Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Save the Circus Arena Garage Sale

On Our Horizon

1. Delta Engineering will present the VCAFI with their study in regard to the integrity of the Arena Steel. We believe it will prove our contention that the Venice Circus Arena is a viable building with many years left of useful life. Our Foundation paid for this study with monies raised over the past year.

2. The VCAFI will present an estimate for covering the Arena with State of Florida building code approved fabric to allow use of the arena site as a fundraising venue for the project. The estimate is being prepared for the VCAFI by Anchor Tents, an American firm.

3. The VCAFI will present the City with our own plan to address the RFI (Request For Information) by the Venice Airport. Currently we are assembling all the requirements mentioned in that request.


Thank you Jerry Bergman for creating our Arena model - 200+ man hours! 1mm = 1ft scale. Plus thank you Susan Bergman for letting Jerry take all that time as well!

Special Thanks also to the Venice Museum and Archives curator Michelle Harms for providing valuable historical information essential for the accuracy of the model.



As you end your tax year, please remember the VCAFI and our important work to Save the historic Venice Circus Arena. All cash donations are fully tax deductible.

Thank you.

The VCAFI will participate in "The Giving Challenge" from noon on May 6 to noon on May 7. More to come or contact Jan at info@venicecircusarts.com or call (941) 485-7675

Monday, September 16, 2013

THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF VENICE FLORIDA!!!

ANOTHER HUGE THANK YOU IS DUE!

  The Venice Circus Arts Foundation would like to express our gratitude to Mayor John Holic, Council Members - Dave Sherman, Kit McKeon, & Jim Bennett!!!  Approving the submission of our National Register Application.  This is a major step forward in "Saving the historic Venice Circus Arena" 

We will be asking Mr. Vern Buchanan to hand carry our application to Washington (he made that promise to us once we could organize the application and get City approval).

Please send a Thank you to Mayor Holic and the Council Members via email - citycouncil@venicegov.com

(That email address will reach the Mayor and all the Council members).

Thank you to Larry and Tracy Ivey for their efforts on behalf of the Foundation. With out you two how could we move forward?  We could not!  Thank you both once again!


Our October 12th event was a success and we would like to Thank Stacia Kelly (Emmett Kelly Sr.'s daughter for speaking and Vickie Edleston Scarpanado also for speaking and a third speaker and huge surprise Barry Lubin (we were elated).  The day was fun filled and we had a nice attendance.  We launched our "Venice Circus Walk-of-fame" and cast several hand prints and signatures of performers who graced the Arena with their talents in the past.

Our special thanks to the Gulf Coast Community Foundation for a sponsorship grant to fund the event.  We would also like to thank the advertisers who bought ads in our program for that event.

We would like to thank the Venice Quilter's Guild for the beautiful quilt they gifted our Foundation.  We are very excited about having this in our collection!

Our Foundation was very disappointed with the Circus Sarasota's RBBB Clown College Reunion committee who in the 11th hour decided not to attend our function as a group.  Though we did have many alumni who made their way to our event, and we had a wonderful time with them.  Thank you all for coming home and celebrating this special place with us!  We will be organizing another reunion event in the future.

Our next meeting is next Tuesday November 12, 2013 at our office 200 Base Ave at 6pm. We have plenty to cover and committee's to organize. Hope to see you there. We are working on opening a "Circus Resale Shop" and hope to bring back "Circus Bingo" we have much to organize.  Hope to see you there.  

Also tomorrow please find us at the Venice Farmer's Market from 8am-12pm.

Thank you!




Foundation Information
The Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. Its mission is to preserve and revitalize the Venice Arena and its grounds. Formerly the Winter Quarters for the "Greatest Show on Earth," this special place in American Circus History is in danger of disappearing with the threat of commercial development.

The Venice Circus Arts Foundations objective is to bring the marvelous history of the circus arts and this storied arena back to Venice and introduce its heritage to
the world. The foundation welcomes donations to support this worthy cause of preserving this historic arena.

The Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 2220
Venice Florida 34284
941.485.7675
info@venicecircusarts.com
www.venicecircusarts.com