A recent merger of two Wood River Valley arts groups has created the largest organization of its kind in Idaho. The merger includes Company of Fools theater company in Hailey and Sun Valley Center for the Arts in Ketchum.
John Glenn is with Company of Fools. He's thrilled about the merger.
“We have for years had a mutual admiration society going on," says Glenn. "We just admire each other’s work so tremendously.”
Glenn says the idea to join forces came organically about a year ago. Leaders from the two groups had often consulted with one another about possible collaborations, so Glenn says it was only natural to look into a merger.
"We kept seeing the positivity that could come out of this for our community, that it could be more dynamic than it already is," Glenn says. "We’re thrilled that papers are actually now filed and we’re now working together. And we had our big wedding party I guess you’d say.”
Glenn expects cost savings as tasks both organizations have performed previously get combined. He says he's excited about the marketing possibilities of the integrated organization.
Both groups will retain names and respective locations. The first combined project of the new organization will come this spring.
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