(Oct 1, 2024) Fairfield Cultural Alliance Offers Mini- Grants
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance was formed in 2005 to create and then administer the state certified Cultural District in Fairfield. Our Cultural District has been designated around our Central Square and includes many of the historic
buildings, shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, that we in Jefferson County have loved for decades. In July of 2018, Fairfield was re-designated as an Iowa Cultural & Entertainment District by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for another 10 years.
It is now time to apply for the Cultural Trust Fund Mini Grants, offered annually by Fairfield Cultural Alliance. Every year the Fairfield Cultural Alliance (FCA) promotes the arts and culture in our community by offering mini grants to individuals, and
organizations whose historic, artistic or musical contributions have been recognized for supporting creative projects. These small grants will be awarded to individuals and organizations.
• Mini Grant applications will be reviewed on the following criteria:
• Art, culture, civic and educational value for Jefferson County
• The impact of the project on cultural tourism in Jefferson County
• Past grants to your organization
• Grants from the Cultural Trust Fund may be used for project design, programming and operation.
• Preference may be given to events/programs within the state-designated Cultural District.
• Further information and application forms are available below for download (as PDF's). The Application must be submitted by November 7, 2024.
• Please contact Denyce Rusch for more information at 641-451-0959 or fairfieldculturalalliance@gmail.com. Organizations with 501c3 status can either apply themselves or sponsor other individuals and organizations with ongoing or new projects.
• The deadline for sending completed applications is November 7. Details about requirements are on the application to be downloaded on the link below ("2024 Grant Application"). Recipients will be announced and grants then awarded on November 19th at the FCA Networking Gala at ICON Gallery at 7:00pm. Watch the Fairfield Cultural Alliance Facebook page and website for more information leading up to the event.
2024 Grant Application as a PDF.
Join the Reawakening of Arts & Culture in Fairfield:
FCA Arts & Culture Celebration Returns After 3-Year Hiatus
Fairfield, Iowa – After a three-year hiatus, the Fairfield Cultural Alliance (FCA) is proud to announce the revival of their celebrated "Arts & Culture Celebration/Networking Gala" on November 7, 2023. This long awaited event is set to unite Fairfield's vibrant community of citizens, artists, entertainers, historians, educators, and businesses, showcasing the richness of our cultural heritage.
Event Details:
• Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2023
• Time: Doors open at 7:00 pm for networking and conversations; the program commences at 7:30 pm.
• Location: ICON Gallery, downtown square, Fairfield, Iowa
• Admission: Free and open to the public
This celebration serves as a platform for individuals and groups to connect personally, share their initiatives, and express their gratitude for the collective efforts that contribute to the cultural tapestry of Fairfield.
Highlights of the Evening:
• FCA's report on their activities in 2023
• Mayor Connie Boyer will speak on Arts & Cultural plans from the City Hall perspective
• Performance by local R&B musician, Maitreya
• Open microphone for announcements of upcoming events and services
• Presentation of the Fairfield First! Fund award
• News about the recipients of the Cultural Trust Fund Mini-Grant Awards
• Announcement of the Cultural Achievement Awards for 2023
Come and pay tribute to the extraordinary talents of our local artists, entertainers, and the dedicated individuals who continue to enrich our arts and culture community in Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa.
For more information, please contact the FCA at fairfieldculturalalliance@gmail.com or visit their website at fairfieldculturaldistrict.org.
About the Fairfield Cultural Alliance:
In 2005, the Fairfield Cultural Alliance helped create a state-designated Cultural District in Fairfield. In 2019, the FCA successfully secured re-designation for Fairfield Cultural and Entertainment District from the state of Iowa, published the 2019 edition of the Heritage Tour booklet, and organized the second World Fair Field International Festival in September.
Despite the challenges posed in 2020, 2021, and 2022, the FCA continued their mission by producing a revised edition of the Heritage Tour booklet and distributing Cultural Trust Fund Mini-Grants. Collaborations with the Fairfield Volunteer Center and the Fairfield Parks and Recreation Department aimed to keep our city parks free from litter, while an ongoing Community Survey assesses how the FCA can further enhance its services to the community.
We invite you to join us in celebrating the renaissance of arts and culture in Fairfield and look forward to your enthusiastic participation.
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance (FCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering and promoting arts, culture, history, and creative expression in Fairfield, Iowa. The FCA plays a pivotal role in preserving and enriching the cultural heritage of our vibrant community. Visit fairfieldculturaldistrict.org for more information.
[Event images and interviews with FCA representatives are available upon request.]
(Sept 10, 2023) Fairfield Cultural Alliance Offers Mini- Grants
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance was formed in 2005 to create and then administer the state certified Cultural District in Fairfield. Our Cultural District has been designated around our Central Square and includes many of the historic
buildings, shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, that we in Jefferson County have loved for decades. In July of 2018, Fairfield was re-designated as an Iowa Cultural & Entertainment District by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for another 10 years.
It is now time to apply for the Cultural Trust Fund Mini Grants, offered annually by Fairfield Cultural Alliance. Every year the Fairfield Cultural Alliance (FCA) promotes the arts and culture in our community by offering mini grants to individuals, and
organizations whose historic, artistic or musical contributions have been recognized for supporting creative projects. These small grants will be awarded to individuals and organizations.
• Mini Grant applications will be reviewed on the following criteria:
• Art, culture, civic and educational value for Jefferson County
• The impact of the project on cultural tourism in Jefferson County
• Past grants to your organization
• Grants from the Cultural Trust Fund may be used for project design, programming and operation.
• Preference may be given to events/programs within the state-designated Cultural District.
• Further information and application forms are available below for download (as PDF's). The Application must be submitted by October 20, 2023.
• Please contact Denyce Rusch for more information at 641-451-0959 or fairfieldculturalalliance@gmail.com. Organizations with 501c3 status can either apply themselves or sponsor other individuals and organizations with ongoing or new projects.
• The recipients will be announced and grants then awarded on November 7th at 7:00pm at the FCA Networking Gala at ICON Gallery. Watch the Fairfield Cultural Alliance social media page and website for more information leading up to the event.
2023 Grant Application as a PDF.
(Aug 23, 2021) Fairfield Cultural Alliance Offers Mini- Grants
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance was formed in 2005 to create and then administer the state certified Cultural District in Fairfield. Our Cultural District has been designated around our Central Square and includes many of the historic
buildings, shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, that we in Jefferson County have loved for decades. In July of 2018, Fairfield was re-designated as an Iowa Cultural & Entertainment District by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for another 10 years.
It is now time to apply for the Cultural Trust Fund Mini Grants, offered annually by Fairfield Cultural Alliance. Every year the Fairfield Cultural Alliance (FCA) promotes the arts and culture in our community by offering mini grants to individuals, and
organizations whose historic, artistic or musical contributions have been recognized for supporting creative projects. These small grants will be awarded to individuals and organizations.
• Mini Grant applications will be reviewed on the following criteria:
• Art, culture, civic and educational value for Jefferson County
• The impact of the project on cultural tourism in Jefferson County
• Past grants to your organization
• Grants from the Cultural Trust Fund may be used for project design, programming and operation.
• Preference may be given to events/programs within the state-designated Cultural District.
