Grantmakers in the Arts

Irvine Foundation Announces First Round of Grants Under New Strategy

June 26, 2012 by Steve

A year ago the James Irvine Foundation announced a dramatic new strategy for arts grantmaking. And yesterday the first crop of grants under this strategy was announced.

The group of 20 inventive arts nonprofits funded in this first round of the Exploring Engagement Fund are linked together in that they: represent a new or expanded engagement for the organization toward underserved audiences and participants; investigate active engagement as a way of involving audiences in the artistic process; and/or that explore nontraditional kinds of venues for arts presentations and activities.

How Should Art Be Assessed?

June 26, 2012 by Steve

Diane Ravitch responds, on her blog, to a piece in Education Week that asserts that multiple-choice standardized tests are sufficient to assess arts education:

I understand and embrace the idea of cultural literacy, but I don’t think that multiple-choice standardized tests are the best way to teach it or to assess it. If a teacher of music wants students to understand the differences between Mozart and Schoenberg, the best way to do that is to listen to their music and discuss the differences. If the teacher of the arts wants students to understand the differences between classical Greek and Roman architecture, the best way to do it is to view it and discuss it.

Supporting Innovation Not Stagnation

June 26, 2012 by Tommer

Commentary on an approach to funding innovation by Nina Stack, President, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, on the Dodge Blog.

June 26, 2012 by Steve

From Dan Duray at GalleristNY:

Artnet magazine, an online publication that has served as the journalistic arm of the German-based tech company by that name, will cease publication today, after 16 years as a leading voice in the field of arts journalism.

June 26, 2012 by Steve

From Geri Stengel at The Huffington Post:

In a world where social needs are increasing and resources decreasing, it's critical to scale organizations that efficiently and effectively address social problems. For the last three years, the Social Impact Exchange has been convening leaders in the field to address this issue.

What is Collective Impact?

June 25, 2012 by Steve

According to the consulting firm FSG, there has been resounding agreement on the basic premise of the ideas behind collective impact: that no organization acting alone can solve large-scale issues. Collective impact is more than just collaboration. It is a rigorous approach with five conditions that, together, are a lever for deep and lasting social change. FSG created a series of three short videos, which describe the idea of collective impact and show two examples of collective impact in action: The Elizabeth River Project, and The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

June 22, 2012 by Steve

From Nicholas Ferroni at The Huffington Post:

In 1780, during some of the most crucial years of the Revolution, John and Sam Adams, and John Hancock felt it necessary to charter an academy in Cambridge, even before America won its independence. It seems obvious that only a military academy would be that important to create in the midst of a war, but it was not a military academy. In fact, they founded the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences, one of the most prestigious societies of research and study in the United States. Adams penned the Academy's motto himself; it read “To cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honour, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.”

June 22, 2012 by Steve

The Board of Trustees of Indiana University has approved a plan to establish the nation’s first School of Philanthropy. The degree will carry the same weight as a degree from one of the university’s other schools, such as liberal arts. The School of Philanthropy will combine under one umbrella academic and research on the philanthropic sector. The research arm will be the Center on Philanthropy (CoP), which was established in 1987 and has been the university’s hub for philanthropic studies.

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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