User Spotlight: Christopher Murphy, The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen
Get to know Christopher Murphy, Marketing and PR Director at The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen, this week?s ConnectVA User Spotlight!
Tell us about yourself.
My name is Christopher Murphy and I?m the Marketing & PR Director at The Cultural Arts Center. The focus of my work is providing marketing, PR and graphic design support for The Cultural Art Center?s arts programming, two concert series (2nd Stage and Center Season), facility rentals and development and outreach efforts. It?s a particularly exciting role in that I get to work with all departments and be in the center of all the action!
How is your work aligning with ConnectVA?s mission to empower individuals, advancing organizations, or strengthening our community?
My work aligns with Connect VA?s mission of strengthening our community in that The Cultural Arts Center provides many educational and community-based events throughout each season ? many of which are free and open to the public. We also offer art classes for all ages and ranges of abilities including classes to inspire youth of all ages and even classes for entire families! Our outreach efforts extend into the community to inspire and empower communities who may not have access to the arts. Our outreach includes the following programs:
ART MATTERS reaches at risk, and emerging youth in Henrico County in conjunction with PAL (Police Athletic League) by bringing art, music, and dance classes into the after school program.
ARTFUL LIVING brings free and reduced cost art experiences to the healthy aging in Richmond by going into the Friendship Cafes, and to Carriage Hill.
CREATIVE FAMILY STUDIO is the Cultural Arts Center?s newest program designed to bring emerging families together with art classes, dinner, and quality parenting advice to help build a stronger family.
What do you find most rewarding about your work?
I love being surrounded by great art! I?m so fortunate to work in a space that is always thriving and full of new exciting art and great energy!
What?s coming next for your organization that really excites you?
This season, the Cultural Arts Center is celebrating our ?Sweet 16? with a 2 day celebration. On March 14 we will have a ticketed event with food, an exciting live artist auction and entertainment by ?A Date with Frank & Marilyn? – A duo that has the impersonation of Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe down so well you will think that you are back in 1962!
The celebration will continue on Sunday, March 15 from 1-5pm with a Sweet 16 Open House at The Cultural Center. This event is free and open to the public and no ticket is required for entry. Attendees will have a chance to see the Cultural Arts Center in full swing with a day of arts programming, family activities and games, GrowRVA food trucks, entertainment and more!
Tickets to attend on March 14 are only $75 and available at www.artsglenallen.com or by calling (804) 261-ARTS.
How are you leveraging ConnectVA to achieve your mission?
I?ve found the Connect VA event listing to be especially helpful. It?s a great way to get the word out about our events but also see on the calendar what else is going on around town to identify partnership opportunities. The daily emails are a great snapshot of what?s happening. I love receiving them. I have also placed postings on the Message Board and find the news and announcements page full of great information.