• Further information and application forms are available below for download (as PDF's). The Application must be submitted by September 20, 2021.
• Please contact Shanaz Krieder for more information at 641-233-8112 or shanazr@earthlink.net . Organizations with 501c3 status can either apply themselves or sponsor other individuals and organizations with ongoing or new projects.
• The recipients will be announced and grants then awarded at a ceremony, September 29 th at 7pm in Central Park. Watch the Fairfield Cultural Alliance social media page and website for more information leading up to the event.
2021 Grant Application as a PDF.
2021 Grant Agreement as a PDF.
FCA Awards Mini Grants for 2020 (Sept 21, 2020)
See the article about two mini-grants from the Fairfield Cultural Alliance, in the Union Newspaper on-line.
(Sept 21, 2020) FCA Awards Mini Grants for 2020
Two Cultural mini-grants were awarded from the FCA on Sept 21, 2020. ICON Gallery, represented by Bill Teeple, was recognized for their continuing work in 2020 including art classes online throughout the pandemic, their mask-painting contest and their online art auction.
Mark Shafer received a check on behalf of the Carnegie Museum, to help in the completion of their recent Victorian Parlor and Passenger Pigeon exhibits. The FCA was pleased to honor and help out two of our long-standing upholders of art and history in our community.
Every year, the Fairfield Cultural Alliance (FCA) promotes the arts and cultural activities in our community by awarding small grants to individuals, and organizations whose historic, artistic, or musical contributions have been recognized for supporting creative projects.
However, for 2020 the circumstances were different. Details are on the 2020 MINI- GRANTS flyer as a PDF.
(Dec 10, 2019) FCA Arts & Culture Celebration held at ICON Gallery Dec 10, 2019
It was standing room only at ICON Gallery for the Fairfield Cultural Alliance’s 13th annual party celebrating Fairfield’s art and culture. Over 50 attendees took advantage of the chance to network with like minded art and culture lovers and enjoy appetizer and dessert refreshments. (Scroll down for photos).
The evening began with FCA board president Denyce Rusch giving an update on the group’s 2018 activities, including…
In April the FCA applied for and received official Public Charity Status, making contributions to the organization tax deductible. Special thanks to Margarita Bhure was given for making this happen.
In June they published the 2019 edition of the Fairfield Heritage Tour Book, a pamphlet highlighting local historical sites, and this year spotlighting the new Birdwatching exhibit at the Fairfield Carnegie Museum and the history of and changes to Fairfield Flowers and More.
This summer they also worked with Dan Bolsem of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to produce a video about Fairfield’s Cultural & Entertainment District for online distribution around the state and region. See it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPZRwv0jwNU&feature=youtu.be
September 14 saw the second World Fair Field International Festival in our downtown square. This included a walking parade, over 20 country table exhibits, lawn games, an international baking contest, and a full day of free international music and talented performances, from in town and beyond. Once again, the Fairfield Public Library, Maharishi School, the Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, The City of Fairfield, Fairfield First! and many local businesses stepped up to help put on the event. Special thanks go to Kaye Jacob, Richard Beall, Paul Squillo, Colleen Stone and all the FCA Board.
In October and November, the FCA Board offered and reviewed applications for the yearly mini-grants from our Cultural Trust Fund. Recipients and their projects included:
First Friday Art Walk – to purchase artworks from local artists to give away at their “Passport Events.”
Chamber Singers of Southeast Iowa – for the construction of concert platforms to accommodate future performers.
Southeast Iowa Blues Society – for the publicity of their December 28th show.
Fairfield Arts and Convention Center – to purchase table linen for their banquets and meetings.
Fairfield Productions – to assist in the distribution of a new film “Ahead of Their Time” to different locations in Jefferson County.
Wendy Stegall – to cover costs of archival prints for her Art Exhibit at Art 52 in December. Sponsored by Fairfield First! Foundation.
ICON Gallery – for cartridges and paper to print promotional materials for the April-May 2020 exhibition.
Sustainable Living Coalition – to partially cover fees for local musicians that play at their community-wide meetings.
Fairfield Art Association – for a number of easels for art classes to replace old wooden ones that are no longer usable.
Werner Elmker – to partly compensate our photographer and video producer for all his work documenting Fairfield life. Sponsored by Fairfield First! Foundation.
Our mayor, Ed Malloy, reported on Arts & Cultural plans in Fairfield from the City Hall perspective. Mayor-elect, Connie Boyer also pledged continued support and encouragement.
Several community members stood to announce upcoming projects and/or events including a film by Michael Bernard and a weekly writers’ roundtable at Harvest Moon Cafe.
The FHS JazzX Choir rocked the room with their upbeat renditions of seasonal carols, and other tunes under the talented direction of Zach Reiter. A real highlight of the event, they were given a rousing standing ovation.
• Cultural Trust Fund Mini-Grant Awards — $ for these grants comes from interest from our small Cultural Trust Fund which is managed by the Greater Jefferson County Foundation. We are happy to give out these funds, but limited every year to that small fund pool. Basically, the amounts given out are divided amongst all qualified applicants, so sometimes the awards seem small, but we hope will be of some help.
Recipients and their projects:
First Friday Art Walk – to purchase artworks from local artists to give away at the “Passport Events.”
Chamber Singers of Southeast Iowa – for the construction of concert platforms to accommodate future performers.
Southeast Iowa Blues Society – for the publicity of the December 28th performance.
Fairfield Arts and Convention Center – to purchase table linen for their banquets and meetings.
Fairfield Productions – to assist in the distribution of a new film “Ahead of Their time” at different locations in Jefferson County.
Wendy Stegall – to cover costs of archival prints to display and small prints of different sizes for Wendy’s Art Exhibit at Art 52 in December. Sponsored by Fairfield First!
ICON Gallery – for cartridges and paper to print promotional materials for the April-May 2020 exhibition.
Sustainable Living Coalition – to partially cover fees for local musicians that play at their community-wide meetings.
Fairfield Art Association – for a number of easels for art classes to replace old wooden ones that are no longer usable.
Werner Elmker – to partly compensate our photographer and video producer for all his work documenting Fairfield life. Sponsored by Fairfield First!
• Fairfield First! Foundation Awards were presented by Burt Chojnowski to -
Vaju Moorthi — Divine Star Charity; for raising funds to feed the hungry
Emily Martlin and Laurie Stokes-Nardini — for the creation of the new playground at Howard Park
FCA Awards for Cultural Achievement for 2019
“Concerning talent, compassion, and community spirit, our community has an embarrassment of riches. Here are some of those you have nominated to be honored this year…” said Ms. Rusch.
1. The Fairfield RAGBRAI 2019 executive team including: Michael Halley, Terry Baker, Josh Laraby, Tammy Jones, Tammy Dunbar, Afton Pedrick, Laurie Noll, and Kevin Curran
July 25, 2019 brought 10,000 cyclists along with another 2-3000 other support crews and vendors. In order to fill all their needs and give all these sudden visitors a welcome they would remember, this team of organizers had to structure accommodations, including camping, voluntary stays with locals, food available, bathing options and sanitation, local transportation, and providing for health and safety needs. This also involved fundraising, publicity and marketing, hundreds of volunteers, food vendors and a beverage garden, plus entertainment.
