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Steve's Blog

The Assembly Line and Failure
Posted on June 30, 2012 by Steve

From Chad Bauman at Arts Marketing:

As managers, we like to mitigate risk, thinking that if we could just control our variables just a little more, that we would reach a utopia of risk free theater producing. It's a fool's errand. Since the beginning of the global economic crisis in 2008, the stakes have risen so high that it can feel like we don't have room to fail. But in failure, we find success.
Valuable Resource from Grantmakers in Aging is Expanded and Updated
Posted on June 29, 2012 by Steve

For All Ages: The GIA Guide to Funding Across the Lifespan is an expanded and updated version of a previous Grantmakers in Aging toolkit. It contains real-life programming, grantmaking strategies, and issues-based approaches to identifying, researching, and funding the multitude of needs arising from the aging of our society, and offers Grantmakers in Aging's own online tutorial on what to fund, guidance on demographic research, and profiles of foundations that are committed to aging as well as others just getting started in the field.

Affordable Care Act's Survival is a Victory for the Creative Economy
Posted on June 29, 2012 by Steve

From The Huffington Post, Adam Hutler, Executive Director of Fractured Atlas, outlines why the survival of the Affordable Care Act is good news for artists in the U.S.:

Our community offers a preview of the 21st century labor force. Untethered by traditional employment relationships, artists are mobile, independent, and compensated based on the fruits of their intellectual labors. They are also chronically underpaid and, when it comes to traditional employment benefits like health insurance, largely expected to fend for themselves.
NEA Announces Partnership Project, Citizens Institute on Rural Design
Posted on June 28, 2012 by Steve

On July 1 the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) will commence as a partnership among the NEA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Project for Public Spaces, along with the Orton Family Foundation and the CommunityMatters® Partnership. CIRD works to enhance the quality of life and economic viability of rural areas. CIRD does this through design workshops that gather local leaders together with experts in planning, design, and creative placemaking to assist with locally identified issues.

The Edifice Complex
Posted on June 28, 2012 by Steve

From Rebecca Thomas and Rodney Christopher at Nonprofit Finance Fund:

A piece in yesterday's New York Times sounded a note that's all too familiar to our consultants at Nonprofit Finance Fund. “For Arts Institutions, Thinking Big Can Be Suicidal” highlighted a new study by the Cultural Policy Center at The University of Chicago showing that the enthusiasm for fancy new buildings and extensive renovations has put an incredible strain on arts institutions.
Portland City Council Considers Arts Tax
Posted on June 28, 2012 by Steve

From Jim Redden at the Portland Tribune:

The City Council will consider placing a measure on the ballot to collect a $35 tax on Portlanders to help fund school art programs and non-profit art organizations on Wednesday.

If approved by the council, the measure would be placed on the Nov. 6 general election ballot. If it is ratified by a majority of voters, the tax would apply to all city residents 18 and older who earn incomes above federal poverty guidelines.

Investments in Arts and Culture Build a Stronger Economy in Alberta
Posted on June 28, 2012 by Steve

Arts, culture, and official-language organizations will help create jobs and growth throughout Alberta, thanks to investments from the Government of Canada. Today, the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, announced support for 69 projects. Minister Moore made the announcement at the Art Gallery of Alberta in the presence of representatives of Edmonton's arts and culture community.

Irvine Foundation Announces First Round of Grants Under New Strategy
Posted on June 26, 2012 by Steve

A year ago the James Irvine Foundation announced a dramatic new strategy for arts grantmaking. And yesterday the first crop of grants under this strategy was announced.

The group of 20 inventive arts nonprofits funded in this first round of the Exploring Engagement Fund are linked together in that they: represent a new or expanded engagement for the organization toward underserved audiences and participants; investigate active engagement as a way of involving audiences in the artistic process; and/or that explore nontraditional kinds of venues for arts presentations and activities.
How Should Art Be Assessed?
Posted on June 26, 2012 by Steve

Diane Ravitch responds, on her blog, to a piece in Education Week that asserts that multiple-choice standardized tests are sufficient to assess arts education:

I understand and embrace the idea of cultural literacy, but I don’t think that multiple-choice standardized tests are the best way to teach it or to assess it. If a teacher of music wants students to understand the differences between Mozart and Schoenberg, the best way to do that is to listen to their music and discuss the differences. If the teacher of the arts wants students to understand the differences between classical Greek and Roman architecture, the best way to do it is to view it and discuss it.
Artnet Magazine Will Cease Publication, Ending 16-Year Run
Posted on June 26, 2012 by Steve

From Dan Duray at GalleristNY:

Artnet magazine, an online publication that has served as the journalistic arm of the German-based tech company by that name, will cease publication today, after 16 years as a leading voice in the field of arts journalism.