ARTSblog

Teaching artist, arts leader, and good guy Eric Booth has penned an article on that bitty thing that connects all humans; that thing that keeps the arts alive whether the Endowment flourishes or falls; that nut of humanity that created Lasceaux, Cosi fan Tutti, and The Gates. And to illuminate this sprig of magic, he starts with particle theory. I read it and thought, “That’s so cool.”

An excerpt:

In order to unify our disparate arts, we need to find the quintessential elements of that human experience. We need to identify the fundamental particle or particles at the basis of the attraction, a Higgs boson for the human movement toward the artistic experience. And if we can agree around that unifying principle, I believe we can begin to answer the … challenge in a powerful way, by experimenting boldly to bring people into the common, universal, highly-valued human experience of art. Not just those who already value the arts, but also those who aren’t in the club and don’t think about or care about the arts, yet yearn for fullness in their lives. We need to move the experience of art to the center of our intention, and reclaim Homo sapiens’ cultural birthright of artistic engagement.

http://www.springboardforthearts.org/blog/2009/05/finding-smallest-unifying-particle-in.html

Popularity: 1%

One of the session proposals that Americans for the Arts sent to Grantmakers in the Arts for their annual conference this October in Brooklyn, NY was about the future of Arts Education. Here’s a brief bit:

Future Forms of Arts Education

What are trends? What’s the next format? What arts education is relevant to kids versus relevant to arts administrators or teachers? Drawing on the most successful new programs, this session will illuminate now nonprofit arts education programs are empowering youth to be cultural creators to whom adult intervention is optional.

The stunning idea is that adults are optional. Kids learn and do without them and sometimes, unfortunately, in spite of them. With a computer, kids can create music, videos, and visual art. Internet platforms allow for global distribution. Folksonomies and comments become teachers, guides, and distributors, launching the most acclaimed photos, videos, or songs to the highest visibility. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

I’ve gotten your emails and your phone calls, expressing your frustrations and wondering why a life as an arts professional has to be so damn hard.

I’ve heard you talk about how the stress imposed upon you by a collective of self centered artists, lack of executive leadership and limited resources have hurt your health and impacted your relationships.

You have pulled me aside after workshops and presentations and whispered “I love your ideas, but my boss will never let me do it.”

I’ve seen your passion for the job get swallowed up in a swamp of rules that make no sense.

Here are some things I want you to consider:

1. It doesn’t have to be like that. I know you’ve probably convinced yourself that all the garbage you deal with is just the cost of being in the field.

It isn’t. If the group you work for is being run poorly it is because people are ACTIVELY making choices that allow that to happen. It isn’t just a matter of circumstance. It’s an outcome of choice.

You deserve better then that. You deserve to work at an organization that produces great art, treats people with respect and pays fairly. No matter how much people may tell you otherwise those three goals are NOT mutual exclusive. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 2%

Podcast: Download (Duration: 6:30 — 6.0MB)

The Wing Luke Asian Museum is recognized within the field as a model of community arts programming and engagement for their long-term commitment to exploring issues related to the culture, art, and history of Asian-Pacific Americans. In this conversation with Cassie Chinn, Deputy Executive Director at The Wing Luke Asian Museum, get a taste of the story that staff from the museum, community members, and artists will share at the session in June. Cassie offers listeners perspective on the museum’s programming in June (definitely stop by and check out their new space if you’re able!), and gives listeners a good idea of the museum’s innovative model for partnership and programming through work with communities. Further, she offers listeners interested in replicating this work on the local level a few pointers on how to begin to think through philosophy and mind-set.

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

The following is an email letter sent to an indivdual quoted in a regional NY paper on the arts’ being of no value to prisoners in future employment efforts.

Dear Mr. Walker-

I would like to offer a perspective in response to the article “Inmate’s Show Won’t Go On” in the Times Herald-Record online, dated May 17, 2009. My hope is to illuminate the simple fact that the arts and arts education mean jobs.

The article notes that you called the prisoner’s original theatre piece “a blatant waste of manpower and funding.” It also noted that you asked, “How many of these medium-security convicts do you think will go to Broadway and get a job?” Fortunately, Americans for the Arts has conducted some research to answer your question. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 5%

A recent article in the New York Times spoke about artists who were able to spend their time on creating art that they enjoyed rather than art that sold (Tight Times Loosen Creativity, 5/20/2009). A singer who didn’t have to perform the songs that others wanted to hear at their weddings, a painter who didn’t have to paint what was commissioned, a composer who had more time to be inspired, “It’s not paying the bills the way it did in the past, but there is more joy in it.”

It seems that the artists were suffering from a little bit of “mission creep” (to borrow a phrase from the non-profit sector). Yes, times are tougher – it is always better to earn a living and pay the rent. But, it seems that a few people are taking it as an opportunity to get back to what they enjoyed and what inspired them. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 2%

Podcast: Download (Duration: 11:04 — 10.1MB)

Mitch Menchaca, Senior Director of Programs at the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and Chair of the Emerging Leader Council, and Teniqua Broughton, Program Director at Free Arts Arizona, and Vice-Chair of the Emerging Leader Council both discuss the past ten years of the Emerging Leader Council, their own personal career trajectories, and offer advice to Emerging Leaders navigating this tough economy.

Take a listen, and please comment!  What advice do you have for young arts leaders working in this economy?

