ARTSblog

From Wikipedia
In economics, disintermediation is the removal of intermediaries in a supply chain: “cutting out the middleman”. Instead of going through traditional distribution channels, which had some type of intermediate (such as a distributor, wholesaler, broker, or agent), companies may now deal with every customer directly, for example via the Internet. One important factor is a drop in the cost of servicing customers directly.

Disintermediation initiated by consumers is often the result of high market transparency, in that buyers are aware of supply prices direct from the manufacturer. Buyers bypass the middlemen (wholesalers and retailers) in order to buy directly from the manufacturer and thereby pay less. Buyers can alternatively elect to purchase from wholesalers.”

Yes, indeed disintermediation has come to the arts.  Just consider the changes in arts consumerism on the broader scale: Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 8%

Lately I’ve been saying, in conversations and speeches, that this is a time of great opportunity for the arts. People look at me like I’m crazy. How can there be any hope for the arts in the middle of the worst recession in 75 years? The difficult economic times have affected every aspect of our lives, personally and professionally. In general, there is a sense that we are losing ground while working even harder to catch up.  There doesn’t seem to be an answer or a solution, or an end, to the myriad local and global problems we face.

So let me be clear – I agree that it’s a terribly anxious and disquieting time for the arts, and for every person, every organization and business, and every community in this country. There are critical issues for the short term that we must all deal with. As director of a small nonprofit organization, I lie awake at night worrying just like everyone else. The rent demands to be paid, tomorrow (or actually, yesterday).  But, as important and as pressing as those short term issues are for us all, it’s precisely because the times are extraordinary that it’s a time of great opportunity for the arts.  We must turn focus and vision to the long-term opportunities ahead for the arts, and for all of us, locally and globally. The 21st century world demands new ways of thinking and doing. So what’s going to get us out of the mess we’re in?  Creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship-all qualities inherent in and integral to arts participation and involvement. Read the rest of this entry »

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People have been asking, “What’s the difference between Americans for the Arts Annual Convention and the Half-Century Summit?”  If you watched the video above, you’ll know that they’re the same thing only this year, there’s so much more to offer.  Find out more about Americans for the Arts Half-Century Summit at http://convention.artsusa.org, and to create an animated video like the one above, go to http://www.xtranormal.com.

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Thank you for visiting this blog. Over the next few months I look forward to an exciting dialogue from many diverse voices about the future of community arts education.  I hope you will subscribe to the feed so you can keep up with this important discussion.

My earliest memory of a community arts experience was when my parents enrolled my sister and me in a community theatre program in League City, Texas when we were in elementary school.  I brought home a flyer from school from the local playhouse and I thought the black and white drawing of a mime and stage lights looked very exciting. We went to theatre class for several weeks and then we ‘put on a play.’  The unforgettable smell of wet paint and cut lumber as the set was being constructed, the hours of memorizing lines, the heat of the stage lights, and the excitement of our first opening night are all things that I’ve never forgotten. Although it was years before I would return to the world of theatre, I was hooked.

The Nationals Guild’s Green Paper beautifully describes the diverse field of community arts education with “more than 5,000 nonprofit, arts organizations and government agencies are providing professionally-led, direct instruction in the arts to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities in community settings “ Whether it be community music schools in Chicago, Illinois or Whitefish, Montana, civic ballet organizations like the Greenville Civic Ballet in North Carolina, visual arts centers such as Inner-City Arts in the heart of Skid Row in Los Angeles, or a playhouse in a small Texas town, community arts providers throughout the nation are providing opportunities in the arts that are “essential to individual fulfillment and community life.” Read the rest of this entry »

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The Residency Green Paper states that: The first artists’ residencies were developed in the late 1800′s…(and were) not about retreat from the industry and fierceness of the city, but rather about advancing a different way of life.  Residencies have nurtured the creative development of artists like Marcel Duchamp, Alice Walker, and Leonard Bernstein… Surely no one would argue against the benefit of that time to those artists (and many more) and that their work has added tremendous value to our society as a whole.  It is a great community service that they provide.

Fast forward to 2010 when there are over 400 residencies in the US alone.  Like the towns, cities, and woods that they exist in and the people who run their programs and sit on their boards – they are all different. Many residencies do not offer retreat but instead require some type of a more public community outreach or work exchange. Looking out – community outreach can have a great impact on the locals who are involved and can also attract funding. Looking in – meaningful community service can have a tremendous impact on the direction of one’s work, on the direction one takes in their art career, and in the actions one takes in the communities that they settle in. The goal then is to make sure that community service and work requirements enhance the residency experience and that the AiRs take ownership of the good work that they do outside of their studio space. In other words – the goal is to provide experiences that are specific and meaningful to that individual.   Read the rest of this entry »

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Securing private funding is more competitive than ever given this current recession. So, how do we make the case for supporting the arts and how do we maintain a vital relationship with the private sector in spite of the funding downturn? How do we define the relevance of the arts to business in the face of urgent and basic social needs?

Our Private Sector Initiatives department at Americans for the Arts is leading efforts to stimulate additional support from the three major areas of the private sector: business, foundations, and individuals.

As part of our efforts, we are planning two interactive opportunities for the public to weigh in on the future of private sector support. The first is a blog salon for the week of March 8, 2010, focusing on building awareness about why and how the private sector supports the arts. This salon event will appear on ARTSblog, with a team of 20 bloggers from the private sector and local arts agencies contributing to the cause. Some of the authors include Diane Swonk, Chief Economist for Mesirow Financial; Gary Steuer, Chief Cultural Officer for the City of Philadelphia; Janet Brown, Executive Director, Grantmakers in the Arts; Colin Tweedy, Chief Executive, Arts & Business UK; Larry Thompson, President of Ringling College; Mark Brewer, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Central Florida, Inc., and many others. The bloggers will attemp to answer these questions and raise issues of their own. Read the rest of this entry »

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I am now a little over four days removed from attendance at an event that reinforced my belief in my profession.  Not that I really needed any reinforcement – I have always believed in the work that we do – but every once in a while it’s nice to experience a moment that solidifies all of the thoughts and reasons we have for our work.

I spent last week in Santa Clara, California, with 120 high school students from 32 states.  The event was the National High School Honors Orchestra, and I had the honor of serving as the chair for the event.  With the help of a hand-picked staff of eleven of the best music educators (and dear friends) from all over the country, the guidance of the phenomenal Maestro Raymond Harvey, and lots of administrative assistance from the talented ASTA staff, we brought these 120 individuals together on Tuesday afternoon for a week that one student would later refer to as “one of the best experiences of my life.” Read the rest of this entry »

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