Resolution 110857

..Title Honoring and congratulating The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on its Tenth Anniversary. ..Body WHEREAS, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts opened its doors on December 16, 2001, as the beacon of the Avenue of the Arts and home for live performing arts to crowds in the thousands; and WHEREAS, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is home to eight resident companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Peter Nero and The Philly Pops, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, PHILADANCO!, The Chamber Music Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and American Theater Arts for Youth; and WHEREAS, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts has launched two successful program series: Kimmel Center Presents and Broadway which broaden and diversify program offerings to attract, captivate, and serve new audiences; and WHEREAS, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts provides free education programming to thousands of school children each year through Dance in the Schools, Bop and Swing, Kimmel Center's Creative Music Program, Teen Summer Arts Camps, Multicultural and Performance Arts curriculum-based classes. WHEREAS, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts' education programs have served over 80,000 children since 2001; and WHEREAS, The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts provided 206 free performances in FY 2011 totaling 412 hours of free programming for citizens in the region to enjoy; and WHEREAS, Nearly 1.4 million people attended performances and events at the Kimmel Center campus in FY 2011; and WHEREAS, Anne Ewers, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, envisioned, secured funding for, and carried out the wondrously successful Philadelphia Festival of the Arts (PIFA), a collaborative 25-day festival of cultural and performance activities which featured 1500 artists and culminated in a Street Fair on South Broad Street which attracted 195, 000; and WHEREAS, PIFA had a total economic impact of $55.74 million on the Philadelphia region and produced $2.10 million in tax revenue for the City of Philadelphia; now therefore RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby honor and celebrate the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on its Tenth Anniversary as home for live performing arts in Greater Philadelphia. FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Anne Ewers, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts as evidence of the since sentiments of this legislative body. ..End 1