GIA Blog

Monster Island—an Oasis for Emerging Artists—On the Move After Being Dispossessed
Posted on by Steve

From James C. McKinley Jr. at The New York Times:

Monster Island (on the Williamsburg waterfront in Brooklyn) is shutting down this month because the landlord wants to redevelop the property and has not renewed the lease. Its fans marked its passing with a block party on Saturday. The end of this haven for struggling artists and musicians is a sign of broader changes in the neighborhood, where new condominiums are replacing the dilapidated warehouses, and upscale bars and restaurants have appeared on streets where once there were only underground clubs in vacant commercial buildings.
September 13 (tomorrow!) Web Conference: GIA Arts Funding Snapshot
Posted on by Abigail

Please join us tomorrow, September 13, at 2:00 EDT/11:00 PDT for Arts Funding Snapshot: GIA's Annual Research on Support for Arts and Culture, a web-based presentation by Steven Lawrence, Kelly J. Barsdate, Holly Sidford, and Alexis Frasz, moderated by our own Tommer Peterson.

About this webinar:
The 2011 issue of GIA’s annual Arts Funding Snapshot, slated for publication in late September 2011, will include Foundation Grants to Arts and Culture 2009, based on Foundation Center data; Public Funding for the Arts 2011 Update, prepared by NASAA; and An Overview of Private Arts Philanthropy's Response to Changes in Public Funding, produced by Helicon Collaborative. Web conference registrants will receive these publications in advance.

Six Critical Things to Look For in a Foundation’s 990 For Successful Grant Funding
Posted on by Steve

From nonprofit marketing consultant Pamela Grow:

When it comes to foundation grants, researching prospective foundations is crucial for locating the ideal match. And there is no finer tool for truly observing the inner workings of a grant-making foundation — and whether or not their mission provides a match with your organization — than with a thorough investigation of a foundation’s federal 990-PF form. What, exactly, should you be looking for? Let’s take a walk through a typical grantmaking foundation’s 990-FP.
Bob Lynch on the Arts and 9/11
Posted on by Janet

This is a nicely written piece reminding us of the great work of the Lower Manhattan Arts Council and the many artists who created in their space in the World Trade Center. An entire country grieved for those lost in the 9/11 terrorist attacks and as is always the case, we came together through music, photographs, poems, drawings, and other art forms that could express that grief when words were not enough.

Registration Now Open for TAG Annual Conference
Posted on by Steve

The Technology Affinity Group has announced that registration is now open for the TAG annual conference. The conference will be held November 7th - 10th in Charleston, SC at the Francis Marion Hotel. The theme of the conference is Powering Philanthropic Innovation. Keynote speaker will be Scott Oki, Chairman and Co-Founder of www.seeyourimpact.org.

See complete conference details.

Co-Authoring Meaning
Posted on by Steve

“Experiential relationships in cyberspace are the next frontier for the arts community,” states John Killacky in his new post on ARTSBlog. The post explores the participatory nature of art today's media climate, and how arts organizations are “behind the curve” in opening programs to audience involvement.

Audiences today are drawn, not merely to a performance, but to an arts experience in which they participate. The experience does not begin and end at the performance curtain, but long before and after: at home, in the lobby, online, and sharing with friends.

Word of mouth has always been potent for box office, so it is essential that the arts marshal the power of online participatory media. However, this calls for a paradigm shift in thinking about what cultural participation means for audiences, live and viral.

Technology and Innovation: New Models of Social Engagement
Posted on by Steve

A session from the currently-running SOCAP11 conference in San Francisco explores social engagement in the current technology environment. Presenters are filmmaker Tiffany Shlain, Christina M. Samala from the Story of Stuff project, and game designer Jane McGonigal. Lot's of interesting stuff is discussed. Here's the session description:

As the limits between our virtual and off-line worlds continue to blur, we have an opportunity to create a united vision reflecting our true values. We deconstruct new models that leverage the link between social interaction and commerce while monitoring the evolving relationship between technology, trust, and personal privacy.
Emiko Ono to Join Hewlett Foundation as Officer in the Performing Arts Program
Posted on by Steve

Emiko Ono, a veteran California arts grantmaker and administrator, will join The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation as an officer in the Performing Arts Program, Foundation officials announced today. Ono comes to the Foundation from the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, where she managed a portfolio of 350 grantees from all artistic disciplines with budgets ranging from $5,000 to more than $10 million.

As Performing Arts Program Officer at the Foundation, Ono will manage a diverse portfolio across the full range of grants that the Program makes.

Future of Music Coalition to Survey US Musicians About Revenue Streams
Posted on by Steve

As one component of its Artists Revenue Streams project, the Future of Music Coalition is conducting an online survey from September 6 through October 28, 2011 to gather crucial information about the ways that US-based musicians and composers are currently generating income from songs, recordings or performances, and how this has changed over the past five years.

Aboriginal Artwork’s Long Journey Home
Posted on by Steve

From Kevin Griffin at The Vancouver Sun:

One of the artworks in the Vancouver Art Gallery‘s Surrealism exhibition illustrates an ongoing story among many aboriginal groups in B.C. about reclaiming physical objects and artefacts from their past.

The artwork is the impressive frontlet in the first exhibition room. It was worn on the top of the head with the downy-material covering the sides and back of the neck.