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Co-Authoring Meaning
Posted on September 8, 2011 by Steve

“Experiential relationships in cyberspace are the next frontier for the arts community,” states John Killacky in his new post on ARTSBlog. The post explores the participatory nature of art today's media climate, and how arts organizations are “behind the curve” in opening programs to audience involvement.

Audiences today are drawn, not merely to a performance, but to an arts experience in which they participate. The experience does not begin and end at the performance curtain, but long before and after: at home, in the lobby, online, and sharing with friends.

Word of mouth has always been potent for box office, so it is essential that the arts marshal the power of online participatory media. However, this calls for a paradigm shift in thinking about what cultural participation means for audiences, live and viral.

Technology and Innovation: New Models of Social Engagement
Posted on September 8, 2011 by Steve

A session from the currently-running SOCAP11 conference in San Francisco explores social engagement in the current technology environment. Presenters are filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, Christina M. Samala from the Story of Stuff project, and game designer Jane McGonigal. Lot's of interesting stuff is discussed. Here's the session description:

As the limits between our virtual and off-line worlds continue to blur, we have an opportunity to create a united vision reflecting our true values. We deconstruct new models that leverage the link between social interaction and commerce while monitoring the evolving relationship between technology, trust, and personal privacy.
Emiko Ono to Join Hewlett Foundation as Officer in the Performing Arts Program
Posted on September 8, 2011 by Steve

Emiko Ono, a veteran California arts grantmaker and administrator, will join The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as an officer in the Performing Arts Program, Foundation officials announced today. Ono comes to the Foundation from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, where she managed a portfolio of 350 grantees from all artistic disciplines with budgets ranging from $5,000 to more than $10 million.

As Performing Arts Program Officer at the Foundation, Ono will manage a diverse portfolio across the full range of grants that the Program makes.

Future of Music Coalition to Survey US Musicians About Revenue Streams
Posted on September 6, 2011 by Steve

As one component of its Artists Revenue Streams project, the Future of Music Coalition is conducting an online survey from September 6 through October 28, 2011 to gather crucial information about the ways that US-based musicians and composers are currently generating income from songs, recordings or performances, and how this has changed over the past five years.

Aboriginal Artwork’s Long Journey Home
Posted on September 6, 2011 by Steve

From Kevin Griffin at The Vancouver Sun:

One of the artworks in the Vancouver Art Gallery‘s Surrealism exhibition illustrates an ongoing story among many aboriginal groups in B.C. about reclaiming physical objects and artefacts from their past.

The artwork is the impressive frontlet in the first exhibition room. It was worn on the top of the head with the downy-material covering the sides and back of the neck.

Board Leadership Training Series Offered by Dodge Foundation
Posted on September 6, 2011 by Steve

The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation is offering the Board Leadership Training Series, beginning in October and running through May 2012. The series of workshops provide an intensive program to build a stronger, more effective Board of Directors for an organization.

Nonprofit Job Growth Nearly Flat in 2010, Arts Field Beats the Average
Posted on September 4, 2011 by Steve

From Maria Di Mento at The Chronicle of Philanthropy:

The number of nonprofit jobs grew by just under 1 percent from 2009 to 2010, according to a study of figures in 45 states by the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Civil Society Studies, in Baltimore. Year-to-year nonprofit job totals increased by 1.2 percent in 2009 and 2.6 percent in 2008.

However, nonprofits fared better in 2010 than for-profit companies, which saw a 0.9 percent decrease in jobs last year.

Influence of Digital and Social Media in the Arts
Posted on September 2, 2011 by Steve

Mary Trudel continues to explore the subject of social media in the arts with a blog post on AFTA's National Arts Marketing Project website:

Though there are of course best practices where digital and social media are concerned, we’re careful not to dispense too much advice until we know an organization well, since there are no one-size-fits-all answers. What we do typically say, though, is that it’s not about the tools. Yes, digital and social media have unique attributes and should change the way you interact (emphasis on interact) with your audiences. But, like any communications channel, they are most effective when integrated into a holistic strategy and policy.
Hurricane Irene Update from CERF+
Posted on September 2, 2011 by Steve

Cornelia Carey, Executive Director of Craft Emergency Relief Fund, sends this message today:

As you know, the east coast from North Carolina through New England is just taking count of the devastation resulting from Hurricane Irene. The flooding and resulting destruction in Vermont, where CERF+ is located, has been particularly intense and has fragmented roads that once connected Vermont, isolating entire communities.
Sustainability, Community, Art: A Conversation with Marc Bamuthi Joseph
Posted on September 2, 2011 by Steve

The Line, a Minneapolis/St. Paul-based website focused on the "new economy," features Oakland artist and community activist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, who will be a keynote speaker at the 2011 GIA Conference in San Francisco next month.

In mid-August, the multifaceted California artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph was in residency at the Walker Art Center, asking the question: “What sustains life in your community?” He asked this question of such local artists as Leah Cooper, Desdamona, Allison Herrera, Wing Young Huie, Marlina Gonzalez, Robert Farid Karimi, Rick Lowe, Leah Nelson, and Tish Jones to learn more about the intersections of artistic engagement, sustainability, and community in the Twin Cities.