To the Editor:

The following is a letter sent to the Selma Arts Council from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington.

We notified them in the spring that we would no longer be able to continue our relationship with the Partners in Education program of the Kennedy Center.

The Selma Arts Council was partnered with the Selma City Schools, with Marsha Carmichael of CHAT Academy serving as our school coordinator.

We were forced to terminate this program and all activities of the Selma Arts Council due to budget cuts and lack of funding.

We are grateful to all who have supported us in the past including The Alabama State Council on the Arts, The Dallas County Commission, Alabama Power Company, The City of Selma, International Paper, and our membership.

Sincerely,

Sandy Greene

Executive Director

The Selma Arts Council, 1998-2006

Margie Burk, President

Board of Directors

Dear Marsha and Sandy:

Thank you for the effort and dedication you have put into the valued relationship of the Selma Arts Council, Selma Middle Chat Academy, and the Kennedy Center since 1996.

We are sorry to learn that you must withdraw from the Partners in Education program due to the closing of the Selma Arts Council.

I would like to personally congratulate you on your excellent work over the last nine years in providing exemplary professional development opportunities for teachers.

In doing so, you have enriched the lives of teachers throughout your region and helped to increase the artistic literacy of countless young people.

I am certain that you will continue to be valuable assets to your community and the state of Alabama.

We send our warmest wishes for future endeavors.

Thank you for contributing to the richness of our program.

Sincerely,

Barbara Sheperd

Director of National Partnerships – Education

The Kennedy Center