Academy of Music Theatre, Northampton, MA

What a terrific year this has been. With the help of our friends and neighbors the Academy has taken back its place at the heart of our community, a place it held for more than 115 years. With dance performances, movies and special screenings, plays, musicals and other cultural events the Academy of Music is truly a vital part of this region. Remember, the Academy belongs to you-to all of us here in Northampton and the surrounding communities. And now, the Academy is depending on you for its future as we approach our fiscal year-end on June 30th.

Your gift today will allow us to plan for an exciting new season.

To donate, send your check or money order, payable to the Academy of Music, to Academy of Music, P.O. Box 26, Northampton, MA 01061-0026.

Here's a sneak preview. The 2008-09 season is already anchored with performances from several resident companies, including the Pioneer Valley Ballet, Commonwealth Opera, Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra, Performing Arts Center of Easthampton (PACE), Young at Heart Chorus, and Old Deerfield Productions, along with events produced by the Northampton Arts Council and WGBY. These events add to the quality of life you look for and expect — why you live in this area. And we want to do more.

The rental fees from such events will cover some, but not all, of the Academy's operating budget. The rest has to come from the community-from you and your neighbors. People who want to invest in the values they hold dear.

Here's a chance to make a real difference in your own community!

It's a critical time for the Academy and your support is urgently needed to help protect a place that shares your sense of community and dedication to the arts. We've suggested several gift amounts, but welcome any donation. Our hope is that you will seriously consider a gift of $100 or more as we close our books on June 30th.

When you contribute, you'll be joining hundreds of community-minded people who are taking steps towards building an organization that can provide arts and music for the next 115 years.

And it's not just individuals: The City of Northampton and Smith College continue to help along with your public television station, WGBY.

Plans are also underway to present a Summer Vocal Music Academy, the premier of an American opera, Our American Cousin and special film screenings. In short, based on our partnerships with several resident companies the Academy will continue to be a very busy place.

But our plans, and our future, need your support today; the simple truth is the cost of running the Academy goes beyond the revenue raised through the use of the venue. The Academy is typical of performing arts spaces, needing one-third of our revenues to come from donors (large and small).We are counting on you and your neighbors to help. We can't do it without you.

As the nation's oldest municipally owned theater, the Academy of Music has become a mainstay in Northampton's cultural palette, and many in the community have already expressed their confidence that the Academy will continue to build upon this year's successes, and draw ever larger audiences. Won't you support the Academy's continued success as an important cultural venue and arts resource in this region?

We're looking forward to a bright future, one that will help strengthen the social fabric of our community. Please help keep the Academy alive and thriving, keep the heart and soul of our community going strong by making the most generous gift you can before our fiscal year ends on June 30th.

P.S. Northampton has been rated the top small arts town in the country. Make an investment in keeping the center of performing arts healthy and flourishing for our future. Won't you support the Academy with your gift today? To donate, send your check or money order, payable to the Academy of Music, to Academy of Music, P.O. Box 26, Northampton, MA 01061-0026.