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The Sun Valley Center for the Arts is thrilled to host the 37th Annual Sun Valley Center Wine Auction from Thursday, July 19, through Saturday, July 21, 2018. This celebratory charity event unfolds over three glorious, activity-filled days in the heart of Sun Valley, Idaho. It is The Center’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising 50 percent of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ budget in support of arts education. This year’s selection of top vintners, chefs, sponsors, entertainment and auction lots will once again deliver on the auction’s reputation as one of the 10 best charity wine auctions in the country and one of the Valley’s premier summer season events.
Participants will delight in exclusive Vintner Dinners, an unforgettable Wine Auction Gala, a lively wine tasting and, to close out the weekend’s festivities, the Vine & Dine extravaganza, all while supporting programs that have a profound impact on the community.
Tickets—particularly exclusive Patron Packages—are guaranteed to sell out quickly. Guests are encouraged to reserve their places now. Patron Packages and Individual Tickets are on sale now at sunvalleycenter.org/wineauction or by calling 208.726.9491.
The Sun Valley Center Wine Auction is presented by the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, the largest nonprofit arts organization in the state of Idaho, established in 1971. Reaching over 40,000 people annually, The Center is an accredited museum and delivers the very best of art and ideas year-round through visual arts exhibitions; award-winning Company of Fools professional theatre; performances by some of the nation’s finest musicians; lectures by award-winning authors and scholars as part of BIG IDEA projects; and extensive arts education programs.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts provides free, high-quality arts education to every student in Blaine County through five different programs that reach more than 4,000 youth annually. The Center’s K-12 arts education programs are designed to engage creative thought as a tool to aid learning, promote confidence, inspire self-expression and support core curriculum in the schools. Proceeds from the Wine Auction directly support this programming as well as The Center’s Scholarship Program, which has awarded over $850,000 in the past 20 years to Blaine County students and educators for advanced study in the arts and humanities.
This year, The Center is pleased to announce Alan and Wendy Pesky as the Honorary Chairs of the Sun Valley Center Wine Auction. Alan and Wendy have been integral to ensuring the success and growth of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ educational programs in Blaine County schools for over three decades. Their commitment to education goes far beyond The Center; in 1997, Alan and Wendy founded the Lee Pesky Learning Center, which focuses on giving children with learning differences the tools they need to succeed. Today, the Lee Pesky Learning Center is recognized as one of the leading organizations of its kind in the country. Alan and Wendy have also been strong advocates for educators, creating the annually awarded Pesky Award for Inspirational Teaching given at Boise State University’s graduation ceremony in recognition of K-12 teachers who have significantly impacted and inspired their students to pursue a career in teaching.
The Peskys’ work with the Sun Valley Center for the Arts has taken numerous forms over the years, but most recently they have been the founding sponsors of The Center’s Enrichment Program, which brings professional museum educators and artists together with core curriculum classroom teachers to develop projects that integrate the arts into science, math and English curricula.
The Peskys have not only been major financial supporters of The Center’s hands-on, collaborative teaching programs, but have also served as chief developers and advisors for this successful model. Their questions and attention to detail have made this approach to arts integration one of The Center’s most successful K-12 programs.
“Alan and Wendy Pesky are a testament of what two people can do when they set their minds to something they care about,” said Christine Davis-Jeffers, Executive Director at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts. “The Peskys are not just financial supporters of The Center—they are partners in our vision. They inspire us, providing thoughtful feedback along with active participation in the programs they support and beyond. I can’t imagine two more committed and supportive people to chair the Wine Auction. They give wings to young people’s dreams and make a difference every day. The Center for the Arts is delighted to honor these two remarkable friends.”
