The Seldins offered a tour of their gardens, followed by a farewell presentation by Liz Morten, president of the Cultural Alliance.
Odinak had held the executive director position in 2008, when the organization was first founded. She had previously served on a regional steering committee for three years. The group studied arts and culture in Fairfield County and determined that a coordinating agency was needed.
Through Odinak’s efforts to establish the Cultural Alliance as a collaborative nonprofit, more than 250 organizations, artists, businesses and municipalities have joined. They have benefited from Odinak’s initiatives in developing FCBuzz.org, which includes a member-contributed events calendar.
She also established the Executive Directors Network, the Marketing Roundtable and Make.Art.Work, along with other programs. She has led the Cultural Alliance to host countless workshops and informative meetings for members and has added her creative touch to many important projects in the community.
Cultural Alliance has reached across the state under Odinak’s guidance. She serves as board secretary of the Connecticut Arts Alliance, and has given Fairfield County representation in advocacy initiatives.
“I have a strong sense of community and a passion for helping all those that make art and dedicate themselves to the supporting roles in the art world,” Odinak said.
She is also an artist and plans to continue on as an arts advocate, although she has chosen to step down to part-time work with the organization so she can spend more time on her own creations.
For more information, contact Jennifer Bangser, marketing manager at the Cultural Alliance, by emailing to Jennifer@culturalalliancefc.org or calling 203-256-2329. Information is also available online at CulturalAllianceFC.org.
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