2007 Annual Appeal
Greetings,
As a primary steward of the Steel Yard during 2007, I have spent a fair amount of time thinking about what it means when a dream grows up. Five years young, the Yard is a combination of terrible twos and early adolescence: alternately precocious, awkward, charming, blunt, refreshingly hopeful.
During those years of being nurtured and held tight by our extraordinary founders, we often found ourselves perched on the edge of the nest and spreading our tough little wings. As the founders looked at us proudly (and with clear concern) we swaggered and pranced and made ambitious plans for what we wanted to be.
This, however, was the year we actually measured the distance between our perch and the final destination of our flight.
One leg of that flight came in late June when we signed a note for 1.5 million dollars to take ownership of our site. That action released access to $400,000 of US EPA Brownfield grant funds that we had successfully competed for in the spring. In order to integrate the site's environmental cleanup with future facilities growth, we undertook a comprehensive master planning process with Cambridge-based Klopfer Martin Design Group (KMDG). Their visionary solution to the challenges of meeting environmental remediation standards respected the site's industrial heritage and the Steel Yard's overall intentions. It also gave us the room to think beyond the arduous and expensive process of meeting DEM's requirements. As we reviewed plans and took computer-simulated journeys through the Steel Yard of the future we felt a combination of joy and disbelief.
By our annual fundraiser in May, we had transformed this sense of wonder into a concrete undertaking with a specific price tag. At the gala, we previewed our bold, 5 million dollar capital campaign Yard by the Foot. While this preview raised close to $100,000 in less than half-an-hour, we anticipate the actual campaign will be a sustained, longer-term effort, taking 3-5 years. We look forward to sharing the master plan with you in 2008-along with details about how you can hop on board for this important leg of the Steel Yard's flight.
Our growing understanding of our institutional trajectory pushed us to expand our reach in new ways. In September, in conjunction with the City of Providence's Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, we hosted a group of artists from Hamilton, Ontario. Inspired not only by the story of the Steel Yard, but also by the rich cultural context in which we work, they traveled here to study us. We, in turn, used their visit as an opportunity to explore the Yard's potential to serve as a consultant to communities seeking ways to integrate arts and industry.
Also this fall, Pawtucket-based Bucket Co. began working with us to develop a new and improved website whose expanded services will include new access to resources including our 'jobs board' which contributed private commissions to over 40 individual artists in the last 12 months alone. With a planned debut in time for spring 2008 registration, the new site will substantially enhance our accessibility, making enrollment easier and keeping all of you up-to-date about our events and projects.
In an extraordinary nod to the leadership of the Steel Yard's board of directors, these numerous strategic planning activities happened while the organization continued to meet its mission of cultivating an environment of experimentation and a community strengthened by creative networks.
Our capacity to teach grew. 340 individuals participated in 74 community classes, 17 of which were new in 2007. Over the summer we renovated the "warm room" into a light metals studio and introduced our first jewelry classes. With local support from the Providence After School Alliance (PASA), we expanded our youth programs to include middle schoolers and served close to 100 students under seventeen. These programs included a second summer of Camp Metalhead, two monster bike classes and the exciting debut of free Youth Open Studios. Meanwhile, Urban Furniture found its presence in 7 new neighborhoods and took on larger scale challenges including the creation of the magical entrance to Tropical America at Roger Williams Park Zoo. With the help of Social Venture Partners of Rhode Island (SVPRI), Urban Furniture completed and adopted a strong business plan and began to work towards the identified outcomes.
As I consider all of this, I am awed.
Through the work of our dedicated and passionate staff of five, our AmeriCorps* VISTA members, our seven board members, our two founders, our instructors, and an ever-growing roster of volunteers, our grown-up dream is getting closer, taking shape, becoming solid.
And then, of course, there is you.
None of this would be possible without you. When you choose to join us in developing this marvelous experiment called the Steel Yard -- whether through advocacy, volunteerism, participation in classes and projects, or by giving money or advice, you become a partner in our journey. You help us chart our flight plan, commit us to our destination and most importantly, give us the courage to soar.
Thank you for these gifts.
This year, as we look back and ahead all at once, I ask for your continued support and, specifically, for your donation to the 2007 annual appeal. We're all counting on you.
Warmest wishes for all of 2008.
Sincerely,
Drake Patten
The Steel Yard depends on the support of generous individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors to run our arts and community-building programs. To learn more about what we do, to schedule a tour, or to view a class, call us at 401-273-7101, or stop by our Sims Avenue office.
