A Word from the Chair

I share Paula's sentiment about Ray - he was a courageous and determined leader for the Arts Council for over twenty years, and we will miss him.

We are dedicated to preserving Ray's legacy by moving forward to ensure that GCAC continues to provide advocacy, support, and assistance to the artists and arts organizations that make Columbus such a great place to live.

As we seek a new leader for GCAC, we know that one crucial aspect of the continued growth and success of the arts in our city will be partnerships. GCAC's partnerships with the City of Columbus, Franklin County, educational institutions, cultural organizations, individual artists, businesses and our many other program partners in the community are critical to our success. We believe that everyone in Columbus should have access to the arts and these partnerships help us make that belief a reality.

It is now widely acknowledged that Columbus has a first-rate cultural community, with all of the cultural offerings and attractions a major American city deserves. This contention was validated by American Style magazine's recent ranking of Columbus as one of the top ten big cities for the arts and culture. Now our challenge is to take our cultural community to the next level. We can do so only through effective collaborations with government, civic, business and not-for-profit organizations that have a stake in the future of our city.

GCAC will continue to support the arts in Columbus and we look forward to the day twenty years from now when we will again look back at all of the wonderful things we've accomplished between now and then.

Mark Corna
Chair, GCAC Board of Trustees