ARTSblog

I was planning to write a post about how President Obama made sure to put creativity and innovation at the forefront of his State of the Union last week, but somehow missed any references to the arts. There I was on a treadmill at my local Washington Sports Club, waiting for him to say it. And waiting. And running. And running. And waiting. It never came.

Before I could write a post about it, I came across another one making many of the exact same points. So, rather than state the same thing twice, I invite you to check out Lee Rosenbaum’s Huffington Post piece, State of the Arts: Why Culture Matters for Obamanomics.

In her post, Rosenbaum mentions that Capitol Hill may not be ready for a pro-arts argument following the National Portrait Gallery incident and an influx of new members of Congress who have no interest in funding the arts, humanities, railroads, or Americorps programs. I understand that, but even a passing line about turning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) into STEAM (adding Arts), would have been easy to insert.

What if instead of…

“And over the next 10 years, with so many baby boomers retiring from our classrooms, we want to prepare 100,000 new teachers in the fields of science and technology and engineering and math.”

…The President said (using some of the language of Education Secretary Duncan): Read the rest of this entry »

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Pam Korza

The current environment has created a context for Local Arts Agencies (LAAs) and State Arts Agencies (SAAs) to reconsider support for arts and culture activity that addresses social and civic concerns.  Many will argue, and rightfully so, that, local and state arts agencies have long responded to disadvantaged populations and encouraged community engagement in their grantmaking.  It’s in their DNA as funders working for the public good.

The 2010 report, Trend or Tipping Point: Arts & Social Change Grantmaking, recently released by Americans for the Arts’ Animating Democracy program, gives public sector arts funders some food for thought about their roles. The report assembles a first-time portrait of arts funders, social change funders, and others in both private and public sectors that are funding civic engagement and social change through arts and cultural strategies. Local and state arts agencies comprised an impressive 48 percent of the 157 survey respondents that say they currently fund or plan to fund arts for change work; and they were in the top four categories of types of funders supporting this work (others included private foundations and nonprofits that make grants). In this still very much evolving arena of arts for social change philanthropy, the study finds local and state arts agencies are playing a role even though there are challenges and perceived risks. Read the rest of this entry »

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From Public Art Network Blog:

Monday, Jan. 24, 2011

by Caroline Stanley

New York-based art pioneer Dennis Oppenheim died over the weekend at the age of 72; known for a large body of work that spanned the Land Art, Body Art, and Conceptual Art movements, and then later, his “machine works,” Oppenheim was constantly innovating and refused to allow himself to be pigeonholed. “I have never been able to be what they call a signature artist,” Artinfo quotes him as saying. “Most of my work comes from ideas. I can usually do only a few versions of each idea. Land Art and Body Art were particularly strong concepts which allowed for a lot of permutations. But nevertheless, I found myself wanting to move onward into something else.” We look at some of his most recent pieces — the large-scale, often controversial public artworks that dominated the latter part of his career — after the jump.

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Americans for the Arts released its second annual National Arts Index scores this week and the findings won’t surprise you: the 2009 Index score of 97.7 is the lowest Index score in the twelve years it measures.

• The 2009 score represents a drop of 3.6 percentage points from 101.3 in 2008.
• There were 3,000 new nonprofit arts organizations created during the 2007-09 recession years but attendance at mainstream arts organizations and events continues a long-term decline.
• In 2008, 41% of nonprofit arts groups reported a deficit to the IRS, up from 36% in 2007.

While our country’s flagging economy has surely presented a number of challenges for the arts, the Index does hit some resonating high notes:

1. Americans are seeking more personal engagement in the arts. Personal arts creation and volunteerism is growing. The number of Americans who personally participated in an artistic activity increased 5% between 2005 and 2009, while volunteering also jumped 11.6 percent.
2. The number of artists in the workforce has increased 17% from 1996 to 2009 (1.9 to 2.2 million).
3. Demand for Arts Education is up. There are more college-bound seniors with 4 years of arts or music and in the past decade college arts degrees conferred annually have risen from 75,000 to 127,000.

What does this mean for your community? Comment below about how you see personal arts creation and volunteerism growing in your community or tell us about arts programs that are innovative in building audience demand. And be sure to visit the National Arts Index page.

Popularity: 10%

Tim Mikulski

In addition to coping with the trials and tribulations of the reputation that MTV’s Jersey Shore has forced upon the state of New Jersey, I was dismayed to see that members of the arts and culture sector of ‘The Garden State’ are under fire for a decision they appear to have been forced to make.

According to Star-Ledger arts reporter, Peggy McGlone, the New Jersey Historical Society is being criticized for selling one of its ‘prized possessions’ for cash at a time of great need for the organization.

The object was a hand-colored map of the United States as of 1784 which generated almost $2.1 million through a Christie’s auction. According to an expert in cartography, it was the first U.S. map published in America and the first to feature an American flag.

Valuable? Absolutely.

Priceless? Apparently not. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 11%

Trish Poupore

The Arts Build Communities project has been key to building a strong grassroots network of well informed advocates empowered with tools to make an effective case for supporting the arts in Virginia. In early 2010, the Virginia House of Delegates proposed elimination of state arts funding.  VFTA was able to mobilize nearly 300 advocates within 48 hours, who assembled in the House gallery as the House budget was presented.

