SMALL NONPROFIT GIVES $15,000 TO LOCAL ARTISTS, STUDENTS, AND SUPPORTS SMALL BUSINESS FOR #GIVINGTUESDAYNOW

Chula League switches up Giving Tuesday with new initiatives to continue supporting local artists, students, and the community

AUSTIN (May 4, 2020) — Chula League launches Artist Relief Fund to support local artists impacted by COVID-19, with a portion of the funds designated to send Art Kits to Austin ISD students, and will match one small business’s efforts to give free sack lunches to those in need.

For 15 years, Chula League’s mission has been to fuel and sustain the arts in East Austin. During these uncertain times with stay-at-home orders, the producers of the beloved Cherrywood Art Fair are finding new ways to support the local art scene. These programs include direct monetary relief to artists, keeping 5th and 6th-grade students engaged with the arts and partnering with a long time local sponsor, Crema Bakery & Cafe, in an effort to #FeedAustin.

The Chula League Artist Relief Fund will provide local artists with $150 to help recover lost revenue from shows canceled due to COVID-19. Former staff and participants of Cherrywood Art Fair, or the free arts-mentorship program, Little Artist BIG ARTIST are invited to apply for relief starting 9 AM, May 5, 2020, through 5 PM, May 12, 2020, at chulaleague.org/relief

Chula League will work with six East Austin elementary schools: Allison Elementary, Blackshear Elementary, Barbara Jordan Elementary, Govalle Elementary, Oak Springs Elementary, and Maplewood Elementary to supply over 40 Art Kits to students currently enrolled in the 2019-2020 calendar year.

The small nonprofit will also match partner donors’ Crema Bakery & Cafe’s hunger relief initiative dollar for dollar, up to $5,000. This will provide free sack lunches with “no questions asked” to those impacted by COVID-19. With this $5,000 match, Crema Bakery + Chula League can feed up to 1,500 Austinites. Chula League will award Crema Bakery & Cafe with a commemorative check on May 5, 2020, at 10 AM at their Southwest Austin location, 9001 Brodie Ln b3, Austin, TX 78748 and they encourage the public to donate to Crema Bakery’s GoFundMe page, https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-crema-bakery-feed-austin

Many of our artists, Little and BIG, have been affected by the pandemic in ways that we’ve not experienced before. Our grassroots Board of Directors felt it was our duty to provide resources so our community can continue to create and stay safe,” says John Mathew Bernal, Chair of Chula League Board of Directors.

We saw Crema Bakery & Cafe’s selfless efforts to #FeedAustin and were inspired to contribute to their cause and flip the script on what it means for non-profits to celebrate #GivingTuesdayNow.

If the Austin community would like to participate in #GivingTuesdayNow and contribute to our mission in fueling and sustaining the arts in East Austin, we encourage them to donate via our website: chulaleague.org/donate

Social Handles:
@chulaleague
@cremabakerycafe
#FeedAustin
#GivingTuesdayNow

ABOUT CHULA LEAGUE
Chula League is a nonprofit formed in 2005 to support the arts, and art education in East Austin managed by a small, grassroots board of directors. Chula League ensures that the arts play a valued role in the educational, economic, and cultural well being of the neighborhoods in East Austin. Chula produces a variety of projects to achieve its mission and purpose, including its flagship event the Cherrywood Art Fair and the arts-mentoring program Little Artist BIG ARTIST, and their professional development series, Cultivate.

Cherrywood Art Fair is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

MEDIA CONTACT:
John Mathew Bernal / Chair of Chula League Board of Directors
jmat@chulaleague.org / 512.913.1523

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CHERRYWOOD ART FAIR TO TAKE FINAL BOW THIS WEEKEND

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

East Austin’s Longest-Running Nonprofit Art Fair to End in 2019

AUSTIN (Dec. 3, 2019) — Cherrywood Art Fair announces that the 2019 event taking place on Dec. 7 and 8 will be the last run for the beloved holiday market. After 18 years, the juried fair in its current format will hang its hat to allow for Cherrywood’s producing partner and beneficiary, Chula League, to pause all programming, restrategize its mission and reassess its priorities. Community members are encouraged to come out in support of the final event and enjoy more than 90 curated artists and makers from around Texas, plus a full roster of live music and entertainment. In its final act, Cherrywood Art Fair will — in true spirit — offer families a festive and interactive holiday event highlighting the best in Texas arts.

Each year, Cherrywood Art Fair is tirelessly produced by a small crew of contract staff, a large group of event volunteers and a volunteer panel of jurors — all overseen by the grassroots-run Chula League board. Much of the event’s support has come from sponsorships and volunteerism — both of which have declined over the years. Of the “big three” Austin holiday markets, Cherrywood is the only free event supported by and run by a nonprofit organization. As the East Austin community and the city’s demographics have shifted, so too have the challenges and opportunities for producing a large-scale free two-day event.

In addition to sunsetting its flagship event, Chula League will pause its other programming beginning in March 2020 including the popular Little Artist BIG ARTIST program, which provides art mentorships for East Austin elementary school students. Since 2007, the program has paired professional artists with fifth and sixth-grade students to offer one-on-one arts mentorships that help the students explore creativity, develop personal expression and strengthen social skills while engaging in positive adult communication in an after-school setting. Each year, the Little Artists’ work is auctioned off at Cherrywood Art Fair to raise funds for each of the participating elementary school’s art program. Since its inception, more than 200 students have gone through the program across seven East Austin schools and mentored by over 150 professional artists. Proceeds from this year’s Cherrywood Art Fair will go towards the 2020 Little Artist BIG ARTIST program.

