Patti Frierson
Allied Arts announced today that Chattanooga businesswoman and community volunteer Patti Frierson will serve as chairman of the organization’s 2010 Annual Campaign which will commence Thursday, Feb. 25, at a celebration at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.
Allied Arts is the city’s government-sanctioned arts agency of Greater Chattanooga, and a nationally recognized advocate for the arts.
The fund-raising campaign is a four-month effort to raise the $2 million in support needed to fund the organization’s city and county-wide arts education program, arts project grants, and supply the financial foundation for operating budgets crucial to major arts organizations city and countywide.
Cultural Partners which receive financial support from Allied Arts include the Arts & Education Council, Association for Visual Arts, Bessie Smith Cultural Center, Chattanooga African American Museum, Ballet Tennessee, Chattanooga Ballet, Chattanooga Boys Choir, Chattanooga Girls Choir, Chattanooga History Center, Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Creative Discovery Museum, the Choral Arts Society, The Hunter Museum of Art, and the Shaking Ray Levi Society.
Mrs. Frierson has served on the board of directors for Allied Arts since 2005. As a former executive with Burson-Marstellar, one of the world’s largest public relations firms, she has put her marketing skills to work as an advisor and board member for numerous civic organizations since moving to Chattanooga with her family in 1995. They include the 21st Century Waterfront Trust, WTCI, Siskin Children’s Institute, Creative Discovery Museum, the Urban Art Institute, Vanderbilt University, Baylor School, and the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, among others. She was an arts history major at Vanderbilt University, and has worked at the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian, in Washington D.C. She is an associate at Embellish for the nationally renowned Carlisle Collection and at SCS Designs for Etcetera.
“The arts are important to us all,” said Mrs. Frierson. “They are a universal language which can be shared by diverse groups, and they connect us through a common experience. Not only do the arts contribute to our quality of life here in Chattanooga, but national statistics show that exposure to the arts empower academic success in our children. I am honored to work with Allied Arts and help achieve its financial goals so that we may all continue to enjoy the benefits the arts offer us every day.”
Under the guidance of Dan Bowers, president of Allied Arts, the organization has recently been recognized for its contributions and achievements through special grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Kresge Foundation, which have helped sustain the arts in the community during this challenging economic period. “Patti brings fresh creativity to the campaign, and a wealth of experience. Her involvement in the 2010 campaign is instrumental in helping us expand our base of support and enhance community outreach,” he said. “We are inspired by her work and commitment to the arts.”
Founded in 1969, Allied Arts is a non-profit united arts fund that has raised nearly $50 million of support to nurture arts and cultural organizations in the Chattanooga area. Allied Arts’ mission is to galvanize broad participation in and widespread support for the arts.