2011: A look back, a leap ahead
We did it!
Now that the year is coming to an end, we’d like to take the time to share a few highlights. 2011 was a year of exciting changes and success at Nature Consortium.
Through our Youth Art Program, we’ve engaged 2,295 youth through 1,346 after school and summer art classes across 15 different sites. We covered a wide range of art forms including street art, green cuisine, guitar lessons, fashion design, hiphop dance, organic gardening, mosaics, and more. The restoration team hosted 150 work parties with 3,107 hard-working volunteers.
The 2011 Arts in Nature Festival was our biggest one yet! We hosted over 3000 attendees and paid 145 visual and performance artists. Trimpin brought his fire organ to the woods, and The Moondoggies rocked away the night with an intimate acoustic performance.
This year also marked our first ever Clips of Faith event. In a new partnership with New Belgium Brewing, we raised over $4K for our programs in one fun-filled night of tasty brews and short films, including this film made right here in Seattle.
Fun at the Arts in Nature Camp
We also introduced a new program, the Environmental Education Exchange. The restoration team will be working with public schools in the West Seattle, White Center, and South Park areas to provide free in-school environmental workshops.
There were also a few new faces in the office this year. Grace Scarella is our new Site Coordinator at Rainier Vista Boys & Girls Club, and Melinda Fox is our new Director of Development and Partnerships. Lili Allala also took Buphalo’s place as our new Restoration Director last summer as Buphalo went on to start his own restoration contracting business and native plant nursery.
Our New Year’s Resolution:
Bigger, better, and stronger in 2012
Next year is set to be even bigger for Nature Consortium as we hit the ground running with an energized team. We’re looking forward to action-packed programming, new marketing campaigns, new teaching artists, and a thriving community. We’re already planning our next big event in April, and the Arts in Nature Festival next summer will see some exciting new changes. With a head start on fundraising thanks to our year-end giving campaign, we’re starting next year with plenty of fuel for our upcoming programs. But the campaign’s not over! There’s still time to make your tax-deductible donation for 2011. Your donation helps fuel our mission to connect people, arts, and nature.
We’re so thankful for the joys we’ve had this year and especially for you, our amazing community of support, for coming along for the ride. Join us as we welcome the new year!