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Monica's Blog

How Impact Investors Work to Ensure Lasting Impact for Invested Projects
Posted on by Monica

From Philanthropy News Digest:

Nearly 80 percent of impact investors believe they have a responsibility to ensure that their investments create lasting impact, a report from the Global Impact Investing Network finds.

Based on interviews with impact investors and entrepreneurs, the report, Lasting Impact: The Need for Responsible Exits (44 pages, PDF), outlines the strategies investors employ throughout the investment lifecycle to ensure long-term success and sustainability of the projects they invest in.

Do Free Museums Attract More Diverse Audiences? A Look at the Data
Posted on by Monica

In an article on artnet news, Tim Schneider explores how admission fees at museums affect overall attendance. After the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that it would no longer allow free admission for out-of-state visitors, Schneider delves into the data to ask: Do admission fees meaningfully affect museum attendance? More specifically, do free museums actually attract larger, more diverse audiences than those that charge for entry?

North Dakota Council on the Arts Announces New Executive Director
Posted on by Monica

North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) has announced Kim Konikow as the new executive director of the agency effective January 12, 2018. Konikow will replace Dr. Beth Gigante Klingenstein, who served in this role since July of 2014.

Konikow has a varied background in the arts as a presenter, artist manager, administrator, and consultant. She helped institute a Recreation Arts & Parks (RAP) tax for Utah’s Washington County Arts Council. Prior work experience includes conference coordinator for Dance/USA; executive director of The Mesa, an arts & humanities residency center in southern Utah; and executive director of Minnesota Dance Alliance.

Arts Orgs Increasingly Struggle to Break Even, NCAR Report Finds
Posted on by Monica

The National Center for Arts Research (NCAR) at Southern Methodist University has released a report detailing financial health of arts organizations in the US. The report examines organizational bottom lines using data collected from over 4,800 organizations between 2013 and 2016. Overall, the report shows that it has become increasingly difficult for arts and cultural organizations to break even, a trend that is particularly alarming given the current period of economic growth in the US.

Arts Marketing Research: How Performing Arts Audiences Use Traditional and Digital Media
Posted on by Monica

A new report from WolfBrown and Capacity Interactive examines the digital and print media consumption patterns of performing arts patrons, showing a large trend toward digital consumption. WolfBrown’s Alan Brown writes, “The study of almost 27,000 arts ticket buyers provides strong evidence of the transformed landscape of arts marketing and patron engagement.” The report also reveals information about generational differences in media consumption, preferences toward online ticket purchasing, and mobile device usage.

Arts Education Offered in Over 90% of Secondary Schools in Los Angeles County, Survey Reveals
Posted on by Monica

From KPCC:

More arts education is being offered to more students than previously assumed – 89.6 percent of elementary schools–and 92.7 percent of secondary schools–offer at least some arts instruction during the school day to students.

That's according to the Los Angeles County Arts Commission's arts education arm's recently-released county-wide survey of schools and districts' arts education offerings.

The findings were surprising to many advocates, given a common perception that the arts are often the first to go when schools have limited funds.

Walter & Elise Haas Fund Hires New Executive Director Jamie Allison-Hope
Posted on by Monica

In a letter to grantees, the Walter & Elise Haas Fund announced the appointment of Jamie Allison-Hope as its new executive director effective February 1, 2018. Allison-Hope will succeed Pam David, who led the fund for 15 years. Jamie Allison-Hope is currently vice president of programs at the S. H. Cowell Foundation.

Read the full announcement from the Walter & Elise Haas Fund.

Koret Foundation Announces New $10 Million Arts and Culture Initiative
Posted on by Monica

From Philanthropy News Digest:

The Koret Foundation in San Francisco has announced the launch of a $10 million multiyear initiative in support of Bay Area cultural organizations.

The foundation's Arts and Culture Initiative will fund programs and strategies aimed at expanding opportunities for students to participate in arts and music education (both in-school and at institutions in the region), help new and diverse audiences access the arts, and build organizational capacity, stability, and resilience.

Anne Bown-Crawford Appointed Director of California Arts Council
Posted on by Monica

Anne Bown-Crawford has been named the new Director of the California Arts Council, the state agency announced. As lead executive, Bown-Crawford will promote the Arts Council's mission to advance California through the arts and creativity by way of the agency's grant programs, services, and initiatives.

Bown-Crawford currently serves as the Director of the Arcata Arts Institute and the Innovation Design Institute, both programs within Northern Humboldt Union High School District; as well as the Fine Arts Department Chair at Arcata High School. She is also chair of the Create CA Leadership Council, a statewide arts education coalition. She will begin her work at the California Arts Council in January.

Kristin Sakoda Appointed as Executive Director of LA County Arts Commission
Posted on by Monica

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appointed Kristin Sakoda to head its Countywide Arts Initiatives as Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. The Los Angeles County Arts Commission provides funding for over 350 nonprofit arts organizations through a $9 million grant program and runs the nation’s biggest internship program. The Commission’s free community programs advance diversity and accessibility for the County’s 88 municipalities and 137 unincorporated areas. Ms.