The recent 43rd annual Uncommon Cause arts fundraiser and auction netted a second-best-ever $111,000 amid a crowd of about 315 people, according to organizers. The total includes about $12,000 raised in the Fund-a-Need category for the pilot project and recently opened 411 gallery downtown.
Last year’s gathering generated $110,934. The top net figure was $118,000 set in 2015, according to local records. The event raises money for and awareness of the work of the nonprofit Columbus Area Arts Council, the primary arts agency locally since 1988.
The events feature a silent and public auction that raise part of the funds, plus a variety of sponsorships, along with live music and food.
Kathryn Armstrong, the arts council’s executive director, said the Aug. 25 event at Harrison Lake Country Club in Columbus was a success.
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“We’ve tried our best to keep expenses low and tried to get a lot of donations even before the event,” Armstrong said. “And that has helped us grow things a little more. But the event is really about getting the message out and telling our story of how we serve the region, and how people embrace that.”
Board president Scott Poling said he is always pleased with financial results that exceeds a six-figure baseline.
The arts council is best known for its free, signature public events such as Old National Bank First Fridays for Families series, the summertime street concerts known as JCB NeighborFEST, and its June Live on the Plaza concert featuring nontraditional performers in a relaxed, outdoor setting.
Since last year, it has also added pop-up programming — one-of-a-kind events, many of them free, featuring a broad range of art forms while focusing on education and engagement. The next is a concert with multi-instrumentalist Emily Wells Nov. 16 at The Commons downtown.
Last year, arts leaders moved from a more-structured, sit-down dinner for Uncommon Cause to a more informal, munch-and-mingle affair at the Columbus Learning Center. This year’s event kept the format change at the new country club venue.
The most recent fundraiser also was held earlier than most Uncommon Cause events since the 1990s, which traditionally have been in October. Organizers said they simply were trying to avoid overlapping with an event-heavy October locally. Armstrong said there is a good chance the earlier date will be used again next year.
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2017: $110,934
2016: $77,000
2015: $118,000
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