Breakfast Roundtables

Monday, October 19, 8:00am-9:00am

The Aspen Institute’s National Study of Artist-Endowed Foundations: An Update on Research and Spotlight on New Findings: Philanthropic Forms used by Artists Making Charitable Bequests

Organized by Charles C. Bergman, chairman and CEO, Pollock-Krasner Foundation and Pamela Clapp, program director, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts

For the Aspen Institute’s National Study of Artist-Endowed Foundations, the first in-depth look at private foundations endowed by visual artists in the U.S., Christine Vincent, Study Director, will present an update on research and will highlight new findings about the variety of philanthropic forms, in addition to private foundations, being used by artists who are bequeathing their estates to museums, educational institutions, community foundations, public foundations, and other types of charitable organizations.


At Your Fingertips: Media Arts in Service

Organized by Alyce Myatt, executive director, Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media.

Want to fund a media project but don’t know where to start? Have you funded media but other funders have yet to come on board so the project is languishing? In addition to arts and culture, maybe you’re interested in advocacy, or community-building, the environment, or civic engagement. Our GFEM Media Database is just a click away from helping you become a funder of tools you can use… or use sooner.

Projects in our database are slated for television, the Internet, radio, installations, mobile phones, theaters, games… on any and every type of screen… through any and every type of electronic device… Receive issue-specific RSS feeds whenever a project comes online that fits your program or grantees’ needs. Browse the trailers and discover new artists to support.

Join us at our roundtable where GFEM staff will walk you through a fun and fascinating tutorial. The future is here. And YOU can be an active part of it.


Can Culture Save Our Communities?

Organized by Amy Kitchener, Alliance for California Traditional Arts.

Why is culture critical to the health of communities and how can we 1) make that case, and 2) infuse culture into the community functions to promote community-wide health? What are the potential benefits and pitfalls in this work? Who is doing this work successfully?

If culture is woven, for example into The California Endowment’s Building Healthy Communities Outcomes, how do we envision culture playing a role in the community’s desired educational outcomes, and human services outcomes, economic development outcomes, housing outcomes, social justice outcomes, etc.?

What is the instrumental value of the arts in other sectors?


Finding, Funding and Focusing on Levers of Change: What Really Happens to Arts Education from District to School to Classroom

Organized by Laura Reeder, Americans for the Arts.

Elected school leaders, administrators, district staff, principals, teaching artists, arts organizations, parents as well as funders play important roles in setting the policy framework that allows high-quality, highly accessible arts education to happen in the classroom. Who makes which decisions that determine what takes place in the classroom? How does federal and state education policy trickle down through the district and the school into the classroom—and what are the pitfalls along the way that can derail even the strongest policies for arts education? What are the key levers for influencing budget and staff decisions? This session will illustrate how funders and non-profits can truly impact the decisions that make or break arts education in the classroom by understanding where strategic investments can induce change.


Mergermania!

Organized by Deena Epstein, George Gund Foundation.

Discussion about nonprofit mergers has increased in the current economic climate, but there are many questions and concerns about this final step on the collaboration continuum. Is merger a viable option for financially-challenged arts organizations? How do you merge artistic visions? What role should grantmakers play in suggesting and facilitating mergers? Have there been successful—or unsuccessful—mergers in the arts world that can serve as teaching tools? Share successes, cautionary tales, advice and concerns with colleagues.


NEFA’s Regional Dance Development Initiative (RDDI): a model for funder partnerships

Organized by Rebecca Blunk and Jane Preston. New England Foundation for the Arts.

RDDI is a component of NEFA’s National Dance Project to assist dance artists in reaching new markets with enhanced communication about the meaning and context for their work. Each ten-day RDDI "Lab," for up to 12 artists, emphasizes mentoring by more experienced choreographers, managers, and presenters, as well as artist/presenter exchange.

RDDI Labs in Seattle and Portland, OR, were made possible with support from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. In the San Francisco Bay Area, the RDDI focused on culturally-specific dance artists, and was supported by the San Francisco Foundation, the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation and WESTAF. A New England lab received support from the Aliad Fund at the Boston Foundation. National support for these initiatives came from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Ford Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. NEFA will spark a conversation among funders and participants from previous RDDI programs on this model of funder collaboration and professional development for artists.


Options, Opportunities and Obstacles: How Did The Arts Fare in the 2011 Federal Budget?

Organized by Marete Wester, director of arts policy, Americans for the Arts.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the first federal budget proposed by the Obama Administration will be voted on by Congress as of September 30. This Administration came into office with a strong platform of support for the arts and arts education. How did the arts fare in FY2010 budget? In addition to the usual suspects i.e. the NEA, NEH and IMLS, what other agencies include opportunities for accessing federal funds for the arts? Hear the update and share the stories of how arts groups either alone or in partnership with schools, social service agencies, or community development agencies are opening up new federal and state revenue streams to support their work. Engage in a discussion of what the opportunities, as well as the challenges, are for arts groups and their private sector funding partners as a result of the economy and other political factors.


