The Williamsburg Area Arts Commission (WAAC) invites representatives from all interested arts organizations and members of the community to its 2023 forum, “A Full House: Building Audiences for the Arts.” The event will begin at 9 a.m. Feb. 9, 2023, at the Stryker Center, 412 N. Boundary St.
The forum’s focus will be audience engagement and features a panel discussion from some of the area’s top leaders in the arts community. Featured speakers include Glenda Turner of Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Christine Everly of Arts for Learning Virginia, Carolyn Keurajian of Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra, and Jeff Ryder of Virginia Stage Company.
The event will be moderated by the WAAC Chair Thomas Phelps, formerly with the National Endowment for the Humanities.
“The arts community suffered through the years of the pandemic. Audiences drifted away, and some did not come back. Audience development became a major concern. This year, the Williamsburg Area Ars Commission decided to present a forum to address the issue surrounding audience building and development and will feature a panel selected for their expertise and experience, drawn from representatives of organizations who have already aggressively addressed the issue,” Phelps said.
The event is free to attend, but registration is required. Register online to attend.
WAAC serves at the pleasure of the City of Williamsburg and James City County in supporting excellence in the arts as it administers a grant application program for nonprofit arts organizations.
Further information on the forum and the Arts Commission are available at williamsburgva.gov/waac. For questions or further information about the forum, contact Joanna Skrabala, Tourism Development Specialist for the City of Williamsburg, at jskrabala@williamsburgva.gov.