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.
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. (more…)
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.
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?
