ARTSblog

Maud Lyon

Business structures are one thing; business models are another. For all nonprofit arts and culture organizations, there are six sources of revenue: Gifts from individuals; gifts from corporations; foundation grants; government support; earned revenue (tickets or sales, fees for service, rentals, etc.) and investments (including endowments).

Your business structure establishes a foundation and sets the stage. (For all the charitable support, being a 5o1(c)3 is essential. An LC3 would focus more on earned revenue.) However, your business model is the mix of those six sources. Cultural organizations are not all the same – they have a number of different business models, all within the 501(c)3 structure. Each drives different behavior and requires a different attitude. As a thought-starter, here are five ways to think about it. In our experience, most organizations have a mixed model and are not purely one or another.  Read the rest of this entry »

Patricia Martin

Open talk about new business models in the arts is a cultural signal. It’s a watermark that tells us the tides are shifting. Digital culture is eroding some of art’s traditional value proposition.

That’s not what worries me.

This does: Even if the arts can come to occupy a new role in people’s lives, will they will be able to communicate this role to attract new users—especially younger audiences?

Cultivating younger audiences will be important. They are the future. But using marketing messages and tactics from the past to reach them might mean that your organization—no matter what its business model, will not be around to see them join your ranks.  Read the rest of this entry »

Diane Ragsdale

There’s an old Dunkin’ Donuts commercial that ran back in the 1980s. It first showed a baker’s alarm clock going off in the wee hours of the morning and then the baker shuffling into the shower, and then into the bakery, all the time muttering “Time to make the donuts…The donuts!” When the alarms go off at the homes of artistic and managing directors of nonprofit arts institutions across the United States, I imagine them waking up and sighing “Time to meet more donors…The donors…The donors!”

There’s a lot of talk these days about transformation of the arts sector. But before we consider what we might look like in the future it might be worth reflecting on the fact that the arts sector has undergone enormous transformation already. Many institutions have evolved from rough-and-tumble clans filled with artists running around in blue jeans to…well, to professionalized bureaucracies filled with fundraisers striding around in suits. We were prodded into this transformation by corporate types who perceived our way of doing business as chaotic and, therefore, ineffective.

But what if the corporate types were wrong decades back when they told us that becoming more like them would make us more stable and, therefore, better able to fulfill our missions?  Read the rest of this entry »

Claudia Bach

The nonprofit arts organization. An ungainly set of modifiers. But in the pre-professionalized mid-1970s, when I had to create my own bachelors degree in arts administration, I felt like I was part of an exciting evolutionary force, helping to grow the structural integrity and value of the arts within the conceptual and legal arts nonprofit corporate framework.

At that time it appeared to be a boundless horizon: a corporate structure where artists could gather force to develop and publicly share their work, communities could access entertainment and elucidation, and where we could rest assured that cultural legacies would inspire us and be preserved for future generations. I don’t think I, or my fellow travelers, questioned this as a common good. It was the chosen path and our work was to use it to good advantage in service of the arts.  Read the rest of this entry »

Back on February 11th, I posted a “Call to Bloggers” as a way to drum up discussion around the topics being discussed at the 4th Annual Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium (EALS) at American University.  Every week since then, we have heard from unique and varied perspectives on issues concerning leadership in the arts, global arts management, and how exactly one bridges the gap between academia and the “real world” of arts management.

Throughout this series of posts we learned quite a few things.  Brieahn DeMeo pointed out that U.S. arts managers don’t always have all the answers, and reminded us of the importance of being open to learning from other culture’s styles of management.  Laura Patterson explored the challenges of presenting foreign artists and foreign cultures in a globalized world.  Michael Wilkerson asked the question, “What is Leadership?”, and gave an insightful explanation reminding us that leadership is not something that simply blooms forth out of someone, as a butterfly would from a cocoon, but is something that everyone must continually learn it as they go.  Read the rest of this entry »

For almost a decade, I smelled bad. After years in the food service industry, there was no amount of scrubbing that could erase the stench of grease and questionable meat product from my clothing. Maybe it was the fear that I’d die stinky and alone that led me to seek employment elsewhere.  The problem was, I had a college degree and the passion to be creative in my profession, but no practical knowledge in the big-girl office world. How could I trick an arts organization into employing an expert burger flipper?

Let me let you in on a little secret. There’s no secret knock for getting into arts management. It’s as simple as this: All industries, especially the arts, are downright thirsty – nay, parched – for the right kind of employee. If you’re considering an occupation shift into the arts, the first step is discarding the belief that the “right” kind of employee necessarily means someone with extensive knowledge in the arts or arts administration. Quite the contrary, successful arts organizations employ diverse candidates who bring different – and critically important – experiences or viewpoints. Read the rest of this entry »

Jeff Hawthorne

In another evolution of our partnership with Burgerville (see Burgers, Fries and the Arts), we here in Portland are gearing up to enjoy a guilt-free day of locally-grown fast food.

