October is National Arts and Humanities Month and the nationwide celebration is coordinated by Americans for the Arts. As we continue to grapple with the challenges that arise from an uncertain economy, it’s an appropriate time to pause and take notice of good news on a number of fronts in Broward County’s cultural community.

For example, the venerable Fort Lauderdale Children’s Theatre has found a wonderful new home at the Galleria Mall on Sunrise Boulevard – offering classes and performances in space that formerly housed retail tenants. It’s a move that’s a win-win partnership for the organization, the mall and its merchants, who appreciate the increased traffic that the theater brings.

The Stonewall Library and Archives is thriving in its new facility, where it is expanding its programming and attracting larger and more diverse audiences. You can read more about these developments elsewhere in this issue of Cultural Quarterly.

The Broward County Historical Commission recently moved its offices into the restored West Side School – an important landmark in our educational history. Meanwhile, the City of Fort Lauderdale’s renovations of the equally historic South Side School are continuing; it will eventually gain new life as a community cultural center.

Other bright spots on the cultural scene include the collaborative efforts that many cultural organizations are undertaking to ensure that audiences and patrons are aware of – and engaged in - their outstanding programs.

Our own Broward Cultural Division is teaming up with the Theatre League of South Florida to distribute information about upcoming performances throughout the region. In addition, 17 cultural partners joined forces recently for a highly successful Broward Attractions and Museums Month (BAMM), where card-carrying members of one of the participating organizations were granted free admission to events.

We applaud all the progress that is being made and the positive energy being expended to ensure the vitality of our cultural community.