To date, Chula League has endowed more than $135,000 in grants, services and programming to East Austin schools from funds generated through Cherrywood Art Fair, Little Artist BIG ARTIST auction proceeds, and their professional development workshops: Cultivate. Cherrywood Art Fair has showcased an estimated 1,200 artists from across Texas and drawn more than 100,000 visitors from around the state in its 18-year run.

“Since its inception, Chula League has strived to fuel and sustain the arts in East Austin. Just as the arts landscape in Austin has changed over the past two decades, a decline in financial support for our organization is forcing Chula League to evolve. In making the tough decision to pause all programming which includes Cherrywood Art Fair and our arts-mentorship program, Little Artist BIG ARTIST, we will be able to strategize a way to keep our promise to the arts community in the coming years,” says John Mathew Bernal, Chair, Chula League Board of Directors.Cherrywood Art Fair 2019

The final Cherrywood Art Fair takes place Saturday, Dec. 7 and Sunday, Dec. 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Maplewood Elementary School located at 3808 Maplewood Ave. The event is free and open to the public.
For more information, visit chulaleague.org/cherrywood.

→The 2019 Cherrywood Art Fair Facebook event can be found here.
→More information on Chula League can be found at chulaleague.org.

ABOUT CHULA LEAGUE
Chula League is a nonprofit formed in 2005 to support the arts, and art education in East Austin managed by a small, grassroots board of directors. Chula League ensures that the arts play a valued role in the educational, economic, and cultural well being of the neighborhoods in East Austin. Chula produces a variety of projects to achieve its mission and purpose, including its flagship event the Cherrywood Art Fair and the arts-mentoring program Little Artist BIG ARTIST, and their professional development series, Cultivate.

Cherrywood Art Fair is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Krissi Reeves / High Kick PR
krissi@highkickpr.com / 512.659.1385

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Revel in Live Bands, Family Fun Activities, and Local Food While You Shop Amazing Goods at Cherrywood Art Fair

Download Press Release

Presented by Nonprofit Chula League, the Fair Benefits the
Little Artist BIG ARTIST Mentoring Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Austin, Texas)—November 20, 2018. Cherrywood Art Fair announces its 2018 lineup, packed full of live music + entertainment, family fun activities, local eats, and of course all the holiday shopping you can muster. On December 8 and 9, 93 Texas artists will share the grounds of Maplewood Elementary School with an all-female musical lineup on Saturday, and magic, storytelling, and dance on Sunday.

The School of Rock house band returns to kick off Cherrywood Art Fair with its holiday-themed set at noon on Saturday, followed by an infectiously danceable soul performance by KP and the Boom Boom at 1pm. At 2pm Brazilian Singer/Songwriter Paula Maya will deliver a multitude of genres such as bossa nova, jazz, and rock, followed by DJ Collective Chulita Vinyl Club ATX at 3pm. Rosie Flores will close out the stage on Saturday with an eclectic mix of tunes reminiscent of her long career which has spanned punk rock, rockabilly, and blues.

Sunday’s lineup packs all of the family fun including an exhilarating dance performance by the Austin Flamenco Academy, a captivating magic show from Magic by Carlos, an interactive ukulele workshop with Groundwork Music Project, bilingual songs and stories from Sue Young, and finally a classical Bharata Natyam showcase by Austin Dance India. The weekend lineup is curated by Sarah Rucker of Full Gallop, and this year Cherrywood Art Fair proudly welcomes The Austin Chronicle as the official Stage Sponsor.

On both days, Austin Creative ReUse will be stocked with fun-filled holiday crafts in the Kids Art Corner. There will also be face painting forall ages by Mendez, Ruth Face and Body Art, Braids by Urban Betty, and on Saturday, Latinitas will run a “make your own maracas” table. On Sunday, Austin Bat Cave will be conducting “blackout poetry” with pages of text and black markers helping guide kids and families through the writing process

Refuel so you can stay all day! The Fair will host local food trucks and vendors like Jake HatesCoffeeMmmpanadas, Nothing Bundt Cakes, OMG Squee, SRSLY Chocolate, Tamale Addiction, and The Dog Pound. Once you’re full, head on over to the biggest silent auction in Fair history, boasting merchandise and original artwork from each Cherrywood Art Fair artist. Lastly, don’t miss the opportunity to take a photo in Austin’s most unique photo booth, Amurica TX, housed in a converted canned ham trailer and stocked with holiday props.

Cherrywood Art Fair not only boasts a playful environment to shop for the holiday season, but it also strengthens local businesses, connects families, and supports aspiring young artists. Be sure to peruse Chula League’s Little Artist Auction during this year’s Fair. The proceeds from Cherrywood Art Fair benefit its host Maplewood Elementary School and Chula League’s Little Artist BIG ARTIST program, a free 10-week mentoring program pairing professional artists with East Austin 5th graders to turn ideas into art and art into business.

For more information about the 2018 Fair like Cherrywood Art Fair on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChulaLeagueAustin/ follow on Twitter and Instagram: @ChulaLeague or visit http://www.cherrywoodartfair.org/.

This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

PRESS CONTACT
Christy Strange, CityJewell
Christy@cityjewell.com 512.694.6456