November, 2006

NEWS FROM THE FIELD

The Alliance welcomes two new staff people in the Mattituck office: Angela Lipfert, Office Manager and Coordinator of Member Services and Nicole Orens, Assistant to the Director. They are experienced, bright and "go to" people. We are delighted and we think you will be too.

Welcome to Anisia Kelly, new executive director of Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts. Anisia began her work at the arts center in Blue Mountain Lake as program director, and was hired to replace Ellen Butz, now the Executive Director of Lower Adirondack Regional Arts Council.

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ALLIANCE GALA: November 15, 2006

Meet our honorees. Hear the incomparable Jon Faddis perform. Pick up terrific art at the Silent Auction. Some of the Silent Auction pieces are being sold on behalf of 'From the Art of New York' to benefit the artists and arts community devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Wednesday November 15, 2006
6:00 to 8:00 pm
Manhattan Penthouse, New York City

Emcee NY1’s Stephanie Simon

Meet Our Honorees
Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation education and community service
Russell Simmons, Danny Simmons, and Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons, Co-Founders
Jon Faddis adovocacy of the arts
Jeff Hoone and Light Work service to artists
UBS philanthropy in the arts

Hear The Incomparable Jon Faddis Perform

Individual Tickets $150
Artist Tickets $100

Patron Tables Available starting at $2,500

Silent Auction

Purchase Your Tickets Online!

HONORARY COMMITTEE
George Wein, Honorary Chair, Richard J. Schwartz, Honorary Chair, Mildred C. Brinn, Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, Kathleen Chalfant, Anita Durst, Tovah Feldshuh,Senator Roy M. Goodman, Agnes Gund & Daniel Shapiro, Robert Harris, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Phoebe Jacob, Louis Armstrong Foundation, Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, The Honorable & Mrs. Earle I. Mack, Senator & Mrs. Serphin Maltese, Donald M. Mawhinney, Jr., Assemblyman Joseph Morelle, Kathleen O’Grady, O’Grady Foundation, Hal D. Payne, Judith O. Rubin, Gary Schiro & Robert Burns, Ellen Stewart, La Mama Etc, Kristin Swain, John A. Thorne

HOST COMMITTEE
Ted Berger, Elliot Figman, Poets & Writers, Elaine Giguere, Seymour H. Knox IV, Janet Langsam, Westchester Arts Council,
Susana Leval, Robert Lynch, Americans for the Arts, Frank Pitts, George Rehn, Roy Suskin

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Stephanie Simon, Chair, Linda Earle, Gary Schiro, Anita Durst, Maya Israel, Jeremy Bitz, Sara Brians, Judith K. Weiner

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FROM THE UPSTATE OFFICE

The Rural's listserv has a new host with Google Groups. Our group name is Alliance Rurals Network. Our new group email address is: alliance-rurals-network@googlegroups.com. Please note this new address and update in your address books. This is what you use to post an inquiry, topic for discussion, etc. As a reminder: if you want to respond to the full list serve, just hit the reply button in your email program. But if you want to reply to Martha directly, start a new email and address to: mstrodel@nycap.rr.com.

A number of you let Martha know that you received this announcement and new email address, so our new list serve is up and running. The Alliance Rurals Network is for Rural Partners only; corrections have been made on updated email addresses, but if you did not receive the new list serve announcement with new address (sent out on October 19th), please let Martha know. While the list serve includes all Rural Partner directors, many have their staff people also on the list to keep them informed. If you would like to register (or update) staff to include them on the list serve, let Martha know and she will add them to the network.

On October 20th, we held our third Rurals Conversation with a small group but very lively discussion. One topic of discussion was the use of the term "multi-arts" in organizational description and literature. The term seems to have originated with the NYSCA/SLP program, and while we in the field know what it means, it's not as clear to the general public. A term that seems to work better for the public is "community arts center" for those offering a range of arts programs and workshops. GO Art! in Batavia is a regional arts council that mostly provides services; but they also provide space use for area cultural groups and the general public, as well as limited programming. They use the term "cultural center" to describe their main street facility, and it works for their public. Interestingly, all agreed that in the public's mind, when the word "art" is used, the visual arts are what come to mind.

We also discussed the possibility of planning another statewide Rurals Gathering, either on its own or within an Alliance statewide gathering. The networking opportunity is important, but a workshop on effective use of the internet would be very useful. Patti-Lockwood Blais suggested we might consider holding a Rurals Gathering around one of our Rural Workshops in the Spring of 2007.

Thanks to all who have participated in our Rural Conversations; it's been a great way to keep in touch with the issues on your minds and gather excellent information and suggestions to keep the Rural Arts Program effective. We're going to move future Rural Conversations to Wednesday mornings. The next scheduled Rurals Conversation is Wednesday, December 6th, from 10 -11 am. Watch for further notices posted on our new list serve.

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DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!

Mark your calendars for November 7 and please remember to vote. Your elected officials have a dramatic influence on funding and other measures that affect the livelihood of the arts, so know where your candidates stand. Call candidates' offices and ask for their position on funding for the arts and arts education.

CONGRESS ADJOURNS UNTIL AFTER ELECTIONS

Congress has officially adjourned for the election season and will convene after the November 7th elections. Before adjourning, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution that maintains funding levels for federal agencies through at least November 17th. Such funding is not guaranteed after this date, however, which is why it is so important to vote for candidates who will not only maintain, but also increase funding for the arts.

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REAPPOINTMENT OF CHAIRMAN GIOIA

President Bush has nominated Dana Gioia to another four year term as chairman of the NEA. It is expected that Gioia will remain as chairman through 2008, as the sitting chairman typically offers his resignation when a new President is elected.