Resources for International Exchange

Organized by Jennifer P. Goodale, executive director, The Asian Cultural Council and Trust for Mutual Understanding.

International projects are expensive, but the positive impact of establishing and maintaining long-term exchange programs is immeasurable. The Asian Cultural Council and the Trust for Mutual Understanding, two foundations dedicated to encouraging international communication through exchange in the arts, have focused on this issue of grantmaking for 45 and 24 years respectively. Please join members of our staff to meet with colleagues to share partnership models and discuss potential resources for international exchange.


State of the Arts in Contemporary Cuba: Assessment of Current Situation and the Role of Cultural Exchanges

Organized by Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas, program director, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and chair of Cuban Artists Fund.

This roundtable will provide an overview of the current art scene in Cuba and assess cultural exchange possibilities as a result of proposed changes in lifting U.S. travel and visas restrictions.

The political relations between Cuba and the U.S. (especially due to the embargo) have framed the arts and the relations of artists between our two countries. Artists (many of whom live in the diaspora) have played a major role in bringing Cuba to the world. Although most Americans are not allowed to travel to Cuba, those who have gone have generally taken away a good impression of the island and Cuban art is well received in international art circles. Despite Cuba’s visibility in the world, there is a great need for cultural exchange, and creative and sustainable ways to do this must be developed.

The Cuban debate is again heating up and already there is a long list of groups, artists, and journalist eager to visit the forbidden land and re-establish relationships that were severed as a result of the restrictions placed on travel and visas during the Bush administration.

The goal of this talk is to address some aspects of Cuba’s artistic infrastructure needs and to highlight examples of successful on-going mutually beneficial artistic and academic exchanges. For example the Viia art book program in Matanzas with Wake Forest University, organized by Professor Linda Howe helped build bridges and sensitivities on both sides as American students and Cuban artists worked side by side. The exchange took place over the course of 20 years. There is currently a traveling exhibit in the U.S. of the work produced.



Why Community Based Arts Organizations Hate Evaluations!

Organized by Janet Rodriguez,

Tuesday, October 20, 8:00am-9:00am

Artful Solutions: Creativity, Self-worth and the Path from Homelessness

Organized by Emiko Ono, director, Grants and Professional Development, Los Angeles County Arts Commission; Laura Zucker, executive director, Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

Join the Los Angeles County Arts Commission for a review and discussion of its Artful Solutions: Pathways from Homelessness program, the nation’s first regional effort to measure the quantitative and qualitative impact of arts-based services on homelessness participants. The conversation will center around a monograph, available in September 2009, which describes lessons learned from five partnerships between housing, shelter or social service agencies and arts organizations.

What are the qualities of the partnerships, organizations and programs that most effectively moved participants towards stable housing? What are the indicators that show that progress is being made? How can this work inform how we approach cross-sector collaborations? Insights can be applied to the arts and social service sectors as well as by funders considering how to support programs that respond to the needs of homeless populations.


Culture Wars Redux?

Organized by Alyce Myatt, executive director, Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media.

Remember when the Moral Majority took on the NEA in the 80's? Once again there are undercurrents of discontent churning at the intersection of politics and art that could lead to cultural clashes, the silencing of voices and the shutting down of all but what is dictated by a select few. This time the charge is being led by self-appointed guardians in the media.

But there are a number of movements underway to keep us from losing ground in our efforts to promote social change. How do funders engage to ensure a vital arts landscape that is unencumbered by narrow interests? Join Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media and the Center for Media Justice at a roundtable discussion to hear how groups are being mobilized, alliances formed, and what strategies and tactics are being deployed by grassroots organizations—and how you might fit into the mix.


East meets West Grantmaking: How different are we?

Organized by Rhyena Halpern, executive director, Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission. Moderated by Bruce Davis, executive director, Arts Council of Silicon Valley; Victoria Hamilton, executive director, City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.

Join us for a fun and informative conversation on the geo-cultural differences between arts giving on the east coast and west coast, in both the public and private sectors.

Test the theory that West Coast foundations and arts commissions tend to be more into “process” than outcome; that there is less middle management in foundations in the West; more out of the box approach to giving; different approach to public art; and more informal approach to governance and policy.

Come challenge these assumptions and state your case. Is East coast arts philanthropy more formal? Do East coast funders have more program staff? Are their governance documents tighter? By comparing and contrasting philosophies and practices on the coasts, determine trends, best practices, and what is best for your organization.


Engaging the Individual Donor: Challenges and Opportunities at GIA and in the Arts Philanthropy Field

Organized by Jason Franklin, board member, Arts Rising.

Individuals donate seven dollars to the arts for every grant dollar from foundations, yet conversations and partnerships between foundation leaders and individual donors are far to rare and often filled with challenges. This roundtable will offer the chance for individual donors and foundation leaders to explore questions, opportunities and barriers to more effectively engaging individual donors—both within the GIA community and more broadly in philanthropic partnerships around the country. Are you an individual donor looking to connect with other individual donors and explore ways to connect with philanthropic professionals? Are you a foundation leader interested in opening up conversations and funding strategies between foundations and major donors? Join us for this exploratory discussion and bring your ideas, your experiences, your frustrations, your stories of success, and more.


