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The Role of Arts and Technology in Defining Culture in 2013
Posted on by Steve

From Elizabeth Quaglieri for Technology in the Arts:

At The Economist World in 2013 Festival in December, Paola Antonelli, senior curator in the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, sat down with Steve Crossan, director of the Google Cultural Institute, and discussed the challenges, trends, and opportunities awaiting the intersection of arts and technology this year. Antonelli emphasized the need for policy makers and politicians to view culture as a foundation for our nation’s development, not as a political and economic football.
Considering Whiteness
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Roberto Bedoya, executive director of the Tucson Pima Arts Council, guest-posts for Doug Borwick's blog Engaging Matters:

Whiteness is the dominant ideological framework that exists in the cultural sector. It is the default frame that defines cultural value and worth; it is used (mostly unconsciously) to analyze, classify and quantify both what is understood as the norm and the notions of “other” – of diversity. Both Ian [Moss] and Clayton [Lord] acknowledge Whiteness in their commentaries and I appreciate that because to understand the ideology of Whiteness and how it operates in our sector, white folks must spend time unpacking it. Doing so is essential to advancing our field. Yet, it must be more than acknowledging the whiteness of the aforementioned bloggers; some critical analysis of how Whiteness operates in the sector must be undertaken, as difficult as that may be.
Michael Kaiser Announces Resignation from Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
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Kaiser writes for his blog at Huffington Post:

It is official: I am a lame duck. My contract as President of the Kennedy Center expires at the end of next year and the board has just assembled a search committee to look for my successor. I am deeply grateful to have had the opportunity to lead this amazing institution and have enjoyed (almost) every minute of my tenure. But after 12 years as President, it is time for someone with a new and different vision to run the national cultural center.
Move over galleries: artists sign with agents
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From Cristina Ruiz at The Art Newspaper:

The British artist Stuart Semple has signed a contract for worldwide representation with the fashion agency Next Management, a move that highlights again how the traditional artist-gallery relationship is changing. Several artists, including Damien Hirst and Keith Tyson, have agents or managers who provide financial advice and handle their business dealings with galleries, but Semple says his collaboration with Next Management will more closely resemble relationships in the music industry, where managers act as a buffer between their acts and the outside world, helping to promote their work and negotiate their projects.
Transparency. Sounds real good if you say it real fast.
Posted on by Steve

From Lucy Bernholz on her blog Philanthropy 2173:

I had a colleague years ago who used to respond to every new big idea in school reform with “Sounds real good if you say it real fast.” The point being that the devil is in the details on doing anything new. I have a feeling a few foundation leaders may be feeling this way about transparency right about now.
Can Chicago Become America's Next Great City for Artists?
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From B. David Zarley for Atlantic Cities:

Chicago is losing its artists, to New York City and Los Angeles and San Francisco. This is admitted, from various members--with varying statures--of the art community, either begrudgingly or with ease, but in the end, is always admitted.
New Jersey Recovery Fund Announces Guidelines for Support
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Last week, the Community Foundation of New Jersey announced the guidelines for the New Jersey Recovery Fund, which was established in the days following Hurricane Sandy to support the nonprofit sector and its long term recovery work.

The Fund focuses on five overarching areas:

  • Public information and community engagement
  • Reframing the conversation: policy reform to support resiliency and sustainability
  • Innovative community/regional planning demonstration projects
  • Environmental protection and restoration
  • Community-driven/participatory arts projects
Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: Non-cognitive Factors and Out-of-School Time
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Grantmakers for Education will host a webinar on Tuesday, February 26 titled Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: Non-cognitive Factors and OST. The webinar is free for GFE members and $40 for non-members. New York Times writer Paul Tough’s latest book has sparked a conversation in education reform circles about the role of “grit, curiosity, and character” in helping at-risk children succeed. But what does the research say? A recent report funded by Raikes Foundation and Lumina Foundation and produced by the Consortium on Chicago School Research, examines the evidence about the role of noncognitive factors in shaping academic performance and persistence.

Art and the Common Core Webinar Scheduled for February 19
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Education Week magazine will host a webinar on Tuesday, February 19 titled Art and the Common Core. Presenters are Susan M. Riley, expert in arts integration, curriculum innovation and resource development specialist, Anne Arundel County public schools; and Lynne Munson, president and executive director, Common Core.

GRAMMY Foundation Announces Music Educator Award
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The GRAMMY® Foundation and The Recording Academy are partnering to present their first-ever Music Educator Award to recognize music educators for their contributions to our musical landscape and their positive influence on their students' musical experiences. The nomination process is open now and the deadline for nominations is April 15, 2013.