Grantmakers in the Arts

Do Artists Have a Competitive Edge in the Gig Economy?

May 16, 2016 by Monica

By Joanna Woronkowicz, writing for Creativz.us

Artists are all too familiar with the act of juggling multiple jobs in order to sustain their art work. While for many multiple jobholding is an economic necessity, as the original gig workers artists may have a competitive edge to sustaining work in the new gig economy. In other words, since artists have been effectively managing gig work for ages, we can learn something from observing the employment behavior of artists in terms of strategies for all workers on how to succeed in the gig economy.

May 13, 2016 by Monica

Sphinx Organization, a Detroit-based group that provides classical music education programs and advocacy for musicians of color, has released the following statement penned by President and Artistic Director Afa S. Dworkin:

At a recent meeting convened by the National Endowment for the Arts with national arts service organizations, the now former Executive Director/CEO of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) made comments widely construed as racist, short-sighted and patently false. NAfME found it untenable to expect effective leadership from a CEO who ascribes to regressive ideas about education. As President and Artistic Director of Sphinx Organization, whose work resides at the intersection of social justice and the arts, I felt compelled to speak up and challenge our field with a question: what lessons will we draw so as to ensure true change occurs?

May 12, 2016 by Steve

In an article in the latest issue of the GIA Reader entitled “The Summit on Creativity and Aging in America,” Beth Bienvenu and Gay Hanna summarize key takeaways from the national summit.

May 12, 2016 by Monica

In the latest post on Nonprofit with Balls, Vu Le reflects on his experience at the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations conference last week. The post offers insights on hopeful trends in philanthropy with regard to how organizations address racial equity, how trust is built between funders and grantees, and how funders can better serve the needs of organizations and movements.

May 11, 2016 by Monica

The City of Santa Monica Community and Cultural Services Department has hired Shannon Daut to lead its Cultural Affairs Division. Daut comes to Santa Monica from the Alaska State Council of the Arts—a statewide organization that represents, supports, and advances the creative endeavors of individuals, organizations, and agencies throughout Alaska. She served as its Executive Director for five years. Daut is on the board of the National Performance Network and the Western States Arts Federation.

May 10, 2016 by Monica

By Joshua Barone, writing for The New York Times:

Susan Delvalle, a veteran administrator for New York arts institutions, has been chosen as the new president and executive director of Creative Capital, a group known for applying the principles of venture capital to financing artists’ projects. Ms. Delvalle, whose appointment is effective June 1, succeeds Ruby Lerner, who has run Creative Capital since it was founded in 1999.

May 10, 2016 by Steve in Arts Education

In response to a recent controversy at a service organization convening discussing equity at the National Endowment for the Arts, Janet Brown, CEO of Grantmakers in the Arts, and Richard Kessler, Executive Dean of the College of Performing Arts at The New School, have penned an open letter to the arts community.

May 5, 2016 by Monica in Arts Education

Boston Public Schools Arts Expansion has released a new publication, Dancing to the Top: How Collective Action Revitalized Arts Education in Boston. This case study of the Boston Public Schools Arts Expansion (BPS-AE), a program supported by Barr Foundation and others, examines the expansion of quality in-school arts instruction as a means to increase equity of opportunity in Boston Public Schools.

Read the report.

Explore Solidarity Economy resources here

Future of the Field: Cross-Sector Creative Placemaking Series

Video from the GIA 2021 Conference are now available for streaming.

The Racial Equity Coding Project: Unpacking The “Why”

In this first of a three-part discussion, we are joined by Susan Feder, Adam Fong, and Maurine Knighton, as they discuss the Racial Equity Coding Project, why it was started, their experience with the earliest iterations of the coding measures, and how their reflections will inform steps forward.

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