The Wine Auction celebrations begin with the Vintner Dinners. These intimate gatherings with some of the country’s top winemakers are held in beautiful private homes around the valley, delivering an extraordinary experience. Both locally and globally renowned chefs prepare these unforgettable wine-paired meals. The list of participating vintners for 2018 is as impressive as ever. Featured wineries include TOR Wines, Spottswoode Estate Vineyard & Winery, Ovid, Peay Vineyards, Col Solare and Revana, among other standouts. Vintner Dinners are available only as part of a Grand Cru or Premier Cru Patron Package.
An outstanding lineup of chefs will be pairing their gourmet dishes with these fine wines. Prepared by both visiting chefs, such as Chefs Evan and Sarah Rich of Rich Table in San Francisco and Chef Beau MacMillan of The Sanctuary in Phoenix, as well as fantastic local chefs including Scott Mason and Taite Pearson, the cuisine is certain to impress.
The Wine Auction Gala is renowned for its fabulous entertainment, stellar cuisine, special winery-hosted tables with designated stewards and impressive auction lots. The 2018 Live Auction includes extraordinary experiences and exclusive wine lots, while the Silent Auction will feature premium and hard-to-find wine and wine experiences.
This sellout event will be anchored by an incredible menu of multiple gourmet courses, all prepared with Idaho flair. Gala attendees will have the opportunity to support The Center by bidding on exceptional silent and live lots: travel, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, extraordinary wines and so much more.
The Wine Auction extravaganza culminates in the signature Vine & Dine event at Dollar Mountain Lodge—a lawn party with great wines, tasty food, live music and dancing. Gifted local chefs present tapas-style specialties while wineries showcase their best varietals for guests to enjoy. For those who may be interested in an afternoon beer, local favorites Warfield Distillery & Brewery and Sawtooth Brewery will anchor the beer garden, complete with Sun Valley Mustard and pretzels.
All attendees will take home a complimentary commemorative tasting glass. This is a sure-to-sell-out event and the perfect ending to an unforgettable weekend.
The Vine & Dine Plus package offers a unique and intimate indoor tasting with participating vintners before the picnic. Only a limited number of tickets will be available for this event, so reserve now to ensure early entry and access to fantastic food and premium wines.
The 2017 festivities are made possible by the following sponsors:
Presenting Sponsor: Wells Fargo Private Bank
Housing Sponsors: Alpine Lodging and Sun Valley Resort
Media Sponsors: Mountain Living and SVPN
Grand Cru Sponsors: Silver Creek Ford and Goode Motor Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Event Sponsors: The World: Residences at Sea, Jackson Jet Center, Alaska Airlines, Cox Communications, Atkinsons’ Market and Hayden Beverage.
To reserve a spot at the 2018 Sun Valley Wine Auction and to stay up to date on breaking announcements, visit sunvalleycenter.org/wineauction or call The Center at 208.726.9491.
Sun Valley Center for the Arts is seeking a highly capable, enthusiastic Administrative Summer Intern to serve to increase the administrative capacity of The Center during the busy summer season. This high energy position provides vital support to all areas of the organization. Responsibilities include front desk reception/customer service, box office assistance, event and hospitality support and general administrative assistance, interfacing with all staff, Finance Manager, Database Manager, Arts & Crafts Festival Director, Performing Arts Director, Wine Auction Director and Administrative Assistants.
Click here to view job description.
To apply, send letter of interest, resume and references to information@sunvalleycenter.org. Include “Summer Administrative Intern” in the subject line. Deadline for applications is April 27, 2018.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts is pleased to announce a leadership transition at Company of Fools (COF), the award-winning professional theatre company based at the historic Liberty Theater in Hailey. The following changes will take place over the course of the month of February 2018.
R.L. Rowsey, a long-standing Company of Fools artist who has been involved in countless COF productions, returned on Feb. 5 to serve as COF’s Season Producer. Rowsey, who has been long been a beloved presence and integral part of the Wood River Valley’s performing arts community, will work part time over the next several months to execute the remainder of COF’s 22nd theatre season. He will also help shape and guide the Company’s 23rd season, which includes productions that begin this summer and run through the spring of 2019.
