Judi Jennings

With the much needed and welcomed national attention now being given to equity in arts and cultural funding, there is growing discussion — and debate — about the importance of collecting, analyzing, and reporting demographic data relating to grantmaking. The Grantmakers in the Arts Statement of Purpose on Racial Equity in Arts Philanthropy recommends advocating for research and data collection that accurately represents the demographics served by and serving in arts organizations and foundations.

A new level of debate about equity began when the National Committee on Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) released its report Fusing Arts, Culture and Social Change: High Impact Strategies for Philanthropy, by Holly Sidford, at the October 2011 GIA conference in San Francisco.

A four-year partnership between Atlanta-based Alternate ROOTS and West Baltimore–based CultureWorks flowered forth in ROOTS Fest 2011, presenting a new model for arts-based social justice work and engaging a wide array of artists, funders, and activists, locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. This art-packed, heart-grabbing, justice-probing double event began with the three-day National Learning Exchange at the Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy in West Baltimore.

2011, 416 pages, Common Ground Publishing, Champaign, IL

Is a major shift in worldview taking place across the globe today? If so, what role can artists, arts organizations, and cultural creatives play in imagining and sustaining a future with more equitable lifeways?

Illustrated by Jennifer Williams, 2010, 100 pages, Triarchy Press, Station Offices, Station Yard, Axminster, Devon EX13 5PF UK, triarchypress.com

If you ever read information online or download and print materials from the Internet, you are part of the “digital divide.” While most, if not all, members of philanthropic organizations in the United States may take for granted high-quality access to the Internet, many people of color, indigenous people, and people living in rural areas have none or only very limited ability to use computers and gain access to the kinds of information and education that can improve their lives.

What happens when a founding artistic director moves on? Whether the move is a departure or a shift in roles within the organization, leadership change presents a daunting — and inevitable — challenge. As the nonprofit arts field matures and faces unprecedented economic challenges, the question of how to survive and embrace significant transitions in the leadership of an organization becomes pressing.

2004. Centre for Creative Communities, 118 Commercial St., London E16NF, UK.

What roles will arts and cultural organizations and funders play in the November 2004 election?