February, 2005

NEWS FROM THE FIELD

Welcome to AMY WILLIAMS who has been named the Executive Director of the New York State Alliance for Arts Education in Albany, New York.

We would like to share some good news from the Native arts community with you. As a service to the community, American Indian Artists Inc. (AMERINDA) is producing a new, comprehensive web-based roster of North American Indian traditional and contemporary artists of the greater New York City area at http://www.amerinda.org/naar/naar.htm.

The NAAR is a single source of multi-disciplinary information of the rich array of emerging and established Native American artists from many disciplines who live and work in New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area. The Native Artist Roster is designed and built to; introduce Native American artists to the mainstream arts world; introduce Native artists to one and another; and create larger audiences for Native American art. The roster is a publicly available archive of comprehensive, easily accessible information that we hope will put the artists themselves directly in contact with more opportunities. You can search for an artist in three ways: by Discipline, Native Nation and Name. The application and guidelines can be downloaded directly from the Native American Roster Page of the AMERINDA http://www.amerinda.org/naar/naar.htm.

Founded in 1987 AMERINDA is the only arts service and producing organization in New York State. Committed to the idea that cultural as well as political sovereignty is at the heart of revitalization and renewal within indigenous communities, AMERINDA works to both empower Native American artists and break down barriers and foster intercultural understanding and appreciation of Native cultures and aesthetic expressions. Through a variety of arts programs, productions and services to artists, AMERINDA supports Native artists who uphold traditional values, which have defines Indian cultures for centuries as well as promote the indigenous perspective in the arts to a wide audience through the creation of new works of contemporary art forms-visual, performing, literary, and media arts.

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ARTS DAY IN ALBANY MARCH 22, 2005---9-3: SIGN UP NOW!

1. SIGN UP for ARTS DAY in Albany , Tuesday March 22, 2005.

2. SIGN UP for the ARTS SHOWCASE. We only have space for 25 organizations! Don't miss the opportunity to showcase your organization in THE WELL, a very high visibility central atrium in the Legislative Office Building. We can accommodate short performances and/or table top displays.

3. Make appointments NOW to meet with your legislators in Albany. The best time to schedule meetings is before 11 am and after 12 noon.

4. And make appointments to meet with your legislators at home.

ARTS DAY HEADQUARTERS: WELL of the Legislative Office Building
OPEN ALL DAY: 8 am - 4 pm. Staff will be available to answer questions and offer guidance. Handouts and information to leave behind will be available.
RALLY: 11 AM-12:00 pm. Legislative Office Building
Join celebrities and government officials. Pack the hearing room and help us present a unified voice for the arts.
ARTS SHOWCASE IN THE WELL: The showcase will include performances, table top displays and small exhibits. We will supply 8 foot tables, skirting, chairs, and electric. All equipment (electronic, easels, etc) must be supplied by the presenters. Set up can begin at 8 am and must be completed by 9 am. Performances will be scheduled between 9 am - 11 am and 1 pm - 3 pm. Only the first 25 organizations can be accommodated. So sign up now.

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ARTS DAY CAMPAIGN: $5,000 IN 50 DAYS!

We hope you are planning to join us for Arts Day in Albany on March 22, 2005---but whether you plan on being there or not, we have set a modest goal of raising $5,000 in 50 days in support of the statewide advocacy effort this year. We can achieve our goal easily if 200 individuals who are passionate about the importance of the arts in every community in New York State give a mere $25 each.

$5,000 in 50 days --- Your participation in this special campaign will speak volumes to our elected officials statewide.

Through this special appeal you can join the celebrities and the attendees in making our community voice heard which will contribute to insuring that the Governor's proposed budget holds steady and possibly result in an increase in legislative funding this year. Your donation will include you in the Arts Day program and promotion book, which is distributed to all attendees, legislators and leaders on Arts Day. This is a lasting document celebrating the importance of the arts in New York State's communities.

Time is of the essence: $5,000 in 50 days! You may pay by credit card or
send a check to:

The Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations
PO Box 96
Mattituck, New York 11952

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ONLINE LIVE LOCAL ADVOCACY TRAINING FOR ARTS DAY

Online Live Local Advocacy Training on March 10 at 10 am Spend one hour online with Judy Weiner in a crash course with practical tips and tools for local advocacy.

You do not have to leave the comfort of your office or your computer. All you need is a telephone and high speed access (cable, road runner, DSL) to the internet. Register now by clicking this link. You will receive simple (very simple) instructions for loading the software online to participate in the session. If you have dial-up access to the internet, you have an option too. You can call in and participate on the telephone only. You will not see the visuals or the notes online. You do not need to be a techie to participate or have any special computer skills.

Online Live is supported in part with funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

FROM THE UPSTATE OFFICE: Martha Strodel, Director Rural Arts Program

The Alliance board just completed their annual retreat in New York City, followed by a staff retreat. In Mattituck, Judy, Pat and I reviewed Alliance services, including the Rurals program in light of the changing needs of the field. The work done by the Rurals Task Force in October and November was supplemented by a twelve-year review of the program; both helped to confirm the importance of existing services and inform future plans.The existing services listed below will continue for all Rural Partners. The Task Force suggested increased promotion of these services to remind each of you of the resources the Alliance provides to the Rural Partnership:

* access to ongoing and onsite assistance with organizational and
board issues. (site & courtesy visits, Board Tune Ups, Rural workshops,
etc)
* access to subsidies for outside professional consultants
* support of peer mentoring (Lean on Me, visits to new directors)
* information, research & networking (this column, the Rurals
listserv, the Alliance website, Rurals Gathering, etc)

There are other ideas in the works that have emerged from the Rurals Task Force meetings and from the Rurals Task Force of the Alliance Board. These ideas include expanding the Rurals Partnership to include developing or rebuilding rural organizations, graduating Rurals who have moved beyond the program's services to new positions in the program, promotion of professional writing on the arts in rural areas, and media relations and PR training.

