GIA Blog

2012 MacArthur Foundation 'Genius Grant' Winners
Posted on October 1, 2012 by Steve

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced its 2012 class of MacArthur Fellows. The following 23 fellows each will receive $500,000 over the next five years:

  • Natalia Almada, 37, Mexico City. Documentary filmmaker who captures complex and nuanced views of Mexican history, politics and culture.
  • Uta Barth, 54, Los Angeles, California. Conceptual photographer who explores the nature of vision and the difference between seen reality and how a camera records it.
  • Claire Chase, 34, Brooklyn, New York. Arts entrepreneur who engages audiences in the appreciation of contemporary classical music and opens new avenues of artistic expression through her International Contemporary Ensemble.
The Rural Arts And Culture Map
Posted on October 1, 2012 by Steve

From Matthew Fluharty, Director of Art of the Rural:

Today we are excited to launch The Rural Arts and Culture Map. As readers may be familiar, we shared news of the Map this summer as — with all of your help — the project won the crowd-source vote for a Rural Digital Advocacy Grant, an opportunity provided by the Rural Policy Action Partnership with funding from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. We are deeply grateful for your support.
Randy Engstrom Appointed Interim Director of Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs
Posted on September 28, 2012 by Steve

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn has announced Randy Engstrom as the interim director of Seattle's Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs. Engstrom is founder and president of Reflex Strategies, a cultural and community based consulting services business, and is known for his work as the founding director of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. He will begin as interim director on October 3.

Read the full announcement.

Arts and the Mind on PBS
Posted on September 26, 2012 by Steve

The PBS program Arts & the Mind explores the vital role the arts play in human development throughout our lifetimes. Part One, “Creativity,” features stories and the latest scientific research from experts around the country illuminating how the arts are critical in developing healthy young minds and maintaining them as we age. Part Two, “The Art of Connection,” depicts the positive effects of the arts for children in hospitals, veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, building community in Appalachia, and warding off dementia. Hosted by Lisa Kudrow.

What the Warhol Foundation’s Art Sale Tells Us About Artists’ Foundations
Posted on September 26, 2012 by Steve

From Christine J. Vincent for The Art Newspaper:

Always the most visible member in this small but fast-growing community, the Warhol Foundation has just demonstrated that artist-endowed foundations are not all alike and that it is, as always, among the most distinctive. Indeed, research by The Aspen Institute’s National Study of Artist-Endowed Foundations, the first comprehensive examination of the topic, confirms that we presume one-size-fits-all for these entities at the risk of misunderstanding this important, emerging field.
A Community of Practice: Why We Convene
Posted on September 25, 2012 by Janet

From "Better Together," a blog by Janet Brown

As we prepare the final details for Grantmakers in the Arts’ 2012 national conference in Miami, October 14-17, “communities of practice” have been at the top of my mind.  Associations like Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) serve the valuable purpose of convening members to discuss important topics, trends, challenges and solutions.

How Social Media Has Energized Small Arts Organizations — An Interview with Diablo Ballet’s Dan Meagher
Posted on September 25, 2012 by Steve

Fromy Geri Jeter for California Literary Review:

For small performing arts companies like Diablo Ballet, social media has come into the forefront as a cost-effective vehicle to get audiences involved in the arts in a new and interactive way.
Glee and Arts Education
Posted on September 25, 2012 by Steve

From Ginger Murray for her blog “The Sweet Spot” for SF Weekly:

“Arts education can literally save lives. I work with kids that are struggling with a lot in life whether it is poverty or violence or trauma,” [writer and youth educator Carrie Leilam Love] says. “Having an outlet and a teacher to guide them to express themselves creatively as opposed to internalizing or responding to violence with violence is vital. It is, in fact, an intervention.”
How Do We Get From Collective Conversation To Action To Impact?
Posted on September 25, 2012 by Steve

Beth Kanter reflects on past weekend's Mashable #sgsGLOBAL:

A theme I heard throughout the day on multiple panels was a call to action for people in the room to serve the world by following their passion. This was particularly true in Maria Bello’s story about her work in Haiti with creating a women’s network called We Advance. What better way to see this in action is to hear it and see it from the young people themselves. The audience got a performance by J.D. Malkin, known as jdviolinboy on YouTube. In addition to being gifted musically, Malkin is also the newest youth ambassador of Save the Children, an institution that serves children in need in around the world.
NEA Report Details Research Agenda, Measurement Model
Posted on September 21, 2012 by Steve

The new report How Art Works: The National Endowment for the Arts' Five-Year Research Agenda, with a System Map and Measurement Model is now available online and was discussed in a forum held at American University on September 20 (see the live-blogging of the event from Ian David Moss). From the report's preface, by NEA Director of Research & Analysis Sunil Iyengar:

This document sets forth the National Endowment for the Arts’ five-year agenda for research, but it does more than that. It provides a conceptual frame for planning and assessing research priorities so that the NEA can improve its ability to meet a core goal: To Promote Knowledge and Understanding about the Contributions of the Arts.