November, 2003
| In this month's memo . . . A LIVING LEARNING LABORATORY culture builds community: UTICA 2003 ALLIANCE BOARD SLATE APPROVED AT ANNUAL MEETING OPPORTUNITIES/JOB BOARD |
A
LIVING LEARNING LABORATORY culture builds community: UTICA 2003
A Living Learning Laboratory culture builds community: UTICA 2003 took place October 15-17 2003. There were 94 enthusiastic participants, two wonderful hosts: Central New York Community Arts Council, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute and an incredible conference hotel, the Hotel Utica. The City of Utica welcomed us and these amazing cultural institutions helped us immeasurably to plan and implement a terrific gathering for the community arts field. Additional thanks to Sculpture Space, Oneida County Historical Society, keynoter Paul Westlake, Mayor Tim Julian and County Executive Joe Griffo. The conference which rotates annually across New York State boasted, 12 informative sessions, 32 speakers, 2 festive evening receptions, 4 superb interactive "behind the scenes" site visits, and a well appointed beautifully restored luxury hotel.
Please don't forget to submit your conference evaluation forms, which have been e-mailed to all attendees. Once completed, these forms help our committee to plan next year's event. If you need a hard copy of the form, please contact Amy in the Alliance office 631-298-1234; awippert@worldnet.att.net).
From
the evaluations received thus far, the interactive format of the conference was
a smashing success, as indicated by the following testimonials from some of our
colleagues.
"This
was the single most empowering conference I've ever attended in my life. I entered
the conference thinking I was all alone in my vision of community revitalization,
having to tackle the project from scratch by trial and error, and I left with
excellent contacts and resources for handling every, single aspect of such a project,
plus a whole lot more." "I
loved the multiple site visits. It was a nice way to start the day, and it allowed
for more interaction than the typical conference room sessions. I loved the visit
to Sculpture Space. We heard from the Executive Director, a board member, and
artist in residence. An excellent presentation. I was really impressed with the
Central New York Community Arts Council/Stanley Theater as well. Overall, this
was a great conference----the best in the three years I've been attending." "The
Munson-Williams-Proctor visit was wonderful. I'd like to see each of our conferences
in the future have at least one of these in the local area to show what our colleagues
have done---makes it real and gives true inspiration. The visit to the Historic
Society allowed me to explore an area I'm not immersed in-it offers wonderful
compare and contrast insight." "This
conference exceeded my expectations and the information gained will strengthen
our will and our organization. Participants were friendly; speakers were personable
and helpful and stayed on task. They showed me that our group is moving in the
right direction and educated us to the adjustments we need to make to achieve
our goals." "Attending
the conference was a good way for up and coming arts leaders to come together
and realize that their goals are appropriate, that their mission is correct and
that their vision of seeing themselves as community leaders is appropriate. It
helps to improve the professionalism of the leadership the arts are taking in
their individual communities." "The
annual Alliance Conference offers the most informative and directly useful, professional
and technical programs for arts organizations. I always come away rejuvenated
with ideas that I can apply to my own organization as well as insightful and innovative
ways to tackle problems. Being a member of the Alliance is probably the most positive
use of our time and money!" "The
Tours were outstanding! In addition, I also took useful materials and information
from the afternoon sessions back to my organization." "The
Alliance is a wonderful resource---a quality program on every level, providing
awareness of the vitality of the arts statewide and a forum for attendees to see
what is happening around the state and even a model of how to run an effective
annual meeting. Very impressive." "The
sessions I attended were especially helpful not only because the presenters were
so informative, but because they easily turned into general discussions in which
the audience and the presenters shared tips, ideas, experiences, and best practices.
Rather than a top-down transmission of information, the entire conference became
a collaboration." “We
recently had the exceptional opportunity to work with the staff of the Alliance
of New York State Arts Organizations in planning and hosting their statewide conference
held at Hotel Utica in Utica, New York. This organization is a tribute to the
Arts for New York and should be applauded for their efforts and professionalism.
During the planning process we came to know more about the people of this organization
and their dedication and commitment to the Arts. During the conference, our community
was given the opportunity to showcase area Arts organizations and venues. I applaud
the members of this organization and their efforts. The Alliance of New York State
Arts Organizations stands as the type of leadership required to preserve and protect
the Arts for us all.” |
ALLIANCE
BOARD SLATE APPROVED AT ANNUAL MEETING
At the Alliance Annual Meeting held Thursday October 16, 2003 at 5pm at the Stanley Theater in Utica, the Alliance Membership approved the following slate of officers and board members
2004
Alliance Board of Directors
President:
John A. Thorne
Partner, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (retired)
Executive
Vice President: Betty Himmel
Community Leader
Vice President:
Linda Earle
Director, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
Vice
President: Raona Roy
President, Arts Center of the Capital Region
Secretary:
Janet T. Newcomb
Executive Director, ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes
Treasurer:
Joseph A. Maffia, CPA
Rosenzweig & Maffia, LLP
Past President:
Hal D. Payne, J.D.