With many hours of work, they pulled it off, and did it within their fundraising budget. In fact, with a profit of $3000, they distributed $1500 among the non-profit vendors, and $1500 to the Convention and Visitors Bureau for their fund to upgrade town kiosks.
2. The Bayo Park Gallery, Libertyville, David Olabayo and Reena Olaniyi, artists
In their nominator’s words: “It was in the dark of the new fall season and so I was a little nervous as I drove alone to their wooded property along a gravel road. I was welcomed by the lovely artist couple, served hot cider and given a moonlight tour of their 10 acre outdoor gallery. I was spellbound by the creativity of their work and the juxtaposition of their deep and simple explanation of their works and vision.”
3. Kesryth Urban, Fairfield artist known for his portraits
In his nominator’s words: “From his portrait gallery show of the "Pillars of Fairfield”, which brought many people together in appreciation, to his creation of workshops for the community and people coming from elsewhere such as at the Power Wagon event, Kes has been such an inspirational addition to the Fairfield art community.”
4. Werner Elmker, photographer and pianist/composer
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance presented its 2019 Legacy Award to Werner Elmker
In his nominator’s words: “Werner deserves a nomination for his tireless work documenting Fairfield’s art and culture. For over a decade, if anything was happening in town, you could just about count on Werner Elmker to be there, capturing it in beautiful, artistic images. He has always been generous in allowing these images to grace all manner of publicity for our town in both print and digital media. We have come to count on him to be one of our town’s main documentarians. Besides sharing his photographic talents, he also shares with us his artistic talents as a pianist and composer several times a year in concerts. We hope he continues his work for many years to come.”
5. ICON Gallery, Bill Teeple, ICON Gallery director
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance presented its 2019 Cultural Achievement Award to ICON Gallery, Bill Teeple, Director
In the nominator’s words: “I’d like to nominate ICON for the FCA's 2019 Cultural Contribution Awards because of two major contributions ICON made to Fairfield's cultural life this year.
Fairfield Collects was an eye-opening exhibition, with the work of so many well-known artists from Renoir and George Inness to Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol. It was the most popular and most talked about exhibition in ICON's history, and possibly in the history of Fairfield.
The Hudson Collection brought an exceptional collection of Tantric art to Fairfield; many of the pieces had been selected for exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Through the extraordinary efforts of Bill Teeple and David Hanson, this remarkable group of paintings is now part of ICON's permanent collection.
In addition to the exhibitions themselves, this year showed how important it has been for Bill Teeple and ICON's volunteers and supporters to have persisted for so many years to keep broadening the horizons of all of us here in Fairfield. It hasn't been an easy task, and the support of the FCA has been deeply appreciated.”
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance thanks all who worked to make this event a success.
The FCA encourages anyone who wants to be a part of their efforts to support arts & culture in Fairfield to step up, join, and be a leader of this organization. They meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at noon at Thai Deli.
Photos of 2019 Arts & Culture Celebration, by Werner Elmker
Denyce Rusch opens the event
Mayor Ed Malloy, opening remarks.
Mayor-elect, Connie Boyer, opening remarks
Mini-Grant to First Friday Art Walk.
Mini-Grant to Chamber Singers of Southeast Iowa.
Mini-Grant to Southeast Iowa Blues Society.
Mini-Grant to Fairfield Arts and Convention Center.
Mini-Grant to Sustainable Living Coalition.
Bob Ferguson representing Sustainable Living Coalition.
The next eight photos are about FCA Awards for Cultural Achievement for 2019
The Fairfield RAGBRAI 2019 executive team.
RAGBRAI Team Leaders: Laurie Noll, Michael Halley, and Afton Pedrick with Denyce
Rusch
The Bayo Park Gallery.
Accepting for The Bayo Park Gallery.
Kesryth Urban, Fairfield artist known for his portraits.
Plaque for Kesryth Urban.
Werner Elmker accepts the 2019 Cultural Legacy Award.
Bill Teeple of ICON Gallery accepts 2019 Cultural Achievement Award.
Emily Martlin, Fairfield First! Award recipient, from Burt Chojnowski.
FHS JazzX Vocal Group.
FHS JazzX Vocal Group.
Cultural Honoree's who could not attend the Dec. 10, 2019 Arts & Culture Celebration:
After the Dec. 10 event, Michael Halley presents a certificate of honor to a fellow RAGBRAI Leader, Terry Baker.
Tammy Dunbar accepts her certificate of honor as a 2019 RAGBRAI Leader at her Fairfield Real Estate office.
Tammy Jones accepts her certificate of honor as a 2019 RAGBRAI Leader at her KMCD office.
Kevin Curran accepts his certificate of honor as a 2019 RAGBRAI Leader at his home after the Dec. 10 event.
Josh Laraby accepts his certificate of honor as a 2019 RAGBRAI Leader at his FEDA office after the Dec. 10 event.
Rural artists, David Olabayo and Reena Olaniyi receive their certificate for enriching the Jefferson County Community with their beautiful Bayo Park Gallery in Batavia. (Shown here after the event with FCA's David Thebodo.)
(Oct 5, 2019) FCA Offered Mini Grants (see results above)
It is time to apply for the Cultural Trust Fund Mini Grants, offered annually by the Fairfield Cultural Alliance. These small grants will be awarded to individuals and organizations for creating events or projects that benefit and promote the art and/or culture of Fairfield. Deadline is Nov 15, 2019. More details at the Mini Grants PDF page, and the Application is here as a PDF (as is an Mini Grant Agreement Form).
(Sept 10, 2019) World Fair Field Press Release
See the press release for the WFF 09-03-19 here, and the latest press release 09-08-19 here.
Or go to the World Fair Field website.
(Aug 2019) Iowa Great Place
The City of Fairfield was re-designated as one of Iowa's Great Places, by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Fairfield is among 40 Iowa Great Places communities. Fairfield first received the designation in 2006.
(Sept 21, 22, 2018) WFF Festival
FCA co-sponsored the World Fair Field International Festival, Celebrating Diversity, Sustainability, & Creativity! Friday was International Day of Peace Symposium. Saturday was World Fair Field, International Festival.
(Nov 14, 2018) FCA Arts & Culture Celebration held at ICON Gallery
(Nov. 14. 2018) The Fairfield Cultural Alliance annual Arts & Culture Celebration honors local people who improve the quality of life through their art and philanthropy. Pictured are grant and award winners, from left, front row: Werner Elmker, Melinda Arndt and Kella Tschopp; back row: Anna Bruen, Noah Ouellette, (unknown), Bob Glocke, Bill Teeple, Ann Bosold, Tom Morgan, Marla Brader, Denyce Rusch (FCA board president), Dick DeAngelis and Jane Rowe. Photo by Werner Elmker.
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance invited all to its 12th annual party celebrating arts and culture in Fairfield Wed., Nov. 14 again this year. Michael Halley, MC for the evening, welcomed over 50 attendees who had the chance to network with like minded art and culture lovers, and enjoy gourmet appetizer and dessert refreshments. See more Celebration photos on our photo page.
The program started with FCA board president Denyce Rusch giving an update on the groups 2018 activities. These included:
• Writing and publishing the 2018 edition of the Fairfield Heritage Tour Book.
