This past week the Arts Council of Fairfax County announced they would be awarding Cityline Partners the Arts Philanthropy Award their decades long commitment to the local arts. The second annual award presentation will be held October 25th from noon to 2:00 PM during a luncheon at the Fairview Park Marriott. The event recognizes the the extraordinary contributions of artists and art organizations, including the private sector, that supports the arts in Fairfax County, City of Fairfax, and City of Falls Church.
Cityline Partners, and their former affiliated West Group management, have been integral members of the local arts through years of philanthropy and stewardship which includes but is not limited to: contribution and organization of fundraising for the reconstruction of Wolf Trap’s Filene Center, in-kind facility services to the Travelling Players Ensemble, sponsorship of Celebrate Fairfax, and the Mclean Orchestra and Youth Orchestra.
“We at Cityline feel a strong sense of stewardship for the residents and infrastructure in Tysons and Fairfax County and what better way is there, to strengthen and give back to the community than by supporting the arts; a universal language everyone can identify with” says Executive Vice President Thomas Fleury.
While the award is still a new tradition, the presence of the Arts Council of Fairfax County has been deeply rooted in the cultivation of the arts, music, and culture in Fairfax. In 2014 the council will celebrate their 50th Anniversary.
The commitment of the council will continue through the next steps for Fairfax County, including the ambitious plans to urbanize Tysons. Centralized in the plans for the new Tysons is the formation of an identity and culture through the arts. This year they received the federal Our Town Grant by the National Endowment for the Arts, awarding $50,000 towards the Imagine Art Here program. The program will install temporary public art at the four new Silver Line stations to engage the public on how the arts interact with society. Imagine Art Here will both elicit a vision for the arts in Tysons, and collect resident, workforce, and retail visitor feedback on the type of facilities, public art and related amenities desired.
“Tysons is a progressive and rapidly growing community, and provides a perfect intersection for art and urban life,” says Linda S. Sullivan, president & CEO, of the Arts Council of Fairfax County. “The Imagine Art Here initiative will enable the residents in Tysons and Fairfax County to provide their ideas and preferences for the inclusion of public art and arts amenities in the future development of Tysons. We thank the Fairfax County Government and Tysons Partnership for their vital roles as project partners.”
The input from the Imagine Art Here initiative will inform the Master Arts Plan (MAP). The goal of MAP is to expand community access to and engagement in the arts and culture by planning cultural facilities and public art throughout Fairfax County that reflects its diversity, considers existing facilities, and responds to future growth.