As for the Rural workshop series; planning is just starting for the 2005 series. We're going to explore holding one session online, with a discussion board. (similiar to the E-Institute sessions.) The other workshops will be held at various locations; to date, Arts Council for Wyoming County, St. Lawrence County Arts Council and Upper Catskill Community Council on the Arts have indicated they would like to host a 2005 Rural workshop. If you would like to host one of these workshops, or have ideas for topics you would like explored, please let me know. (mstrodel@nycap.rr.com)

REGISTER FOR NATIONAL ARTS ADVOCACY DAY: March 14-15

http://ww3.artsusa.org/events/2005/aad_001.asp
Arts Advocacy Day 2005 will be held March 14-15. The event is strategically timed to give grassroots advocates the opportunity to shape federal arts policy and educate Members of Congress. Last year, arts advocates succeeded in securing increased funding for both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as increased funding for arts education programs within the U.S. Department of Education. Arts Advocacy Day is held in conjunction with the Congressional Arts Caucus, and many Members of Congress will be involved in the day's events. Additionally, dozens of national arts, humanities, educational, and civic organizations co-sponsor this event each year. Join us in Washington, DC, and make your voice heard!

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OPPORTUNTITIES

INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL EXCHANGE GRANTS The grant guidelines for International Cultural Exchange for 2005 support have been issued. The grant supports exchanges between arts organizations in the U.S. and overseas. The competition is expected to award 5-10 grants totaling $1 million. While the number of grants will be limited, they will receive considerable visibility through the State Department. The deadline for applications is February 15, 2005 and the relevant information can be accessed by :http://exchanges.state.gov/education/rfgps/feb15rfgp.htm

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS CONVENTION: Austin Texas June 11-13 Americans for the Arts is offering four types of scholarships to arts leaders throughout the country to assist them in participating in Leading the Charge, Americans for the Arts 2005 Annual Convention, taking place in Austin, TX from June 11-13 with preconferences on emerging leaders, public art, and united arts fundraising taking place June 9 - 10. The purpose of these scholarships is to provide assistance for arts professionals to attend the convention and/or preconferences to network with peers and share strategies for success. Five full scholarships for emerging leaders and five for individuals working in underserved communities will be awarded, forty $500 reimbursement scholarships for individuals to attend the convention will be awarded, and ten $500 reimbursement scholarships for individuals to attend a preconference will be granted. Scholarship applications are due by COB March 25, 2005. The application for scholarships as well as more detailed information is available on the Americans for the Arts Website. http://ww3.americansforthearts.org/events/2005/con_014.asp

THE ART CONNECTION: BUILDING AN ART DONATION PROGRAM www.theartconnection.org/code/building/building_04.html
The Art Connection is an art donation and placement program in Boston that acts as an art clearinghouse, simplifying the donation process and offering a wide range of original works for selection by qualifying nonprofit agencies. So far the organization has placed 2,000 artworks from 135 donors in 165 recipient agencies. The website offers a brief, downloadable "how to" on starting such a program.

CONGRATULATIONS: NEA CHALLENGE AMERICA RECIPIENTS in NYS

The National Endowment for the Arts has recently awarded 171 grants totaling $1,710,000 (FY2005) through their Challenge America Fast-Track Review grants category, nearly double the number of projects supported in Fiscal 2004. Each of these organizations will receive $10,000 for a range of projects. Congratulations to those organizations in New York State that received these awards:

Eldridge Street Projects, Inc. New York, New York
Long Island Traditions, Inc. Port Washington, New York
Music Journeys, Inc. Fayetteville, New York
Nelson A. Rockefeller Albany, New York
Empire State Plaza, Performing Arts Center
Place in History Brooklyn, New York
Pulse Ensemble Theatre, Inc. New York, New York
Rejoicensemble, Inc. New York, New York
Syracuse Opera Company, Inc. Syracuse, New York
YMCA of Greater Syracuse Syracuse, New York

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JOB BOARD

The Huntington Arts Council (HAC) seeks a part-time Community Relations responsible for public relations efforts to promote the programs, events, services and staff, board and volunteers of the Huntington Arts Council, Inc. Please note that some evening hours and infrequent weekend hours are required. These efforts include, but are not limited to, the following duties:

* Editing and production of quarterly Arts Cultural News (circulation: 90,000 Huntington Township residents); The quarterly cultural newspaper Arts Cultural News is produced by HAC and distributed to 90,000 homes and businesses throughout Long Island. This free publication promotes hundreds of concerts, plays, exhibitions and other cultural programs and events each season by the Arts Council's more than 115 non-profit arts and cultural member organizations. In-depth coverage of HAC member events and HAC programs are a major feature in each issue.
* Designing and writing print materials as needed (general HAC brochure, gallery brochure, etc).
* Assisting with fundraising programs, such as the Laff-Off Comedy Competition and others.
* Assisting with aspects of the Exhibition Program. Tasks include design, production and mailing of Opening Reception invitations; gallery receptions; and event publicity* Writing and distribution of press releases and public service announcements to garner media coverage for all Huntington Arts Council programs.
* Additional marketing efforts including the placement and design of advertisements, posters, etc.
* Serving on community service committees as assigned.

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The Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations has a 30-year history as New York’s service association for arts and cultural organizations. The Alliance provides leadership and vision, and delivers services, resources and tools that strengthen cultural organizations. The Alliance informs the field on statewide and national issues affecting the arts and assists local arts agencies in building community support.

P.O. Box 96
Mattituck, NY 11952-0096
Phone (631) 298-1234 / Fax (631) 298-1101