• The successful completion of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs’ Redesignation of Fairfield’s Cultural District. This will result in the state’s continued support through new Cultural District signs, state attention, and marketing support.
• Sponsoring and organizing the World Fair Field International Festival & Symposium, which occurred on Sept. 21 and 22. This included an educational and cultural symposium on Friday, and a festival on Saturday with music, cultural exhibition tables, an international baking contest, and international food.
• As a result, our mayor and the City of Fairfield proclaimed September 21 as the International Day of Peace.
• In October and November, the FCA Board offered and reviewed applications for the yearly mini-grants from the Cultural Trust Fund and also viewed and selected worthy nominees for Cultural Achievement Awards.
The FCA encourages anyone who wants to be a part of their efforts to support Arts & Culture in Fairfield to join the group. They meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at noon at Thai Deli.
Members of the audience were then encouraged to come forward and talk about future planned events or project. A couple that were mentioned were Cindy’s ArtBeat now in Henderson’s Framing Gallery and Tom Morgan and Friends playing at Cafe Paradiso Saturday, Nov. 24.
Some of the attendees and presenters at the 2018 Arts & Culture Celebration - photos by Werner Elmker
Cultural Trust Fund Mini-Grant Awards (with support this year from Fairfield First Foundation) were then awarded to:
Southeast Iowa Blues Society promote December “Rockin in the Blue Year;”
Fairfield First Fridays for “Passport Events” to purchase art pieces;
Fairfield First Foundation for Photography & Video Production of Werner Elmer;
Fairfield Productions for their third film of the Fairfield History Series;
Pathfinders RC&D for promotion of the 1st " theater crawl "in April of 2019;
Sustainable Living Coalition for the cost of musician groups for their monthly meeting;
The Organ Committee for advertising costs for 2019 “An Organ Walk;”
ICON Gallery for printing material for the Hudson Collection;
Fairfield Art Association for the 2019 Membership Exhibit.
Cultural Achievement Awards then took center stage. Those that were honored with a nomination this year included:
Jim Weidle, Artist — for a long career of creating exquisite drawings, oils and watercolor paintings that have graced our galleries here and across the nation. His excellent works have been an inspiration to many aspiring artists and grateful viewers.
Tom Morgan, Musician and International Consultant — For a distinguished career dedicated to bringing awareness of how culture can create a deeper understanding, acceptance and connection with others, most recently shown in your presentations, Developing a Global Mindset at the Fairfield Public Library and on the subject of Cross-Cultural Perspectives at the International Day of Peace Symposium September 21, 2018.
Jim and Ginger Belilove, Art Supporters, Business Owners, and Creators of Creative Edge — for decades of supporting art events in Fairfield, and crafting beautiful stone flooring that will decorate many public and private buildings in Fairfield and worldwide for generations to come we honor Jim and Ginger Bellilove.
Kim Strubell, Philanthropist — for years of work with Charity Seeds, developing over 13,000 small scale organic farms and teaching sustainable farming methods to people in need, primarily in Kenya. Besides being laudable, it enhances Fairfield’s image as a community that cares about the world’s wellbeing.
Vaju Moorthy, Philanthropist — for her Divine Star Lunch fundraising support of many worthy causes including the Fairfield District Schools lunch fund and Iowa Wins by selflessly cooking and serving fresh gourmet food to our community nearly every week throughout the year.
Noah Ouellette, Social Media expert, Philanthropist — For his community minded work in creating the Facebook Fairfshare Groups: HomeShare Fairfield, JobShare Fairfield, RideShare, StuffShare, and CommunityShare Fairfield. With this work he makes it possible for social media to directly serve Fairfield citizens.
Michael Havelka, Educator and Philanthropist — for pioneering work in helping create Abundance EcoVillage, with continued dedication to creating, overseeing, maintaining, and teaching about its sustainable technologies.
Dick DeAngelis, Film maker and Philanthropist — for his community minded work of creating and producing the Fairfield Italian Festivals and most recently the historic documentary films, The Fairfield History Series including Life Before Fairfield, Heroes of Fairfield and more to come.
Ann Bosold, Musician, Citizen and Artist — For enriching the Fairfield Community with beautiful music of many varieties and flavors for 35+ years we honor Ann Bosold. To quote a fellow local musician: "Every direction we turn musically, you're always there, Ann".
And the recipient of the 2018 Cultural Achievement Award was Marla Brader, Fairfield First Fridays Director — for the events that Marla and her crew have put on this past year, including Movies in the Park. Marla has brought her brand of caring to her job by creating events often with attendance by families in mind. Fairfield First Fridays continues to bring the community together once a month with arts and music as they have for the past 16 years celebrating creativity, culture, and community.
And last, but not least, the 2018 Cultural Contribution Legacy Award, went to Jane Rowe, representing the Fairfield Concert Association — For 70 impressive years of providing elevating and inspiring musical concerts to our Fairfield Community! Since 1948, our Fairfield Concert Association, has never let us go lacking for experience of talented professional music performances both modern and classical.
Concerning talent, compassion, and community spirit, our community certainly has an embarrassment of riches, and it is good to have the opportunity to honor some every year. See more Celebration photos on our photo page.
(Nov 2, 2018) All Are Invited to FCA Annual Arts & Culture Celebration, Nov 14, 7:30pm
Since 2005 when they first helped create a state designated Cultural District in Fairfield, the Fairfield Cultural Alliance has been working to support arts, culture, history, and creative expression in our town.
One of the ways they do it every year is to have a Celebration of Arts & Culture, bringing together citizens, artists, entertainers, historians, educators, and businesses who are all part of our cultural community. Everyone interested is invited to come enjoy snacks, lively conversation, music, and reports from our arts and culture community on November 14 at ICON Gallery on the downtown square. The program will start at 7:30. Details on our PDF Press Release.
(Oct 31, 2018) Applications for the 2018 Fairfield Cultural Trust Fund Mini-Grants have closed
Every year, the Fairfield Cultural Alliance happily offers Cultural Trust Fund Mini-Grants to non-profit organizations. These small grants will be awarded to cover expenses for
creating events or projects that benefit the art and/or culture of Fairfield. Grants applications were due October 31.
Grant applications will be reviewed on the following criteria:
⚫ Benefit to cultural tourism of Jefferson County
⚫ Benefit to, and number of residents in Jefferson County who will be affected
⚫ Past grants to your organization
⚫ Grants from the Cultural Trust will be used for programming and operations
⚫ Preference may be given to events/programs within the state-designated Cultural District.
The Fairfield Cultural Trust Fund was established in 2006 by the Fairfield Cultural Alliance in collaboration with The Greater Jefferson County Foundation. The goals of the Cultural Trust Fund are to help qualified organizations provide cultural, civic, and educational programs, to encourage individual and corporate involvement through gifts and bequests, and to administer and invest funds for the creation of perpetual opportunities and services.
Those interested are invited to apply to the Fairfield Cultural Alliance before October 30, 2018. Funds will be disbursed in November after applications are reviewed for acceptance.
Grant Applications are available as a PDF which you can download, print out and send to us. If you are awarded a Mini-grant, the applicant must complete and sign the Grant Agreement. If you need a paper form we can mail you one. Please contact the Fairfield Cultural Alliance; c/o Shanaz Kreider; P.O. Box 1584; Fairfield, IA, 52556; Phone: 641-233-8112; email - Shanazr@earthlink.net.
