Photo credit: Johnathon Van Houdt
COEUR D’ALENE ARTS AND CULTURE ALLIANCE (A&C)
T
he Coeur d’Alene Arts and Culture Alliance (A&C) is also a
membership organization. Originally a CdA Chamber of Commerce
committee formed in 2003, in 2005 they filed the paperwork to
become an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and are now able to
solicit and accept tax-deductible donations.
The programs they offer support the arts in all its forms. “There is an
event going on in the community all the time,” Executive Director
Ali Shute says excitedly. The question of retaining young artists is not
the focus for Coeur d’Alene. “There is a base of art leaders in [our]
community that believe in paying for art.” Well-established venues
have always paid performing artists, and the growing retail market downtown allows visual artists to sell their work.
“This attracts high caliber talent, which increases audience, and creates more art,” says Shute.
The A&C is best known as the organizer of Artwalk, which takes place on the second Friday of the month from April-December.
Participants stroll through beautiful downtown Coeur d’Alene, enjoy the many galleries the main streets have to offer, and
observe one of the largest public art collections per capita lining Sherman Avenue.
Music Walk fills every second Friday of the month from January-March, and features local musical performances. Musicians
are likewise supported by the A&C through the Riverstone Summer Concert Series. A new program, Music for the Wise,
allows local musicians to give back to the CdA community and share their art by bringing entertainment to mobility-challenged
residents of various assisted living facilities.
May | June 2018
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