Volunteers - Center for Puppetry Arts
Volunteers - Center for Puppetry Arts
Volunteers - Center for Puppetry Arts
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Dear Friends & Supporters,<br />
The <strong>Center</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Puppetry</strong> <strong>Arts</strong> has grown and<br />
matured as a unique Atlanta arts organization over<br />
our 29-year history. Today we are the largest nonprofit<br />
organization devoted to the art of puppetry<br />
in the U.S. One of our greatest strengths is that we<br />
have never waivered from our core mission – to<br />
educate and entertain the young and old through<br />
the magic of puppetry.<br />
The 2007-08 fiscal year was an exceptional one –<br />
with new honors and accolades and the offer of an<br />
incredible gift. The <strong>Center</strong> is entering an exciting<br />
new phase in its history. Not only are we reaching<br />
a new generation – the sons and daughters of<br />
the first children to enter our doors – we’re also<br />
expanding our reach with interactive technology<br />
and successfully connecting to new audiences<br />
through expanded programming.<br />
Without a doubt, one of the most momentous<br />
events in our history occurred this year. The<br />
selection of the <strong>Center</strong> by the family of Jim<br />
Henson as the proposed destination <strong>for</strong> their<br />
definitive collection honoring Jim Henson’s legacy<br />
is an incredible honor and an institution-changing<br />
gift. His creations have touched millions of people<br />
around the world. He was a genius of a man and<br />
also my dear friend. As we plan the construction of<br />
a new wing <strong>for</strong> these 500-700 objects and archival<br />
materials, we urge the community to rise to the<br />
challenge and join us in making the <strong>Center</strong> an<br />
international destination.<br />
The Henson objects will join what is already the<br />
nation’s most extensive collection of puppets from<br />
around the world. We recognize the incredible<br />
responsibility of safeguarding these rare and valuable<br />
artifacts; one of our goals is to achieve professional<br />
accreditation by the American Association of<br />
Museums (AAM). Thanks to the support of the<br />
Institute of Museum & Library Sciences and the<br />
National Endowment <strong>for</strong> the Humanities, we have<br />
begun taking the first steps in this process with<br />
grants to conduct detailed condition surveys and<br />
an inventory of our museum collection.<br />
Recognition of the <strong>Center</strong> as a valuable arts<br />
resource continues to grow with the presentation<br />
of our second Teacher’s Choice Award, Best Content<br />
Provider: Fine <strong>Arts</strong> Museum <strong>for</strong> our Distance<br />
Learning Program. Ten years ago, when we started<br />
taking the <strong>Center</strong> to children via interactive videoconferencing,<br />
it was cutting-edge. Since then, the<br />
demand <strong>for</strong> our arts-infused education programs<br />
exceeded the capacity of our single studio. Thanks<br />
to an Excelerator Grant from AT&T in 2007, we<br />
were able to add a second Distance Learning studio<br />
and provide much needed free programming to<br />
underserved Georgia schools.<br />
These are just a few of the highlights of our<br />
exceptional year, which you can read about inside<br />
this report. None of this would have been possible<br />
without the support of our many donors, audience<br />
members and visitors to our exhibits, our hard<br />
working volunteers and our talented and dedicated<br />
staff members. Thank you all <strong>for</strong> making the <strong>Center</strong><br />
the most magical place in Atlanta!<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Vincent Anthony<br />
Barbara and Bill Wylly Executive Director<br />
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