Civic Arts Commission Meeting Agenda Packet 030325 FINAL

our website. During the height of activity for TVAST, we saw over 15,000 unique visitors from April to May. We would expect that since Livermore and Pleasanton hosted the most artists on the tour that at minimum at least 4,000 were Pleasanton residents who have, at the least, learned about the arts around them by visiting the website. With the increased marketing this commission has helped us with from the 2024 event and the ensuing increase in awareness of this annual event, we feel strongly that this number will continue to grow. Describe the specific population your agency anticipates serving with these funds and how they will benefit from the implementation of this project. (e.g. low income, youth, disabled, etc.) TVAST seeks to make art accessible to all, with specific focus on students and emerging artists. Underserved youth who are disinterested in other activities, such as sports and clubs, often connect with art in unexpected and rewarding ways. Special attention is given to reaching these students, through the schools and appropriate agencies. Serving Pleasanton artists is foremost in the concept of TVAST. The artists benefit from this event by showcasing their work and developing new contacts. Most event participants are those already interested in visual arts, and many bring their families and friends, which expands the number of people engaging with visual arts. The promotion of the bike tour will expand the event's reach to community members looking for a fun experience to add to a biking excursion. TVAST is free to everyone and a unique, fun opportunity for families, seniors, bikers, teens, college students and anyone else to see inside the private studios of working artists and have an engaging experience with artists about their artwork and creative process. Open studios are particularly beneficial in inspiring attendees to begin to create. Art making is known to nurture creative problem solving, and augments learning that can be missed in today's STEM culture. Open studios provides an excellent outing for youth, who may never have known a working artist and to see what that entails. Please describe in detail what the community grant funds will be specifically used for. The grant funds will be used to rent The Firehouse Arts Center, as it has for past TVAST events, to serve as the premier Pleasanton art site. The Firehouse is the local icon for art and culture and is essential as the anchor for the tour. This first-rate venue sets the tone for the event and brings together the cultural aspects already present in Pleasanton with the visual artists who reside here. Utilizing the Firehouse space with a high-quality exhibition enhances the event and serves the City of Pleasanton well. Funds ($1,000) will be used to engage the Firehouse and for spaces for artists who either do not have studios or cannot open their homes/studio to the public. Funds ($4,000) will be used for marketing and promotional material, as outlined above in question 4. Page 31 of 116