Earlier this week we pulled out our office buddy, Froggy McFerrin. The occasion? We just pushed through the halfway mark in our 12-week Annual Community Campaign. 

Over 21,000 of 42,000 donations needed have been collected, translating to more than $7 million of our $12.6 million goal. These gifts have come from dozens of workplace giving campaigns across the region, and dozens more are kicking off over the next several weeks. We may be halfway there, but it’s still a long way to go.  

Each year at this time, the ArtsWave staff pauses with a mix of anxiety and excitement, knowing that we can’t possibly communicate loudly enough how essential it is that all Greater Cincinnatians step up to support the ArtsWave Community Campaign. It’s these thousands of donations that then fuel the impact of 100+ arts organizations, enliven neighborhood arts collaborations and celebrations, and give kids enriching arts experiences in their schools.

We’re not worried, we’re happy! Each day we get to come to work and share this great message about the positive benefits of the arts. 

We want you to be happy, too. One great way to remember these positive benefits is to use your ArtsWave ArtsPass. Any gift of $75 or more earns you an ArtsPass, your tax-deductible ticket to deals on more than 100 arts experiences. This month, we’re asking for your help to show those experiences off. Through April 16, please snap a picture at an ArtsPass event and share on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #artswaveartspass. Show us how you use your ArtsPass, and you’ll be entered to win tickets to Cincinnati Fringe Festival, the Reds and FC Cincinnati. Enjoy experiences through your ArtsPass and get more experiences to enjoy? Sounds like a happy day to me. 

More ways to get happy: this coming Wednesday, March 29 from 5 PM-8PM, ArtsWave will be the beneficiary of Charitable Suds at Rhinegeist, with $1 donated for every pint poured. Color outside the lines in our interactive, 12-foot long coloring book, filling in iconic Cincinnati images or freestyling your favorite arts experiences.  

On Sunday April 19, cheer on the ten company choral teams as they compete in ArtsWave’s CincySings at the Aronoff Center for the Arts. CincySings is sponsored by Accenture with The Cincinnati Enquirer as official media partner. This annual singing celebration is hosted by Cincinnati Actor Drew Lachey with judges including The Enquirer Arts Reporter Janelle Gelfand, Channel 12 Anchor Bob Herzog, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra Conductor John Morris Russell, and award-winning vocalist, CEO and Founder of Learning Through Art Kathy Wade. This nationally-acclaimed event showcases the vocal talents of teams of employees from many of ArtsWave campaign workplaces – P&G, The Christ Hospital, Duke Energy, Western & Southern, Sibcy Cline, Macy’s, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, The Cincinnati Insurance Companies, and BB&T. The team that works together and sings together just might win together! 

A few days after CincySings, we’ll host our second ArtsWave Tidal: Arts x Tech weekend, presented by Fifth Third Bank. During these two days, ArtsWave brings together strategists, developers, artists, marketers, and many more to solve some of the biggest challenges within the arts sector as defined by arts leaders. We can use the talents of all types of individuals to come up with solutions and the winning idea, which will be chosen by a panel of judges, will be advanced through $5,000 in funding. 

There’s even more to sing about. ArtsWave will be FC Cincinnati’s community partner on April 22nd at Nippert Stadium. Stop by our booth and get free giveaways, and enter to win an ArtsPass. Looking ahead to this summer, we head to Great American Ball Park on July 21 for our annual favorite Art in the Park Day. Enjoy performances from local arts organizations including the Cincinnati Pops  and Elementz as the Reds take on the Marlins. 

Froggy is still tapping his foot and urging us on. “Don’t worry, be happy, #ISupportArtsWave” he says. We hope you say the same thing.