ARTSblog

Ian David Moss

On Friday afternoon, I sat in on one of the AFTA Summit’s Visionary Panels, “New and Emerging Business Models.”  Moderated by Adrian Ellis of Jazz at Lincoln Center and AEA Consulting, the high-powered panel also featured Adam Huttler of Fractured Atlas (aka my boss), Clara Miller of Nonprofit Finance Fund, and Terence McFarland of LA Stage Alliance. (Ben Cameron and Shay Wafer were originally scheduled to appear, but could not make it; McFarland sat in for them instead.)

The panelists each brought a somewhat different perspective to the concept of “new models.” Ellis emphasized a separation between means and ends, defining a new model as an alternative way to accomplish one’s core mission (which presumably remains the same). Nonprofit Finance Fund’s Miller cited high fixed costs as the bane of many nonprofits’ existence and drew a laugh from the audience when she defined a new business model – the only one, in fact – as “reliable revenue that is greater than expenses. Any questions?” Huttler quoted the University of Wisconsin’s Andrew Taylor in describing Fractured Atlas’s model as “mission-oriented around sunk costs, profit-oriented around marginal costs.” Put another way, Fractured Atlas will seek grant funds and other contributed revenue to help pay for one-time expenses such as start-up capital, but always with the expectation that any new program or activity will eventually be able to sustain itself through earned income. McFarland described his organization’s historical reliance on earned income, noting that when he took the leadership reins the proportion of revenue that fell into that category was an astonishing 95%. While that percentage has since fallen somewhat, LA Stage Alliance still employs novel strategies such as marketing its connections with member theaters to interested parties in the private sector (such as newspapers). Despite the economy, LA Stage ended last year with a six-figure surplus.

Sparks began to fly a bit during the next exchange, when Huttler pointed to the contributed-income model (in which the people using the product or service – the customers – are not the same as the people paying for the product or service – the donors) as being inherently problematic. In his view, though the sector is likely stuck with it to some extent, this arrangement can distort programming because those holding the financial cards have a disproportionate amount of power to direct outcomes. Ellis responded that this is in fact what distinguishes the nonprofit sector from the private sector — why would we change our mission in response to the market instead of changing how we accomplish our mission? Read the rest of this entry »

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At 2:05pm on Sunday, June 27th the New York Neo Futurists were preparing to take the stage to perform 10 new plays to celebrate the culmination of the 50th Anniversary Summit. That’s right—a total of 10 brand new original short plays based on dozens of interviews with attendees and the group’s experience as the Artists in Residency at the 2010 Summit. I was fortunate to not only be interviewed by the New York Neo-Futurists (henceforth the Neos) but also to participate in their “re-charging movement-based activities” during the Networking Break on Saturday.

I jumped at the opportunity to interact with this group of dynamic performers by scheduling an interview. I know of the Chicago Neo Futurists from an episode in 2003 of the radio program This American Life, which adapted the idea of performing 30 plays in 60 minutes from the Neos’ show, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (Although the radio broadcast only included 20 acts in 60 minutes.)

The Neo Futurists opened at the Stage Left Theater in Chicago on December 2, 1988. Written and performed by the eight-person ensemble, the Neos were first conceived and directed by Greg Allen. The New York version debuted in 1995 but after two years took a hiatus. Resurrected in their current form in 2004, the New York Neos and are now going strong performing Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind at the Kraine Theater (85 East Fourth Street).

Drawing from their namesake, the Italian Futurists, the Neos come from a rich tradition of performance artist history ranging from the Dadaists and Happenings in 1960s to low-tech participatory theatre in the 1980s. Eschewing the ideas of conventional theatre performances: character, setting, plot, and the separation of audience and performer, the Neos thrive on audience interaction. Attendee interviews were just one way that the Neos facilitated this in Baltimore. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative thinking when it comes to funding the arts, and especially when it comes to my home discipline of music, specifically string and orchestral music.  After all, as our Green Paper states, part of our vision is to “protect these programs from economic uncertainty.”  But this one caught even me off guard!

