CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF RICHMOND AND THE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER AT GLEN ALLEN ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP FOCUSED ON THE ARTS
Creative pairing seeks to highlight and expand cultural offerings in western Henrico
Henrico, VA (May 26, 2011) – The Children’s Museum of Richmond (CMoR) today announced plans to partner with The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen (CACGA) to highlight and increase arts and cultural offerings in western Henrico. The two organizations will co-host their first event, Heart the Arts Fest 2011, on Sunday, June 26, from 12pm – 5pm.
“As a children’s organization, we know how important the arts are to the development of young minds,” said Karen Coltrane, CMoR’s president and CEO. “So partnering with The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen allows us to leverage resources and complement one another to provide services to area families and foster a love of the arts for a lifetime.”
Both CMoR and CACGA offer art classes for those who’d like to learn to create their own art as well as shows and performances for those who love to view beautiful artwork, watch a dance troupe, listen to a musical performance or learn about cultures from around the world.
“The Cultural Arts Center is thrilled to be partnering with the children’s museum,” added K Alferio, president of CACGA. “We’ve always been committed to providing quality arts and cultural experiences to people who live west of the city, right in their own neighborhood. With CMoR’s presence here as well, we felt that a partnership could really bring value to the community. Together we fill the needs of everyone interested in the arts in this part of town.”
With the tremendous growth in the Short Pump area, it stands to reason that the arts community has room to grow, too.
“The County of Henrico is proud of its burgeoning arts and cultural offerings,” said Henrico County Manager Virgil Hazelett. “It is exciting to see two of our premier arts organizations coming together to not only promote opportunities, but to add to the excitement of living and enjoying the arts in Henrico.”
There will be arts of every kind to enjoy at Heart the Arts Fest 2011 on June 26, just outside of CMoR’s Short Pump location. Old Brick Road, the main street of the West Broad Village mixed-use neighborhood, will be blocked off for the afternoon to allow the festival to line the sidewalks and spill safely into the street. LaDiff, French Boutique, 3 Sport and others will display their goods on the sidewalk; Whole Foods, Keagan’s, Sweet Spot and Kona Grill will tempt with delectables of all sorts; and the Richmond SPCA will bring furry friends performing tricks.
The Cultural Arts Center and the Children’s Museum have combined their talents and resources to create a line-up of live music and dance performances, artist demonstrations, games and hands-on projects to feed the senses and spirits of all who attend. Matt Lively will be on hand entertaining with his world-famous Squiggle demos, as well as Ed Trask showcasing his mural-painting genius, the Young Rembrandts working on drawing with children, Daniel Boone VII with blacksmith demonstrations, and several artists offering their work for sale.
There will be cookie-decorating, art projects, prizes for the children, a watermelon-eating contest, a moon-bounce, water balloons and all the other activities a street festival brings to mind. Both organizations will also conduct demonstrations of the art classes they offer for children, teens and adults, and offer information about their summer camps.
Moving forward with their partnership, the two nonprofits will continue to cross-promote events, offer benefits to one another’s members or guests, and take part in joint projects. For instance, CACGA recently offered buy-one, get-one-free tickets to CMoR members for a performance by ventriloquist Lynn Trefzger.
“By working together, we can bring more arts and cultural experiences to the community,” said Coltrane. “There is no telling what two creative organizations can achieve when combining minds and ideas.”
To learn more about these organizations or for detailed information about their offerings, go towww.ChildrensMuseumofRichmond.org or www.artsglenallen.com.
About The Children’s Museum of Richmond
The Children’s Museum of Richmond now has two locations, CMoR Central at 2626 W. Broad St. in Richmond and CMoR Short Pump, located in West Broad Village at 2200 Old Brick Road in Glen Allen. The Children’s Museum of Richmond has been serving the community since 1981 with the mission to create innovative learning experiences for all children and those who support them that inspire the next generation of creative problem solvers. For more information, please visit www.ChildrensMuseumOfRichmond.org or call (804) 474-7000.
About the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen
The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen is dedicated to inspiring creativity and stimulating the senses through music, dance, art and theatre. The Center is a private, non-profit organization, managed and maintained by The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen Foundation and Board of Directors. For more information, call 804-261-ARTS (2787) or visit the Center at 2880 Mountain Road, Glen Allen 23060, just off I-295 at the Woodman Road south exit.
