ARTSblog

And no, I am not asking if you are for the arts. I have a hunch that if you are reading this blog, I already know your answer. I could write about all of the reasons that I, and probably you, support the arts and arts education, but I would just be preaching to the choir.  Instead, I want to write about the gray line is that separates Americans who are for the arts and Americans for the Arts.

The American Society of Association Executives (a.k.a. the association for associations) recently published a study called The Decision to Join, based on years of study and more than 16,000 surveys. One main concept of the research findings is that people join an organization to affiliate, or to be a part of, a movement of individuals with the same interests or goals.

That means they don’t join for the benefits and services an organization provides. This is a big blow to many of us who work for a membership organization, myself included. The reason I have a job is to make sure our members get their benefits and services (by the way, if you aren’t, email kcopeland@artsusa.org).  And while I know many of our members place a ton of value in services we provide like the Public Art Network Listserv, Arts Link, or the discount they get on books in our Online Store, my gut tells me that The Decision to Join got it right.

We recently surveyed a small sample of our members to ask about some new benefits we were thinking about offering, like discounts on office supplies or insurance for small businesses and artists.  (Incidentally, if you need insurance for yourself or employees, check out Fractured Atlas.)  The members who responded gave us a very clear answer: they don’t want any of them.

So we’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about where that leaves us. Essentially, most people join Americans for the Arts for the same reason you might join a political party or a knitting circle. You might be the only person in your town or on your block who thinks that the arts make America better, but you know you are not alone. You know that you are part of something larger than yourself.  And we know we have a lot of work to do.

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In celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month, we have 39 Creative Conversations scheduled in 21 states. Some cities, like Washington, DC and New York, are hosting a series of events. As of today, over 500 people have attended Creative Conversations. There are more Creative Conversations this week than any other this month.
REGISTER NOW for a Creative Conversation in your community!

• October 22: Washington, DC Shakespeare Theatre Company
• October 22: Washington, DC The Pink Line Project
• October 22: Atlanta, GA
• October 23: Philadelphia, PA
• October 23: Kingsport, TN
• October 23: Austin, TX
• October 24: Keene, NH
• October 24: New York, NY
• October 25: San Francisco, CA
• October 25: Houma, LA
• October 25: Omaha, NE
• October 25: Winchester, VA
• October 26: Richmond, CA

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Creative Conversations are continuing to sweep the country this month. To date, there are 39 events on the calendar in 20 states. Emerging leaders are using this moment within a national movement to develop local networks in their communities and to cultivate the unique leadership potential of young arts professionals. I visited two events last week (Seattle and Los Angeles) and I am continually humbled by the level of engagement and sophistication that emerging leaders bring to conversations about their future vision of arts for America.

Creative Conversations happening this week:

• October 15: Pittsburgh, PA
• October 16: Charlotte, NC
• October 17: Miami, FL
• October 17: New York, NY – Teachers College
• October 20: Kennesaw, GA

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Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, takes a look at the arts and news across the country. He discusses a variety of programs and events that occur this October in celebration of National Arts & Humanities Month. For more information visit: www.AmericansForTheArts.org/NAHM.

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Artists made a stunning and under-appreciated difference in the history of education. Research, such as that from Illinois and New Jersey, is now telling us the “will of the leadership” determines whether or not arts education happens.

I take this moment to appreciate leadership by the arts for education:

THE DAY LOUIS ARMSTRONG MADE NOISE ABOUT SCHOOL SEGREGATION

Fifty years ago, and two weeks after the Little Rock Nine were first barred from Central High School, Louis Armstrong was on tour in Grand Forks, N.D., writes David Margolick in the New York Times. Larry Lubenow, then a 21-year-old journalism student at the University of North Dakota, was sent to Armstrong’s hotel to interview him, with his editor’s caveat of “no politics.” This would have aligned with Armstrong’s wishes, as up to that point he had been quoted as saying “I don’t get involved in politics…I just blow my horn.” With the help of a bell captain and a room service lobster dinner, Lubenow snuck into Armstrong’s suite, and Armstrong agreed to speak with Lubenow. Lubenow initially stuck to his editor’s script, but soon brought up t he happenings of Little Rock. The response was shocking–Armstrong said President Eisenhower was “two-faced,” and had “no guts.” He called then Arkansas Governor Orville Faubus “an uneducated plow boy,” and sang the opening bar of “The Star-Spangled Banner” with obscenities substituted for the lyrics. Lubenow knew he had a story, but couldn’t get anyone to run it, as the Associated Press editor in Minneapolis wouldn’t believe Armstrong had said those things. So the next morning, Lubenow went to Armstrong’s suite with a photographer and showed him the story. After reading it, Armstrong, who was once called “Uncle Tom” by Jet Magazine, said “don’t take nothing out of that story,” wrote “solid” below the last line and signed it. There was typical backlash, but Jackie Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson, Lena Horne, and others quickly backed Armstrong. One week later, President Eisenhower sent 1,200 paratroopers into Little Rock, and the next day those soldiers escorted nine students into Central High School.

