Macon Arts Alliance will host the 3rd Annual Macon-Bibb County Arts Advocacy Breakfast on June 4 from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Historic Douglass Theatre in Downtown Macon. The event will begin with a light breakfast in the annex at 7:30 a.m. The program begins at 8 a.m. with a performance kaleidoscope in the theater followed by a presentation from keynote speaker Jennifer Cole, executive director of the Metro Nashville Arts Commission.

Jennifer Cole is the executive director of the Metro Nashville Arts Commission where she leads the city’s efforts in art, culture and creative economy, a position she has held since 2010. She has more than 20 years of experience in organizational leadership and change management and has worked extensively in the public and non-profit sectors in a variety of executive positions. Cole has a degree in English from the University of Mary Washington and Cole serves on many local civic boards and nationally with The National Arts Executive Leadership Forum and the Executive Board of the U.S. Urban Arts Federation. When she is not connecting the dots between art and community she is cooking with her six year old daughter Alice, or trying to understand football with her eleven year old son Owen.

“We’re excited to host Jennifer Cole in Macon and to have her speak to the community about Metro Arts’ work in the Nashville area,” said Jonathan Harwell-Dye, director of communications for Macon Arts Alliance. “She has more than 20 years experience leading organizations and her efforts in Nashville have garnered national attention. She will offer insights in how arts organizations can lead community and economic development on the municipal level.”

Macon Arts Alliance founded the Arts Advocacy Breakfast in 2013 in partnership with the Arts Round Table, the organizational members of the Macon Arts Alliance. Currently 44 organizations are members of the Alliance, including the Museum of Arts and Sciences, the Tubman African American Museum, Theatre Macon, and many others. The goal of the breakfast is to inform community leaders about the economic impact of the local arts, culture, and heritage community. As the designated local arts agency for Macon-Bibb County, Macon Arts Alliance is tasked to provide planning, financial support services, and development of artists and arts organizations.

The Alliance partners with local economic and community development organizations, leading efforts to strategically align the local arts community to tackle major community issues. These issues include blight, economic opportunity, neighborhood revitalization, entrepreneurship, professional development of local creatives, and the sustainability of local arts non-profits.

According to an internal study conducted in 2012, Macon Arts Alliance estimates that the annual economic impact of the arts, culture and heritage community is an annual $34 Million. This includes almost 907 full-time equivalent jobs and more than $1.2 Million in local government revenue.

“We conducted research into the economic impact of the arts in 2012, and we think it’s time to commission a larger, more comprehensive study,” said Harwell-Dye. “We think the economic impact of arts, culture and heritage has likely increased due to increased investment locally, particularly in downtown Macon. We will begin a one-year study in 2016 to update our findings.”

The Macon-Bibb County Arts Advocacy Breakfast is free and open to the public. All community members are invited to attend.

Please RSVP at https://artsbreakfast2015.eventbrite.com