The Fresno Arts Council welcomes Angela Storey, Office Assistant, as the newest staff member. Angela previously volunteered with us, and we are fortunate to have hired her through the County of Fresno’s 80/20 program. Please join us in welcoming Angela as we enrich people’s lives through the arts.

The Fresno Arts Council has much to be grateful for during this time when arts organizations struggle to maintain and sustain their level of operation. We first give thanks to our board member, Victor Ramayrat of Socient, for all of the work and dedication he put into redesigning our website, www.fresnoartscouncil.org. We hope that you will take time to browse through it as it is quite dynamic. And don’t forget to check out www.fresnoarts.net which is our social network and website for announcements about ArtHop and other events.

We are the proud recipients of new lighting through the Energy Watch Program, a light replacement program of RHA, Inc. The energy efficient lights add visual enhancement to the exhibits in our window display and improve the lighting throughout the facility. RHA, Inc. is a leader in energy efficiency, as well as design, implementation and administration of small- and large-scale energy efficiency programs throughout the state of California and into Nevada to commercial and residential customers. Congratulations to Joe Williams, President of RHA, Inc. for being awarded the Leon S. Peters Award, which will be presented at the Valley Business Conference on February 18, 2010.

A special thank you goes out to Denise Cruz and Kimberly Mendoza, students from the Fashion Design Incubator, for interning with the Fresno Arts Council during the past month while Maria Franco, Administrative Assistant, was on medical leave. We appreciate the other volunteers who contributed time during this period as well – Coke Hallowell, Julie Linxwiler, Brenda Carrasco, and Anne McGowen. Maria will return to the office on Tuesday, February 16, just in time for the Third Thursday ArtHop.

Congratulations to the Chookasian Armenian Concert Ensemble for receiving a Grammy Award and Oscar at the Armenian CD Music Awards Night at the 2009 -10th ANNUAL ARMENIAN MUSIC AWARDS on December 13, 2009. Their “Passage to Armenia ” CD was voted as 1st Place Winner as the “Best Traditional Armenian Folk Music” CD album at the 7,000 seat Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California.