ARTSblog

We are really excited to be heading to Seattle for the 2009 Annual Convention. Although Americans for the Arts hosts the convention, it is really YOUR convention. You are the presenters, participants, and consumers of this event. You are the ones who make it successful. We just set the stage for you to connect, listen, and learn from one another. 

We are currently accepting proposals to present. DEADLINE: AUGUST 1.

Below are some suggestions for what separates a good proposal from a weak proposal.

Read the rest of this entry »

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I always look forward to Convention, but this is especially interesting because of the host city—Philadelphia. Last year I applied to a several graduate programs in urban planning, urban design, and historic preservation. Among my primary criteria was the opportunity to live in a city that could serve as an interesting urban lab, one that was experiencing a great cultural renaissance and recognized the value of art and culture within their urban infrastructure. It’s no surprise that I spent a good portion of the year highly considering life in Philadelphia. Read the rest of this entry »

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I arrived in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon to be sure that I was well rested for the 8:30 Council meetings on Thursday morning. I wanted to see as much of the city as I can so when I arrived at the train station I decided to walk to the hotel, all the while scoping out the public art along the way. As I rounded the corner of 17th Street and JFK Boulevard, a Jonathan Borofsky in the Comcast building lobby caught my eye so I went to investigate. While admiring the sculptures overhead, the wood-paneled wall behind me came alive with images and sounds. What I thought was wood is actually “the world’s largest 4mm LED wall.” For the next few minutes I, and about 20 other people, were entertained by video, poetry, and 3D animation in what I considered to be a beautiful marriage of art, architecture, and technology. It is indeed a fitting start to a conference about “Art in the New Civic Life.”

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Career 360 is a new, innovative dimension of our Annual Convention. So far,
the feedback we have been receiving confirms that lots of people are really
excited about participating in a full menu of discussions, appointments
and sessions.

At Career 360 Clinics, we have the best consultants in the country at your feet.
Looking for advice on your organization’s strategic, fundraising or marketing
plan? What about your community’s cultural policy plan or your local creative
economy initiative? Ask questions about public art master plans. Meet with
some coaches. Talk to arts administration faculty.

To make the most
of this opportunity, come prepared with specific questions, issues and topics.
You will only have 30-minutes – !use it wisely! – but you will get pointed
in the right direction for next steps.

The consultants
listed below will be available for 30-minute appointments. Sign up will be
available at CenterStage on first come, first serve basis. Read the rest of this entry »

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Sculptor Bridgette Mongeon wrote a report on Best of Artists & Artisans about the great help that federal legislation called the Artist-Museum Partnership Act would give her as an artist. Sponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Robert Bennett (R-UT) the legislation would allow artists like Bridgette to receive a tax deduction at the fair-market rate for works of art she donates to museums to be shown.  Currently artists can only received a tax deduction for the costs of the materials, while art collectors and others can receive the full sale price for their contributions.

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Get networked in. Americans for the Arts Networks, Peer Groups, and Councils connect members who have like interests. Peer groups are centered on interest and/or profession, such as Rural and Small Communities. Groups meet face to face during the annual convention and communicate year-round through members-only listservs. Formal networks have been created to respond to the needs of:

• Arts Education Network
• Emerging Leaders Network
• Public Art Network
• State Arts Action Network
• United Arts Funds
• United States Urban Arts Federation

Only members of Americans for the Arts can get tapped into these networks. They provide leadership opportunities on their respective councils, professional development through their convention tracks, and best of all, friends through their listservs. Join today to get with the movers and shakers.

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Today, one of Washington, DC’s most recognizable, oversized sculptures is being uprooted and moved across the river: The Awakening – one of the more iconic public art pieces in Washington, DC.

Last year, the owner of the sculpture sold it to the developers of National Harbor, a glitzy convention center complex slated to open in April farther south along the Potomac in Prince George’s. The sculpture will be reinstalled there Wednesday. According to the Park Service, it had been for sale the duration of its time at Hains Point.

The sculpture is 17 feet tall at its highest point — the fingers of the right arm — and 70 feet across. The five-piece creation is the largest work by Johnson, known for statues of people doing day-to-day activities. The Awakening has drawn thousands of visitors since it was installed in June 1980.

Read the full Washington Post article from Sunday, February 17.

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Leadership happens at all levels throughout our sector – none is more amazing and courageous than by those in the beginning stages of their career.  Having met hundreds of emerging leaders through Americans for the Arts, I am convinced the arts and cultural landscape will remain vibrant and relevant for years to come. Our future is bright. There is no leadership gap.

 We know there are unsung young leaders in our midst. The radical act of leadership is claiming it for yourself or making it happen for someone else. Brilliance abounds – let’s celebrate for all our benefit.

Nominations for the Emerging Leader Award, and all Awards of Americans for the Arts, close Friday, February 15.

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Even though Congress is still working on the final details, an economic stimulus check from the federal government is likely coming your way in a few months. So if you are not going to deposit your check into your savings account or pay off that nagging debt, why not skip that new designer handbag, iPhone, or flat-screen TV, and put some of the money towards a proven economic revitalizer—the arts?

