ARTSblog

Johnny Kolasinski (Photo: Daniel Garcia)

I’m sitting in my hotel room at the 2012 Americans for the Arts Annual Convention and Emerging Leaders Preconference in San Antonio, and I’m a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. This is not only my first time at this Convention, it’s my first multiple day conference, period.

I’ve gotten an incredible amount of amazing information and met so many people in such a short period of time. Here’s some of what I’ve learned in my few days here, and some of the best advice I’ve been given.

Bring more business cards than you think you’ll need

Never in my life have I received so many business cards. I could wallpaper my living room with the new cards in my case, and still have some left over. I’m trading cards at almost every interaction. I’ve met some folks, though, that have run out of cards, or didn’t have them with them. I’d say I’ve already forgotten about 80 percent of those people. Be memorable. Carry your cards, and bring enough.

Bring snacks

You’re going to be hungry. It’s a given. “But Johnny,” you say, “my opening session has a breakfast, they’re providing lunch, and there’s a reception tonight. I don’t need to pig out.” It says they’re providing breakfast—it might just be a bagel and coffee. The lunch might be delicious and Texas-sized, but the speaker might be so enthralling that you only get to half of it.

By the time you get to the reception, your fellow arts admins might have descended on the poor, unsuspecting waitstaff like hyenas, leaving you with nothing but a quesadilla slice and three glasses of merlot.

You’ll be much happier if you’ve got an apple, some jerky, or a bag of Cheezits squirreled away. Read the rest of this entry »

The artist-initiated Victory Garden project outside of San Francisco City Hall in 2008 spurred a city-wide urban farming movement.

The Public Art Network and the Emerging Leaders Preconferences converged for their combined closing plenary session: “Multiple Meanings: The Expanding Role of Leadership in Creating Place” with Jason Schupbach (National Endowment for the Arts [NEA] Director of Design) and artist John Bela of Rebar in San Antonio on June 8.

The session sought first to explore the somewhat unsuspecting backgrounds of Jason, with a B.A. in Public Health and M.A. in Urban Planning, and John, whose education skipped from biochemistry to sculpture, performance, and landscape architecture, illustrating the benefits of their eclectic and complimentary experience to the arts field.

What does this reveal about the work of creative placemaking?

Because, in my unauthorized definition, creative placemaking is about cross-sector collaboration in which artists are a catalyst for public participation and community transformation. In order to infiltrate community, master planning processes, and policy, artists and arts professionals alike must speak the language of the architect, the planner, the social worker, the community activist, the health care provider, and the politician OR find internal allies so that we have support in the calculated risks that are intrinsic to making a social impact and to making art.

John’s formula for creative change: the Advocate, the Artist and the Guerilla Bureaucrat. For me, the latter offered the biggest conference take-away (the tantalizingly oxymoronic term also mentioned in a previous Public Art Network session). Read the rest of this entry »

Benavides self identified as an artist at an early age. (Image courtesy of Andy Benavides)

Twenty-two years ago, just for fun Andy Benavides, executive director at SMART (Supporting Multiple Arts Resources Together), decided to create weekend programming in his neighborhood. By identifying an immediate need in his community, the humble beginning of bringing art to the people blossomed into an art education and community movement.

Benavides dedicates his time to raising awareness of the developmental impact of the arts in San Antonio. He asked those in attendance at the Emerging Leaders Preconference, “What really stops communities from providing free art programming?”

During his keynote address, Benavides discussed how he confronts perceived challenges, “we deal with a lot of at risk youth and what they actually are is really creative.” He also talked about keeping art as the core of his organization and not making it secondary to funding. By being flexible and open to work-arounds, SMART does not let money hinder program creation or implementation. Being brave enough to make “the ask” yields the required results.

Benavides has a long history of creating experimental and community engagement programming including: SMART Student Photo Competition, SMART Fair, SMART Art and Pie to the People. Pie to the People showcases community education and the power of recycled materials for creativity and self expression. The event included all-day art educational workshops, a design competition, and What the Fork! A Community Collaborative Fork Art Project. Read the rest of this entry »