GIA Blog

Good afternoon. “And the beat goes on…………………………..” Grantmakers in the Arts Conference – Embracing the Velocity of Change: I had a great time at GIA’s Chicago gathering last year, and I have been waiting in eager anticipation for this conference … Continue reading →

No coincidence that the photos featured on the banner this month are provided by a Bay Area GIA member! The San Francisco Arts Commission was established in the Charter of the City and County of San Francisco in 1932 to ensure that the arts would be incorporated into the civic infrastructure for the City’s residents. SFAC meets these responsibilities through an extensive set of programs and special projects, including community arts and education, civic design review, and cultural equity grants.

Our commitment to supporting individual artists is a testament to our understanding of the importance of artists in our world. We support artists to allow them time to reveal the truths of our existence. We support artists to promote diverse, creative communities engaged in civil dialogue and public service. We support artists to ensure the freedom of their expression and the preservation of our own.

GIA has published a report on the Thought Leader Forum on Arts and Aging, which was held on April 6, 2011 in Washington, D.C. The report was authored by Suzanne Callahan, Callahan Consulting for the Arts, and Diane Mataraza, Mataraza Consulting, and can now be downloaded from the GIA Library.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is now accepting applications for the second year of the Knight Arts Challenge Philadelphia from today through Oct. 31. The three-year, $9 million community-wide contest seeks the most innovative ideas in the arts to engage and enrich Philadelphia’s communities.

Richard Kessler, who will be blogging from the 2011 GIA Conference later this week, posts to his own blog, Dewey 21C:

The James Irvine Foundation has launched the Exploring Engagement Fund as part of the foundation's new Arts program strategy announced in June. The Exploring Engagement Fund is designed to help nonprofit arts organizations try new ways of engaging audiences and participants.

From Eric Roper at the Star-Tribune:

Andrew Taylor blogs about the complex issues surrounding the creation of large civic facilities. Falls right into GIA's capitalization discussion. Plan for building and equally important is realistic planning for years of operation.

Pacific Standard Time is a collaboration of cultural institutions across Southern California coming together to celebrate the birth of the L.A. art scene. Beginning October 2011, over 60 cultural institutions will make their contributions to this region-wide initiative encompassing every major L.A. art movement from 1945 to 1980.