Steve's Blog

From Ray Mark Rinaldi, for the Denver Post:

Funding for 39 projects undertaken by many of America’s most vital artists working in the fields of contemporary performance was announced today by the MAP Fund, a program of Creative Capital primarily supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, with additional support by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The MAP Fund, among the longest-standing nongovernment grants programs in the nation, has supported new works in performance that challenge the conventions of contemporary performance, particularly those that address issues of cultural difference in race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, generation or any other aspect of diversity since 1989.

Over the course of five years, the National Endowment for the Arts brought together teams from 29 states to collaborate on ways to strengthen states’ arts education policies. The Education Leaders Institute Alumni Summit Report shares the significant findings of what the NEA, its partners, and eight participating alumni states learned together and how it informed the NEA’s arts education strategic plan.

The Cleveland-based Community Partnership for Arts and Culture, a research and advocacy service organization, documents the growing number of intersections between Cuyahoga County’s arts and culture sector and its health and human services sector in a new report, “Creative Minds in Medicine: A Cleveland Creative Intersection.” Kristin Puch, director of research and advancement for the Community Partnership writes that Creative Minds in Medicine will be a useful tool for those already doing work related to arts and health and to those of you who are interested in becoming involved in such work.

Mark Yost, writing for Houston Business Journal:

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has announced the first-ever recipients of the Doris Duke Impact Awards and the third group of individuals to receive Doris Duke Artist Awards. Both awards are part of the Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards, a special ten-year initiative of the foundation to empower, invest in and celebrate artists by offering flexible, multi-year funding in response to financial challenges that are specific to the performing arts. Doris Duke Artist Award recipients receive $275,000, and Doris Duke Impact Award recipients receive $80,000.

The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust in Vancouver, Washington, is pleased to announce Lorin Dunlop who joins the staff as Program Director beginning in late June. Dunlop comes to the Murdock Trust with a rich, diverse background in Arts & Culture, health, education and, most recently, coordinating the Oregon Criminal Justice grants program in public safety and offender re-entry. She is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she double majored in Art History and International Affairs.

An article from Foundation Review — authored by Gary L. Cunningham, Northwest Area Foundation; Marcia L. Avner, University of Minnesota-Duluth and Romilda Justilien, BCT Partners — explores the multiple approaches that foundations can use to advance racial equity and prosperity. “The Urgency of Now: Foundations’ Role in Ending Racial Inequity” is built on the premise that if we remain on the current trajectory with no significant change in the socioeconomic position of low income people of color, everyone will pay a price.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa announced today that the NEA plans to award $74.85 million in 971 grants to nonprofit organizations nationwide as part of the second half of its fiscal year 2014 funding. In addition to direct grants through the Art Works category, this round of funding also supports the state arts agencies and regional arts organizations – the NEA's partners in bringing the arts to all parts of the nation – as well as grants for research projects that build evidence on the value and impact of the arts.

Emiko Ono writes for ArtsBlog: