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The Protean Nature of Philanthropy Among Its Greatest Assets
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Michael Edwards writes for The Guardian UK:

Foundations do have power, and their influence is growing. But they also have an obligation to use it in ways that help others to choose the future that is best for them – even if this takes more time, differs from standard templates, and encounters detours along the way. Balancing the demands of democracy with the determination to address global problems in a focused and energetic manner is the key issue facing philanthropy in the century to come.
Art Game or Game Art?
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The latest post from Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer for the San Francisco conference blog covers a session on video game design that featured Alyce Myatt of the NEA and Jonathan Blow, an independent video game developer:

They say the fastest growing population of video game players are women over 60.

“Oh my God I’ll never get there!” a woman in the back of the room was clearly overwhelmed by the thought of disappointing her demographic.

Andy Warhol Foundation to Dissolve Authentication Board in 2012
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The Andy Warhol Foundation announced on Wednesday that it will end its authentication board early next year. In a statement, the foundation said the move reflects its intent to shift focus toward maximizing “grant-making and other charitable activities in support of the visual arts.” In recent years, the foundation has been involved in legal disputes over its authentication process for works whose owners said they were by Warhol.

The New Social Economy: A Broader Mix of Players
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Lucy Bernholz writes for Sh’ma: A Journal of Jewish Ideas about philanthropy beyond Foundations:

What does it mean to be Jewish and philanthropic in 2011? Larry Moses wisely addresses this question from the perspective of the Jewish tradition of tzedakah. I am not a religious scholar; I am a philanthropy wonk. I study, write about, and consult with philanthropists on the changing ways we can create, fund, and distribute shared social goods such as education, health services, elder care, and cultural and artistic endeavors. My perspective on this question is to look at the modern business of giving, and to seek to apply those tools to the pursuit of justice.
Michigan Art Education Association: Be Your Own Best Advocate
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From the MAEA blog, a plea to Arts educators to leverage technology tools for self-advocacy:

Although this is a challenging time for Visual Arts teachers because these classes are often viewed as being an "extra" part of the day, it is also a great opportunity to show how critical this subject area is to fostering student success and achievement.
What If…Theatres Played Moneyball?
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From Shawn C. Harris for TCG Circle:

Inspired by the film currently playing at a theater near you, the idea is to peel away layers of assumptions that go into our collective wisdom about how to make theatre then replace them with processes that incorporate the scientific method and statistical analysis. The goal is to reveal true value as opposed to guestimating and hoping for the best.
New Formula: Arts philanthropy goes grassroots
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Arts and culture blogger Ellen Berkovitch for the Santa Fe Reporter:

Since 2010... two distinct arts funding initiatives have marched off the federal and private-sector collaborative fields: respectively Our Town and ArtPlaceAmerica. These exemplify the latest linguistic leaps in turning “creative” into a verb: “creative placemaking.”

Just as at the beginning of any new movement, much effort goes to understanding beyond the slogans and into the meaning.

The Buzz About HIVE: Digital Learning Media
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Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer's latest post to the conference blog:

In 2011 and 2012, the New York Community Trust made grants to middle and high schools that linked youth, art, science, museums, libraries and new partners with the intent to gain insight to the community, extend into the five boroughs and to serve the most disadvantaged kids. Was it possible to create an innovative process where learning happened anytime, anywhere that could scale? And could this happen on their preferred devices where they become creators?
Racial Equity, Grantmaking & Chandeliers
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Conference blogger Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer sat in on the conference session Grantmaking with a Racial Equity Lens, a salon discussion facilitated by GIA Board member Justin Laing of The Heinz Endowments. For this year's conference, GIA initiated the Salon Session as a way of providing more participatory discussions around a topic.

No question, racial equity is a highly charged topic that brings people together with complex emotions simmering beneath their conference badges. No question, we work in a dominant society that is managing our system of race and culture. It is structured racialism, poverty and colonization, all the time.
Why Sixty Is Sexy
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Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer reports on the session on Art and Aging, The Big Shift: The Velocity of Change in America's Aging Society, presented on Monday morning at the GIA conference in San Francisco:

“Age is a time to bloom, a time of great fertility, a time to celebrate their best work when they are ‘over the hill’,” said Marc Freedman, founder and CEO, Civic Ventures. “People think genius happens early in life but actually many artists were late bloomers such as Paul Cézanne.