The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year and supports 5.7 million full-time jobs. The arts provide the key to community revitalization and economic development while still being true to their fundamental purpose: to delight, to inspire, to challenge, to educate. Investing in the arts attracts and retains creative professionals, and helps foster a vibrant environment that is vital to community culture, entertainment and a thriving economy. Read the rest of this entry »

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In a classic eposide of the 80′s sitcom Cheers, Diane tries her luck at betting on sports games. While Sam naturally uses athletic prowess when setting his wagers, Diane uses a different strategy—she makes her selections based upon the artistic strength of the team’s city. And she does really well. So, I’d like to apply this technique to Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII match up. Who is going to win this Boston/New York match up, arts-style? New York City might be the entertainment capital, but with Keith Lockard and Arthur Fielder in its dynasty, the Boston POPS benefits from both bold vision and deep traditions. Which city has the more innovative conductor? In terms of executive leadership, who would win a museum management challenge between the Director of the Musem of Fine Arts and The Metropolitan Museum of Art? If the first dancer of the Boston Ballet and the New York City ballet had a step-off, who would come out on top? And, how about going below the surface. Which city’s art scene is more “old school”? Which city provides better affordable housing for artists? Which city values public art more? Which city’s school system has the highest arts education scorecard? The prowess of a city extends farther than most people realize. So, who’s your pick and why?

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No matter what level you join at, all Americans for the Arts members receive discounts of 20-30% on some of the leading publications in the field. These journals are key resources for arts administrators, arts education professionals, public art managers, and artists.

• Arts Education Policy Review, published by Heldref Publications
  Arts Education Policy Review discusses difficult, often controversial, policy issues regarding K-12 education in the arts throughout the nation and the rest of the world. Focusing on education in music, visual arts, theater, dance, and creative writing, the journal encourages varied views and emphasizes analytical exploration. Multiple perspectives make Arts Education Policy Review a key resource for arts educators, administrators, policy analysts, advocacy groups, teachers, parents, audiences, and all those concerned with arts education.

• Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, published by Heldref Publications
  The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society offers valuable insights into the role of the arts as well as strategies for supporting the arts in a cultural landscape dominated by the global economy and mass media. The journal tackles significant practical and theoretical issues in arts policy, management, marketing, support, intellectual property, law, governance, and cultural production and dissemination. Analysts, sociologists, arts administrators, educators, trustees, artists, lawyers, and concerned citizens will enjoy the articles, commentaries, and reviews of publications.

• Public Art Review, published by FORECAST Public Artworks
  Public Art Review is the only journal focused on exploring the many dimensions of public art. Each issue provides opinion, analysis, criticism and discussion about the nature and trends in public art. Published semi-annually since 1989, our readership includes artists, architects, curators, city planners, students, educators, design professionals, program administrators, community leaders, writers, and more.

Visit the Online Store today to subscribe.

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Americans for the Arts is pleased to announce our Council election results. Below are your peers from across the country who will be serving on the following Councils starting next year. Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations and who voted online. We are looking forward to working with these leaders throughout their terms.

Arts Education Council
Emerging Leader Council
Public Art Network (PAN) Council
United Arts Fund (UAF) Council

Read the rest of this entry »

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Americans for the Arts and NonFiction Media presents “Taking Stock: Connecting the Dots”, a video chronicling the Puget Sound Region’s Emerging Arts Leaders’ dynamic series of Creative Conversations.

Ride along as young arts administrators grapple with the shifting landscape of arts funding, advocacy and space use models.

Thrill to the strains of peer networking, collaborative problem solving, and mutual edification!

This film shows what is possible when today’s leaders come together to invent the way forward–rather than waiting to have it shown to them.

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Recently, United Technologies Corporation (UTC) celebrated 25 years of sponsorship of the arts and they decided to celebrate the public art way. Since they wanted greater logo real estate as corporate sponsors, they decided to commission original works and installations on their own. This session presented a case study of UTC’s sponsored public art in Madison Square Park, NYC and Broadgate Arena, London, UK. The most interesting component of this case was how they used surveys, conducted by Audience Research & Analysis, to measure the impact of this endeavor.

How to you measure the value of public art, which by nature, has a more elusive, serendipitous, and iterative visitor experience than say a theatre or museum?
How can you design an assessment survey that documents valued added to both the consumer as well as the sponsor? (The presenters generously shared their powerpoint with me for this blog). Read the rest of this entry »

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Podcast: Download (Duration: 52:31 — 18.1MB)

Uploaded to this blog post, you will find an audio podcast of Dave Hickey’s speech from the 2007 Americans for the Arts Annual Convention. Dave Hickey was the 2007 Public Art Innovator.

MacArthur “Genius” award-winner Dave Hickey is the author of Air Guitar: Essays on Art & Democracy. Hickey has served as owner-director of A Clean Well-Lighted Place Gallery in Austin, Tx; as Director of the Reese Palley Gallery in New York City; as Executive Editor of Art in America magazine; and as Contributing Editor to The Village Voice. He has written for most major American cultural publications, including Rolling Stone, Art News, ArtForum, Interview, Harper’s Magazine, Vanity Fair, Nest, The New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. Reviewer Lawrence Weschler describes Hickey’s writing: “The generosity of the man’s verve–the suppleness of its profusions–can get to be downright ravishing. On top of which, the guy’s really funny.”

Audio and video files from previous events, as well as Americans for the Arts’ monthly podcast, can be accessed from our website. To listen to this podcast, please click on the play button below.

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