The Steel Yard is a program of the Woonasquatucket Valley Community Build, a 501(c)3 © 2004
As a primary steward of the Steel Yard during 2007, I have spent a fair amount of time thinking about what it means when a dream grows up. Five years young, the Yard is a combination of terrible twos and early adolescence: alternately precocious, awkward, charming, blunt, refreshingly hopeful.
During those years of being nurtured and held tight by our extraordinary founders, we often found ourselves perched on the edge of the nest and spreading our tough little wings. As the founders looked at us proudly (and with clear concern) we swaggered and pranced and made ambitious plans for what we wanted to be.
This, however, was the year we actually measured the distance between our perch and the final destination of our flight.
One leg of that flight came in late June when we signed a note for 1.5 million dollars to take ownership of our site. That action released access to $400,000 of US EPA Brownfield grant funds that we had successfully competed for in the spring. In order to integrate the site's environmental cleanup with future facilities growth, we undertook a comprehensive master planning process with Cambridge-based Klopfer Martin Design Group (KMDG). Their visionary solution to the challenges of meeting environmental remediation standards respected the site's industrial heritage and the Steel Yard's overall intentions. It also gave us the room to think beyond the arduous and expensive process of meeting DEM's requirements. As we reviewed plans and took computer-simulated journeys through the Steel Yard of the future we felt a combination of joy and disbelief.
By our annual fundraiser in May, we had transformed this sense of wonder into a concrete undertaking with a specific price tag. At the gala, we previewed our bold, 5 million dollar capital campaign Yard by the Foot. While this preview raised close to $100,000 in less than half-an-hour, we anticipate the actual campaign will be a sustained, longer-term effort, taking 3-5 years. We look forward to sharing the master plan with you in 2008-along with details about how you can hop on board for this important leg of the Steel Yard's flight.
Our growing understanding of our institutional trajectory pushed us to expand our reach in new ways. In September, in conjunction with the City of Providence's Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, we hosted a group of artists from Hamilton, Ontario. Inspired not only by the story of the Steel Yard, but also by the rich cultural context in which we work, they traveled here to study us. We, in turn, used their visit as an opportunity to explore the Yard's potential to serve as a consultant to communities seeking ways to integrate arts and industry.
Also this fall, Pawtucket-based Bucket Co. began working with us to develop a new and improved website whose expanded services will include new access to resources including our 'jobs board' which contributed private commissions to over 40 individual artists in the last 12 months alone. With a planned debut in time for spring 2008 registration, the new site will substantially enhance our accessibility, making enrollment easier and keeping all of you up-to-date about our events and projects.
In an extraordinary nod to the leadership of the Steel Yard's board of directors, these numerous strategic planning activities happened while the organization continued to meet its mission of cultivating an environment of experimentation and a community strengthened by creative networks.
Our capacity to teach grew. 340 individuals participated in 74 community classes, 17 of which were new in 2007. Over the summer we renovated the "warm room" into a light metals studio and introduced our first jewelry classes. With local support from the Providence After School Alliance (PASA), we expanded our youth programs to include middle schoolers and served close to 100 students under seventeen. These programs included a second summer of Camp Metalhead, two monster bike classes and the exciting debut of free Youth Open Studios. Meanwhile, Urban Furniture found its presence in 7 new neighborhoods and took on larger scale challenges including the creation of the magical entrance to Tropical America at Roger Williams Park Zoo. With the help of Social Venture Partners of Rhode Island (SVPRI), Urban Furniture completed and adopted a strong business plan and began to work towards the identified outcomes.
As I consider all of this, I am awed.
Through the work of our dedicated and passionate staff of five, our AmeriCorps* VISTA members, our seven board members, our two founders, our instructors, and an ever-growing roster of volunteers, our grown-up dream is getting closer, taking shape, becoming solid.
And then, of course, there is you.
None of this would be possible without you. When you choose to join us in developing this marvelous experiment called the Steel Yard -- whether through advocacy, volunteerism, participation in classes and projects, or by giving money or advice, you become a partner in our journey. You help us chart our flight plan, commit us to our destination and most importantly, give us the courage to soar.
Thank you for these gifts.
This year, as we look back and ahead all at once, I ask for your continued support and, specifically, for your donation to the 2007 annual appeal. We're all counting on you.
Warmest wishes for all of 2008.
Sincerely,
Drake Patten
The Steel Yard depends on the support of generous individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors to run our arts and community-building programs. To learn more about what we do, to schedule a tour, or to view a class, call us at 401-273-7101, or stop by our Sims Avenue office.
The Steel Yard is a program of the Woonasquatucket Valley Community Build, a 501(c)3 © 2004
