Get Involved
Art and culture have long been associated with the development of America’s cities and towns. Art and culture are, in fact, often used to help revitalize and improve the economies of inner cities, suburbs, and rural areas. Music is also successfully used to help achieve educational goals and ameliorate some of society’s most pressing problems, and are frequently a force for enhancing community identity and making communities more vibrant and prosperous.
For example, along with The Nutcracker, Handel’s Messiah is an important holiday tradition for many. However, before Anna’s Bay’s annual production, residents of Mason, Thurston, Lewis and Kitsap counties would have had to travel either to Portland or to Tacoma/Seattle in order to partake in this beloved holiday ritual.
As a result, Handel’s Messiah presents an opportunity for the Anna’s Bay Center for Music to enrich our community not just culturally, but economically and educationally in badly needed ways. For example, during the December 2010 performances, restaurants in Shelton’s revitalized downtown were packed due to Anna’s Bay’s partnership with several restaurateurs to showcase their specials in advance directly to ticket purchasers (primarily via email blasts). Because of this, walking traffic also increased, which helped local retail establishments and provided an opportunity for lodging establishments to showcase their offerings and provide a reason to come back for a more prolonged stay. Using figures from the Bainbridge Arts Council, Anna’s Bay audience members probably spent an additional $43,000[1] in our community last December, on top of the cost of tickets and Anna’s Bay’s production expenditures – an enormous boost for our small rural community.
Music truly builds community and there are many ways you can partner with us to help increase Anna’s Bay’s positive impact in our community, as well as sharing the spotlight with us.
Become a Sponsor
Sponsor an event, student singer, or the Anna’s Bay season to support our mission of building community.
Become a Spotlight Partner
Are you a business owner? Become a Spotlight Partner to advertise a special offer or coupon for your business in Anna’s Bay’s ticket envelopes, web sites, and promotional email blasts!
Advertise in Our Programs
Advertise in an upcoming printed concert program and support Anna’s bay!
[1] The study shows that in addition to admission costs, audiences spend $27.79 per person, per event. The study goes on to say that “non-local audiences spend twice as much as their local counterparts ($40.19 vs. $19.53). Arts and culture is a magnet for tourists, and tourism research repeatedly shows that cultural travelers stay longer and spend more.” Bainbridge Arts Council: Arts & Economic Prosperity, Economic Impact of the Arts, Americans for the Arts, 2007.
