ARTSblog

Congress marked a new milestone of federal arts support by approving $50 million in recovery funds for the National Endowment for the Arts as part of the economic stimulus bill. These additional funds will allow arts organizations—large and small—to play a vital role in reviving their local economy. The arts are a prime vehicle for job creation and a valued economic distribution mechanism. The country’s more than 4,000 local and state arts agencies have nearly 50 years of proven history as good stewards of our tax dollars and can ensure speedy disbursement to local projects, along with the excellent direct distribution track record of the NEA itself.
 
We applaud the leadership of Congressional Arts Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA), and Appropriations Chairman David Obey (D-WI), as well as support received from Speaker Pelosi, in keeping the arts alive in the legislation. While the Senate opted not to include the NEA’s $50 million in its version of the bill, we hope Congress can come to a sensible consensus as the bill is prepared for its final vote. The arts are essential to the health and vitality of our communities, and it is fiscally sound policy to invest in our nation’s arts infrastructure.

For more information visit, the press room at Americans for the Arts.

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Economic recovery is coming.  Whether it is months or years away we must not lose confidence that recovery is just beyond the horizon.

So let’s focus on on the task at hand.  To our organizations and to our field, our responsibility is to do more than merely survive (though survival itself is surely a significant challenge.)

Our present job is to emerge from these hardships smarter and stronger than we are now.  Let’s focus on “Sur-thrival” – the act of investing today in efforts that will bear abundant fruit in the future.

Read the rest of this entry »

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With the increasing ubiquity of the Web in our lives and our need to streamline the operating costs of our institutions, everything is moving online.  Taxes are online, bill-pay is online, applications are online, even dating is online!  However, there are an uncountable number of web-based tools ranging from “free” to very expensive. The big challenge is deciding which ones are best for your organization. I have broken the choices down into three main categories: Read the rest of this entry »

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Cross posted to the Mission Paradox Blog: missionparadox.typepad.com

More and more people are talking about the use of social media (blogs, email, video) etc. as “the next wave” of marketing.

It isn’t.

It’s just a tool.

It’s just a really nice hammer. Read the rest of this entry »

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Just as Animating Democracy hit send on the January issue of their E-News noting a new essay on “The New New Deal” by Arlene Goldbard posted on the Community Arts Network (CAN), we received an update from CAN that a second installment of Arlene’s writing had been posted online:  “The New New Deal 2009: Public Service Jobs for Artists?” In this more recent piece, Goldbard picks up where she left off and offers updates on the very latest in arts initiatives being put before the Obama administration in response to The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan announced this month. Onward, she gets down to brass tacks and begins to explore how artists and arts professionals can begin to think about ideas beyond what’s already on the table: perhaps as a new Works Progress Administration (WPA) for artists. Elements of the proposed WPA include initiatives such as: Communities Creating Culture, which would support partnerships between communities and experienced cultural development practitioners; Enlivening Public Institutions, which would supporting teaching artists and others working in social institutions; an ArtistsCorps modeled on AmeriCorps, with significant training components; a National Story Archive aimed at cultural preservation; and Community Cultural Development Centers in neighborhoods nationwide. The whole program has a price-tag of $5 billion—”a sum equal to two weeks worth of Iraq War costs.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Americans for the Arts today released its policy recommendations to President-elect Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress, as they begin consideration of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan. The nine recommendations detail how existing federal programs, as well as new proposals, can provide critical support to the country’s arts, as well as economic infrastructure. The policy recommendations are available here.

A comprehensive resource guide is also available for arts organizations. The website provides tools and research to assist groups in remaining fiscally healthy in this time of economic uncertainty. More information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/information_services/recovery/default.asp.

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Cross Posted to the Mission Paradox Blog:  missionparadox.typepad.com

I’ll tell you a secret . . .

The declining subscription numbers and aging audiences that are the status quo in the theatre world (and dance, opera, etc.) scares the hell out of a lot of people in the field.

What scares them is not the problem.  It’s a problem the more observant ones in the field predicted a decade ago.

What scares them is the solution. Read the rest of this entry »

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Podcast: Download (4.2MB)

Bob Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, discusses his hopes for the incoming Obama administration with respect to arts support and the use of the arts throughout different facets of the national government.  He specifically addresses the National Endowment for the Arts, international cultural exchanges, and the need for an Artist-Museum Partnership Act.