FORD CREEK, IN, June 24, 2010 – Officials and board members with the Culver County School System have devised a way to save the system’s threatened strings program without cutting services to students.  “After a great deal of discussion, we have come up with solutions that we feel will allow us to continue to offer the strings program in our schools, and at the same time will address the current economic concerns of the system,” stated Culver County Superintendent of Schools Paul LaCosta. Read the rest of this entry »

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We are all advocates of the arts.  If you are in the profession in any way – educator, administrator, creator, or all of the above – you are, by nature, an arts advocate.  And all of us agree that one of the key points in arts advocacy is making arts education a priority.  But did you know that it’s not just a priority, but according to the federal government, it’s a part of the core curriculum?

In the session “Beyond Liking It: Prioritizing Arts Education,” Laurie Lock and Lynn Tuttle talked about the things that can do as arts education advocates to ensure the future of arts programs in our school, whether we are addressing continuing funding in difficult times or trying to establish funding for new programs.  Some thoughts from the session: Read the rest of this entry »

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Arianna Huffington, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Huffington Post, addresses how the arts and culture fit into our society, communications, and information sharing. In a world where technology can bridge the gap between cultures, online tools that pull together different voices and communities are increasingly vital. The Huffington Post is a prime example.

No Flash? Watch here on iPhone or iPad – http://vimeo.com/12876851.

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Check out photos from the Half-Century Summit in Baltimore.

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Alex Nelson

Reviewing my notes after another full but exciting day at convention, I found a quick thought I wanted to share.

In The Future of Arts Education visionary panel on Friday, panelist Eric Booth revealed that he is a bit of an etymology buff.  Throughout the discussion he shared with us the root or traditional usage of some of the words that kept recurring in the conversation.

For example, the standard definition of “expert” is a person who has special skill or knowledge.  But what I have written in my notes from yesterday is:

“expert” – someone who is adept at experiencing

I found the overall idea to be a really important reminder of the power inherent in re-framing, and how the simple action of changing our perspective, or redefining our situation, can yield new and unexpected results.

So to shift my own perspective, I plan to take on this particular example as a goal to strive for: a fantastic challenge to be an “expert” every day.

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Alison Schwartz

As technology enables artists and arts groups to share video and content of their work to the masses, some artists (and unions) are raising the question of control. As I sat down to hear the session, Technology’s Impact on the Future of Traditional Arts Delivery Systems at the Americans for the Arts Half-Century Summit, I was curious to hear what the panel had to say about control. Should we protect the artistic process? Does art-making need to be mysterious to be magical?

After reading a recent article about Peter Gelb, managing director of the Metropolitan Opera in Vanity Fair, I was looking forward to hearing how the MET had sold its casts and crews and artistic team on the idea of broadcasting its productions via LIVE satellite to audiences in movie theaters across the world. As a marketing professional, this strategy sounds like a smart, creative and bold way to engage new audiences. As a former stage manager, it sounds impossible. How did the MET get everyone on board with cameras on stage, backstage, in the house, in the lobbies? Elena Park, the director of creative content at the Met Opera, shared their story with us yesterday. And Tim Svenonius from SFMOMA, Ferol Vernon of ReverbNation, and Rich Mintz from Blue State Digital all provided supportive commentary. Read the rest of this entry »

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Hon. Richard Cohen, Minnesota State Senator; Rachel Goslins, Executive Director, President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities; and Jonathan Katz, CEO of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies discuss the public funding model for the arts and the arguments that will help lead to increased public support at the Half-Century Summit in Baltimore, MD on June 25.

What do you think is the best argument for continuing and increasing public support for the arts?

