Highlighting Helping Hands
This week:
Mandy Maloney, executive director of the Rome Area Council for the Arts
What is the purpose of your organization?
The Rome Area Council for the Arts (RACA) is a 501(c) 3 non-profit community arts organization that was founded in 1976.
RACA’s Mission is to enrich the Greater Rome Community through the unifying and compelling power of the arts.
RACA fulfills its mission by providing advocacy for area artists and arts organizations and by supporting a dynamic community-based arts environment through arts programming, education, promotion, and community outreach.
How is RACA funded?
Our organization is funded through membership dues, annual fundraisers, donations, and grants.
How were you chosen for this position?
I was hired by the RACA Board of Directors. I pursued this position because of my love and passion for the arts.
What do you enjoy as being part of RACA?
RACA’s sole purpose is to bring awareness to the arts through funding, promotion and the creating of opportunities. In this role, I am able to impact the lives of the people in my community for the better. There is no greater honor.
I enjoy being able to share my passion for the arts with the community. I feel the power of the arts is being lost in our society. Our arts programs are underfunded. Becoming an artist isn’t a “real job”. Being able to sit in a theater and watch a play, or listen to the symphony is becoming increasingly out of “fashion”. I believe wholeheartedly that the arts are vital to our existence and I strive to share that passion every day.
What is your organization’s biggest challenge?
Our biggest challenge is, of course, money. But it’s also having people understand exactly what we do. Our organization doesn’t exist to DO the art, but to support and promote the art and the artists. We raise money and then turn around and give it right back. So, getting folks to understand our mission and how we accomplish it is half the battle. The rest is being able to pay for it.
Does your organization use volunteers?
Our organization does use volunteers. The hardest working are our board. Every event we do is staffed with board members and volunteers. We use volunteers to serve food, take tickets, hang art, publicize, carry
trash, teach children, move heavy objects... you name it!
Is there something else you’d like to say to our readers?
I would love for the readers to know that RACA is an organization that pours itself into the community. Through our various programs and events we are all working to make the lives of Romans a little more beautiful, a little more challenging, a little more thoughtful. We want to grow our city not just as a center for education, healthcare and recreation, but also for the arts. We have the talent in this town to do it. RACA has a very clear mission, and with the support of our citizens we are working hard every day to make sure we see it happen.