cultural tourism initiative (cti)
grant program

Grantees

2003 Project Narratives

A total of $220,000 was awarded for the year 2003, to the following projects:

• The Albany Institute of History & Art (Albany County) was granted $23,000 for a collaborative marketing effort with Albany Symphony Orchestra, Capital Repertory and the Albany Conventions & Visitors Bureau to brand Albany as a destination beginning in Summer 2003 and culminating with “Albany Arts Getaway” a month long multi-faceted arts celebration for March 2004, capitalizing on several events in this shoulder season including the NCAA Sweet Sixteen tournament.  www.albanyinstitute.org
• Arts Center & Theatre of Schenectady (Schenectady County) was granted $12,500 to establish and market a comprehensive, visitor-friendly website that includes a Vacation Builder packaging component with e-commerce capabilities, calendar of events, and a complete business directory for the county.  Pre-designed packages will also be offered and will highlight seasonal activities and programming. A training program has also been developed to teach techniques of cross –marketing and collaboration practices for the county. www.sayschenectady.org
• Arts Council of Chautauqua County (Chautauqua County) was awarded $19,570 to market combined efforts from new and fledgling cultural festivals from July to December. Eight festivals, seven galleries, three new collaborative initiatives and a passport program will bring together the best of Chautauqua’s visual arts, architecture, food, wine, Blues music, and even fly fishing scenes. www.artscouncil.com
• ARTS of the Southern Fingerlakes (Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Yates Counties) was awarded $23,000 to create a an e-Commerce website, business plan, marketing and training programs focused on the Arts & Crafts industry so abundant in the Fingerlakes region. This project will develop overnight travel packages that incorporate experiences in and around the artist studios and galleries, providing hospitality training all potential participants and targeted public relations campaign. A comprehensive website will be developed to act as a visitor guide, shopping center, promotional vehicle, link to existing tourism sites, and a vacation planner for the Fingerlakes region. This project links the two top activities for most travelers while on vacation- shopping and the arts. www.buyfingerlakesart.com
• Columbia County Council on the Arts (Columbia, Dutchess, Orange Counties and Berkshire County, MA) was awarded $25,000 to create and promote the ‘Modern Art Tour’ in the Hudson Valley linking the sculpture collections of ArtOmi, Storm King, MassMOCA and the newly opened Dia: Beacon. Packaged tours will be designed along with a website. This project utilizes the artistic strengthens of the region, crossing county and even state lines.
• Council on the Humanities & Arts for Staten Island (Bronx, Kings, Queens and Richmond Counties) was awarded $25,000 to combine efforts into a four borough tour bus marketing campaign. Capitalizing on the individual efforts of pre-existing motorcoach tour programs in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, the partners will co-market and cross-promote the borough tours to the motorcoach industry. A motorcoach sales professional will be retained to attend all trade shows, conduct FAM tours for industry personnel and collaborate in advertising and promotional materials. This consortium hopes to capitalize on the upcoming American Bus Association Marketplace convention slated for New York City in January 2004.
• George Eastman House (Monroe, Ontario and Seneca Counties) was awarded $23,000 to continue the Legacy & Landmarks program previously funded in 2000. The program has had continued success in the motorcoach industry and would like to open it to the individual/ leisure and student group tour markets. This program focuses on tours unique to Western New York through programs of George Eastman House, Genesee Country Village & Museum, Susan B. Anthony House, National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Greater Rochester CVB. www.eastman.org
• New York State Historical Association (Delaware, Otsego, and Schoharie Counties) was awarded $23,000 in support of a new collaborative effort across three counties entitled: High Heels to Running Shoes: Footwear in Central NY. This project centers around the Fenimore Art Museum’s exhibit Heights of Fashion: History of the Elevated Foot, will feature items from the Bata Shoe Museum. The Farmer’s Museum, Hanford Mills Museum, National Baseball Hall of Fame, National Soccer Hall of Fame, Howe Caverns, Iroquois Indian Museum and several more partners will display or create programming involving footwear. A special edition of Museums Magazine will be published for this program. www.nysha.org
• Queens Museum of Art (Queens County) was awarded $23,000 to create a trolley tour of Flushing, incorporating the Corona Park cultural institutions, US Tennis Center, Shea Stadium, and the surrounding neighborhoods of Corona, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. Visitor’s will be able to venture out into Queens, with the ease of a guided tour and hop on/ hip off access to neighborhood attractions, restaurants, shopping and festivals. www.queensmuseum.org
• Westchester Arts Council (Westchester County) was awarded $23,000 to build on the success of the “Westchester for the Fun of It” print campaign by creating a web based cultural arts marketing strategy to draw regional visitors to the abundant cultural attractions on Westchester County. The current print campaign will be augmented by electronic distribution and a website.  www.westarts.com