communications from Syracuse University.

Alecia Townsend is deputy director of the Greater Hartford Arts Council, a $5 million agency with 20 staff members. Since 1997, she has managed its united arts fund, which now raises $3.5 million annually. Her professional interests include regional marketing, city beautification, and collaborative/alternative arts funding mechanisms. A Hartford, CT, resident, she holds a master’s degree in business administration and a B.A. in performing arts journalism from schools in her native Southern California.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of more than 40 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

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