For every purchase on March 10, Burgerville will make a donation to Work for Art, our united arts fund, and we will be on hand in as many of the 39 locations as we can muster to greet restaurant-goers, and talk about the value of arts and culture in our community.

This is all a precursor to the employee giving campaign that will take place at Burgerville later this month, and reflects the company’s strong commitment to outdoing themselves for the arts each year.

For example, in 2008, the employees (many of whom are part-time) of this sustainable food chain donated almost $8,900 to their employee giving campaign for Work for Art. Just last year they raised almost $16,000 for Work for Art, and we’ll let you know how much they surpass that total this year by offering this special benefit day! Read the rest of this entry »

Tim Mikulski

Many of our loyal Arts Watch readers are familiar with Americans for the Arts’ national arts advocacy efforts, but in light of recent state-level budgetary threats, we wanted to make sure that all of our members and non-members were kept up to date on the latest information in your individual states and regions.

The State Arts Action Network (SAAN), a network of over 70 arts advocacy, services, and education organizations, has been active within Americans for the Arts since 2004, when two previously independent national arts organizations (the State Arts Advocacy League of America and the National Community Arts Network) ratified an agreement to become part of our organization. Over the past few years, SAAN has also grown to include the members of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network.

However, the SAAN isn’t left to its own devices, as two staff members from the Government and Public Affairs Department, Jay Dick and Justin Knabb, provide professional development, networking, and technical assistance to the organizations. Jay and Justin also monitor news and events in all 50 states, providing advocacy help to the SAAN member organizations when needed.

All of this background leads me to a brand new area of our website. Read the rest of this entry »

Nora Koerner MacDonald

As manager of Americans for the Arts Job Bank, I often receive interesting tidbits and articles for employers and for job seekers.  Here are 5 Lessons for Employers to Write Effective Job Descriptions that I just received from our Job Bank’s provider that I think you’ll find helpful.

The devil is in the details. Things to include:

• Job title
• Department
• Location of the position (if there are multiple locations)
• Title of supervisor
• Pay grade or level (if your company has this)
• Type of employment, such as full-time versus part-time
• FLSA status (exempt versus non-exempt) Read the rest of this entry »

Tim Mikulski

Two amendments have been introduced regarding the funding bill for Fiscal Year 2011 currently being debated on the floor of the House of Representatives that would further cut/eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

The first amendment offered by Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) would zero out funding for the NEA completely.

The second amendment of concern is offered by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI). It would reduce funding for the NEA by an additional $20.5 million, resulting in an allocation of $124.5 million for the Endowment.

The amendments are scheduled to be heard, along with over 400 more, some time over the next few days.

To help prevent these amendments from being included, visit our E-Advocacy Center.

Podcast: Download (Duration: 6:23 — 4.4MB)

Earlier today, the Obama Administration released its Fiscal Year 2012 budget proposal. Included in the billions of dollars and thousands of programs, were lower allocations for both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The two vital endowments for arts and culture organizations nationwide were both cut by $21 million when compared with the $167 million that Congress appropriated for FY 2010. In today’s podcast, Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch discusses the impact that this budget could have on arts organizations at every level. To view Bob’s full statement, visit our news section.

Jay Dick

The Arts in Kansas took a heavy blow Monday when Gov. Sam Brownback signed an “executive reorganization order” abolishing the Kansas Arts Commission, transferring the state agency’s responsibilities to the Kansas Historical Society. The governor is also proposing cutting the arts budget from around $800,000 to $200,000, which will be used to assist in the transition from a state agency into a private organization, the newly-formed Kansas Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. (It is unclear if this organization actually has its non-profit status, or will need to apply for it, a process that can take a year or more.)

This is sad news on several fronts.

Last year, Americans for the Arts and state arts advocates defeated  six serious attempts to eliminate state arts councils across the country. If the Kansas legislature fails to overrule the governor’s order, Kansas will be the first state in decades to not have a state arts council. Read the rest of this entry »

Randy Cohen

On January 31, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman posted a blog about (1) the issue of supply and demand in the arts and (2) the ratio of arts administrators to artists.  I had the opportunity to augment the first point using additional data as well as clarify the second in my posting.  Because these are two issues that may arise for you, we thought it worth posting here so you have the facts at your fingertips.

An examination of years of trend data indicate that demand for the arts is indeed lagging supply. The good news is that it also indicates that audiences are not walking away from the arts, but rather broadening how they choose to engage in the arts.

There is also one noteworthy correction to be made in the Chairman’s numbers and thus, one of his points.

On the supply side:

In our annual National Arts Index report, released just two weeks ago, we track the Urban Institute’s count of registered nonprofit arts organizations as one of our 81 national-level indicators. In the past decade, the number of nonprofit arts organizations in the United States has grown 45 percent (75,000 to 109,000), a greater rate than all nonprofit organizations, which grew 32 percent (1,203,000 to 1,581,000). Or to take the more startling look, between 2003 and 2009, a new nonprofit arts organization was created every three hours in the U.S. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

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 »