The Fairfield Cultural Trust Fund was established in 2006 by the Fairfield Cultural Alliance in collaboration with The Greater Jefferson County Foundation. The goals of the Cultural Trust Fund are to assist qualified organizations in providing cultural, civic, and educational programs, encourage individual and corporate involvement through gifts and bequests, and to administer and invest funds for the creation of perpetual opportunities and services.
(Sept 26, 2018) Photo from the World Fair Field International Festival. Celebrating Diversity, Sustainability, & Creativity!
Held on Friday, Sept 21 and Saturday, Sept 22, 2018. (2019 World Fair Field will be held Sept 14, 2019.
Baraka at the 2018 World Fair Field International Festival, photo by Werner Elmker.
(Aug 9, 2018) Fairfield Re-Designated as an Iowa Cultural & Entertainment District
See details on the Cultural District page.
(Nov 15,2017) Celebration of Fairfield's Art and Culture — Annual Gala held in November
Awards 2017, photo by Werner Elmker.
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance invited all culture lovers and creators to the 11th annual FCA Annual Arts & Culture Celebration held on November 14, 2017, at ICON Gallery, on the Fairfield Square in our Cultural District. See details and photos (by Werner Elmker) on the 2017 Celebration page.
Denyce Rusch, president of the FCA, presenting Deb Johnson with a mini-grant check for Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.
Werner Elmker also won our 2017 Fairfield Heritage Photo Contest. The photo was used on the cover of our 2017 Fairfield Heritage Tour Booklet.
Pick up a printed copy of our 2017 Fairfield Heritage Tour Booklet at many locations around town (web version is here).
Booklet cover photo by Werner Elmker.
10th Annual FCA Gala held on Tuesday, Nov 15, 2016
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance invited all culture lovers and creators to its annual Networking Gala at ICON Gallery on the Fairfield Square in our Cultural District. A few surprises added to the fun and presentations.
Live music by Fairfield's own Society of Broken Souls (Lauryn Shapter and Dennis James) set the mood and provided wonderful entertainment.
Mayor Ed Malloy displayed the new City Logo and spoke about the process of creating a "brand" for Fairfield to encourage more tourists to visit, and to further encourage more to join our growing population. Terry Baker spoke about the CVB's new tag line, "Tune into Our Vibe," which complements the City's "Connect. Create. Celebrate."
Michael Halley holds up the new Fairfield logo while Terry Baker talks about the branding process
The new CVB logo and tag line
Recipients of our Cultural Mini-Grants for 2016 were announced. They outlined their projects, listed below --
1. Carol Negro, Everybody Sings, for their upcoming holiday presentations.
2. Rusty Luksich, Drum-Building.
3. Gary Henry, Southeast Blues Society, for "Rockin' in the Blues Year" on Jan 7, 2017.
4. Bill Teeple, ICON, for gallery security upgrades.
5. Steve Smith, for Live on the Square, summer 2017 events.
6. Burt Chojonowski, Fairfield First!, for photography by Werner Elmker.
7. Suzan Kessel, Fairfield Art Assn., to help complete the Lee Gobble Sculpture.
8. Joni Johnston, Greater Fairfield Area Habitat for Humanity, for repairs to their ReStore sign.
Next, Cultural Contribution Awards were presented to individuals and/or organizations who have made a significant contribution to Fairfield’s cultural community. This years's venerable nominees included Carol Negro for the Everybody Sings Community Chorus; Elaine Reding of the Chamber Singers of Southeast Iowa; Steve Boss, the cooking show host of KRUU FM’s "GREAT TASTE”; Jewel McDonald of Morningstar Studio; Nicholas Naioti, of the Arbor Bar; Meret and Steve Giacomini for Cafe Paradiso; and Tim Britton, world renowned Irish musician, recording engineer, sound man and emcee at Cafe Paradiso.
The FCA board regretted not being able to present awards to every nominee, seeing as each made an important contribution to the town Arts & Culture community this year and they deserve great recognition. For information about each of these nominees, click on the Nominations Page.
The 2016 Cultural Contribution Legacy Award went to Meret and Steve Giacomini for all the work they have done to bring incredible talent to this town and to create Cafe Paradiso, Fairfield's community living room.
The 2016 Cultural Contribution Achievement Award was shared by Tori Hollingsworth and Kadie Dennison for directing the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center’s Children’s Summer Theater Camp, this year serving 40 local children aged 10 to 14.
Tori and Kadie receive their Cultural Contribution Achievement Award.
And, as usual, event attendees enjoyed gourmet appetizers and dessert refreshments, as well as beautiful live music provided by The Society of Broken Souls
Just some of the attendees
Bill Teeple received a grant for ICON Gallery and accepted the Cultural Contribution Legacy Award for Steve Giacomini
Thanks to Werner Elmker for the photographs
The FCA is a non-profit volunteer organization whose mission includes administering the Fairfield Cultural District and supporting creative expression in Fairfield through grants, education, and marketing. FCA projects include the Fairfield Cultural Trust Fund for mini-grants, the Fairfield Heritage Tour booklet annual editions, and annual Cultural Contribution Awards.
For more info contact Denyce Rusch, FCA president, by email at fairfieldculturalalliance@gmail.com.
Nominations Now Closed for the 2016 Fairfield Cultural Contribution Award (Dateline Oct 20, 2016)
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance was asking for nominees for its 2016 Cultural Contribution Award. The FCA’s annual Cultural Contribution Award is given to recognize groups or individuals who help enhance the quality of life in Fairfield by creating, directing, or promoting artistic and/or cultural activities, works of art, or events in Fairfield for that calendar year.
“Fairfield abounds with people who make it their business to create art, music, entertainment, and cultural education and experience, ” say members of the FCA board. “We want to know who you think this year’s worthy award winners should be. Please send us your picks!”
Nominations should include the name of the individual or organization, plus a few sentences about why you think they are deserving of the recognition. Please also include contact information for the nominee and your name and contact info.
Nominations can be made by email (fairfieldculturalalliance@gmail.com), or in writing by mail (Fairfield Cultural Alliance ℅ Shanaz Kreider; P.O. Box 1584; Fairfield, IA, 52556; Phone: 641-233-8112). Nominations are due by Monday, November 7.
The FCA’s Cultural Contribution Award will be presented at the annual FCA Networking Gala on November 15 at 7:30 p.m. at ICON Gallery on the square in Fairfield’s Cultural District. All interested in supporting creative expression in our community are invited to come to the party!
Respectfully submitted by
Denyce Rusch; 2597 New Glasgow Rd; Fairfield, IA 52556 ph 641-451-0959
Three Fairfield Fans Attend State Arts Summit, (Aug 5, 2016)
"Studies show that communities who support opportunities for creative expression not only have a better quality of life but, in the long run, increased stability. The members of the Fairfield Cultural Alliance have long held this point of view, so it was fulfilling for us to get together with like minds from around the state and the country to get further educated and inspired. There were some stellar presentations!"
