I hope this finds everyone weathering both the pandemic and our rather wet and windy fall.

In the last newsletter we indicated the concept for the conjoined facility was completed and we anticipated holding community meetings to share the results. We’re still waiting for those meetings to happen.

We remain optimistic about being able to present the documents to supporters and community for review and comment before the end of the year, but are still not able to set a firm date. I apologize for the delay but the process has many moving parts, which require a methodical approach matched with much patience.

The Partnership, Inc. Board and sub-committees have been meeting regularly and continue to seek funding for the project, primarily federal dollars. COVID-19 slowed all aspects of fundraising for almost every organization in town, but as we climb out of the influences of the pandemic we are seeing an increase in financial support. We were also fortunate to receive Federal Payroll Protection funds twice this last year. The grants very much helped us maintain the organization’s forward motion. 

We’d like to thank Rachelle Bonnett for her great work for the Partnership during her tenure. She has taken a leadership position with another non-profit organization in town and will be leaving her position as Fundraising Manager for the Capital Campaign Committee. 

Rachelle will be very much missed by everyone. We wish her the best of successes in her new role. We are currently soliciting applicants for the position. If you are interested please contact me. 

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me through our website: capitalciviccenter.org          

Thanks again for all you do to support the project. 

All the best,

Bob Banghart

Mark your calendars for the first ever Rock Aak’w Indigenous Music Festival. The two-day event will be held virtually on November 5 and 6. The festival features 13 Alaska Native and Indigenous music groups from around the world. Several of those bands will use Centennial Hall as a performance space while streaming their concert online. Just think what a new, combined venue with a large theater could mean for the future of this festival!

Be sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram pages for profiles on Juneau artists. It’s been amazing to see the high quality of incredible work that goes on in our community. Many of the artists support our effort to bring a new arts and culture facility to the Áak’w Kwáan Village District.

“In Juneau there are limited options for where to exhibit so I think any professional level exhibition space would be a huge asset to our community,” said ceramic artist Mercedes Muñoz.

Musician Erin Heist would like a venue with better acoustics for performances. She and her husband are instrumental in the Alaska Folk Festival every year and would like more options for concerts.

“When you think about the economic impact of an event like the folk festival where you have thousands of people coming to town on flights from all over the state or all over the country. Every hotel room is full, every bar, every restaurant, cafe, cars are getting rented. There’s just so much economic drive from a major arts event like that,” Heist said.

Many visual artists would like a larger gallery with improved lighting for their exhibits.

“As a community of creative people, putting value into that building and saying that the arts are valuable and they deserve a special place to be shown and to share, that’s what’s important to me,” said artist and illustrator Sarah Asper Smith.

A new arts and culture center combined with the conference and convention facilities at Centennial Hall would not only improve the quality of venues for artists, it would also be an economic driver for the community.