Grantmakers in the Arts and Melanie Beene are pleased to provide this republished digital edition of the seminal report, Autopsy of an Orchestra. Originally published in 1988, before the advent of digital technology, for years this research has been available only in hard copy, and has been largely unseen by a generation of funders and orchestra management professionals. The post-recession economy has left many orchestras and other arts nonprofits struggling to find new models of operation, and the lessons of the past have never been more timely.
GIA Blog
Posted on October 22, 2012 by Steve
The Grantmakers In Health (GIH) Board of Directors has selected Faith Mitchell, Ph.D. as the organization's next president and CEO. She will assume the position on December 1, 2012, succeeding Lauren LeRoy, who has led GIH for the past 14 years.
Posted on October 15, 2012 by Steve
From Heather Gillers at the Chicago Tribune:
City officials Monday morning announced two plans aimed at supporting increased arts programming — one for the city as a whole and one for Chicago Public Schools. The citywide plan — a draft of which was hailed as "an amazing document" by National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman in July — calls for more flexibility in city regulations governing the arts and aims to use Chicago's arts attractions to draw international tourists.
Posted on October 9, 2012 by Steve
From Matthew Lasar for Ars Technica:
He appeared before the Personal Democracy conference in New York City on June 12 of this year. Such was the tension in the audience as Cary Sherman approached the stage that the moderator offered some cautionary words.
“The world changed this winter with the fight over SOPA and PIPA, and everybody is evaluating what that means,” his introduction to the guest began. “To some degree it is a cliche; it is a little bit like Daniel entering the lion's den... I also think we owe him the same civility that we would respond to any controversial speaker no matter how controversial their views, so I'm expecting you all to treat him with respect.”
With that, the CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America took the podium and, to no one's surprise, inveighed against copyright infringement and piracy. No sparks flew. The audience treated Sherman in a cordial and friendly manner. They even laughed at his jokes, which is probably why his presentation didn't get much immediate news play.
One factoid from the speech, however, has taken on a life of its own. Sherman offered it alongside a chart about 14 minutes into the speech.
Posted on October 8, 2012 by Abigail
On Barry's Blog Sunday, a post by Barry Hessenius on the upcoming Grantmakers in the Arts 2012 Conference in Miami, including an overview of session topics, his experience of the last two GIA conferences, and comments on GIA's new capitalization, arts education, and equity initiatives. Also included is an interview with GIA Chair and Senior Program Officer at The Kresge Foundation Regina Smith, who discusses GIA's evolving programs and Kresge's Creative Placemaking initiatives.
Posted on October 3, 2012 by Steve
Rocco Landesman, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), will present the 2012 National Accessibility Leadership Award to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) on October 5, 2012 at the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) annual conference in Washington, DC. Sponsored by the NEA and NASAA, the National Accessibility Leadership Award recognizes exceptional initiatives or programs that make the arts accessible and inclusive for older adults and individuals with disabilities. The award comes with a $25,000 grant.
Posted on October 3, 2012 by Steve
From Richard Florida for Atlantic Cities:
To what degree are the world's leading financial centers also leading centers for the arts? A new study by Monika Skórska and Robert Kloosterman of the University of Amsterdam takes an empirical look. Many have noted a possible connection between the two. While some believe leadership in arts and finance are twin characteristics of leading global cities, others, mainly economists, argue that leadership in the arts comes only after and as a byproduct of economic leadership. Despite these assertions, the study points out, there has has been little systematic empirical research of the connection between finance and arts across global cities.
Posted on October 3, 2012 by Steve
From Elizabeth Quaglieri for technology InTheArts:
It’s a hot-topic today, complete with nifty acronyms, but the great debate about the “Two Cultures” is hardly a new one. The movement to incorporate “Art” in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program curriculum recalls the historic debate between the Sciences and the Arts (for more information on the debate, read C.P Snow’s short essay, “The Two Cultures”). The irony of their supposed polarity is the fact they are completely interrelated.
Posted on October 3, 2012 by Steve
From the Ford Foundation:
Today marks the highly anticipated groundbreaking of El Barrio’s Artspace P.S. 109, a project the Ford Foundation has supported since its early planning stages. When construction is complete, the former public school building—located in the East Harlem community of El Barrio in Manhattan—will offer affordable housing for artists and their families, and creative spaces for community and arts groups like the Hip Hop Theater Festival.
Posted on October 2, 2012 by Abigail
With the conference upcoming, Miami is on our minds this month - and on the GIA website. Images featured on the photo banner throughout October were provided by GIA member John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Founded in 1950, Knight Foundation promotes informed and engaged communities by supporting transformational ideas in journalism and media innovation, community engagement, and the arts.