Staff Photo by Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Model Mattie Waters smiles as visual artist Matthew Dutton applies paint to her dress during the annual Allied Arts Kick-off gathering Tuesday at the Chattanooga Theatre Center. The performance was a choreographed program by Lindsay Fussell called Random Acts of Arts.Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga, an arts advocacy agency, kicked off its 2011 annual campaign on Tuesday at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.
The goal for the four-month campaign is to raise $1.85 million, according to Dan Bowers, Allied Arts president. Leaders of the effort are Terri and Craig Holley.
"We are proud of the impact the arts have on our community and proud to support the efforts of Allied Arts," said Craig Holley, president and CEO of CapitalMark Bank & Trust, in a news release.
This year's goal is up by almost $250,000 over last year's, Bowers said.
The money raised will fund Allied Arts' initiatives and grants, as well as provide a major contribution toward the operating budgets of its 14 cultural partners and arts programs in schools.
The theme for this year's campaign is "The Arts Will Surprise You," and Tuesday's event featured some surprise performances, including a stomp dance.
Rodney Van Valkenburg, director of communications/arts education, said Allied Arts has planned several "random acts of art" for the coming months as part of the theme.
Allied Arts was created in 1969 and has raised more than $50 million since then. The money is used to support and nurture the arts in the area.
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