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Monica's Blog

San Francisco Arts and Homeless Organizations Join Forces to Secure More City Funding
Posted on June 1, 2016 by Monica

By Chloe Veltman, writing for KQED:

Dozens of arts and homelessness advocacy organizations in San Francisco are joining forces to file a ballot measure to restore funding from the city’s Hotel Room Tax (a tax of 14 percent levied on hotel stays, more simply known as the Hotel Tax.) The “San Francisco Arts and Families Funding Ordinance” aims to benefit both cultural activities and families living on the streets — without raising taxes for voters.
Teresa Heinz to Turn Over Leadership of The Heinz Endowments to Her Three Sons
Posted on May 31, 2016 by Monica

By Joyce Gannon, writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

[Teresa Heinz of the Heinz Endowments] announced that she will step down in October as chair of the foundation with assets of $1.6 billion. Her three sons will fill the chairman’s seat in a series of four-year rotations beginning with Andre Heinz. … The foundation for decades has been a philanthropic force in the Pittsburgh region by providing billions of dollars to fund arts institutions, environmental programs, early childhood education, services for veterans and community redevelopment.
Turnaround Arts Gains Long-Term Backing from the Kennedy Center
Posted on May 25, 2016 by Monica

From the Associated Press:

An Obama administration project to expand arts education in elementary and middle schools has found new, long-term backing. The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts says it will be partnering to keep the Turnaround Arts initiative funded and expanding next year. The program brings music, drama, dance and visual arts into struggling schools. It’s grown from eight to 68 schools since it began in 2011.
The Kresge Foundation Announces Recipients of New FreshLo Grant Program
Posted on May 23, 2016 by Monica

From The Kresge Foundation:

Twenty-six organizations across the nation will receive nearly $2 million in grant funding to develop food-oriented initiatives in cities across the nation. Dubbed “FreshLo” – for “Fresh, Local & Equitable: Food as a Creative Platform for Neighborhood Revitalization” – the initiative is a joint effort by Kresge’s Arts & Culture Program and Health Program. Nonprofit organizations and coalitions from across the nation will receive $75,000 planning awards through FreshLo to design neighborhood-scale projects demonstrating creative, cross-sector visions of food-oriented development.
The Field Foundation of Illinois Names Angelique Power as President
Posted on May 19, 2016 by Monica

The board of directors at The Field Foundation of Illinois has announced the selection of Angelique Power as its new president. Power has more than 20 years' experience in the non-profit and corporate sectors, previously serving as program director at The Joyce Foundation. She serves on the board of directors and racial equity board committee at Grantmakers in the Arts.

GIA’s Capitalization Work Recognized in Chronicle of Philanthropy Article
Posted on May 18, 2016 by Monica

A recent article in The Chronicle of Philanthropy highlights a growing trend among funders of moving beyond the "overhead myth" to supporting the "real costs" of nonprofits. Grantmakers in the Arts’ National Capitalization Project was highlighted as one effort working to move the needle on foundation support for nonprofit financial health. The article entitled “Foundations Show Signs of Moving Beyond ‘Overhead Myth’” is available to paid subscribers of The Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Salzburg Global Seminar Publishes Summary Report on Arts and Sustainability Session
Posted on May 17, 2016 by Monica

A report has been released summarizing the latest Salzburg Global Seminar session in the Culture, Arts and Society series – "Beyond Green: The Arts as a Catalyst for Sustainability." The report, written by Holly Sidford and Alexis Frasz of the Helicon Collaborative, covers discussions from the various plenary sessions, on the role of art, design, cities, philanthropy and policy to advance sustainability, as well as working group recommendations.

Intermedia Arts Releases Study on Options for Community Arts Training & Support
Posted on May 17, 2016 by Monica

Intermedia Arts, in conjunction with Americans for the Arts / Animating Democracy, has released a study called “Options for Community Arts Training & Support” conducted by William Cleveland and the Center for the Study of Art and Community. The purpose of the study is to provide greater understanding of the demand and availability of arts-based community development training and to investigate how the benefits of Intermedia Arts' Creative Community Leadership Institute could be made accessible for a broader range of communities. Part two of the study is a field scan of training and support opportunities related to community arts in the U.S.

Do Artists Have a Competitive Edge in the Gig Economy?
Posted on May 16, 2016 by Monica

By Joanna Woronkowicz, writing for Creativz.us

Artists are all too familiar with the act of juggling multiple jobs in order to sustain their art work. While for many multiple jobholding is an economic necessity, as the original gig workers artists may have a competitive edge to sustaining work in the new gig economy. In other words, since artists have been effectively managing gig work for ages, we can learn something from observing the employment behavior of artists in terms of strategies for all workers on how to succeed in the gig economy.
Sphinx Organization Releases Statement on Arts, Inclusion, Society: Lessons for Tomorrow
Posted on May 13, 2016 by Monica

Sphinx Organization, a Detroit-based group that provides classical music education programs and advocacy for musicians of color, has released the following statement penned by President and Artistic Director Afa S. Dworkin:

At a recent meeting convened by the National Endowment for the Arts with national arts service organizations, the now former Executive Director/CEO of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) made comments widely construed as racist, short-sighted and patently false. NAfME found it untenable to expect effective leadership from a CEO who ascribes to regressive ideas about education. As President and Artistic Director of Sphinx Organization, whose work resides at the intersection of social justice and the arts, I felt compelled to speak up and challenge our field with a question: what lessons will we draw so as to ensure true change occurs?