ArtsWatch

Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, which helps artists and cultural organizations find free legal assistance on a variety of matters, will merge with the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia.
Karen B. Davis, president and chief execuive of the council, said the merger "just made sense."
Both organizations have operated independently for about 30 years.
"It's really about effectiveness," said Davis.
The council, perhaps best known for its Business Volunteers for the Arts program - which links arts organizations and volunteer business professionals with expertise in everything from organizational governance to systems technology - has not focused on individual artists in the past. Davis said the merger with the volunteer lawyers group would provide an opportunity for doing so. She said the council planned to develop other programs assisting individuals with everything from web site design to data-base building.
"We've never really done that," said Davis. "We've left it to them to tap the legal community." Now the volunteer lawyers programs will provide an in-house model for developing a sheaf of programs, she said.
According to the council, about 700 lawyers have provided an average $1 million annually in pro bono services for artists over the past three decades.
The council, affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, was formed in 1981.Last year, according to council figures, about 700 volunteers provided 12,400 hours of direct service to 200 arts organizations.
A reception announcing the merger is scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p,m. at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Broad and Cherry Streets.
- Stephan Salisbury