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ARTS & CULTURAL POLICY AND POLICY FORMULATION

Hessenius Group on Policy Formulation

The HESSENIUS GROUP discusses arts & cultural "policy" and "policy formulation".
This is an interesting online discussion with comments and ideas expressed by some of the foremost thinkers in the non profit arts industry.

"THRIVING ARTS: THRIVING SMALL COMMUNITIES": the effect of community arts development in 10 small communities

This paper, written by Sharon Rodning Bash and based on the findings of a study conducted by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, explores the effects community arts development has on ten small Minnesota communities; half are "outlying surburban" and half serve rural areas. The findings and recommendations are directed toward funding agencies, but there is interesting analysis and comparative information here for arts councils and art centers, who often have the role as the community development agency.

"The unit of analysis in the study was the community, not the individual artist or arts organization. The study sought to understand how arts activities affect, and are affected by, other aspects of community life." Using a set of assumptions that included identifiable and measurable pre-conditions, activities and events, circumstances, conditions and leadership, the study developed a logic model for the process of community artistic development and identified the role of community-based arts councils and centers as a first and informal entry point to arts experience. It asks the question: "Under what conditions does a thriving and sustainable arts sector develop in small communities in rural and suburban fringe areas?"

The logic model is based on the recognition of the intrinsic value of the arts, (from Gifts of the Muse) that includes private and public benefits and flows from an individual's personal experience in the arts - usually at a young age and in an informal and community-based arts experience. The ten studied communities are identified as falling into one of three categories of development; emerging, sustaining and mature.

Findings & Analysis

The logic model is a useful tool for comparison, a theoretical framework for understanding the process of artistic development in small towns, and a framework for formulating strategy to build a community's arts vitality. In the most arts-activity communities of the study, a number of factors are identified, including:

* Arts leaders/supporters are connected into larger community networks and establish coalitions with other community groups.
* A critical mass of leadership/support exists
* An established group for arts advocacy and planning exists and gives voice.
* The arts are seen by key non-arts leaders as essential to community well-being.
* Arts activity and participation is intentionally inclusive of all ages and social groups
* All forms of creative expression are honored, both formal and informal

Identified community (environmental) factors:
* value of history and sense of place
* ecumenicalism among faith communities and openness to cultural diversity
* have informal arts activites in various venues and emphasize participatory projects
* have leadership capable of organizing a group of arts supporters

Implications & Recommendations to the Field

Five key ingredients along with specific recommendations to growing an arts active community are identified. The recommendations provide guidance for community-based arts efforts and encourage those agencies interested in funding and nurturing healthy communities to support small communities in their efforts to build cultural literacy, participatory arts and the cultural infrastructure.

1. Key Ingredient - Underlying social context: attitudes and values are grounded in acceptance of differences, in a welcoming openness, and a grounded pride of place. Recommendation: Encourage the strengthening of sense of place and history through the arts.

2. Informal arts - a valuing of arts in everyday life. Recommendation #1: Nurture work that builds upon recurring informal art activities such as community choirs, bands, community festivals. #2: Recognize the importance and support the vitality of the informal arts.

3. Leadership is needed with a broad vision for cultural development and an empowering, facilitative way of working. Recommendation: Establish or extend a training institute to support the long-term growth of community cultural development leadership in rural/suburban communities. This should have two distinct but interrelated components: (a) a regional training system for local arts leaders and (b) a regional leadership network for mentoring and idea exchange.

4. Social networks - integrate the arts into the larger structure of community life. Recommendation: Provide "marketing" and collaboration workshops for and encourage networking among artists.

5. Support for infrastructure. Recommendations: #1 provide direct support to the development of the local arts infrastructure. #2. Consider funding strategies that can respond directly and appropriately to specific community ideas, needs, situations, and opportunities.

"Thriving Arts: Thriving Small Communities" can be downloaded from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council website at: www.mrac.org. It's located under NEWS and identified as the new MRAC report.

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ARTS REACH NATIONAL ARTS MARKETING CONFERENCE: NOVEMBER 17-19

The theme of this year's conference, which will be held at New York University's Kimmel Center in NYC, is "Building Your Organization Through Strategic Marketing." It is being presented in collaboration with INTIX, The International Ticketing Association. Executive directors and board members, as well as marketing, public relations, membership, and development professionals, from all cultural and science education disciplines will attend.

Conference highlights include: "The Great Debate -- Subscriptions vs. Single tickets";"The Mission, Branding and Research Loop: A 21st Century Imperative"; "Developing Creative Partnerships: Leveraging Corporate Sponsorships Beyond Just the Cash"; and "Marketing to Generation X and Y on Their Terms."

View all of the conference offerings at http://www.artsreach.com/conference.html. Space is limited and will be filled on a first-come first-serve basis.

JOB BOARD

Manager of Community Arts, Westchester Arts Council: oversees artist residencies that are designed to help human service agencies, day-care centers, after school programs, etc. improve their effectiveness. The manager works in partnership with site directors to develop projects that use the arts as a tool for improving key academic, cognitive, developmental or social skills. He/she also identifies and trains artists. In addition to program development, the manager nurtures relationships with funding agencies, writes proposals and reports and serves as an advocate for community arts. Salary: approx. $30,000. No emails, telephone calls or faxes. Mail all resumes to:

The Westchester Arts Council, 31 Mamaroneck Ave, 3rd Floor, White Plains, NY 10601
Attn: Human Resources/Community Programs.

The Alliance of New York State Arts Organizations has a long 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