An Evening at Morton's - an online discussion July 21, 2009

Large or small, contemporary or classical, Richmond’s cultural institutions share many of the same issues and challenges. Just how are the arts in Richmond confronting such difficult economic times? On July 21, Morton’s The Steakhouse will bring together five local experts for the second in a series of community conversations, “Arts in Richmond: Culture at the Crossroads.”



The Evening at Morton’s discussion series brings together Richmond-area authorities to opine on a range of issues over dinner. The arts discussion participants include:

·Janine Bell, founding president and artistic director, Elegba Folklore Society

·David Fisk, executive director, Richmond Symphony

· Ana Ines King, founder and artistic director, Latin Ballet of Virginia

· Harry Kollatz, columnist/staff writer, Richmond Magazine, and co-founder of the Firehouse Theatre Project

·Christina Newton, founder and director, Curated Culture

The conversation will be “live-blogged” by John Sarvay, a local blogger and founding principal of Floricane, LLC, and moderated by Josh Dare, a principal with The Hodges Partnership, a Richmond-based public relations firm. While the actual dinner at the restaurant is private, Richmonders can participate in the discussion and ask questions to the participants by visiting www.hodgespart.com/eveningatmortons. The blog feed will go live at 6 p.m. on July 21. The conversation also will be audio recorded and made available on the Hodges Web site following the event.

“Richmond has an incredible array of arts organizations – theater and dance, music and visual – and each of them add depth and meaning to our community,” said AnnMarie Grohs, sales and marketing manager at Morton’s Richmond location. “But many of these organizations are at a crossroads, facing economic challenges while attempting to broaden their audience base. We’re so pleased to have such an esteemed group of artists and arts administrators join us to discuss the many issues they are confronting.”

Official Website: http://hodgespart.com/eveningatmortons/