The News & Advance, Lynchburg, later reported (Mar. 24, 2010) about Del. Scott Garrett’s (R-Lynchburg) account to his local chamber of commerce at the end of the legislative session:

“public reaction to a proposed cut in state funding for arts agencies led him to believe arts should be regarded as an economic development tool and not just a quality-of-life issue. ‘I had 1,983 emails about the arts after the House of Delegates proposed to cut state support entirely by 2012.’ In the final budget, most of the funding was restored. ‘What I heard, loud and clear, from our business partners is that arts are what brings businesses into our community,’ Garrett said. ‘I absolutely agree with that.’”

Through the project, over three years, a wealth of effective public awareness tools has been created that can be easily accessed and used by individual arts organizations, advocates, and the media.  The core element of the project is its bank of now 90 individual one-page stories about individual arts organizations in Virginia.

The stories follow a set, lively format using photos and quotes from community leaders.  They capture the basic elements of arts organizations’ programming, audiences, and key statistics on economic impact.   Economic impact stats are generated using the Americans for the Arts economic prosperity calculator. Read the rest of this entry »

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As we end our 50th anniversary year here at Americans for the Arts, we want to wish each and every one of you a happy new year! Throughout the year, we met and worked with stakeholders nationwide to ensure the arts had a voice from Main Street to Capitol Hill. We launched our 50 States 50 Days campaign to bring arts advocacy to cities and towns nationwide. We hosted our 50th anniversary convention, the Half-Century Summit, where nearly 1,200 leaders in the field came together to envision a bright future. We also presented one of our most successful National Arts Marketing Project Conferences to date in San Jose. And to begin this new year, we want to hear from you.

What is your resolution this year to support the arts in your community? Think big, think small. Let’s take a moment to come together and set meaningful, actionable goals for our field and all the communities we serve.

Post your resolution below! Read the rest of this entry »

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Marete Wester

On a snowy evening last December, more than 200 people gathered at the Wallraff Richartz Museum in Cologne, Germany for a discussion titled “The Role of Culture in Transatlantic Relations—Views from Both Sides of the Atlantic.”

Nearly seven years in the making, the panel was organized by the German Commission for UNESCO and AmerikaHaus NRW, Cologne. The goal was to learn about the U.S. administration’s objectives for its participation in UNESCO after a 19-year absence, and to start a dialogue on what the prospects might be to increase international cooperation.

I was privileged to serve as one of the panelists, along with Ambassador David Killion, permanent representative to UNESCO from the United States, and Tanja Dorn, vice president and artist manager with IMG Artists, who recently returned to her native Germany from New York City.

Tanja and I swapped stories about life in the “Big Apple”—though nothing compared with her tales of dealing with U.S. Visa issues. She passionately hammered home the chilling effects the costs have, especially on younger artists entering the United States.

This issue has long been one of the legislative positions on the agenda of national Arts Advocacy Day. What was new for me was hearing the issue raised nearly 3,800 miles away. Read the rest of this entry »

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With Apple’s recent ban on apps that allow direct donations to charities, countless nonprofits are likely scrambling to figure out ways to raise those last few dollars before the end of 2010.  I’m willing to venture a bet that, if they don’t already have one, almost every nonprofit organization in the U.S. has considered creating an app as a direct fundraising tool.  So why has Apple decided to forego allowing nonprofits to raise money directly through an app?  It’s understandable from a business perspective, as Apple doesn’t want to be in the business of verifying charities as legitimate 501c3 organizations nor be responsible for distributing the funds of those that aren’t (not to mention, it doesn’t look great for Apple to be taking their cut from a charitable donation).

But while the app ban does not prevent nonprofits from having apps that direct users to their websites to donate, it does introduce another level of separation in a fast-paced electronic world where people want a one-touch, easy system to make their decisions on everything from purchasing a game or an album, to making friends on Facebook.  These apps allowed nonprofits to respond quickly to situations where donations and relief are needed quickly, as evidenced by the trend in mobile and electronic giving following the Haiti earthquake. Read the rest of this entry »

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I’ll admit it. I was nervous the night before the start of the National Arts Marketing Project Conference. I was (and still very much am) the new kid on the block, having just joined the NAMP team earlier this fall. My personal expectations for my performance made San Jose seem like a make-or-break moment. I knew from experience that nervousness tends to make me shy, and I was afraid that shyness might be mistaken for lack of interest.

But the truth was, I had a real democratic curiosity for those attending the NAMP conference, whoever they might be and whatever they might do. And exactly one month (to the day) later, I have the NAMP Conference attendees to thank for the ease I felt during my time in San Jose. I found each and every arts marketer in San Jose to be fresh and fascinating with a ready-for-anything posture that proved to be contagious.

Looking back, I knew going into the NAMP Conference that we were providing a creative forum for attendees to experiment and think more strategically when marketing the arts. And I believe that we achieved that. But even though we are responsible for setting the creative energy in motion, it was the attendees who helped catapult this energy to new heights.

