GIA Conference proceedings

While “making the pie higher” may have been a Presidential mixed metaphor, the slippage in corporate funding for the arts is a matter for concern. Traditional sources disappear; business pressures drive the shift to strategic grantmaking that builds corporate brand identity; new or realigned corporate donors emerge. What does this mean for the balance of donor support within communities? Are arts and culture holding their own in the face of internal business pressures or have corporate staff and policy changes marginalized the case for the arts?

There are powerful lessons to be learned from considering the full ecology of art within the life of a community; lessons that derive from art as a human and community process, not simply as a product. This panel will share experiences derived from long-term community engagement in cultural life. What kind of art does the community value? What is the role of the amateur? Is the private grantmaking community missing the boat on potentially powerful investments that don't meet the traditional guidelines? Who are the natural but surprising community advocates for the arts and why do they care?

Media reports give the impression that religion is constantly at odds with the arts in American life. But recent case studies and interviews with arts and religious leaders have indicated that there is more cooperation and less antagonism between the two sectors than is commonly reported. This session will be based on a seven-year Luce Foundation project involving commissioned research, convening, community initiatives, and the recent book Crossroads: Art and Religion in American Life, co-published with the Center for Arts and Culture.

Bill T. Jones, acclaimed choreographer, author and artistic director of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, spoke at the October 17 luncheon. Mr. Jones, a 1994 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, has received numerous commissions to create new works for his own company, as well as for many national and international dance and ballet companies.

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   Bill T. Jones: Keynote Luncheon (527Kb)

GIA board members, former and future conference chairs, and others – discussed views on what is happening in and to our field of arts philanthropy.

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   Closing Session (518Kb)

Conference attendees joined special guest Garrison Keillor, author, humorist, host of Minnesota Public Radio's A Prairie Home Companion and The Writer's Almanac, and Minnesotan, on Monday, October 16, for a very special Opening Plenary Session. He is the author of 11 books, and his recording of Lake Wobegon Days received a Grammy Award. Keillor is also the recipient of two ACE Awards for cable television and a George Foster Peabody Award. In 1994, he was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame at Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications.

A discussion about the sources of inspiration, sense of purpose, and leadership of Generation X, led by Roberto Bedoya, executive director of the National Association of Artists' Organizations (NAAO).

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   Generation X and Beyond (545Kb)

Community focused giving is a growing field of philanthropy. Individuals involved in studies and giving programs from a variety of communities addressed this issue.

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   Highlighting the Development of Giving in New Communities (549Kb)

Community foundations offer unique opportunities for arts philanthropy. In addition to funding arts organizations, these foundations are set up to offer substantial technical assistance and build ongoing relationships with donors. Speakers reflected on how community foundations are succeeding as partners in support of the arts in their communities.

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Contemporary artists in all disciplines are creating significant work ranging from extensive public installations to single works that incorporate the natural world. This session focused on how artists use art and design to connect individuals, institutions, and communities with their natural surroundings.

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   Artists and the Natural World (257Kb)