ArtCast related resources:

• The Arts and National Economic Recovery
• Barack Obama arts platform
• National Endowment for the Arts
• International cultural exchanges
• Artists’ fair-market value deduction bills

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Cross posted to the Arts Marketing blog: http://www.arts-marketing.blogspot.com

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When the big three automotive CEOs flew separate private jets to Washington, DC to plead for public funds, I remember thinking to myself that I was thankful that I was a publicist and marketing director for a non-profit arts organization. The type of arrogance it takes to fly corporate jets to ask for billions of dollars in public aid surely could only be found in the private sector.

However, recently there has been a dust up about executive compensation in the non-profit arts sector, particularly because as the economy tightens, more and more arts organizations are pleading their case with stakeholders, some going as far as Mr. Kaiser in asking for a government bailout of the arts. Although I have tremendous respect for Mr. Kaiser, I am convinced that perhaps he isn’t the best emissary for the non-profit arts–how does it look for a non-profit arts administrator who makes more than $1 million a year in salary to be the champion of the suffering arts scene? Read the rest of this entry »

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Earlier, I promised a report of the Obama House meeting I hosted at our campus office last month. Finals hit, then the holidays – but nothing delays my post more than following the news: retail woes, Senatorial appointment challenges, Israel-Palestine conflict and now Obama’s Economic Stimulus plan. Read the rest of this entry »

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Cross Posted To The Mission Paradox Blog:  missionparadox.typepad.com

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One of my favorite words is stewardship.
Broadly defined, a steward is someone who is there to represent a relationship. So when you are a good steward, that means you have represented something well. The arts need more good stewards.

All too often when I listen to artists and arts admins talk about their field . . . they make it sound like we have the worst jobs in the world.

We talk about the challenges like we are the only field that has them.

We complain about the lack of funds or audience like we are entitled to both of them.

But how often do we consider that the reason we don’t get enough funds, or enough butts in seats is because of US? I remember a conversation I had with a very, very bright woman who wanted to start an arts organization. I suggested she consider making her group a nonprofit.  She flatly refused. I asked why. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’m tickled by the fact that my two year-old personal blog has two entries in it and this will be my third for Americans for the Arts in five weeks. I like to think of myself as the Terrence Malick of the blogging world. I guess when it comes to arts, I had more to say than I thought.

The thought of art as a shared experience has been in my head for years and years. However, inspired by my fellow bloggers, it’s been busting to get out. Much of this has to do with the advent of web 2.0. It’s amazing that we can access so much information, such as watching video on demand. However, I’ll digress here and say that I still think it’s a travesty that we can’t see the famous George Brett/Pine Tar Incident without sending a hefty payment to MLB. However, as to prove a point on advent of greater accessibility and user-created content, I did find a low-key reenactment and another done by the Famous Chicken and Johnny Bench. For those of you who haven’t seen it, trust me that the real thing is only slightly less surreal.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Fritzwire reports that Arne Duncan, Obama’s incoming Secretary of Education, will take with him Peter Cunningham, Duncan’s current communications “guru.”

Fitzwire says: “Feared and loathed by critics of CPS, Cunningham helped engineer a long string of good news about Duncan and the Chicago school system. He also spent six years as head speechwriter for Mayor Daley, and did stints working for other politicos before that (Hartigan, Burris (!), Burke). A bit of a character, Cunningham is often seen at local music venues like The Hideout. He plays in a band and his daughter is a musician.”

Between what Americans for the Arts’ on-the-ground peeps say (“he’s a good guy”) and the musician thing, we’re happy.

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Podcast: Download (5.0MB)

Bob Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, discusses his most memorable art experiences of 2008 including the Writer’s Almanac, Louise Nevelson, Craig Nutt, Wynton Marsalis, and Jeff Koons.  He invites others to post their favorite art experiences from last year.

ArtCast related resources:

• The Writer’s Almanac
• Louise Nevelson exhibit at The Jewish Museum
• Wood worker Craig Nutt
• American Repertory Ballet
• Wynton Marsalis, 2009 Nancy Hanks Lecture
• Jeff Koons exhibit at Versailles

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Broadway using Interactive Marketing
Great story by the NYTimes on how Broadway is leveraging social networking and mobile as part of their expanded efforts.

NY Public Library places collection on Flickr
Incredible photo-stream of their photo collections.  Very educational and good for marketing!

Gallery of Minimal Websites
A great resource for those looking for new web ideas with the “minimal” design.

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