PURPOSE
The Wake Forest Cultural Arts Association (WFCAA) is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to develop, promote, and coordinate the arts, thereby preserving the cultural heritage of Wake Forest and it’s environs and sustaining its cultural life.
HISTORY
The Wake Forest Cultural Arts Association was established in 1988 through a joint initiative of the Town of Wake Forest and the Wake County Arts Council (now United Arts of Raleigh and Wake County). Its mission is to enhance the cultural life of the Town of Wake Forest in order to enrich the lives of its citizens and to reinforce the positive identity of the town as a distinct community in the context of a rapidly changing northern Wake County. Cultural Arts strives to support local artists and existing art programs throughout the community.
For the first year of its existence Wake Forest Cultural Arts Association had a full time paid director whose salary was provided through a salary assistance grant from the North Carolina Arts Council. In addition, the Town of Wake Forest provided a small house near Town Hall for offices, classroom and storage space. This house was the physical home of WFCAA until 2002 when maintenance costs forced the Town to demolish the building. The Town of Wake Forest' provided alternate meeting space at the new Flaherty Park Community Center. Meetings are held in various other locations in Town including DuBois CDC offices and the Chamber of Commerce.
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Since 1989, Wake Forest Cultural Arts has functioned as an all volumteer organization. The Town of Wake Forest has continued to support the organization over the years by providing funding to help arts programming. This years' allotment is $5500. Last year the Town provided staff assistance through the Parks & Recreation Department. Ms. Simpson is a Board member and spends a portion of her time devoted to arts programming with WFCAA. This cooperation between the Town and the Arts Association demonstrates how essential arts programming is in maintaining a vibrant community. Cultural Arts has always received support from United Arts of Raleigh and Wake County. For the last several years the annual budget has been approximately $22,000, of which about one third has been provided by the Town and United Arts and the remaining two thirds has been raised from donations and sponsorships. The Association has never had a deficit.
Programming has changed and grown substantially through the years. Initially a winter festival with a Mardi Gras theme was the main focus. In 1992, the Six Sundays in Spring concert series was born and still remains the major focus of the organization today. The free concerts are presented on consecutive Sundays on the lawn of the Wake Forest College Birthplace in the heart of the historic district. Other civic organizations have become partners with WFCAA in this event and local artists have been invited to showcase their art. With the rapid growth of the Town and the populartity of these concerts, in 2009 WFCAA will move the concert series to the new 1000 lawn seat amphitheatre at Joyner Park. In 1999 the DuBois Jazz Festival was begun as a partnership between the DuBois Alumni Association and WFCAA. Workshops for youngsters were held prior to the concert/dance. This event lasted for three years until the location of the event was closed for renovations. In 2004, WFCAA partnered with the Downtown Revitalization Corporation to sponsor an Autumn Arts Festival. The all day event features programs for children and adults. Acitivies include puppet shows, storytellers, music, art shows, and mural painting.
Wake Forest Cultural Arts has been a founder and long term supporter of the Wake Forest Singers, a group of community members who present an annual spring concert and who also perform at various Town functions. Cultural Arts continues to be a supporter of the Artists Studio tour, the Historic Homes Tour and the Well-Dressed Garden tour. Cultural Arts prints a newletter each quarter and participates with the Community Council.
One new area of endeavor has been a partnership with the Town of Wake Forest in providing a website through the Town's website.
FUNDING
The WFCAA is supported by the Town of Wake Forest, the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, with funds from the United Arts campaign and the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina, and the National Endowment for the Arts which believes that a great nation deserves great art. The organization is also supported by individual memberships and corporate sponsorships.
MEETINGS
The WFCAA meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 7 p.m. at various locations throughout Wake Forest. Meetings are open to the public.