GIA Blog

An update on the state of arts education, a primer on how to engage in public policy and an inspirational speech by GIA's Janet Brown about the rewards of doing so were on tap in Trenton on Thursday, where nearly 200 artists and arts, civic and political leaders came together for "ArtsDay 2012."

The Obama administration has proposed new rules designed to encourage foundations to spend money to promote the social good in ways other than grants, for example through low-interest loans or stock purchases in for-profit companies.

With concerns over job creation and business growth holding a prominent—and persistent—position on policy agendas today, governors are increasingly finding innovative ways to support economic growth, according to a new report, New Engines of Growth:  Five Roles for Arts, Culture, and Design  from the National Governors Association (NGA).

Ian David Moss unpacks the theories and myths around the slippery relationship between investing in the arts and economic development, starting with the the recent reporting on "vibrancy indicators" of the ArtPlace program.

In memory of Maurice Sendak, who wrote In the Night Kitchen just in time for child me to adore it, an entry in the exceptional blog Letters of Note on Sendak's publisher's response to the news that public librarians were censoring the book, which features a sometimes nude child protaganist. Some books were burned, others were doctored by hand, with tiny diapers added to the illustrations. Included in the post (here) are publisher Ursula Nordstrom's letter to one of the offending librarians and a formal press release.

The Hollywood, Health & Society program has helped shape more than 300 stories on television shows in the last two years, according to Ms. de Castro Buffington. She said the stories can be more successful than other types of publicity.  Some of America’s biggest philanthropies are helping to shape those kinds of storylines in an effort to educate the public about global health and other causes they care about.

Jeff Chang examines music pre- and post-LA riots in the Los Angeles Review of Books in I Gotta Be Able to Counterattack: Rap and the Los Angeles Riots.

The Topeka Capital-Journal Advisory Board gets behind legislation to restore State arts funding:

The Radio program Studio 360 explores the Obama administration's Turnaround Arts Initiative in an interview with Diane Ravitch.

This month's slideshow of member-supported grantees was provided by The Leeway Foundation in Philadelphia. Funded by a gift from Philadelphia-based artist Linda Lee Alter in 1993, the foundation's initial focus was support for women artists in the metro area. Now approaching its 20th anniversary, Leeway supports women and trans artists and cultural producers working in communities at the intersection of art, culture, and social change.