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Due to the incredible dedication in putting together thoughtful and relevant Creative Conversations for emerging arts leaders, young/new arts professionals in communities across the country now have the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue at the local level. These hosts are making a difference and we truly believe that, through these Creative Conversations, local emerging leaders are positively impacting the national arts community in a significant way.
REGISTER NOW!  for a Creative Conversation in your community.

• Monday, October 8: Minneapolis, MN
• Tuesday, October 9: West Palm Beach, FL
• Wednesday, October 10: Orlando, FL; San Jose, CA; Seattle, WA
• Thursday, October 11: Los Angeles, CA; New York, NY
• Friday, October 12: Madison, WI

View a short excerpt from Taking Stock: Connecting the Dots a film portrait of the Puget Sound Creative Conversation Series on YouTube [1:28min]

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A recent opinion article by Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under Clinton, in the LA Times, echoing opinions he has expressed earlier and elsewhere, has stirred up quite a debate. The various threads include an article in The New York Times about a month ago that touched on similar themes, and an article in the Washington Post. These are all referenced on The Chronicle of Philanthropy website, including some reader postings. In a nutshell, what Reich (and some others) contend is that the wealthiest Americans are self-serving in their philanthropy, and are not sufficiently generous is helping the truly needy. Reich specifically singles out arts organizations as nonprofits that essentially serve as playgrounds for the rich. Major universities like Harvard with its multibillion dollar endowment are also cited. Reich’s solution: advocating a change in the federal tax code that favors charities that provide direct services to needy people, suggesting, If the donation goes to an institution or agency set up to help the poor, the donor gets a full deduction. If the donation goes somewhere else to an art palace, a university, a symphony, or any other nonprofit, the donor gets to deduct only half of the contribution. Read the rest of this entry »

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Creative Conversations are local gatherings of emerging leaders in communities across the country and are part of a grassroots movement to elevate the profile of arts in America during National Arts and Humanities Month every October. Started in 2004 by the Emerging Leader Council, some of these local convenings have grown into cohesive, organized emerging leader networks.  This local tool empowers emerging leaders to take a leadership role in their own community by both designing programming and galvanizing their peers to connect professionally. Last year, more than 1,000 emerging leaders participated in 56 events in 26 states (including Puerto Rico) that were locally hosted throughout the country, and those leaders continue to be engaged at the national level.
NEW VOICES | NEW VISION
Creative Conversations are designed to serve young professionals who are in the beginning stages of their careers (35 years or younger) or people who recently joined the field (less than 5 years experience), but Americans for the Arts welcomes people from every age range and demographic group.  The only requirement is that participants have the desire to enhance their leadership capacity and the drive to develop innovative, effective, and responsible management practices. Creative Conversations are an ideal way for new leaders, like you, to develop passion for your work with others as you continue to develop your leadership potential and your commitment to the arts.
CONVENE LOCALLY | CONNECT NATIONALLY
Whether you are still building your professional contacts or know the players like the back of your hand, this is your chance to network with other emerging arts leaders in your community, chat about challenges specific to your career stage, discuss community issues, and make plans for future collaborations with other young leaders in your area. Visit the interactive map to register for a Creative Conversations in your community. Don’t see one? Visit the Local Host Toolkit to learn more about the 7 Steps to hosting a successful Creative Conversation in your community.

Creative Conversations the week of October 1:

• Thursday, October 4 in Denver, CO
• Thursday, October 4 in Poughkeepsie, NY
• Friday, October 5 in Phoenix, AZ

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Week after week, story after story is published in newspapers and magazines all across the country. They take different angles, but they all have the same message: an education that includes the arts produces workers that companies want to hire.

• The San Diego Business Journal writes that in an age of increasing globalization, jobs that lack elements of creativity will wind up overseas. So while math and science are important, it might be music and art that make the difference between a lay-off and a promotion.
• The Daily Press in Escanaba, MI, published a story this week about China’s shift from a teaching-to-the-test curriculum to one that encourages creativity, just as the United States is doing the opposite. The No Child Left Behind philosophy is not preparing our children for tomorrow’s world.
• Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is driving the point home in speeches on the campaign trail, saying that employers are looking for creative types. Like Richard Florida, Huckabee believes that creatives will make up the American workforce in the future.

So the word is getting out. The idea is catching on. Creative workforce has Buzz. And Buzz is the beginning. Before Paris Hilton was everywhere, she had Buzz in the Manhattan nightlife scene. Before healthcare reform was on every politician’s agenda, Michael Moore’s Sicko had Buzz.

But what do we do now? How do we in the arts harness the creativity Buzz and use it to ensure that every child gets a quality arts education?  At Americans for the Arts, we are working on leveraging the Buzz to get foundations, corporations, and political leaders involved so that No Child Left Behind doesn’t leave the arts behind.  We know you are working on it too. What are you doing with the Buzz?

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