The Birth of a Local Arts Agency
On October 23, 2001, almost five years ago, a meeting was held at the home of a county arts patron in Lake Wales. This meeting was to discuss the creation of a Local Arts Agency for Polk County. From that initial meeting, a board was formed and with the help of the Cultural Arts Board of Polk County, a new organization was born, an organization whose main purpose is to help Polk County cultural arts’ organizations flourish—The Polk Arts Alliance (PAA).
 It is a designated Local Arts Agency as defined by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs handbook which states: A Local Arts Agency (LAA) is defined as an organization that:
- Serves all art disciplines through service to cultural groups and individual artists and…
- Qualifies as a not-for-profit corporation or political subdivision that is officially recognized by a county or city government. This shall include County Arts councils established pursuant to section 265.32, Florida Statutes.
 By fulfilling its mission statement, “The Mission of the Polk Arts Alliance is to cultivate an environment in which the arts flourish. The Alliance shall endeavor to accomplish this through advocacy, coordination, economic development, education and promotion.”
- Advocacy on behalf of the arts
- Marketing of the nonprofit arts organizations in Polk County
- Further development of the arts industry/cultural planning
- Working closely with the Cultural Arts Board, the Advisory Board to the PAA Board of Directors
- Enhancing stability and development for established and emerging arts organizations through:
- Board development and training
- Grantsmanship training
- Helping individual artists with Business of the Arts training, tax law issues, granstmanship, professional portfolio presentations, networking, etc.
- Increasing accessibility to the arts and facilitating outreach to underserved populations.
 Almost threes years after that initial meeting, the PAA received from the IRS the official designation of a 501(c) 3 organization retroactive to June 11, 2004. In September 2004, the then current president of the PAA Board of Directors and the president-elect went before the Polk County Board of County Commissions to present the organization as the official Local Arts Agency of Polk County. The County Board approved the designation with a unanimous vote.
The most immediate change thereafter was the transfer of the production of Art-i-facts magazine to the Polk Arts Alliance. The PAA had a specific marketing committee for the promotion of arts and culture in Polk County and Art-i-facts magazine is still its most important tool. With the receipt of the 501(c) 3 designation, PAA could begin to raise money to support the publication of Art-i-facts magazine. It has already begun this process, improved its image and continues to increase circulation.
 The PAA hired its first employee, an Executive Director, to conduct the day-to-day activities of the organization. Although part-time, she set up office in Bartow, Polk’s County seat, provided in-kind by Clear Springs Company. That same month, she accompanied the Treasurer to the Board of Directors of PAA to Tallahassee to defend an Emerging Local Arts Agency grant from the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, which they were awarded and will provide close to $6000 per year for three years. Soon thereafter, she oversaw the transfer of the revenue from the sale of the “State of Florida” specialty license plate from the Polk County Board of County Commissioners.
 The PAA received its first funding from the County in the amount of $50,000 to help its operations. A third President began, and the board was expanded to include a greater diversity of community-minded arts advocates and patrons.
 With vision and the sharing of the dream with many different stakeholders, much is possible. In 2006, the PAA converted the Executive Director’s position to fulltime, with the assistance of the Tourist Development Council redesigned its Art-i-facts magazine, produced the County’s first cultural arts brochure to highlight all of the cultural arts affiliates in the county, held its first reception to celebrate the arts and its local patrons, began mass marketing, held its third strategic planning retreat, held two training workshops for its members (grant writing and working with the media) released its second economic impact study that documented a 37 percent increase to $48 million dollars (although this figure does not include the economic impact of the annual Sun N’ Fun Fly-In, which contributes another $27 million), was selected to participate as one of seven counties in Central Florida for a national economic impact study for the Americans for the Arts, advocated for a second year in Tallahassee during Arts Week, the Executive Director served as a panel reviewer on the “Challenge Grant” for the Division of Cultural Affairs and the PAA assisted in having arts and culture become one of the two official strategies adopted by the County through Polk Vision as the priority for the Quality of Life Foundation for 2006.
Toward the end of the year, we held the first Community Arts Recognition Program honoring four fine-arts teachers from the Polk County School system, held our first Annual Member’s Reception thanking all of our supporters and released our first formally printed annual report.
 March 10, 2007, we held the first annual Race for the Arts that brought awareness to the arts and wellness. We served as consultants to the Chamber of Bartow on developing a performance art series. We held our second annual Community Arts Recognition program, whose theme was the volunteer and we offered nonprofit management workshops to CAB organizations through USF and Rollins College.
 We held our 2nd annual Race for the Arts on March 22. We had 176 finishers in the race. Colonial Bank was our title sponsor. We lost a valued and loved board member: Mary Ellen Stidham Murphy. We are working on a 2 year annual report and continuing on our work from previous years. Many other activities continue to be completed, implemented and planned – but there is still much to do.
Please join us in growing the talent and expanding the quality of life of all people of this community in Polk County through the arts and cultural events and activities. Anyone interested in learning more about the Polk Arts Alliance, for information on how to become a member and/or how to advertise in Art-i-facts; contact PAA at director@polkartsalliance.org or call 863.804.0494.
 Thank You!
PAA is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Locally, the PAA is sponsored by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners and the Central Florida Visitors & Convention Bureau.
Links
Executive Director's Page
The Birth of a Local Arts Agency
PAA Retreats (Strategic Planning & Visioning
Board of Directors
Membership
2006 Annual Report (first)
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