Popularity: 1%

Given the abundance of crises and combustible situations we face, one would hardly blame the new administration if it moved slowly on the cultural front.  But there’s been something of an arts offensive in the last little while.  Last week, the President named a new chair of the National Endowment for the Arts and hosted the first spoken word performance at the White House featuring young poet-rappers.  Michelle Obama spoke passionately about the importance of the arts and arts education.  And I was lucky to be included in a delegation of about sixty-five people from around the country who were briefed by White House staff about the arts and cultural policy.  Remarkable. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 4%

As Manager of Public Art at Americans for the Arts, I wanted to familiarize our constituents about the Public Art Network (PAN) and the tools and resources available to enable arts professionals to create public artworks and programs in their communities.

PAN was initiated in the late 1990’s by a group of public art professionals from across the nation and Americans for the Arts officially adopted the network in the year 2000. PAN serves a membership of over 1,000 public art programs and artists nationwide and operates with a fifteen member-elected Council of advisors.

One of the first questions people often ask is: “what is public art?”

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

Sometimes I think a mission statement isn’t worth the keystrokes you type them with. But then I’m reminded of what a well thought out mission statement does. A great mission statement limits your choices.

Think about it.  Running an arts organization, hell . . . running a life  . . . is about making choices.

Should we perform at this venue or that? That play or this play? This dancer or that dancer? That gallery or the other gallery?

Sometimes those decisions are easy. Sometimes they are incredibly difficult.

If your mission statement is solid, it should be your guide through those tough choices.  That’s why the vague, pointless mission statements that populate our field are so harmful . . . Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

The White House has included a number of arts-related events on the recent calendar.  Yesterday First Lady Michelle Obama attended two events in New York City, a ribbon cutting at the new Metropolitan Museum of Art American Wing and the opening of the American Ballet Theater season.  At the MET event she included Americans for the Arts research in her remarks, “Our future as an innovative country depends on ensuring that everyone has access to the arts and to cultural opportunity.  Nearly 6 million people make their living in the non-profit arts industry, and arts and cultural activities contribute more than $160 billion to our economy every year.  And trust me, I tried to do my part to add to that number.”  (Read more about the economic impact of the arts here).  

Last week, about 60 arts advocates and social justice activists received a briefing by White House staff on the National Endowment for the Arts, the upcoming “Summer of Service” initiative and other arts-related activities.  Coordinated by the Office of Public Engagement, representatives from the First Lady’s office and the Social Secretary’s office also spoke to the attendees at the two hour event.  Further details were shared in a Washington Post article.

To add to that, last week the White House also held its first ever poetry slam, attended by President and Mrs. Obama.  Read more about this event in the Washington Post.

With the seeming increase in arts activity around the Obama administration, what do you think of President Obama’s arts policy so far?  What other events would you like to see the White House get involved in?

Popularity: 1%

Hello KAIPS Members,

KAIPS is a Cause on Facebook – Keep the Arts In Public Schools (click to join)

I want to thank those of you who’ve been stepping up and offering to make our success a little simpler. Many have offered to participate as leaders in the community which is great, because its working.

I believe that Causes is the best reason to be on Facebook and lately, in the press and blogosphere there’s been a bit of controversy stirring over the value of this as a platform.

Here’s a link ( http://bit.ly/WP-response ) in response to the Washington Post who recycled some outdated information essentially bagging on social networks and their inability to effect change for non-profits and public policy. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 2%

Podcast: Download (Duration: 3:24 — 3.1MB)

Bob Lynch, President and CEO of Americans for the Arts, discusses how awards presentations and special events can better integrate the arts and artists throughout programs. He concentrates on the recent 33rd Annual Arts Awards of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville as a successful example of careful use and placement of the arts within a special event.

Popularity: 1%

This week I attended a performance of Sweeny Todd staged and performed by my local High school drama department, Carlsbad High School, (in southern California).  When my neighbor informed me that the high school was embarking on Sweeny Todd, I immediately thought to myself, “what the heck is this high school drama teacher, Monica Hall, thinking?!” 

Sweeny Todd is a complex dark piece of musical theater and musically challenging, even for professional actors and singers. It’s not the kind of musical theater that one walks away from humming the songs.  Rather, it is more operatic, with dissonances and harmonies, flowing songs, and surprises.  The music is by Stephen Sondheim – a genius in my book.  Bottom line, and by any measure, add acting and choreography, set design, lighting design, technical design, a live orchestra, a production crew, fund raising, ticket sales, and advertising, and you’ve undertaken one heck of a big challenge.   Of course there’s also the issue of the content of the play – which is seriously dark and brutal, and ask high schoolers to make sense of it?! I don’t know. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 2%

Podcast: Download (Duration: 8:54 — 8.2MB)

South Park PhotoVoice, a program of Youth in Focus in Seattle, presents community members’ daily lives and needs through photography and writing in order to strengthen community and generate dialogue on local issues. In this conversation with Antoinette Angulo, Program Manager at Sea Mar Community Health Center, and Irene Gomez, Project Manager in the City of Seattle; hear a bit about what the South Park Photovoice project is and the artistic and civic engagement components. A preview to the session at the convention, part of the Civic Engagement track, Antoinette and Irene share some of the immediate and unexpected impacts of the project, as well as the ways in which the diverse group of partners worked together to develop and implement the project.

In closing, to get participants thinking about the session, I ask Antoinette and Irene to share a question to help get participants thinking about the convention session. Listeners and readers are invited to begin thinking about and discussing the topic in the comments below.

Check out the convention homepage for more details about the program. The deadline for registration is May 22.

Popularity: 2%