Rowsey’s life in the arts began in Richmond, Virginia, where he studied voice and piano at Virginia Commonwealth University and directed dozens of musicals at local theatres. He then moved to the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where he served as Musical Director for a new American opera, sang the title role in Michael Nyman’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, and both taught and directed at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Studio Theatre and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. He later worked as Musical Director and Conductor for the national tours of several Broadway musicals. After a short tenure as Associate Producing Artistic Director for TheatreVirginia, Rowsey returned to the road as General Manager for one of the nation’s leading producers of national tours.
In 2000, Rowsey and his partner, John Glenn, relocated to Hailey, Idaho, to work with the newly established Company of Fools. Rowsey will continue his work as Education Artistic Director for the Sun Valley Summer Symphony, Music Director for Light on the Mountains Center for Spiritual Living, and conductor for Caritas Chorale.
Joining Rowsey at the helm of COF is another seasoned theatre professional—producer, director and theatre consultant Kent Thompson—who will serve as COF’s Interim Producing Director for the next six months. During this time, Thompson will bring his considerable industry experience to bear in helping to assess COF’s unique strengths and determine how to best frame, focus and structure the company for the future.
Thompson’s impressive background includes a wide variety of leadership and management roles at theatre organizations across the country. He most recently served as Producing Artistic Director of Denver Center Theater Company (DCTC), where he spent the past 12 seasons (2005–2017) producing and directing more than 120 plays; managing creative staff and artists; developing the theatre’s artistic and strategic vision; and promoting the organization at the local, regional and national levels. Prior to his tenure at DCTC, Thompson was Producing Artistic Director at Alabama Shakespeare Company (1989–2005) and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of Theater Communications Group, the national organization for the professional nonprofit theatre, of which Company of Fools was the first theatre in Idaho to be awarded Constituent Theatre status. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of William and Mary and an alumnus of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
The Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ leadership and Board of Directors are thrilled to have Rowsey and Thompson coming on board to help imagine and facilitate the next chapter for COF. “R.L.’s knowledge of the community, his artistic voice and his long history with COF combined with Kent’s extensive experience growing and guiding successful theater companies is an incredible combination of talent that promises to help us create a vibrant path forward,” said Kristin Poole, Artistic Director at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts. “It’s exciting work—work that we are all eager to begin.”
The Center is also grateful to Ilana Becker, who joined COF in January 2017 as Associate Artistic Director and served for several months in an interim leadership capacity following the death of Artistic Director John Glenn. Ilana has stepped down as Interim Artistic Director and has resigned from her position at Company of Fools. Becker’s dedication and passion for her craft guided the COF through an especially difficult period and enabled the seamless continuity of the 22nd season’s productions and education programs. She will return to the Wood River Valley this spring to direct the A Bee Mini-Musical (working title), with student matinees April 19 & 20 and public performances at the Liberty Theater on Saturday, April 21, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 2pm.
In response to popular demand, the Sun Valley Center for the Arts will be bringing back Chicago’s legendary comedy theatre company, The Second City, to perform at the Sun Valley Opera House on two consecutive evenings — Saturday, March 24, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 25, at 7 p.m. Tickets go on sale Monday, February 12 at 10am.
The Second City on Tour features the next generation of comic greats performing a diverse array of sketches and songs, as well as unexpected comic brilliance with off-the-cuff improvisation. From the battle of the sexes to the battles at the voting booth, The Second City provides a hilarious and insightful look at contemporary American culture.
This year, Company of Fools and the Sun Valley Center for the Arts have invited The Second City to perform their “Look Both Ways Before Talking” show. As The Second City tells it, “Let someone else face your small-talk fears head-on! Instead of avoiding Grandpa and de-friending your old high school pals, in this brand-new sketch comedy and improv revue we’ll dive right into every touchy subject you’re thinking about but are afraid to say out loud … or online.”