So says Denyce Rusch, FCA member. On last Friday, August 5, she and 2 other FCA board members, Paul Squillo and Bob Shrem, drove to Des Moines for the Iowa Arts Council's 2016 Iowa Arts Summit. It was a gathering of community leaders, artists, art entrepreneurs and educators who came together to attend presentations and network with each other.
They filled their day with three sessions each on topics which included -- "Sustaining Artist Networks," "Public Art in Your Community," "Hollywood Backstories with Andrew Steele (Creative Director for Funny or Die)," "Tools for Art Business Management," "Creative Placemaking," and "Flashes of Iowa Innovation." ArtPlace America presenters suggested that we “place arts and culture as a core sector of comprehensive community planning and development so as to help strengthen the social, physical, and economic fabric of communities.”
Along with the scheduled information sessions, they were treated to a rockin' musical performance from the cast of "Rock of Ages" by the Des Moines Community Playhouse and a particularly moving dramatic piece by Akwi Nji, award-winning Cedar Rapids poet and performance artist.
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance has been on a mission to support and nourish arts and culture in Fairfield since its inception in 2005, with the creation of our Cultural District. They presently give yearly Cultural Achievement Awards and mini-grants for deserving projects. They also put on an Annual Networking Gala, and publish the "Fairfield Cultural District Heritage Tour" book.
"Fairfield has a well deserved reputation in our state for supporting cultural activities, and a number of others were keen to hear what was going on in our town. All in all, the Iowa Arts Summit was a really worthwhile experience. All of us agreed that we were bringing back valuable information and ideas. We look forward to implementing these on our quest to support the continued growth of Fairfield's lively creative scene."
On Tuesday, September 15, members of the Fairfield Cultural Alliance Board awarded grants to several local organizations.
This year the Fairfield Cultural Alliance (FCA) was able to give out Mini-Grants to five worthy organizations for projects that will benefit the Fairfield community in this and the coming year. See the full story here.
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Healthways, Inc. (NASDAQ: HWAY), and Blue Zones, LLC, today announced that Fairfield, Iowa, has been named a certified Blue Zones Community®. Certification recognizes Fairfield’s community transformation through successful implementation of the Blue Zones Project®, a first-of-its-kind population health program that brings the world’s best practices in food policy, built environment, purpose and social networking to participating cities.. Click here for the full story.
Two individuals, Kristian Dey and Paul Praither, received the 2014 Fairfield Cultural Contribution Award at our 5th Annual Celebration of Arts & Culture. Click here to see photos.
2014 Arts and Culture Celebration
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance will be hosting its annual Arts and Culture Celebration, “Cultural Progress,” at 7:30 p.m. Nov 11 at ICON gallery in the downtown Fairfield Cultural District.
This is a free event and is open to everyone. Doors open at 7:15. Culture lovers and creators can connect with community leaders, artists, and others who support and participate in Fairfield’s lively creative community. Those attending can learn about upcoming events and will have a chance to share news and ideas about their own current or future projects.
The Fairfield Cultural Contribution Award will be presented to a group or individual who has made a significant contribution to Fairfield’s cultural community in 2014.
Michael Halley will MC the event. Kristian Dey, owner of the Orpheum Theater, will tell us what’s happening now and in the future. Mayor Ed Malloy will give updates on the city’s commitment to our arts and culture. Michael Dugan, Fairfield singer and guitarist, will provide entertainment.
Enjoy gourmet appetizers and dessert refreshments. Two door prizes will be given ($25 cash donations to your choice of organization).
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance is a nonprofit volunteer organization whose mission includes administering the Fairfield Cultural District and supporting art and culture in Fairfield through small grants, education and marketing. Its projects have included the Fairfield Cultural Trust Fund for mini-grants, the Fairfield Walking Tour booklet annual editions and annual Cultural Contribution awards.
For more information, contact Denyce Rusch, Fairfield Cultural Alliance president, by emailing
or calling 469-6182.
Cultural Contribution Award nominations now open
Nominations are now open for the Fairfield Cultural Alliance 2014 Cultural Contribution Award. The purpose of the FCA's annual Cultural Contribution Award is to recognize groups or individuals for helping to enhance the quality of life in Fairfield by creating, directing, or promoting artistic and/or cultural activities, works of art, or events in Fairfield for that calendar year.
From the FCA Board: “Fairfield is full of people who make it their business to create art, music, entertainment, and cultural education. We want to know who you think this year's worthy award winners should be. So please send us your picks!”
Nominations should include the name of the individual or organization, plus a few sentences about why you think they are deserving of the recognition. Please also include contact information for the nominee and your name and contact info.
Nominations can be made by email (fairfieldculturalalliance@gmail.com), or in writing via post (Fairfield Cultural Alliance c/o Marcia Tiffany; 608 North D St; Fairfield, IA52556). Nominations are due by Monday, Nov. 2.
The FCA's Cultural Contribution Award will be presented at their annual Networking Gala on November 11 at 7:30 p.m. at ICON Gallery on the square in Fairfield’s Cultural District.
On Thursday, August 28, members of the Fairfield Cultural Alliance Board awarded grants to several local organizations at a reception held at the home of Steve and Marcia Tiffany.
This year the Fairfield Cultural Alliance (FCA) was able to give out Mini-Grants to nine worthy organizations for projects that will benefit the Fairfield community in this and the coming year. See the full story here.
Fairfield Arts Supporters Bring Enthusiasm and New Heritage Books to Iowa Arts Summit
Fairfield was well represented at the 2014 Iowa Arts Summit held in Des Moines on Friday, June 6, 2014, by four members of the Fairfield Cultural Alliance (pictured below) and Rustin Lippicott of the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center.
Leading voices in the Iowa Arts and Culture scene as well as state and national policy makers including from the National Endowment for the Arts gave substance to the importance of the arts to community vitality, strengthening the creative economy, tourism and the education of young minds.
More than 250 people attended the day long program at Veterans Memorial Center. The program included 12 sessions and our local FCA members were well represented at each program.
Some of the sessions attended included:
- The Intersection of Arts and Economy
- Contemporary Arts Marketing and Marketing with Limited Resources
- Flashes of Iowa Inspiration
- Telling your Story with Data
Informal networking and conversation with other conference goers revealed Fairfield as a well recognized arts and culture destination. As FCA member, Dave Thebodo noted, “Meeting other attendees was probably the most valuable aspect of the conference as far as I was concerned.”
Dave and the other FCA members happily distributed the brand new edition of the Fairfield Cultural District Heritage Tour booklet to other attendees when appropriate. This helpful guide to historic sites in and around Fairfield’s Cultural District, has been well-appreciated by tourists and residents alike since being developed and published by FCA members in 2010. The new edition includes information about Fairfield’s 175th Birthday Celebration this year, and more historic highlights.
The new edition of the Fairfield Cultural District Heritage Tour booklet is freely available at The Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, the Chamber of Commerce, and various locations in and around the downtown Cultural District.
RAGBRAI Organizational Committee and James Moore of KRUU Honored for their Cultural Contributions, 4th Annual Celebration of Arts & Culture, Nov 12, 2013
On Tuesday, November 12th, the Fairfield Cultural Alliance held its 4th Annual Celebration of Arts and Culture. This Networking and Award Ceremony took place at ICON Gallery on the Fairfield square. Cultural organization representatives, civic leaders, artists, and those interested in our community came together for a festive evening to share experiences, talk about cultural progress in 2013 and lay groundwork for the future.
