ArtsQuest Board Governance Manual

ARTSQUEST VISUAL ARTS BOARD
JOB DESCRIPTION
ARTSQUEST MISSION: TO CELEBRATE ARTS AND CULTURE
The Organization is incorporated under the Non-Profit Organization law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for
the following purposes:
A. To enhance and promote the public appreciation of the musical heritage of the City of Bethlehem
and surrounding areas.
B. To promote performing and visual arts in the City of Bethlehem by presenting programming of a
wide variety for the general public.
Mission: ArtsQuest will be an international model for providing access to exceptional artistic, cultural and
educational experiences promoting individual and community development, creativity, enlightenment and
fulfillment. ArtsQuest will provide access to the arts, culture and educational programs for the diverse residents
of the Lehigh Valley and others who seek access in our community by:
I. Using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities.
II. Providing quality cultural experiences for individuals, families, youth, children at risk, senior citizens, and
individuals with special needs.
− Present local, regional, national and international visual and performing artists.
− Constantly up-grade the quality of all programs.
− Offer opportunities for development and exposure of visual and performing artists.
− Be proactive in providing access to new artistic and creative formats afforded by technology.
III. Providing education in the creative arts in areas not well represented by traditional educational institutions
in the community and becoming a resource for arts education and arts-in-education for the region.
IV. Partnering with business organizations, educational institutions, government agencies and other not-forprofit
organizations.
V. Maintaining a strong, clear communication network for all stakeholders, including volunteers, donors,
staff, vendors and the community.
VI. Empowering volunteers to govern the organization, and to develop and produce cultural programs that
meet community needs.
VII. Developing a staff that demonstrates the excellence of the organization and works in harmony with each
other and the volunteer corps.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
ARTSQUEST VISUAL ARTS BOARD
The Visual Arts Board will further the mission of ArtsQuest through monitoring and advising the professional staff
on the content of visual arts programming by the organization. For the purposes of ArtsQuest, visual arts include
all traditional visual arts forms. The Visual Arts Board will have at least two committees: the Resident Artist
Review Committee (which focuses on developing relationships with artists, advise staff on Banana Factory policies
and studio admissions and work with staff to develop policies and criteria for all festivals and markets presented
by ArtsQuest that feature visual artists) and the Exhibition Committee (which will advise staff on gallery exhibits,
collaborative efforts with other organizations and visual arts festival content such as exhibits, and lectures). The
role of the board will be to:
a. Represent the community and reach out to others in the community to bring visual arts
programming ideas to the attention of Board members.
b. Have an interest and independent knowledge of one or multiple areas of visual arts to assist in
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