By Jackie Demaline
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Enjoy the Arts/START connects audiences to the arts by "making the arts fun, affordable, appealing and easy for people to participate in," says Joelle Tunning, who is a tireless arts cheerleader and Enjoy the Arts' assistant director.

Enjoy the Arts and START are membership programs for full-time students of all ages and young professionals under 30 respectively. The two programs provide free tickets, steep discounts, special events and series like the monthly Arts and Culture for Dummies (first edition sold-out, second series starting this summer) and a full-service Web site at www.cincinnatiArts.com.

If you've enjoyed the funky fall 20/20 Festival - that's Enjoy the Arts. The third edition is set for Sept. 17 through Oct. 6.

Free and cheap tickets are fine, says Tunning, "but we're all about making the experience relevant and fun."

Enjoy the Arts/START gets more than financial support (4.6 percent of its $350,000 annual budget) from the Fine Arts Fund. Two years ago, the fund's Arts Services Office tapped Enjoy the Arts/START as one of four Cincinnati arts organizations to participate in a concentrated arts marketing program through the National Arts Marketing Project.

The 2004 Fine Arts Fund campaign continues through April 30 with a goal of $10.3 million. The 55th annual campaign provides operating funds to members: Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Contemporary Arts Center, May Festival and Taft Museum of Art as well as smaller grants to associate members and project grants to small Tristate arts organizations. The Enquirer will be highlighting recipient organizations during the 10 weeks of the campaign.