In response to federal policy changes, the City of Seattle has formed a Rapid Response Policy Coalition, a group of City staff, private sector attorneys, non-profit staff, and other policy experts to offer analyses and action items on federal executive orders and legislation. The coalition has published a number of articles detailing the potential local … Continue reading City of Seattle Forms Rapid Response Policy Coalition
Monica's Blog
Posted on April 11, 2017 by Monica
Funders have shown interest in offering resources for artists related to safety, security, and legal issues in the current political climate. For example, the Center for Cultural Innovation, a GIA member, has recently collaborated with the National Lawyers Guild to present a “Know Your Rights” workshop for artists interested in engaging in civil disobedience. Read … Continue reading Center for Cultural Innovation Hosts “Know Your Rights” Training for Artists in Protest
Posted on April 10, 2017 by Monica
From The Deseret News:
Victoria Panella Bourns has been named director of the Utah Division of Arts & Museums. She has directed the Salt Lake County Zoo Arts and Parks (ZAP) program for the past 12 years. The program distributes approximately $14 million annually to more than 170 arts and cultural organizations. Prior to joining ZAP, she assisted cultural organizations and other nonprofits with strategic planning, board development and executive searches through Panella Consulting.
Posted on April 4, 2017 by Monica
From UCLA:
National Medal of Arts recipient and nine-time Grammy winner Herb Alpert will be awarded the UCLA Medal, the campus’s highest honor, on June 16 at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s inaugural commencement ceremony. . . . In the 1980s, Alpert began to devote himself to philanthropy in support of artists, arts education, and compassion and well-being. Launched in 1988 by Alpert and [wife Lani Hall], the Herb Alpert Foundation creates opportunities that enable people of all ages and socioeconomic levels to harness their creativity, develop their talents and lead more productive and fulfilling lives.
Posted on March 31, 2017 by Monica
A new study funded by The New York Community Trust and Surdna Foundation found correlation between the presence of arts and culture resources and the health, safety, and well-being of low and moderate income neighborhoods in New York City. According to the report, culture does not work alone but is one ingredient that makes neighborhoods stronger. The findings will be used by The Trust and Surdna Foundation in grantmaking, and by the City’s Department of Cultural Affairs to design a cultural plan for the city later this year.
Posted on March 31, 2017 by Monica
As reported by Tampa Bay Times, Michael Killoren, director of local arts agencies and Challenge America at the National Endowment for the Arts, has accepted a position as executive director of the Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg, Florida:
Killoren, 60, has worked at the NEA since 2010 as the head of Local Arts Agencies and Challenge America, programs that support arts and culture at the local level. Before that, he was the head of Seattle's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, where he led an initiative to restore arts education in public schools. In 2001, he was tapped to serve as Seattle's first director of cultural tourism.
Posted on March 29, 2017 by Monica
The board of trustees of the Walter & Elise Haas Fund has announced that Executive Director Pam David will step down at the end of 2017, bringing her successful 15-year tenure to a close. During her stewardship, the vision and legacy of Walter and Elise Haas was enhanced and expanded for a new generation of trustees and residents of the continually evolving Bay Area.
Posted on March 28, 2017 by Monica
Ford Foundation President Darren Walker has recently published an op-ed on The Hill in support of the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities:
Of course, there is something at stake here much greater than the economic impact of public support for the arts. In a time of discordant political discourse — of competing, conflicting ideas of our shared future — the arts open our hearts and our minds, build empathy among us, and reconnect us with the human experience we all share. They are no special interest; they are a national interest that strengthens who we are.
Posted on March 28, 2017 by Monica
A recent article in The New York Times highlights some of the art therapy programs funded by the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities which serve veterans and their families. Given government support of veterans services, the article discusses how the success of these programs might influence conversations and decisions surrounding continuing funding for the endowments:
The fate of projects like the Warrior Chorus is likely to be determined in key congressional appropriations committees as they consider whether the two endowments should be funded, and at what level. In the past, lawmakers have cited the military and veterans’ programs when justifying budget increases for the endowments, which now each receive roughly $148 million.
Posted on March 27, 2017 by Monica
The Vermont Arts Council announced that Executive Director Alex Aldrich will step down on April 14 after more than 20 years leading the nation’s only nonprofit state arts agency. They have hired an interim executive director, Teri Bordenave, who will oversee day-to-day activities as well as assist in a national search for a new executive director.