In envisioning a greater role for the arts in cultural diplomacy and engagement, thirty six national and international public and private sector leaders met at the Sundance Resort and Preserve in Utah on September 24-26, 2009. There they acknowledged the multiple roles the arts can play in strengthening cultural relations globally. Americans for the Arts believes this report may serve as a launching point to a new global dialogue between the public and private sectors and within our communities on the role the arts can play in improving relations between the U.S. and the world.
Civic Engagement/Community Development
Engaging Audiences
In the midst of hard economic times, it is clearly more challenging for arts organizations to take the long view and continue to devote time and effort to building new audiences. But this report on a recent gathering of representatives from more than 50 Wallace-funded arts organizations in six cities concludes that participation-building efforts and the resulting lessons are more vital than ever to the long-term health of arts organizations and the entire arts sector. Especially in hard times, the report says, it’s essential for leaders of arts organization to take careful stock of the long-term influences and challenges affecting the arts sector such as demographic shifts and new technologies that are creating entire new “spaces” for people to come together and experience the arts. The report describes how organizations are responding creatively to those challenges using such means as market research, re-branding, and drawing audience-building lessons from other sectors such as professional sports.
Arts Funding in California: Where Do We Stand?
The best local arts strategies are informed by knowledge of the larger arts funding landscape. That’s the premise of a project initiated by and for the nine community foundations engaged in Irvine’s Communities Advancing the Arts initiative.
These community foundations are developing new sources of funding while investing in programs supporting local arts. As these catalysts build plans for the new year, they have a keen interest in understanding the broader picture of current arts funding in California. In particular, group members are hungry to know what major funders of California arts are doing, so they can in turn examine opportunities to complement existing efforts or address unmet needs.
In fall 2010, Helicon Collaborative was commissioned to undertake a rapid research scan to support the interests of these community foundations and summarize the findings. The study, titled “Arts Funding in California: Where Do We Stand?,” helped define the size and nature of arts funding in California, using the most recent data available.
ON DEMAND WEBINAR: The Local Arts Movement: History and Current Profiles
The Local Arts Movement: History and Current Profiles
Originally recorded on May 20, 2009 (90 minutes)
New to the field of local arts agencies? This session will give you the background you’ll need to be able to understand your work and explain it to others. You’ll learn the history of the local arts agency movement and gain a thorough understanding of local arts agencies with current statistics from Americans for the Arts’ extensive research.
Available free to Americans for the Arts members only. Not available to non-members.
ON DEMAND WEBINAR: Arts & Civic Engagement: Policies and Actions for Strengthening the 21st Century Community
Arts & Civic Engagement: Policies and Actions for Strengthening the 21st Century Community
Originally recorded on March 11, 2009 (90 minutes)
The 2008 National Arts Policy Roundtable, an annual forum of Americans for the Arts and the Sundance Preserve, examined important and timely opportunities for the arts to promote civic engagement toward building healthy communities and a healthy democracy. Learn what business, government, philanthropy, education, and arts leaders recommend in areas of cross-sector alliances, policies and investment, research and evaluation, and messaging and casemaking to ensure a vital civic role for the arts.
Presenters:
- Marian A. Godfrey, Senior Director, Culture Initiatives, The Pew Charitable Trusts
- Susan Patterson, Program Director, Charlotte, The Knight Foundation
- Barbara Schaffer-Bacon, Co-Director, Animating Democracy, Americans for the Arts
- Pam Korza, Co-Director, Animating Democracy, Americans for the Arts
- Marete Wester, Director of Arts Policy, Americans for the Arts
Available for free to both Americans for the Arts members and non-members.
ON DEMAND WEBINAR: Secrets of Success in Rural Arts Communities
Secrets of Success in Rural Arts Communities
Originally recorded on November 19, 2008 (90 minutes)
The arts in rural communities across the country–each with their own history and character–offer something special to both visitors and residents alike. Drawing from the McKnight-funded Bright Stars report, this 90-minute webinar will feature successful models of rural arts development, along with the fun-natured “it could only happen here” stories that make this kind of work so satisfying.
Presenter: Carlo Cuesta, Managing Partner, Creation in Common