Edgy, thought-provoking and always spectacularly funny, The Second City is celebrating nearly six decades of producing cutting-edge satirical revues and launching the careers of generation after generation of comedy’s best and brightest.
“It’s been a few years since we’ve had The Second City here in the valley, and we can always use a good laugh,” said Kristine Bretall, The Center’s Director of Performing Arts. “The Second City is the gold standard for improv, so be prepared to laugh … and maybe be a participant!”
The Second City opened its doors on a snowy Chicago night in December of 1959, but no one could have known that by the next century, The Second City would have established itself as the world’s premier comedy institution. With theatres in Chicago, Toronto, Detroit and Las Vegas; training centers in each of those cities as well as Los Angeles; a corporate division that offers creative services to the business world; a TV and film division; and touring troupes that bring its unique brand of improv-based sketch comedy all over the world, The Second City has become, in the words of The New York Times, “A Comedy Empire.”
The touring troupes at The Second City have been the springboard for alumni including Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Candy, Martin Short, George Wendt, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Chris Farley, Ryan Stiles, Mike Myers, Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey and more.
In addition to stellar talent, The Second City’s other chief export is comedy that is both hilarious and thought provoking; smart and silly; sophisticated and wild. The formula is simple: 6 actors, joined by a musical accompanist and a sound and lighting director, perform a two-act revue featuring sketch comedy, songs and improvisation. Drawing from the vast archives of material that The Second City has created over 40-plus years, the company’s touring troupes are also creating on-the-spot, topical comedy with every performance.
No topic or subject matter is off limits. If your parents asked you not to speak about it at the dinner table, chances are it will be lampooned in an evening with The Second City. Learn more at www.secondcity.com.
THE SECOND CITY’s housing sponsor is the Wood River Inn & Suites.
Performance Schedule
Saturday, March 24 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 25 7 p.m.
Ticket Information
Premium reserved seats: $60* for members of The Center / $70* for non-members
Regular reserved seats are $40* for members of The Center / $50* for non-members
*Prices listed do not include taxes or applicable ticket fees.
All seats are reserved, and tickets are available online at www.sunvalleycenter.org or by phone at 208.726.9491, Monday–Friday, 9–5, or Saturdays in February and March.
Content Advisory:
The Second City has been known for nearly 60 years for its political and social satire, some of it relating to issues and situations more appropriate for an audience aged 17 and older. The show may contain adult or mature content.
Building on the Blaine County School District’s mission of inspiring, engaging, educating and empowering every student, Company of Fools announces the 21st year of Stages of Wonder—an in-school dramatic arts program that has served as the theatre curriculum in local elementary schools since 1997.
This year’s Stages of Wonder program will take place at elementary schools across the Wood River Valley on the following dates:
Feb. 26–March 2…..Alturas Elementary
March 5–9…..Hailey Elementary
March 12–15…..Hemingway Elementary
March 20–23…..Bellevue Elementary
Company of Fools created Stages of Wonder to engage children in individual and collective creativity through the medium of theatre. The dynamic, innovative program seeks to address the absence of an ongoing theatre experience in the elementary schools by introducing theatre as an essential component in the development of the whole child. To date, the program has served more than 24,000 students.
Stages of Wonder encourages elementary-school-age children (grades one through five) to explore creativity expressed through the theatrical arts. For many students, the program is their first contact with the dramatic arts. Facilitated by specially trained Company of Fools teaching artists, Stages of Wonder brings together storytelling, role-playing, theatre games and exercises designed for each grade level. These activities are both structured and improvisational, allowing children the opportunity to express themselves in their own personal way without the worry of getting it “right” or “wrong.”
Stages of Wonder creates an equal playing field for all children, regardless of their personality or background. Any potential barriers observed by facilitators—such as language, self-judgment, shyness or lack of self-esteem—are addressed. The environment of physical and emotional safety created by Stages of Wonder allows students to experience and celebrate the success of their own unique creativity.
