Thank you to everyone who braved the cold and purchased tickets last Saturday to An Enchanted Christmas, the 2014 Michael Veldman and Friends Holiday Performance.

This event has become an important tradition in our community, and a vital part of the Historic Paramount Theatre programming.

A special thank you to Jenelle Cummings, Nicole Weiss, and Scott Knoebel for volunteering their time in keeping the event organized, and to our ticket buyers for being patient throughout the ticket buying process.

Although we had a huge crowd on Saturday, there are still tickets available to every performance.

Tickets can now be purchased at the Austin ArtWorks Center 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday, over the phone at 507-434-0934, and online at austinareaarts.org.

In addition to improving our ticket buying process, the Austin Area Commission for the Arts is working hard to evaluate and enhance every aspect of the organization as our programming continues to expand.

To help us through this process, the Board of Directors has hired Tammy Hauser from Blue Sky Thinking to lead them in strategic planning.

Blue Sky Thinking comes highly recommended and has worked with numerous arts nonprofits, including ArtSage, Springboard for the Arts, and TU Dance.

We will examine all aspects of the organization to re-evaluate our mission and vision, and determine future outcomes that will continue to improve our organization in the future. The session is scheduled for late October.