Meeting recently to toast the Illinois Arts Alliance's first benefit held March 5, the opening night performance of Amadeus at the Blackstone Theater, Chicago, are (left to right): Dan Feldt as Mozart; Cornelia Honchar Tuite, Benefit Chairperson; President Mort Kaplan, and Dr. Ted Flickinger, IPAD Executive Director.

IAPD Executive Director Appointed To IAA/IAAC

Ted Flickinger, Executive Director of the Illinois Association of Park Districts, has been appointed to the newly formed organizations of the Illinois Arts Alliance/Illinois Arts Action Coalition (IAA/ IAAC). These organizations are dedicated to researching and disseminating information on the economic, educational and cultural importance of the arts to Illinois. While building a network of communication to facilitate efforts toward shared goals, the Alliance services the most artists and art concerned citizens of any statewide organization.

The Illinois Arts Alliance has received the endorsement and support of Chicago's major cultural institutions including the League of

Illinois Parks and Recreation 16 March/April 1983

Chicago Theatres, the Lyric Opera, the Chicago Ballet, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Field Museum. Representatives of these institutions as well as directors of arts organizations throughout Illinois such as the Mitchell Museum, the Springfield Theatre Guild, Springboard, the Carbondale Community Education Arts Association, the Quincy Society of Fine Arts, the Eastern Illinois University School of Fine Arts, and the University of Illinois School of Fine Arts sit on the IAA Board of Directors providing unity and leadership for the various activities and projects.

The Illinois Arts Action Coalition does lobby and works for the arts in the state legislature and was instrumental in convincing the Governor not to line item veto close to two million dollars in arts appropriations out of the 1983 budget.

Cooperation between the IAA/IAAC and the IAPD is possible on many levels: co-lobbying in Springfield, co-sponsorship of workshops and promotional events for the arts in the parks and participation in each other's meetings such as our statewide May Conference on the Arts and the IAPD/IPRA State Conference. Stan Perrino is serving as the coordinator of the session "Parks and Recreation: An Oft Time Overlooked Resource in the Arts" for the May 21st "Partnerships in the Arts" Conference.

Illinois Parks and Recreation   17   March/April 1983