The High Point Arts Council (HPAC) has been a long-standing partner of The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro (The ACGG), the two organizations working in unified cooperation within two unique communities. When Allie Arpajian, Director of the High Point Arts Council, started there a year ago, she was confronted with a community and board hungry for change. With Allie at the helm, this past year has proven to be one of innovation, visioning, and community engagement at the HPAC.
The High Point creative community is a changing landscape. With a background in arts, parks & recreation, and nonprofit management, Allie is at home when she is creating impact by serving in the arts. Her ultimate goal was always to work for an arts council, and this ferventness for the creative community is evidenced in her work at HPAC. Early this year, Allie and her team sat down and intentionally analyzed the needs of the High Point community, bringing in a diverse set of voices. After conducting a needs assessment including 75 surveys and 15 focus groups, it was clear that High Point had a distinct desire for programming.
The HPAC directly responded to this cry by increasing their events by 45%. One such initiative was re-instating HPAC’s Day in the Park, bringing together over one hundred different arts organizations. The results? Of the many people who came out for the event, 85% were first-time attendees.
Whether in programming, advocacy, or grant distributions, the High Point Arts Council is collaborative and dedicated to bringing in community voices to inform their strategic plan and actions. The ACGG and HPAC overlap in more than one realm. In addition to partnering on Grassroots Grant distributions, the High Point Arts Council has also participated in the sustainability cohorts hosted by the Arts Council of Greater Greensboro. Allie Arpajian, who has attended these sessions says, “a lot of the tools that we’re learning are informing our decisions with the board, programs, and others”. As the High Point Arts Council moves forward strategically, they are equipped to move forward sustainably.
We are stronger together. As two arts councils serve two different populations, The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro values this collaboration with the High Point Arts Council as it leads to greater impact. Here’s to celebrating partnership, innovation, and the years to come!
To learn more about the High Point Arts Council , please visit https://highpointarts.org/
