Changing the cultural landscape in Orlando
Central Florida Community Arts celebrates 10 years
Central Florida Community Arts isn’t celebrating its 10th anniversary this weekend in the way its leaders had planned.
“We did have a yearlong celebration planned and our biggest artistic season yet,” said cofounder and executive director Joshua Vickery.
COVID-19 put a stop to all that. But the virus can’t diminish a decade of achievements by the nonprofit organization designed for amateur singers, musicians and actors — or its huge impact
on Central Florida’s cultural scene.
“They have changed the landscape,” said Terry Olson, director of Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs, with the idea that an organization “could allow more people to participate in the arts.”
Orlando-based CFCArts draws thousands to splashy shows, its annual Christmas spectacular featuring hundreds of singers, musicians and dancers being the best known. But it more quietly also helps thousands in underserved communities.
Children from impoverished neighborhoods, adults with physical handicaps, seniors with dementia, the incarcerated, veterans: CFCArts has a program for them.
The organization’s ever-present question, Vickery says, is “Where are there pockets of people who have some kind of barrier to experiencing the arts?”
The group’s wide-ranging influence, with more than 110 programs covering five counties prepandemic, was acknowledged this year when it was awarded Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s Community Builder of the Year Award — the first time an arts organization was so honored.
“Its founders, board of directors, staff and supporters are intentional about engaging all sectors of our community, especially those with limited access to the arts, in a variety of art forms,” said Marcia Hope Goodwin, chief service officer and director of the city’s Office of Community Affairs.
CFCArts earned the award “because of all it has done to use the arts and arts advocacy for positive, collaborative and inclusive change,” she said.
The numbers speak for themselves: 604 performances of 193 productions for 185,772 patrons. More than 6,000 participating performers, from a 2-year-old piano student at the CFCArts Academy to a 94-year-old in the Musical Minds choir for those fighting memory loss, dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Sarah Thompson is one of those performers.
A love of singing attracted her to the organization as it was still in its formative stage.
“When you have a group of people around you giving their best, it’s amazing,” said the east Orlando resident. “It’s a high.”
But the group’s mission keeps her coming back year after year.
“I like an organization that’s true to their objectives,” Thompson said. “It’s what they do with the kids, the older individuals, it’s awesome to me.”
Reflecting its commitment to including everyone in the arts, more than $227,000 has been given out in scholarships for various CFCArts programs. It costs $100 to sing in the choir’s fall season. Fees for classes and lessons vary but can be as low as $5.50. The organization’s annual budget now stands at $1.6 million.
“It has a role in the ecosystem of the arts,” said Olson, noting that the CFCArts theater program and youth music and drama programs help expand the audience for those art forms. At the same time, the organization supports local professional artists by employing them in teaching and other creative show-related positions. And it fills a social and creative need for those who miss high-school choir or college marching band.
“There are people who are not going to be professionals who need an outlet,” said Olson, who himself has sung in three CFCArts concerts.
The rapid growth of the organization has been achieved with the help of notable community partners, such as the Winter Park Health Foundation, Universal Orlando Foundation, AdventHealth, Orlando Health, Disney, OUC and the Orlando Magic.
Sunday’s anniversary event, a free online presentation, will salute partners and supporters, as well as the milestone. A bigger celebratory season is being planned for next year.
“It will be less about celebrating 10 years and more about looking to the future,” Vickery said. That future could include replicating the CFCArts model of combining health, education and arts accessibility in other cities across the U.S — whenever it’s possible to get the arts running in high gear again.
“We know the days of 6,000 people in the audience and 400 people on the stage are months away,” Vickery said. “We just want to be there for those who need us.”
At the end of the day, after all, that connection is more important to the organization’s mission than the singing and dancing, costumes and spotlights.
“We really exist to build community,” Vickery said. “What we put onstage is not the be-all and end-all. It’s about creating a sense of belonging.”