Denyce Rusch, the emcee for the evening, spoke about how thrilled the Fairfield Cultural Alliance was to receive so many applications for Mini Grants this year. Because all the applicants were so highly qualified, smaller amounts were given to support more individuals and non-profit organizations.
June Lowenburg of Fairfield’s First Friday ArtWalk spoke about the ongoing success of this monthly event and how it continues to grow in size, talent and diversity. One of the galleries had 500 people walk through at the November ArtWalk. Gingerbread houses are currently being made for the December ArtWalk Extravaganza. They are excited about the upcoming year and encourage feedback and suggestions from the community, including new themes for future ArtWalks.
James Moore reported on FAIRfest. There has been much excitement about the level of success for this first time multi-day summer event. It was centered around the Convention Center and featured national, regional, and local music, great food, and sustainable fun. Spearheaded by solar-powered KRUU-FM and supported by many businesses and civic groups, the festival inspired over $80,000 in funding and countless volunteer hours so it could be a free event. Planning for FAIRfest 2014 is already underway, to be held June 20-22, with the vision of creating a signature annual event.
Michael Halley spoke about the process of organizing and planning RAGBRAI. He commended the hard work and commitment of innumerable volunteers as well as general support from the community. He reported $25,000 of RAGBRAI profits were distributed in the form of grants to local non-profit organizations and legacy projects. Local businesses reported much increased profits. Terry Baker of the RAGBRAI committee showed the letter from Guinness World Records confirming that Fairfield now holds the world record for, "The largest gathering of people wearing false mustaches".
Entertainment was provided by Ann Bosold (fiddle) and Tom Allen (guitar). They played a beautiful Irish medley and lively Kerry polkas, and classical background music before and after the event.
The highlight of the evening came when Ms. Rusch announced that there would be two Cultural Contribution Awards, explaining that balloting had ended in a tie.
Mayor Ed Malloy presented the first award to the Fairfield RAGBRAI Organizational Committee in appreciation of their unparalleled effort in making the RAGBRAI event in Fairfield an enormous success. Committee members include Michael Halley, Terry Baker, Julie Harvey, Tammy Jones, Rustin Lippincott, Dennis Lopp and Tracy Vance.
Ms. Rusch presented the other award to James Moore, Director and Co-Founder of KRUU-FM radio in appreciation of years of providing artistic vision, a platform for musical performance and creative speech in the form of volunteer Community Radio for Fairfield and beyond. KRUU was the lead organization for FAIRfest 2013.
Ms. Rusch also pointed out that our community is so rich in art and culture that it is difficult to narrow down to one or two recipients per year, and she hoped over the years that all of the worthy organizations and individuals can be honored and celebrated by Cultural Contribution Awards.
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance is a group responsible for the Fairfield Cultural District designation from the State of Iowa. The FCA publishes a Fairfield Walking Tour booklet and administers the Cultural Trust Fund. Those interested are invited to join the FCA, meeting regularly throughout the year for projects that support and give recognition to the arts and culture of our valued community. For details, email us at:
Cultural Grants Awarded in August, 2013
On Tuesday, August 27, members of the Fairfield Cultural Alliance Board awarded grants to several local organizations at a reception held at the home of Steve and Marcia Tiffanny.
This year the Fairfield Cultural Alliance (FCA) received the largest number of submissions for grants since it began offering grants; twelve in total; and the FCA Board decided to divide the total monetary pool amongst the worthy recipients. This did mean that none of the organizations got full funding for their projects, but each was helped.
Receiving mini-grants this year were the Carnegie Museum Foundation for brochure updates; the Fairfield Art Association to help purchase canvases for its FAA Member Exhibit; The Shakespeare Ensemble to help pay for expenses for recent play, “Arms and the Man”; Fairfield First Fridays ArtWalk for graphic design expenses; the Sustainable Living Coalition to enhance its self-guided tour of the Eco-Village; the Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau to pay event photographer, Werner Elmker; the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center to help fund 2 shows: MarchFourth Marching Band and Lightwire; Maharishi School to fund expenses for the event Alumni Extravaganza; the Southeast Iowa Blues Society for a new “Blues in Schools” program; the ARC of Jefferson and Nearby Counties to fund a Walk/Run for Camp Courageous; Military Honors organization in conjunction with First Christian Church to fund an event honoring World War II veterans; and DuoSolo Foundation for New Music for a piano concert by Amir Khosrowpour to be held in Fairfield on Sept. 8.
Pictured left to right, seated: Cindy Woodbury, Fairfield First Fridays ArtWalk, Denyce Rusch, FCA, Kella Tshopp, Fairfield Art Association; standing: Jeff Fitz-Randolph, FCA, David Thebodo, FCA, Brian Simmons, ARC, Bob Shrem, FCA, Marcia Tiffany, FCA, Stephen White, The Shakespeare Ensemble, Susan Shafer, Carnegie Museum, Michael Halley, FCA, Rustin Lippincott, Gary Henry, Southeast Iowa Blues Society, Mark Shafer, Carnegie Museum, Annalisa Clifford Miller, MSAE Alumni Association, Steve Tiffany, FCA, Ken Walton and Stacy Maurer, Sustainable Living Coalition.
See more photos on our Facebook page.
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting arts and culture in Fairfield. Through their Cultural Trust Fund, they help arts and cultural organizations create events and experiences for our town. Those interested in becoming involved with the Cultural Alliance are encouraged to call Denyce Rusch, FCA Board president, at 472-3866, or go to our Contact Page.
Mar 30, 2013...Call for Artists
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance is creating an online Fairfield Artists Directory.
See more information here.
Mar 21, 2013...RAGBRAI news
Fairfield will be an overnight town for the 2013 RAGBRAI XLI (Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) on July 26, 2013. See the Fairfield RAGBRAI Facebook page.
Mar 08, 2013... New Heritage Tour
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance introduced the Fairfield Heritage Tour today. You can take a virtual tour, or walk or ride the real Tour.
FCA's 3rd Annual Networking Gala 2012
Go here for more details about the 2012 Networking Gala, held on Tuesday, Nov 13, 2012.
Annual Networking Gala -Connect and Prosper- Nov 13, 2012
We Cordially Invite you to Fairfield Cultural Alliance's 2012 Annual Networking Gala -Connect and Prosper- Tuesday November 13, 2012, 7:30 pm (doors open 7:15) at the Icon Gallery, west side of the square
- Arts and Culture Networking - make your Cultural Connections with community leaders and members of our arts and culture community
- 2012 FCA Cultural Contribution Award presentation
- Live Musical and Dance entertainment!
- Building façade grant information from Mayor Malloy
- Reports on Two Roads Educational Arts Theatre, the 2012
- Iowa Downtown Summit, upcoming Fairfield Culture Fest, & the new Orpheum Theater
- Appetizer & dessert refreshments from "renowned local chefs"
- Two Door Prizes ($25 cash donations to your organization)
Feel free to bring friends and enjoy the party!
*Sorry there is a conflict with the FACC Robin Lim event, but due to our advanced planning, we were unable to reschedule. If it fits your schedule, there are two other times you might see and here Robin while she is here. Check with the Convention and Visitors Bureau or FACC for details.