Here are some of the things I noticed among attendees that deserve a round of applause: Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 16%

Wally Hurst

For businesses not supporting the arts, the survey revealed another truth: that businesses give where they have an existing relationship. These businesses have a relationship with another charity that has their attention – and their funds. How does an arts organization break into that circle? By doing what you’re already doing – and by doing it well, and by making sure the decision-makers at that company know about it. Keep asking nicely, and show them what they can achieve by supporting your program(s), and see where it goes. We asked one company for years to support us, and after a while a new management person with an interest in the arts convinced his boss to listen to us – and we now have a relationship with that company and its support. It’s a process of education and tenacity.

For businesses with limited resources, suggest smaller ways to help, such as a partial sponsorship. And for those with talents or materials that you need, suggest an in-kind gift. For instance, we have a local sandwich shop that we give a full-page ad in our program to every year. In return, they feed our actors for our school-day matinee days, about 4-5 times a year. We all win. Read the rest of this entry »

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Wally Hurst

The survey revealed many reasons that businesses do and do not support the arts. One of the main reasons given for support by business owners is that “it’s a good thing to do”. Those of us working in the arts know this, too – that is the reason many of us left other endeavors to work in the arts, often at a substantial cost personally.

To understand why businesses give to the arts is a clarion call for those of us in the arts to reach out to businesses and find out which of these reasons motivates them to support the arts in their community.

We as an arts community need to understand what it is that each business wants from our relationship with them – and then try our hardest to give it to them.

If they need recognition, give them as much as you can. Offer them plaques, employee nights, employee discount programs, advertising and public service announcements with their names all over them. When in doubt, ask them what they want. One of our sponsors likes to have their employees over for a holiday dinner and show. If that means we feed 90 people and give them free tickets for a show, that is what we do. If it means, on the other hand, that we only mention them in the posters and the front of the program and make their employees pay for their tickets, that is what we do. And if they want to be anonymous and just get a few comps, we do that too.

If they want to support educational initiatives, let them know all about your educational programs – and how they can sponsor them. All of us in the arts are teachers, and we are all responsible for at least the informal education of children and adults – and most of us have formal educational programs, too. Personally, I have found the “easiest sell” to business is the educational programs we have for young people. They all want to be associated with those programs, it seems. If we make our educational programs functional and attractive enough (publicity helps), businesses will be lining up to support them.

For businesses supporting the arts, the survey revealed another truth: that businesses give where they have an existing relationship. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 17%

Emily Peck

In 1968, 7,000 companies were asked how much they give to the arts and why they give to the arts.  In the original BCA Survey of Business Support of the Arts which was conducted in partnership with the National Industrial Conference Board we learned that businesses give to the arts to improve corporate image, improve sales and services, aid employee recruitment, attract other industries to the area, encourage tourism and benefit employees, community and society.

Sound familiar?

In the current study, many of these same reasons still resonate with the business community.  79% of businesses say that the arts increase name recognition while 74% say that the arts offer networking opportunities and the potential to develop new business.  66% say that the arts stimulate creative thinking, problem solving and team building.  While half agree that arts support has the potential to increase their bottom line and slightly fewer believe that the arts can offer special benefits to their employees and that the arts can help recruit and retain employees. Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s great to see so much discussion around the purpose of arts in the workplace, and also watching people speak out on how creativity has affected their professional lives. Especially in these times it is important to remember that the arts help businesses and communities flourish.

As we’ve all been watching funding steadily decline, it is important to talk about how we can resolve this. I think it is important to look to companies that are leading by example, companies that understand the importance of keeping the arts in their giving guidelines through these tough times.

Devon Energy Corporation, located in Oklahoma City, OK, is a great example of this. Company wide there is a deep understanding of the benefits of the arts.  John Richels, president and CEO of Devon Energy Corporation said “Arts organizations play an important role in our communities. The arts inspire innovation, promote creativity and foster collaboration – all qualities that are also important in business.” This sentiment is felt through out the entire company, from employee volunteerism to work place giving campaigns and board leadership. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 17%

Megan Van Voorhis

I read a lot. And mostly, I read books and publications that fall outside of the arts and culture arena. For me, this practice helps me find new ideas from other fields that might be of value to my work. Perhaps it could also be considered my protection against paradigms. I first started examining paradigms in business school. My professor, Richard Osborne – aka “The Gorilla,” brought them to our attention in a case study. We noted that while paradigms can provide a framework for thinking about issues, they can also be a barrier to creative problem solving. The takeaway from that discussion was this: if you reach a block in solving a problem, or for that matter identifying a problem for a client, ask yourself what paradigms the organization is operating under and then ask yourself how the problem and solution would look if you changed the paradigm.

In reviewing the blog posts from my peers about business support of the arts, I almost wonder if we need a paradigm shift. It seems we might be heading in that direction, as many bloggers have commented on how the arts are helping business as a means to reinvigorate support for the arts. I wonder, however, if we could take that a step further. Instead of asking “How and why are businesses supporting the arts and how can we get them to do more of that?” Perhaps we should be asking “How can the arts and business work together for mutual gain?” How would that change our dialogue and the nature of our collaborations? Read the rest of this entry »

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