Vice President Student Affairs, Buffalo State College
Milton Bloch
President, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute
Ellen
Bütz
Executive Director, Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts
Marilynn Donini
Manager, Contributions Program Support, Altria
Robert Harris, CPA
Seymour H. Knox IV
Commercial
Sales & Leasing, Hunt Commercial Real Estate
Janet Langsam
Executive Director, Westchester Arts Council
Donald M. Mawhinney,
Jr.
Partner, Hiscock & Barclay, LLP
Frank Pitts
Managing Partner, Architecture Plus
Kristin Swain
President,
Corning Incorporated Foundation
We will be emailing under separate cover a link to the Alliance Annual Financial Survey. You can help us to be your advocate as we continue to monitor and inform the field by completing this most important (and short) form!
This information is tremendously useful to many of our colleagues as we seek to improve professional compensation packages for our industry. There are upcoming Alliance initiatives, including the New York State Culture Zone Project that will require hard numbers and facts. You are in control. This information can only be more useful and get better the more people/organizations participate.
Comparative
information on salaries, benefits, staffing and budgets statewide enable arts
leadership to support requests to boards and to appropriately compensate staff.
This information is requested from our office more than anything else. Your participation
is critical. We're seeking 100% participation this year. Please help us meet this
goal. The information submitted is confidential and is disseminated without organization
name. It doesn't matter how big or small your budget is. What matters is that
you're included. The deadline is December 31, 2003.
FROM
THE UPSTATE OFFICE by Martha E. Strodel, Rural Arts Director
It was good seeing so many of the Rural Partners in Utica, although those who could not come were missed. For our eleventh Rurals Gathering, we discussed service and programs in rural areas: we started with a survey followed by a group discussion of the survey questions and answers. The session provided a wealth of information and sharing about the role of arts centers and arts councils serving rural communities. Notes from this session will be posted to the Alliance website and also to the Rurals listserv.
The session also served as a wonderful opportunity to reaffirm the important role of these organizations. The Rural Partners…whether an arts council or arts center…are extremely focused on meeting the needs and expanding the cultural opportunities for their communities. They have developed systems to determine and deliver effective services and programs. These include board and community involvement, marketing and evaluation.
Besides the Rurals Gathering, I had many opportunities to speak with individual Rural Partners during the Alliance conference. There were so many compliments on the individual sessions and the site visits! It was clear that the conference provided important information, and host groups Central New York Community Arts Council and Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute working with Pat Berman did a magnificent job with planning. Further, many of the Rural Partners found it exciting to see what's happening in Utica and how the arts play a major role in this small upstate city. The modest scale of Utica seemed to inspire many to think, "We can do this too!" And, as always, the networking opportunities were appreciated.
This week I attended a meeting of regional cultural organizations hosted by Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council (LARAC). Staff prepared an agenda for discussion over lunch focused on how LARAC could assist and partner with these organizations to help them in their work. Over 30 attendees representing dance, theater, visual arts, presenting and music groups participated, and came up with some valuable ideas. I got to personally see a system at work to determine needs of area cultural organizations, and it was clear that the participants understand and use LARAC's services to build capacity for their organizations. The event also presented an overview of the rich and diverse cultural tapestry of Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties.
The Alliance conference, the Rurals Gathering, and LARAC's meeting of regional cultural organizations…these all reminded me of the important role that arts centers and arts councils play in rural areas. You all have reason to be proud of your work and your organizations.
Director of Development. The New York Council for the Humanities seeks a Director of Development to actively and imaginatively oversee, create, and implement short and long-term development plans, priorities and strategies. Requirements include a BA and 5+ years of development experience at not-for-profits with a proven record of success and advancement and proven record of attracting and securing significant gifts from individual donors, corporations and foundations. The position is full-time, with a salary commensurate with experience, and offers excellent benefits. Mail: 150 Broadway, Suite 1700, New York, NY 10038, fax 212-233-4607, or email nych@nyhumanities.org No telephone. The Council is an equal opportunity employer.
Happy
Thanksgiving!
See you November 24, at Tavern on the Green
The Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations has a 28-year history as New York's primary service association for community based arts and cultural organizations. The Alliance provides leadership and vision, and delivers services, resources and tools that strengthen community cultural organizations. The Alliance monitors, informs and mobilizes the field on statewide and national issues affecting the arts and assists local arts agencies in building community support and developing effective grassroots public policy.
245
Love Lane, P.O. Box 96
Mattituck, NY 11952-0096
Phone (631) 298-1234 /
Fax (631) 298-1101