Letter to the Editor: Arts Council recognized by Rep. Ciscomani

Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: The Gila Valley Arts Council recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Dear fellow patrons of the arts,

We want to share with you the recent recognition given to us by our U.S. District 6 Representative, Juan Ciscomani, for our having reached 40 years of service to our community, as recorded in the Congressional Record.   It came as a sweet surprise at our last board meeting when the official framed document was presented by Graham County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Vance Bryce. 

We truly wish to thank all of our members, our dedicated board members, and many of you who attend our evening concerts in support of the arts. Your consistent support really does help us in our real mission, which revolves around sharing our artists with as many schoolchildren and young adults as possible through our School Outreach programming, as you well know. If you’re ever free on a Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m., think about dropping by to see what happens when 900-plus students of different age groups attend a bus-in performance. It’s a wonderful thing.

Moving forward, we have our 2026-2027 Performing Arts Season, our 41st, ready to go. We may roll out our Membership Renewal drive earlier than normal, so be on the lookout in your mailbox.

Sincerely,

Tom Green, President

Leslie Campos, Secretary

Lori Rhinehart, Treasurer

Paulette LeBlanc Residency  Chair and Grantwriter

Chip Cheney, Safford School Liaison and Webmaster

Janice Evans, Membership Chair

David Himelfarb, Graham County Liaison