Stages of Wonder currently operates in four public elementary schools across the Blaine County School District. In recent years, Company of Fools has also brought the program to child-focused nonprofit organizations such as Higher Ground, Y-On-Wheels, YAK!, the Magic Valley Boys and Girls Club and Camp Rainbow Gold. These special partnerships have enabled Company of Fools to impact groups of children with different and specific needs.
Perhaps the best proof of Stages of Wonder’s effectiveness is the consistently positive feedback it receives from educators:
The students truly look forward to this weeklong exploration of creativity, often carrying on the activities in their play at recess for weeks after the program has ended. It is a celebration of spirit where students engage in safe and creative ways to honor individuality and culture, gain perspective, and laugh together wrapped in the caring arms of the arts. – Brad Henson, Principal, Alturas Elementary School
Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ commitment to educational programs like Stages of Wonder is founded on the understanding that arts education is critical for future generations—especially as we prepare to face new challenges in this century and beyond. Together with Company of Fools, The Center offers the following arts-in-education programs:
As part of its ongoing efforts to highlight the work of Idaho artisans and celebrate a wide variety of craft forms, The Sun Valley Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the roll-out of new Craft Series One-Night Workshops that introduce participants to three different jewelry-designing techniques. The workshops will be held at The Center in Hailey on three separate evenings over the coming months.
The workshops offer students a unique opportunity to explore a variety of jewelry-making techniques. Idaho artisans Lisa Horton, Rachel Reichert and Elise Stelling will each lead a session on their respective area of expertise, sharing the fundamentals of their craft and providing hands-on instruction. In addition to learning new skills, students will leave the workshops with jewelry creations of their own creation.
The workshops will begin Tuesday, Feb. 13, from 6 to 9 p.m. with “Basics of Silver Metal Clay: The New Metalwork Method” with Lisa Horton. Students will dip a toe into the dazzling world of metal clays—versatile, low-cost and responsive materials that can be easily manipulated into gorgeous solid-metal jewelry designs. In this beginning class, students will shape and texture a pendant and earring dangles, fire the pieces with a kitchen torch, then polish them and add patina.
Tuition for the workshop is $40 for members of The Center and $50 for nonmembers.
Click here for more information or to register.
The workshop series continues Friday, March 2, from 5 to 9 p.m. with “Adorn the Hand: Silver Ring Making” with Rachel Reichert. This four-hour workshop will address basic metalworking techniques such as sawing, filing, sanding, forming and soldering sterling silver rings. After a tool and studio introduction, students will design and fabricate rings from sheet and wire.
Tuition for the workshop is $55 for members of The Center and $65 for nonmembers.
Click here for more information or to register.
The final workshop in the craft series, “Introduction to Wire Wrapping” with Elise Stelling, will take place Tuesday, April 10, from 5 to 9 p.m. Students will learn the ancient art of jewelry making through wire wrapping. In this four-hour class, students will be introduced to basic wire-wrapping materials and learn the foundational techniques for any wire-wrapping project. Participants will leave the class with a finished copper cuff bracelet and all the skills to make necklaces, bracelets and earrings at home!
Tuition for the workshop is $25 for members of The Center and $35 for nonmembers.
Click here for more information on to register.
The Center’s 2017–2018 Craft Series One-Night Workshops are generously supported by Heather Horton. They are designed for participants age 16 and up and are appropriate for all skill levels.
“The Center is excited to share this new opportunity with the public thanks to the generous support of Heather Horton,” said Sarah Stavros, Education Associate at The Center. “The Craft Series One-Night Workshops will allow our community to engage with the arts in a new and accessible way. The Center specifically created these workshops to be affordable, hands-on and creative on all fronts.”
To learn more or reserve a space in the One-Night Workshop sessions, please visit our Classes & Workshops page.
Company of Fools’ Technical Director (TD) is a true hybrid position. The TD is responsible for achieving COF’s artistic goals in collaboration with the Production Manager (PM) and other staff, providing technical leadership for COF, serving as master stage carpenter and scenic artist, master electrician, frequent scenic designer, and facilities manager for The Liberty Theatre.
