During 2005, Brevard Cultural Alliance (BCA) is celebrating 30 years of providing cultural information and services to residents and visitors, cultural organizations, individual artists and the business community. The Alliance is designated by the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners as the official local arts and cultural affairs council. BCA’s mission is to serve as the catalyst for cultural development in Brevard County.
Upcoming BCA events of note include:
The first-time ever Arts of Harleys Gala is happening on April 2, 2005, at Rockledge Country Club beginning at 6:30 p.m. This festive biker-style black tie event will feature music by Don’t Quit Your Day Job, delicious cuisine, and silent and live auctions.
On April 14, 2005, BCA will host an Individual Artist Fellowship Grant Writing Workshop, presented by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Department of State. Visual Arts and Media Arts are the only discipline categories offered this year for the June 1, 2005 deadline. These competitive fellowships support the general artistic and career advancement of the individual artist. The workshop will take place from 4:00-6:00 p.m. in Brevard Government Center, Building C, County Commission Chambers, 1st Floor. For more information call (321) 690-6817.
BCA’s annual Art of Harleys Festival will take place May 29, 2005, at Wickham Park. This bikin’ good time features a pre-festival poker run, live music, bike show, artistic tattoo competition, vendors, and the grand finale, a drawing for a 2005 Harley-Davidson FXDI Dyna Super Glide. BCA’s programs are varied and diverse, serving a wide range of participants and audiences. In this article, we will take the opportunity to highlight several of these programs.
Artist Residencies
The Alliance places artists in schools and community sites serving at-risk youth throughout Brevard County. Professional visual and performing artists are currently providing exciting arts adventures for students at Gardendale Elementary Magnet School, McNair Magnet School, Roy Allen Elementary School, and Stevenson Elementary School of the Arts. Artist led programs also take place on an ongoing basis at Space Coast Marine Institute, Hacienda Girls Ranch, Brevard Juvenile Detention Center and Crosswinds Rainwater Day Treatment Center.
Art in Public Places
Public art exhibits organized by the Cultural Alliance can currently be enjoyed at the Government Center and Moore Justice Center in Viera, the Melbourne International Airport terminal, Sarno Road and Merritt Island Government Complexes, Enchanted Forest Sanctuary in Titusville and BCC Planetarium in Cocoa.
ArtsReach
The ArtsReach program brings a cultural sampling of artistic performances, exhibitions or demonstrations by area groups or artists into the workplace. ArtsReach contributes to raising awareness by employee audiences of Brevard’s cultural offerings, helps improve employee morale, provides an employee benefit at no cost to the company, and enhances company image as good corporate citizen.
CalendARTS
CalendARTS is BCA’s most successful tool promoting arts and cultural events on behalf of many cultural organizations in the county. This lively four-color calendar of events distributes approximately 113,000 copies every four months through a partnership with FLORIDA TODAY newspaper. This popular publication steers users to the BCA web site at www.artsbrevard.org, and to the web sites of area cultural providers. In addition to distribution through FLORIDA TODAY, copies are available at Chambers of Commerce, hotels, arts organizations, area businesses and corporations, and other venues.
BCA is proud to be a vibrant and positive part of Brevard County’s growth and development. We invite you to visit the Alliance web site at www.artsbrevard.org, where CalendARTS and the monthly Art-A-Facts newsletter are available as well as much more information about our programs and constituent organizations and individual artists.
We can be reached at (321) 690-6817 or info@artsbrevard.org