GIA Reader (2000-present)

Introduction

John Ton, Robby’s Arc. Photo courtesy of author.

When I applied for a position at the Howard Gilman Foundation in the summer of 2014, there was very little I could do in the way of research or preparation. Online material about the late Howard Gilman was sparse. His foundation appeared to have a website, but upon closer inspection, it was just a single home page, and even that seemed out of date.

ABOUT THIS POEM: “‘Muddy’ is inspired by the motion and cadence of Diné words. Looking at it on the page, one sees kinetic text and hears onomatopoeia, so the repetition of ‘tł’ish’ reenacts the sound of someone stepping in mud, and then the word itself turns into a poem.” — Orlando White

In the fall of 2019, SMU DataArts — in partnership with Theatre Communications Group (TCG) — released a paper examining the financial health of nonprofit theaters in the years leading up to, during, and following the Great Recession. With data pointing to an economic slowdown, the researchers explored the financial preparedness of US theaters to weather the coming period of uncertainty and turbulence.

Many of us working in arts philanthropy believe deeply in the power of art and culture to create shared experience and connection, and to contribute to strong, healthy, and resilient communities. We spend a lot of time making the case for the value of the arts to our colleagues in other fields, to our public officials, and those in other sectors. Over the past several years, there has been a noticeable and significant increase in interest among folks outside of the arts in how arts, culture, and creativity can play a role in equitable community development.

Download:
   Arts Funding Snapshot: GIA’s Annual Research on Support for Arts and Culture (2.8Kb)

Download:
   Arts Funding Snapshot: GIA’s Annual Research on Support for Arts and Culture (2.8Kb)

The MCA Denver’s new and multi-tentacled Octopus Initiative is based on an old and familiar concept. It is a lending library at its core, and those have been around, in one form or another, for nearly five thousand years, ever since humankind started committing cuneiform to clay.

Despite its unusual name, the program sticks to the basic structure libraries have honed ever since: a public institution holds in trust valued materials of common interest and allows borrowers to take possession of them for a set amount of time. Nothing too original in that regard.