The TD approves preliminary set designs in accordance with COF’s technical capabilities and budget, and works closely with the PM to supervise, maintain, monitor and report detailed schedules of design, set construction and execution. The TD also serves as scenic designer for at least half of COF’s productions each season. The TD oversees the technical needs of theatre rentals, manages the maintenance of The Liberty Theatre, and serves as technical support for some Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ events.
Must have a passion for theatre’s relationship to community; minimum three years of experience in technical theatre; proficiency in Vectorworks/CAD, carpentry, welding, rigging and electrics (hang and focus), with an emphasis on quality of execution and safety; and the ability to manage individuals and teams in a dynamic work environment. COF and The Center are equal opportunity employers; applicants of all backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
Click here to view job description.
“It was such an honor to be selected by the Sun Valley Center for the Arts’ curator, Courtney Gilbert, to be a part of the Contemplative Practice BIG IDEA project and visual arts exhibition. Her holistic approach to curating provided me with a truly extraordinary opportunity. I had no idea what a unique experience this would be as I had never been to Sun Valley. Because of The Center’s “BIG IDEA” approach to programming, many things became possible, including my participation in The Sun Valley Wellness Festival as well as an exhibition and new representation at Friesen Gallery. The cross-pollination of these projects deepened the work as a whole and made it possible for many more people to engage with it.”
— Dana Lynn Louis, visual artist
“I will forever hold Company of Fools as the gold standard for both professionalism and kindness in a theater company. On even the darkest days, every single person opened up their hearts and (sometimes literally) homes to complete strangers and welcomed us into the community. The work that was be done in such a short time would be impressive on its own, but Life Sucks was something else all together. I’ve been a working actor in NYC for over a decade. The way in which Company of Fools and its community are one and the same is something I’ve not quite experienced. It feels like theater at its most distilled and necessary level. We are storytellers. Sometimes this means bringing new ideas into the space and holding up a mirror to help each other see ourselves more clearly. At this moment in time it is more important than ever. The beauty of theater—of being in the room with other human beings and breathing the same air—is its ability to close the emotional distance we all have between each other. The emotional proximity we have to things can change hearts and minds. Company of Fools—this is what they do. It’s in their DNA. And it’s special. Thank you.”
— Cleo Gray, actor, Ella in Company of Fools’ Life Sucks
“There were so many magical moments during my time with Company of Fools. But most of all, what touched my heart was how during a time of great loss, the cast of Life Sucks came together to create a powerful piece and share a part of themselves with the audience members. Every day that I got to share the stage with the brave and talented members of Company of Fools was magic, and I am the luckiest person in the world to get to experience a moment of it.”
– Neysa Lozano, actor, Sonia in Company of Fools Life Sucks
“Working with the Sun Valley Center for the Arts was an unmitigated joy. The shows I played were great, and it was obvious from the start that the Performing Arts Director, Kristine Bretall, made it her personal mission to create a high quality experience for everyone—me, my audience, and the community at large. I always enjoy having the opportunity to perform, but I think my favorite experience with The Center was when I taught a creative writing seminar to some of the students in Eleanor Roger’s 11th grade creative writing class. We shared stories with one other, talked about the creative process, and I did my best to inspire….the warm reception exceeded my expectations, and the sheer opportunity of giving back to these hungry, bright minds was among the most gratifying professional experiences of my year. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
– Korby Lenker, singer, songwriter and author
“I wanted to send you a BIG thank you for bringing artists like Brett to our valley. I saw him last night at the Opera House and what a treat! Secondly, my 12 year old son was one of the lucky kids who got to enjoy Brett this afternoon at school. He just called me to tell me all about it. He got to shake his hand, too. Bravo!”
– Heather, resident and parent
“Pink Martini was a joyful celebration of the multicultural world we live in… it was so special to see our community come together to dance into the night singing along to lyrics in 5 or 6 different languages.”