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Anne Katz

The Half-Century Summit is the 18th NALAA/AFTA conference I’ve attended.  My first time was DC in 1988, when I really didn’t know anything about local arts development.  In the years since, I’ve been to the conferences in Columbus, San Jose, St. Louise, Minneapolis, Denver, LA, New York, Atlanta, Portland, Nashville, Austin, Milwaukee, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Seattle and now Baltimore (and DC at least once more), and I’ve learned so much from these gatherings and my connections to the local arts field.   I’m a little hazy on the specific years that we were in Atlanta, Denver and Portland, but I have great memories from each conference.  Most of these great memories are about laughs and deep conversation with the people in the field, statewide organization and local arts leaders who are passionate about their work.  These are my peeps, the colleagues who are doing creative advocacy, service and development work statewide and locally.    I have come to rely on them for support, analysis, camaraderie and good humor – important qualities that these friends provide in very meaningful ways.  As advertised, I come to the conference to reconnect, recharge, refresh and learn new ideas and methods (I am a big believer in stealing great ideas from others, and love it when people steal my ideas as well!), to adapt and use for Wisconsin. Read the rest of this entry »

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I was recently captivated by a keynote speaker’s unique perspective on leadership. He asked all of the leaders in the room to stretch both of their arms up and reach for the sky. That’s what leaders do; they see a vision and reach for it. However, after awhile, their arms will get tired. The question posed to us was, who will stand by them to help them keep reaching? Many are quick to criticize and tear down those in leadership positions, but do we do just as much or more to support leaders trying to move us toward something new? Read the rest of this entry »

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Lex Leifheit

It’s almost here … the “Half  Century Summit.” Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? What can one see from the summit? Where does one go?

In the arts sector, most of us haven’t had the privilege of a summit perspective for a long while. I think that’s changing, and at this summit I’m surveying the landscape for tales from the field: others, like me, who have broken through to the Other Side:

• the Other Side of leadership, moving from emerging leader to executive or artistic director.
• the Other Side of recession, taking advantage of new funding, partnerships and earned income strategies to expand programming.
• the Other Side of advocacy, having successfully made a case to preserve and increase government funding.
• the Other Side of Client Relationship Management, utilizing cloud-based audience development strategies (yes I’m a geek) Read the rest of this entry »

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Jennie Smith-Peers

Welcome to the Green Paper discussion on the Aging Creatively in the 21st Century. We encourage you to read the full Green Paper available in the tab above and make general comments at this time. Be sure to keep your comments brief—Jennie Smith-Peers, the Ambassador for this Green Paper will begin deeper, threaded conversations around specific paragraphs, sections or themes that appear in this Green Paper. Follow this conversation thoroughly by adding the Aging Creatively in the 21st Century feed to your RSS reader!

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The other day I was reading the book Looking Ahead, Planning Together: The Creative Arts in Therapy as an Integral Part of Treatment for the 90’s, a compilation of discussions between creative arts therapists at a 1984 symposium.  The text covers both the hopes for the future of creative arts therapies and the perceived obstacles to getting there.  Surprising to some, perhaps, is that many of the same issues discussed then are still being debated among art therapy colleagues today – in workshops, at conferences, and in online discussion forums – over 25 years later!  So, what has and has not changed since 1984?

One of the issues discussed in the book is the importance of education and the ability to “DEVELOP a new level of sophisticated dialogue that comprises many different levels of abstraction and conceptualization,” stated panelist and research psychologist, Martha Davis, (p. 83). Art therapist, Myra Levick responded, “The whole reason for […] communication is to increase our sharing and to avoid isolation.  If we can’t do that, we are going to be in trouble.  If we […] have something special, but we don’t tell anyone, then we do everyone an injustice” (p. 83). Read the rest of this entry »

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We could all learn a lot from the people of Costa Rica.

I’m a little biased now, having just come back from the greatest tour ever with the students of the Etowah Youth Orchestras.  I spent nine days touring Costa Rica with 37 members of the EYO.  It was an incredible experience.  The food was fantastic.  The wildlife was remarkable.  The scenery took your breath away.

We learned much about the country and its people.  Our guide was first-rate – she knew everything there is to know about the culture and the ecosystem of this beautiful country. 

But our biggest lesson was one we took directly from the people we came in contact with over the course of our journey.  We learned about community. Read the rest of this entry »

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