Findings from Animating Democracy’s Arts & Civic Engagement Impact Initiative

Organized by Barbara Schaffer Bacon and Pam Korza, Animating Democracy/Americans for the Arts.

Animating Democracy, a program of Americans for the Arts, is implementing the Arts & Civic Engagement Impact Initiative (supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation) to advance understanding of and to help make the case for the social efficacy of arts-based civic engagement work. With the help of leading practitioners, researchers, evaluators, and funders, the initiative has translated frameworks and tools for practitioners and is launching an online resource. Through a Field Lab, it has supported on-the-ground coaching in evaluation with arts and social justice practitioners. This Roundtable will share what initiative leaders have learned about measuring social impact of arts and civic engagement work, preview the online resource center, and discuss the value and effectiveness of the on-the-ground evaluation coaching model.

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Flexibility and Responsiveness: Supporting Individual Artists

Organized by Sacha Yanow, Program Director, Art Matters.

A discussion of ways to find flexibility and responsiveness in grant making to individual artists and the role small individual artist grants can play in establishing greater cultural resonance.


Not Asking Nonprofits to Do More With Less, or the Uneasy Art of Communicating to our Grantees During a Downturn

Organized by Frances Phillips, senior program officer, Walter and Elise Haas Fund; Julie Fry, program officer, Performing Arts Program, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

The life of a grantmaker during times of plenty is relatively easy: we have money and good news to give away on a regular basis. But given the Dow’s deep dive and the resulting reductions in our collective grantmaking power, how can we be clear, respectful, and helpful to our grantees as we communicate the effects of the downturn at our institutions, a reduction in resources that they will have to bear? What can we do to keep grantees informed as our guidelines and areas of focus evolve in this new reality? What methods can we use to ease the pain of bad news—for the grantees and for ourselves as we deliver it? How can we help reassure arts groups that innovation—while seemingly risky—is something that they must do to stay alive? This interactive discussion will be an opportunity for funder group therapy and to share ideas on what has been most effective during these difficult and ever-changing times.


Open Meeting for GIA Members Interested in the Coalition for Artists’ Preparedness and Emergency Response

Organized by Cornelia Carey, executive director, Craft Emergency Relief Fund.

All GIA members are invited to a roundtable discussion about the Coalition for Artists’ Preparedness and Emergency Response. The Coalition is a cross-disciplinary, voluntary task force involving over 20 arts organizations (artist/art-focused organizations, arts agencies and arts funders) and individual artists committed to a combined strategy of resource development, educational empowerment, and public policy advocacy designed to ensure that there is an organized, nationwide safety-net for artists and the arts organizations that serve them before, during and after disasters. The agenda for the roundtable discussion will include updating reports on the Coalition’s projects and initiatives, for both individual artists and arts organizations, such as: the creation of locally-based arts emergency mobilization networks, the creation of emergency planning and communication tools and an update on Coalition efforts to build a cross-sector alliance of groups representing self-employed workers (e.g. artists) to develop public policies that will improve and increase access to federal aid before, during and after disasters. The agenda will also include opportunities for all participants to share information about their related projects and/or concerns related to emergency response and recovery in the arts.


The Role of the Arts in Strengthening and Inspiring the 21st Century Global Community: A Preview of the Recommendations from the 2009 National Arts Policy Roundtable

Organized by Marete Wester, director of arts policy, Americans for the Arts.

On September 24-26, 2009, Americans for the Arts and the Redford Center at Sundance will convene 30 high level leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors for the 4th annual National Arts Policy Roundtable, on “The Role of the Arts in Strengthening and Inspiring the 21st Century Global Community.” The Roundtable explores the work the arts are doing to stimulate cross-cultural understanding among peoples of the world by opening dialogues, nurturing relationships and creating productive spaces for engagement—and identifies the role the public and private sectors can play in support. Join members of the 2009 Roundtable for a “preview” of their report: Learn what CEO’s and philanthropic leaders are concerned with and identify as priorities; Engage in dialogue and debate about what kinds of impacts these recommendations may have on new policies, partnerships and funding, and; Explore new opportunities for arts funders and their grantees to participate in creating globally engaged and connected communities through the arts.


Tracking Arts Engagement in the U.S.: What the Data Can Tell Us about our Audiences, and the Changing Face of Participation

Organized by Sunil Iyengar, director, Research & Analysis, National Endowment for the Arts.

Join the National Endowment for the Arts’ research director, Sunil Iyengar, for a review of shifting demographic trends in arts event attendance, and how levels of participation have changed over time for the general U.S. adult population. This roundtable will launch a discussion of how data from the NEA’s Survey of Public Participation in the Arts can be used to guide policies and programs to build new audiences for the arts, particularly through arts learning and electronic media. An overview of future NEA research projects, and their implications for arts funders and community leaders, also will guide the roundtable.

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