The FCA is a non-profit volunteer organization whose mission includes administering the Fairfield Cultural District and supporting art and culture in Fairfield through grants, education, and marketing. FCA projects have included the Fairfield Cultural Trust Fund for mini-grants, the Fairfield Walking Tour booklet annul editions, and annual Cultural Contribution Awards.
Note for 2012: No Cultural Grants were awarded for 2012. Our Cultural Trust endowment fund did not grow enough in the previous year to allow us to provide grants in 2012.
FCA's 2nd Annual 2011 Networking Gala
See a copy of the Press Release (PDF) for the 2011 Networking Gala, held on Monday, Nov 7, 2011.
Cultural Grants Awarded, July 26, 2011
Three Fairfield organizations received grants from the FCA in July. The complete story is available here as a PDF.
IA 2020 Program, by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Arts Midwest,Saturday, Dec 4, 2010
Fairfield has been selected as one of only six Great Place towns in Iowa to take part in IA 2020, a "collaborative initiative among the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, Iowa Arts Council, Iowa Great Places and Arts Midwest to redefine the role of the arts in six unique Iowa communities representing a cross section of the diversity of the state."
IA 2020 is a two year comprehensive project beginning for us this Saturday, Dec. 4, 2010 that will take our community through a process that will include extensive initial self-assessment and site visits by facilitator and artist, Robert Bluestone and Iowa Cultural Affairs and Great Places staff.
On this initial Sat., Dec. 4 visit, we will show Mr. Bluestone our arts and cultural community though meet-ups (9 am and noon lunch) and an area tour. Then we will have an hour and a half Assessment Conference at the FACC (1:00-3:30). (See program below.)
A PDF describing the IA2020 Program is here.
The IA2020 Questionnaire as a PDF is here for you to download.
May 29, 2009...Fairfield Cultural District Walking Tour booklets available
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance is proud to announce the publication of "The Fairfield Cultural District Walking Tour," an eight-page booklet that leads the history-seeker on a short walking tour around some of the high points of Fairfield's downtown Cultural District.
Graphic designer Denyce Rusch, vice president of the Fairfield Cultural Alliance, created this printed version from the online version at www. fairfieldculturaldistrict.org, developed by local historian Mark Shafer and history buff Jeffrey Fitz-Randolph.
The walking tour highlights 26 points of interest in and around Central Park square. FCA board members are quick to point out that, this being a relatively short tour, not all of our varied Fairfield history is covered, and there are certainly are other possible points of interest. "The good thing is, if there is sufficient interest in this publication, we have material for the creation of other possible tours around our town," said Ms. Rusch. "We welcome and encourage anyone who would like to help with this project and perhaps create audio or video versions. Please contact any Fairfield Cultural Alliance member."
Free booklets are available at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, Chamber of Commerce, City Hall, the Fairfield Carnegie Museum, Jefferson County Courthouse, Icon Gallery, MUM Argiro Center, Ecovillage Welcome Center, Jefferson County Hospital, and all local lodging facilities. Next time you are looking for something to entertain the out-of town guests, take a walk on the historic side!
Nov 01, 2008...Fairfield Art Walk Receives Tourism Award
The Fairfield 1st Fridays Art Walk received the Tourism and the Arts award Oct. 21 during the 2008 Iowa Tourism Conference in Sioux City.
The winning submission was judged on several criteria including outstanding performance 2007-2008, outstanding partnership between tourism and the arts, outstanding economic impact and effective marketing.
"The Art Walk does a tremendous job of making all art forms accessible to all age groups," said Nancy Landess, Iowa Tourism Office manager. "The free monthly event encompasses more than 30 art galleries, more than 500 artists or performers, fun children's activities, food and spontaneous bursts of creativity."
Sep 09, 2008... New Fairfield Walking Tour
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance introduced the online Fairfield Walking Tour today. (Replaced by the Fairfield Heritage Tour, March 8, 2013).
Do you check the Iowa Arts Council Web site frequently?
You should! A few changes and additions they've just made include: Go to https://iowaculture.gov/arts/
⚫ A "Staff Roles Chart" that gives more information about what each IAC staff person does.
⚫ A new link to Culinary Tourism information on the Iowa Place-Based Foods site.
⚫ Updated information about this year's Poetry Out Loud student poetry recitation competition.
⚫ Two charts on the home page that share information about the IAC's funding and grant distribution.
⚫ A downloadable "Responding to Writing" exercise on the Grant Writing Tips page, that may help grant writers get good feedback on their drafts.
⚫ Resources for Individual Artists.
June 6, 2007...Regional arts and culture groups generate $63.08 million annually
The Iowa Cultural Corridor's (Iowa City-Cedar Rapids) many nonprofit arts and culture organizations generate an estimated $63.08 million annually in regional economic activity. This according to results of a new study conducted by Americans for the Arts and administered by the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance (ICCA).
The Iowa Cultural Corridor is one of 156 regions that participated in the Americans for the Arts study. The regional study, titled "Arts & Economic Prosperity III: The Economic Impact of Arts and Culture Organizations and their Audiences in the Iowa Cultural Corridor," is part of the most comprehensive study of its kind ever conducted.
"The results of this study send a strong signal to our legislators, donors and patrons," said Darcy Bemus, President of the Board of ICCA. "By supporting the many arts and culture organizations of the Corridor, we are also investing in the Iowa Cultural Corridor's economic well-being. Now, more than ever, the arts mean business."
Oct 27, 2006... Fairfield becomes a Great Place
The Department of Cultural Affairs made the announcement today that Fairfield is one of Iowa's Great Places.
See details on the Iowa Great Places website.
Governor Tom Vilsack created the Iowa Great Places program that calls on state agencies to partner with Iowans in a new way by combining state resources with local assets to make Iowa's communities, neighborhoods, districts and regions great places where people want to live, work and raise a family.
The proposal Fairfield submitted included: "Drawing on its arts community, local foods and cultural richness, Fairfield's vision works to expand the dynamic economy through a new Civic Center, marketing plan and business incubator, and an investors' roundtable.
It works to improve the natural beauty, redeveloping its downtown streetscape, restoring the Maasdam Barns and implementing a bikeway/walkway plan for the community. It enhances educational opportunities with its community supported radio station, sustainable living educational opportunities and educational kiosks.
It works to cultivate the cultural richness and recreational opportunities through a trails system, a Vedic Observatory, and its 1st Friday Art Walk. It works to strengthen opportunities for community philanthropy and enhances art projects around the area."
April 2006... Cultural District signs installed
"Cultural District" signs, supplied by the State, were installed on East and West Burlington Ave., North 2nd Street, and South Main Street.
November 2005... Cultural District approved
The Cultural District was approved by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and Cultural District signs were presented to the City by Anita Walker, Director.
October 2005... Iowa Tourism Event of the Year
Fairfield's 1st Fridays Art Walk was named the Iowa Tourism Event of the Year in October of 2005 by the Iowa Tourism Office and the Travel Federation of America. See the 1st Fridays Art Walk website.
July 2005...
Fairfield Cultural Alliance formed
The Fairfield Cultural Alliance was formed to administer the Fairfield Cultural District. Elected President of the Board of Directors was David Dubois.
