Olympiad of the Arts : Support Us
Why is the Olympiad important to our community?
How is the Olympiad funded?
How Can I Help the Olympiad of the Arts?
What Are My Giving Options?
Where Do I Send My Donation?
Why is the Olympiad important to our community?
Since 1928 over ten thousand student artists have benefited from their participation in the Olympiad. Students of all ages and backgrounds are provided opportunities to showcase their talent in acting, dance, vocal and piano, creative writing, photography, and the visual arts. The event changes lives, and builds a resume of artistic achievements. Success in the Olympiad has encouraged students to pursue further study or professional careers in the arts. Winners include a young artist who subsequently had a short film showcased at the Cinequest Film Festival and a writer who recently had a play reading at the Magic Theatre in San Francisco.
The Olympiad is the only remaining countywide arts competition for high school students and the only one of its kind for lower division college students. The Olympiad’s mission is to encourage, promote and reward excellence in the arts and to provide schools the opportunity to showcase their talented student artists and outstanding arts programs.
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How is the Olympiad funded?
The Olympiad of the Arts is primarily dependent on donations for its operating expenses and awards. Approximately 10% is derived from nominal entry fees and 30% from grants. Until 2003 the Colleges and the District provided direct and in-kind support for the Director’s salary, printing, postage, and other administrative costs. Because of severe state budget cuts the District no longer provides any financial support to the Olympiad.
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How Can I Help the Olympiad of the Arts?
The West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation is committed to keeping the entry fees for the competitions nominal and affordable to all in our community. Donations to support operating costs will enable us to maintain our current fee level, ensuring access for every talented student artist who wishes to participate.
Donations from the community also enable us to increase the monetary awards and to reorganize the competitions to better reflect the creative interests of today’s students. Some of the exciting recent additions include digital photography, digital multi-media, short video, and a new prose category that includes one act plays and creative non-fiction.
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What Are My Giving Options?
Donations of any size are needed and appreciated. Opportunities for naming awards and establishing endowments to support competition categories are available and welcomed. The Walter and Josephine Wichansky Award for excellence in Poetry Writing supports the high school poetry awards. and a special award for Prose Writing is given in memory of Mary Daley Hough through an endowment bestowed by her family.
Help us pass the torch and continue to make dreams come true for talented students this year and into the future. Your commitment will be recognized with acknowledgement in the program and the awards ceremony. You will be making an important contribution to arts for local high school and college students.
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Where Do I Send My Donation?
The Olympiad is under the auspices of the West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. All gifts are tax deductible and genuinely appreciated.. Please make your check payable to West Valley/Mission Colleges Foundation and mail to: Olympiad of the Arts, 14000 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga, CA 95070. For more information email wendie_weisman@wvmccd.cc.ca.us, or call the Olympiad office at (408) 741-2066.
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