Tampa Arts Alliance Formed, Announces Board of Directors

TAMPA, Fla., June 16, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- We are pleased to announce the formation of the nonprofit group, the Tampa Arts Alliance. The Tampa Arts Alliance is a non-governmental arts organization for the Tampa arts scene.

"This is an organization Tampa is ready for," says Neil Gobioff, Chair. "Several arts leaders were gathering separately to discuss how to increase support for the arts as Tampa grows."

The Tampa Arts Alliance began to take shape as the Gobioff Foundation teamed up with Bill Carlson of Tucker/Hall, Inc. to produce a series of roundtables and forums that addressed the current position of the arts at both organizational and grassroots levels.

"With the support of the City and local leadership, we have grown momentum in support of the arts as key to Tampa's economic well-being and quality of life," Gobioff said. "Without the arts we cannot tell our story. Tampa is not just a city trying to be like somewhere else. We want to raise up the profile of our arts and culture to show off what makes Tampa unique. There is a lot to love here."

Start-up funding is being provided by Tucker/Hall and the Gobioff Foundation and legal services are provided by Sandy Rief of Allen Dell. First steps included the formation of a Board of Directors and an interim Executive Director. In addition to the Board of Directors, the organization is developing committees to address the needs of keys aspects within our arts ecosystem including support for grassroots artists, connecting non-profit leadership, fundraising, and advocacy.

The Board of Directors officers include:

Neil Gobioff, Chair
Neil Gobioff is the President of the Gobioff Foundation and CFO of Crab Devil

Dana Warner, Vice-Chair
Dana Warner is the Development Director of Friends of Carrollwood Cultural Center

Kathy Durdin, Treasurer/Secretary
Kathy Durdin is Director of Operations at the Florida Watercolor Society

Additional members of the Board of Directors include:

Bill Carlson - President of Tucker Hall and Tampa City Council Member
Gary Sasso - President and CEO of Carlton Fields
Sara Richter - Arts Leader
Frank J. "Sandy" Rief, III – Shareholder at Allen Dell and The Duckwall Foundation
Jennifer R. Malin - Community Foundation of Tampa Bay
Lauren Brigman - Board Chair, Stageworks Theatre
Henry Gonzalez, III – Tampa Bay Market President of Beach Community Bank
Jeff Gibson – Shareholder at Macfarlane Ferguson & McMullen
Michele Smith - The Resiliency School, is acting as Executive Director

The work of the Tampa Arts Alliance will include, but will not be limited to:

• Helping create a clearer vision for the arts in Tampa
• Attracting funding for the arts
• Fostering greater awareness inside and outside the City of Tampa about the artists who work here and the arts venues, outlets, and programming available
• Working with arts organizations to inventory Tampa's cultural assets
• Helping connect local artists and arts organizations with each other
• Developing, enhancing, and fostering greater availability of resources to support local artists and arts venues
• Advocating, as necessary, for greater support for and recognition of the arts by public authorities
• Identifying and creating places and spaces where artists can connect
• Exploring parts of Tampa (e.g., Ybor City) where we might help encourage and support the creation of an arts district
• Gathering information about best practices and success stories in other communities known for the arts, e.g., Seattle

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The Tampa Arts Alliance is a nonprofit 501©3 established in 2021 as a catalyst and convener of arts advocates dedicated to making Tampa a city known for excellence in the arts.

For more information, please follow us on Facebook at @TampaArtsAlliance.

Media Contact

Michele Smith, Tampa Arts Alliance, 813-401-6534, [email protected]

SOURCE Tampa Arts Alliance