Later this month, Denali Arts Council is hosting the inaugural Raising Spirits Festival, a first-of-its-kind fundraiser in Alaska.
Talkeetna is no stranger to festivals organized around breweries. Often, those festivals act as fundraisers for local non-profit organizations. On February 25th, the first fundraiser based around Alaskan distilleries will be held by the Denali Arts Council at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar.
DAC Business Manager Michelle Crow says the goal of the festival, which is called Raising Spirits, is two-fold. A majority of the funds raised will go toward paying the operations cost of DAC and the Hangar. She says the arts council tries to keep ticket costs low for most events. That, combined with the difficulty of obtaining grants for day-to-day operations, led to exploring other ways to raise those funds.
“We’re limited by the amount of income we can actually bring into the building, so we just had this idea that we do something really fun and special and give everyone the opportunity to support the arts council, support the Emmila A. Denny Scholarship fund, but also have a great time doing it.”
The Emmila Denny Scholarship Fund will receive thirty percent of proceeds from Raising Spirits. The scholarship has been dormant for a number of years, and Crow as well as the DAC board hope to make it active again. Crow says the aim of the fund is to help Northern Valley Residents pursuing educational opportunities in the arts.
“Whether it’s an adult who wants to take a writing course, or a child who wants some help going to the Sitka Fine Arts Camp, it’s just an opportunity for anyone in the Upper Susitna Valley to have access to scholarship funds to continue their fine arts education.”
The price of entry to Raising Spirits is higher than most DAC patrons are accustomed to seeing. Crow says the intent is to provide a high-end experience to those who attend.
“I wanted to just bring an elegant, beautiful event to the Hangar at a time when a lot of us are probably looking for something special to do.”
Crow says Raising Spirits will be the first fundraiser of its kind in the state, with the inclusion of distilleries and high-end cocktails. She adds that there will also be a focus on the core principles of DAC, including art in various forms.
“Because this is supposed to be a true immersion of art…we’re going to have an aerialist performing throughout the duration of the event, and we’re going to have a band performing throughout the duration of the event. We’re also going to have a silent art auction.”
More information on the Raising Spirits Festival, including how to get tickets, is available at denaliartscouncil.org.
