RD39 - Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation Annual Report for 2011


Executive Summary:
Section 2.2-2736 of the Code of Virginia requires the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation to submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly.

The 2011 General Assembly created the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation (the Foundation) to serve as successor to the former Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Commission. The purposes of the Foundation are similar to those of the Commission, and it continues to operate within the same 19-county and three-city area of Southwest Virginia.

The major event occurring during 2011 was the completion of construction and the opening of the new Heartwood Artisan Gateway in Abingdon, Virginia. Governor McDonnell formally opened the facility on July 21, 2011. Since then, it has hosted numerous events highlighting the music, food and crafts of the region.

During its first year, the Foundation made significant progress in several areas:

• Operations and marketing were greatly enhanced by the appearance of extensive articles in the New York "Times", San Francisco "Chronicle" and "Smithsonian" magazine. "USA Today" recently named Heartwood among “10 great places to shop at crafts galleries”

• The Artisan Center has successfully used a juried approach to select representative crafts and products for sale. Providers of goods and services associated with Heartwood have drawn on local resources that promote the regional economy and employment.

• The Foundation has used a variety of initiatives to promote regional music through performance opportunities and educational outreach efforts.

• With the launch of Heartwood behind it, the Foundation has begun looking ahead, inaugurating “Friends of Southwest Virginia” a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that will manage revenues, gifts, and grants to Heartwood and distribute financial support to Heartwood, ‘Round the Mountain, The Crooked Road and, potentially, other cultural heritage entities.