GIA Blog

Ravitch on No Child Left Behind: End It, Don't Mend It
Posted on by Steve

On her blog Bridging Differences, Diane Ravitch examines the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind:

Most people now recognize that NCLB is a train wreck. Its mandates have imposed on American public education an unhealthy obsession with standardized testing.
  • It has incentivized cheating, as we have seen in the well-publicized cheating scandals in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.
  • It has encouraged states to game the system, as we saw in New York state, where the state tests were made easier and more predictable so as to bolster the number of children who reached "proficiency."
  • It has narrowed the curriculum; many districts and schools have reduced or eliminated time for the arts, physical education, and other non-tested subjects.
  • It has caused states to squander billions of dollars on testing and test preparation, while teachers are laid off and essential services slashed. Now we will squander millions more on test security to detect cheating.
Steve Jobs, Grinch.
Posted on by Tommer

Unsurprising comments on philanthropy from the late Steve Jobs, consistent with his practice. From the new biography Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Registration Open for Foundations on the Hill
Posted on by Steve

Since 2003, the Council on Foundations and the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers have co-sponsored Foundations on the Hill, an annual opportunity for grantmakers to meet with their federal lawmakers in Washington, D.C. This partnership effectively combines the Council's expertise on legal and legislative matters with the regional associations' expertise on local philanthropy and the leverage they bring as local constituents.

ARTSblog on the San Francisco Conference
Posted on by Steve

AFTA's ARTSblog has begun a series of posts covering their take on the GIA 2011 Conference in San Francisco. Marete Wester got things started yesterday with an introductory post. Today, Pam Korza, co-director of the Animating Democracy program, writes about the Individual Artists & Social Justice Preconference.

The marriage of two now staple Grantmakers in the Arts preconferences—Individual Artists and Art & Social Justice—was a perfect energizing union of kindred artist-activists, field movers, and supporters as well as a highlight of the Bay Area as a perpetual vanguard of arts and social change.
Diane Ragsdale Weighs in on the NCRP Report
Posted on by Tommer

Diane Ragsdale adds some historic perspective to the discussion on Fusing Arts, Culture, and Social Change.

Read the full post, The times may be a-changin’ but (no surprise) arts philanthropy ain’t.

New Online Tool Connects Arts Educators to Arts Providers in Illinois
Posted on by Steve

The Arts & Education Exchange is a new online directory for arts providers to post details, pictures, audio, and video about their programs. These can range from learning about Abraham Lincoln through song to finding out about recycling through dance.

Educators can tap into this user-friendly Exchange to search for arts programming that helps them encourage student success.

Occupy Wall Street and Arts Face Similar Themes
Posted on by Steve

Elizabeth Kramer explores local issues relating to the NCRP Report “Fusing Arts, Culture and Social Change” in an article for the Louisville Courier-Journal:

Some community-based funding groups have already looked at issues the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy addresses in its report. One is Cincinnati’s ArtsWave, a new name for what was called the Fine Arts Fund that was founded in 1949.
The Absolute Beginner’s Guide To Changing The World With Art
Posted on by Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer

Hoong Yee, Richard, Janet & Barry Blogging for a better world At this year’s conference, I was joined by two other bloggers to capture in words the spirit and essence of this universe we call grantmakers in the arts – Richard … Continue reading →

Artists Sue Christie’s, Sotheby’s, eBay Over California Royalties Law
Posted on by Steve

Famed New York painter Chuck Close and other artists are suing Sotheby’s, Christie’s and eBay, contending the auctioneers willfully violated a California law requiring royalty payments on sales of their works.

The three federal suits filed Tuesday seek class-action status to represent many other artists and demand unspecified royalties and damages — which could total hundreds of thousands of dollars given current art prices.

Surdna Foundation Announces Judilee Reed New Program Director for Thriving Cultures Program
Posted on by Steve

The Surdna Foundation announced Judilee Reed as the new Director of its Thriving Cultures Program. Ms. Reed will join the Foundation in mid-November, and succeeds Ellen B. Rudolph who served the Foundation for nearly 18 years.