– Jane, summer resident
“If anything, I would say Korby Lenker definitely brought life to a classroom full of half-awake students when he walked in – not in the way a school visitor gets students to take a break from the daily routine, but through his ability to give a new perspective on music and the way an artist gains inspiration.”
– Student
“For Las Cafeteras’ final encore, they played their personalized version of the traditional son jarocho song ‘La Bamba’. The entire audience jumped to its collective feet to sing along. It was so inspiring to know how music, with lyrics in both Spanish and English, connects us.”
– Jude, resident
Did you know that the arts inspire, provoke, involve, connect us AND also create jobs and contribute to the economy as a powerful economic driver?
The economy sustains our physical life—it is the mechanism through which we take care of needs like food and clothing, shelter and transportation. It provides structure for the trading of goods and services. The arts sustain our spiritual and emotional life—they are the mechanism through which we interpret the world, providing insight, joy, sorrow, empathy and wonder. We don’t often consider how the two overlap. But the arts are a business that not only employs people but also generates significant dollars for communities.
In 2015, The Center and 23 other local non-profit arts and culture organizations in the Wood River Valley took part in a national economic impact study conducted by The Americans for the Arts. The Wood River Valley was one of 341 communities across the United States selected to participate. The goal of the study was to take an accurate measurement the arts’ con
tribution to each of these community’s economies. To participate, 24 arts organizations in the Wood River Valley completed an in-depth survey on their budgets, programs, staff and audiences. Additionally, these organizations surveyed 635 attendees at a variety of arts and cultural events about their experiences and expenditures related to the particular event.
The survey’s findings revealed that these 24 local arts organizations generated $29.3 million annually for the valley’s economy. A detailed and regionally specific formula considered the cost of related activities including meals, transportation, lodging, babysitting and parking. Every person attending a local arts event spends an average of $68 per event, in addition to the cost of tickets. Think about the last concert or lecture you attended and the expenses associated with that night out. Once you remember the waiter you tipped, the picnic you packed or the bus you took, you begin to understand the breadth of the arts’ economic impact. And then there are the direct costs—the expense of the performer and the ticket taker, the rental facility and the treat you purchased before taking your seat. Friends and family who come from out of town for the Arts & Crafts Festival or summer concerts pay lodging and transportation costs that add to the impact. All of these numbers factored into this $29.3 million total—a number that by anyone’s accounting is much more than superfluous!
In fact the results of the survey went further, determining that the arts in the Wood River Valley support about 891 jobs across the community and generate $2.1 million for local governments.
Many of us have chosen to live here—consciously opting in to a mountain lifestyle. We came to this community because of the beauty and recreational activities. But so many choose to stay and put down roots because of the rich year-round arts and culture that allows us to exercise our minds and spirits as well as our bodies. While we don’t want to dissuade you of the notion that the arts’ primary purpose is to elevate and inspire, we also want to celebrate our substantial role as businesses that contribute to this tourism-based community. At The Center, we proudly peddle awe and the intangibles of goose bumps and heart-stopping, hand-clapping joy, but we are also a vital part of why people come here and why they choose to return.
As we consider our direct economic impact, it’s important to recognize another way that arts programs have significant, long term benefit with real economic value: the arts nurture creativity. Center programs provide numerous opportunities for local students in their classrooms and in our museum to exercise curiosity, to hone critical thinking skills and explore self-expression through hands-on activities. For nearly 50 years, The Sun Valley Center for the Arts has been nurturing skills that shape our community’s children into thoughtful responsive citizens, providing them with tools that are vital our nation’s economy. Creativity is among the top 5 applied skills sought by business leaders, per the Conference Board’s Ready to Innovate report—with 72 percent saying creativity is of high importance when hiring. So while we hope to continue serving up opportunities that satisfy the spirit and soul, we are also honored to be able to contribute to the valley’s economy and to our collective future.