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Contact: Andrea Wedren, Executive Director T: 216.272.1084 E: awedren@the-human-fund.org THE HUMAN FUND ESTABLISHED TO HELP SAVE CLEVELAND ARTS PROGRAMS August 22, 2005 Cleveland, OH - Cleveland school kids and their parents worried about possible cutbacks in the arts due to the recent levy defeat received some good news last week. Cleveland-born industrialist Andrew Rayburn developed the Human Fund. As founder and Chairman Rayburn states, “We are excited to make a positive impact on Cleveland’s schools and the city. The simple fact that we have half of our first year’s fundraising event sold out before even sending out invitations has us incredibly energized.” The initial grant amount will be based on the foundation's upcoming fund raising event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and will likely exceed $100,000 with larger grants to come in subsequent years. The Human Fund will give the majority of its inaugural grant money to the Cleveland Municipal School District’s All–City Arts Program. It encompasses 12 student musical, dance and visual-art ensembles; private musical lessons; an annual arts festival; and student exhibitions and performances, including an annual musical theatre production. This program touches children in grades K- 12 in over 100 schools. Barbara Byrd-Bennett, CEO for the schools, said, “through their incredible generosity, The Human Fund is affording hundreds of Cleveland's most gifted young people the opportunity to develop their skills and talents in the arts. The All-City Arts Program has demonstrated that the kids involved in this program are not only capable of artistic excellence, but they have also achieved academically as well." There are many other organizations being targeted for funding including the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Art To Go program and the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland’s (MOCA) School to Museum Program. “With funding provided by the Human Fund, The Cleveland Museum of Art will be able to continue to share from our world-renowned treasures with students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District,” said Marjorie Williams, CMA’s director of education and public programs. “This is particularly important as we prepare to begin the Museum’s renovation and construction project. Although students will have limited access to the Museum’s permanent collection, our Art to Go program, drawing from its own special collection of art, will ensure that they continue to enjoy exciting, educational arts experiences in their own schools.” One of the other organizations due to receive funds will be MOCA Cleveland’s School to Museum program. Director Jill Snyder notes, “MOCA Cleveland is thrilled and honored to receive inaugural funding from the Human Fund to support our School to Museum Program. This program provides thousands of Cleveland school children with the learning tools to experience contemporary art and ideas.” Rayburn will personally cover the foundation’s overhead costs and salaries so that all contributions to the Human Fund will go to the support of several arts education programs for underprivileged Cleveland youth. The foundation will hold its first fund–raising event on October 22 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. Dubbed “The pARTy”, it will feature a gallery of art created by students in the All-City Arts Program. Art created by local and international artists will also be displayed. “The pARTy” will have a Cuban flavor with live Latin jazz music. The Human Fund originated earlier this year when, according to Rayburn, he and a group of like–minded individuals got tired of hearing people complain about what is wrong with Cleveland. Instead of finding fault, they decided to do something to help. Rayburn is enthusiastic about the Chagrin Falls based Human Fund. “There has been an outpouring of volunteer support on our committees, board and advisors that we did not dream of four months ago when this all started.” For more information about “The pARTy”, call Andrea Wedren at 216.287.6758 or log onto www.the-human-fund.org.