GIA Blog

State Arts Budget To Increase 20 Percent After Legislature Overrides Governor's Veto
Posted on August 12, 2015 by Steve

From Greg Cook, WBUR 90.9FM, in Boston:

The budget for the Massachusetts Cultural Council will increase by 20 percent after the state Legislature on Wednesday voted to override Gov. Charlie Baker’s July 17 budget veto that would have level funded the state arts agency. “The House and Senate voted separately to restore $2.37 million to MCC’s budget, overriding the Governor’s earlier veto of the increase. State funding for MCC will be $14.16 million for FY16, up from $11.79 million in FY15. The new fiscal year began July 1,” the state arts agency reports.
Center for Cultural Innovation Names Angie Kim as President and CEO
Posted on August 11, 2015 by Steve

The Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) Board of Directors unanimously appointed Angie Kim as President and CEO. Kim transitions to this position having served as the Interim President and CEO since July 2014. Previously, Kim joined the CCI Board in 2009 and was elected Chair in 2010. She served on the Board until 2014 when she stepped down to assume the role of interim president and CEO. She has also previously served on the Board of Directors at Grantmakers in the Arts and is currently a Council Member of American Alliance of Museum’s Center for the Future of Museums and a board member of California Arts Advocates/Californians for the Arts.

New from the Reader: Report on the AEFC Forum by Margaret Hasse
Posted on August 6, 2015 by Steve

What’s the Big Idea in Arts Education? Advocacy for an Equitable and Just Mission, authored by Margaret Hasse, summarizes the happenings and provides key takeaways from the AEFC Forum Every Child, Every School that was held in May of 2015.

Unrest, Opportunity Drew RAC Head Back to St. Louis
Posted on August 4, 2015 by Steve

Nancy Fowler of St. Louis Public Radio, writing for The St. Louis American:

When new Regional Arts Commission (RAC) executive director Felicia Shaw, who currently sits on the GIA Board of Directors, realized her job at a San Diego foundation might be eliminated, she wondered what that might mean for her life. “I was thinking about what new direction I wanted to go in,” Shaw said. “And then, Ferguson happened.”
D5 Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of ADA Law
Posted on August 3, 2015 by Steve

Over the past few months, D5 has joined other champions of diversity, equity, and inclusion in celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — landmark legislation that provides access and protections for those with disabilities. D5 felt it was important to mark the occasion as they continue to work for full inclusion of all communities, including ensuring opportunity and access for people with disabilities. Here are a few online posts on the subject.

Member Spotlight on Arts Council New Orleans
Posted on August 1, 2015 by SuJ'n

For the month of August, GIA's photo banner features work supported by Arts Council New Orleans. Founded 40 years ago to support the arts and cultural community of New Orleans, Arts Council New Orleans is the region's largest funder for the arts. In 2015, it distributed over $900,000 to southern Lousiana's arts and arts organizations.

As Development Boom Bubbles, Oakland’s Arts Scene Increasingly Troubled
Posted on July 30, 2015 by Steve

From Eric K. Arnold, writing for Oakculture:

Last January, when Mayor Schaff proudly preened in a Burning Man-style art car during her inauguration, hopes were high that art would become a priority. After all, Oakland’s much-ballyhooed cultural renaissance had brought national and even international attention to the city, completely remaking an image once invariably linked to crime and blight. But perhaps arts advocates should have paid more attention to the fact that the onetime Skyline High cheerleader and Jerry Brown aide was driving around in a motorized snail.
New from the Reader: Richard Kessler on Arts Education Advocacy and Policy
Posted on July 30, 2015 by Steve

Return on Investment: A New Consideration for Arts Education Advocacy and Policy Work reflects on GIA’s arts education funding report released at the AEFC Forum that was held in May.

Mellon Foundation Releases the First Comprehensive Survey of Diversity in American Art Museums
Posted on July 30, 2015 by Steve

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, in partnership with the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), has announced the results of the first comprehensive survey to assess the ethnic and gender diversity of the staffs of art museums across the United States. Undertaken to replace anecdotal evidence with hard data, the survey provides the museum field with the first statistical baseline against which progress can be measured.

George Gund Foundation Appoints Jennifer Coleman as Senior Program Officer for the Arts
Posted on July 30, 2015 by Steve

The George Gund Foundation has named Jennifer Coleman as their new Senior Program Officer for the Arts. Coleman, an architect, has been president of her own design firm, Jennifer Coleman Creative LLC, since 2005. She founded CityProwl.com, a company that creates and distributes digital audio walking tours of Cleveland. Among other civic endeavors, Coleman has served as chair of the Cleveland Landmarks Commission and the Downtown/Flats Design Review Committee, and has been a member of the board of trustees of many organizations, including the Cleveland Arts Prize, the Cleveland International Film Festival, LAND studio, and the Cleveland Botanical Garden.