The FAAC has evolved through several decades of intensive volunteer work by parents and other community leaders dedicated to fine arts education in the Mercer Island School District (MISD).  With thorough research and tireless advocacy, volunteer members of FAAC’s predecessor organizations – the Music and Visual Arts Advisory Committees, formed respectively in the late 1950’s and 1970’s – proposed, promoted and achieved implementation of several key components of our schools’ fine arts programming, including:

• Full time MISD Music (now Fine Arts) Coordinator position
  

• District-wide annual fine arts celebration and fundraiser: Showcase

• Art Docents and Artists-in-Residence programs

• Inclusion of the fine arts as core subjects in MISD educational goals for all grade levels

The Mercer Island Fine Arts Advisory Committee (FAAC) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation dedicated to supporting K-12 fine arts education in the Mercer Island School District.   Our Board of Directors is comprised of volunteers, all parents of children variously enrolled, across many grades, in our district’s band, orchestra, choir, drama, dance and visual arts classes. We meet monthly throughout the academic year. Our meetings are also attended by our non-voting district liaison, David Bentley, MISD Fine Arts Coordinator and Julie Biggs, IMS Visual Arts Teacher.

2011/2012 Board of Directors:
Anne Hritzay, President
Megan Hand, Vice President
Stacey Kruus, Treasurer
Sachie Nitta, Secretary
David Bentley, non-voting MISD liaison (Music)
Julie Biggs, non-voting MISD liaison (Visual Art)
Colleen Douglass
Marina Moscovici
Sachie Nitta
Jeff Palmberg

*We are now accepting applications for Board Membership.  We welcome you to find out more about us and consider joining our active and creative board of volunteers.  Please contact Anne at ahritzay@comcast.net with any questions and for an application. 

FAAC raises money from our community, granting organizations and business sponsors to support arts education in the schools.  Our major annual fundraiser "Fine Arts Showcase" has been a tradition for over 30 years. Showcase combines dazzling performances by all our schools musical groups, and Visual Arts displays from all arts classes as well as every elementary art student at MISD schools.  This tradition takes up two evenings each March, and its planning takes up much of the Board's time throughout the year. 

We also spearhead new initiatives such as bringing a certified art educator to the Elementary schools through the ArtBus proposal, to enhance district art education excellence.