ARTSblog

by Anna Sebourn

As a second year graduate student in Arts Management getting ready to move from academia to a career, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the difficulty of the transition. Sure, I’ve taken a graduate level Arts Marketing class and had a marketing internship . . .but what kind of marketing jobs should I apply for? Am I considered entry-level or mid-level? And sure, I know how to market an arts event fairly well, but how well can I market MYSELF to employers?

I know I’m not alone in this. Several of my friends and I have been discussing this very topic at length anytime we peruse job listings or talk about our plans after graduation. We’re just not sure which jobs we’re qualified for and how to stand out among the sea of other applicants.

On the other hand, I have numerous friends on the opposite side of the spectrum. They have several years of work experience under their belt, but trying to transfer into the arts field from the ‘outside’ is tough. Some have already broken into the field, but have questions about advancing and sustaining their careers and staying current on best practices. Read the rest of this entry »

Podcast: Download (Duration: 4:56 — 4.5MB)

Bob Lynch, President & CEO of Americans for the Arts, discusses the upcoming National Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. on April 12-13, and talks about memories from past events.

For more information on National Arts Advocacy Day click here.  And you can also find video highlights from last year’s event, including Josh Groban and Wynton Marsalis, on this page.

We ask that you post your favorite Arts Advocacy Day memory below!

On June 10, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, which sets the initial funding level for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), approved a $15 million increase for the NEA in its FY 2010 spending bill, setting it on a path towards final House consideration. Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA) has once again championed the arts and culture and proposed an increase in funding.

Currently funded at $155 million, this increase would bring the agency’s budget to $170 million. In his statement, Chairman Dicks referenced the Arts Advocacy Day hearings the subcommittee held as demonstrating that “the endowments are vital for preserving and encouraging America’s arts and cultural heritage.”  On Arts Advocacy Day, Americans for the Arts presented a panel of witnesses before Chairman Dicks’ Appropriations Subcommittee calling for a significant increase in funding for the NEA.  Witnesses included Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis, singer-songwriter Josh Groban, legendary singer Linda Ronstadt, Reinvestment Fund CEO Jeremy Nowak, and Americans for the Arts President and CEO Robert Lynch. Watch video from that panel here.

The FY 2010 Interior Appropriations bill will next go to full committee and then to the House floor for final consideration where your help may be needed to defend against floor amendments attempting to cut this increase. We must now put pressure on the Senate to match this funding level. Please take two minutes to visit the Americans for the Arts E-Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Members of Congress letting them know that the arts are important to you!

On March 31, 2009, Arts Advocacy Day, Americans for the Arts gathered a panel of acclaimed artists and experts to call on Congress for continuing and additional support and funding for the arts and arts education in America.  This hearing, entitled “The Arts = Jobs,” focused on congressional support of strong public policies for the arts, appropriating increased public funding for the arts and supporting arts workers.  Josh Groban and Wynton Marsalis were among the artists who testified before a Congressional Committee to champion the benefits of arts and arts education.

Josh Groban – GRAMMY ® nominated singer-songwriter

Wynton Marsalis, World-renowned trumpeter,
composer and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center

Play Your Part!
Add your voice to the growing list of arts advocates across the country by joining the Arts Action Fund.

World-renowned trumpeter, composer and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Wynton Marsalis dazzled and inspired his audience with a moving lecture mixed with performance titled The Ballad of the American Arts. The 22nd Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy was presented to a capacity crowd at the Kennedy Center on the eve of Arts Advocacy Day. Marsalis’s lecture addressed the essential value of culture in the recalibration of American identity. After two standing ovations Marsalis wrapped up the evening with a lively performance with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (Chris Crenshaw, trombone; Victor Goines, saxophone; Carlos Henriquez, bass; Ali Jackson, drums; and Dan Nimmer, piano).

Wynton Marsalis:2009 Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy from Americans for the Arts on Vimeo.

If an artist sings deep enough, he takes you to the frontiers of your soul.
—Wynton Marsalis, 2009 Nancy Hanks Lecturer

Thank you to all the advocates from across the country who attended the 2009 Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC this week.  And thank you to Americans for the Arts for facilitating and convening this event.

Despite my snarky title, I learned a lot of excellent stuff at Arts Advocacy Day and I met many incredible and fascinating people.  I also got to connect with the offices of many members of the Illinois congressional delegation.

The fact that attendance was just a few folks shy of 2008 speaks to the importance and power of advocacy – especially in tough times.  The debate over funding for the arts in the stimulus was a wake-up call that we must be savvy and vigilant in our advocacy.  And as many speakers and presenters said at Arts Advocacy Day, “If we don’t do this, no one will.”

Before I share some of experiences and lessons-learned from DC, I’d love to hear from you about your advocacy and lobbying efforts.  What successes have you enjoyed?  What mistakes have you made?  What prompted you to speak out?  What has held you back?

I was live-Tweeting from Arts Advocacy Day and a few folks from Pennsylvania joined me (a special shout-out to @philaculture as well as @tiffany_gpac).  Below are a few highlights from our coverage. Read the rest of this entry »