Grantmakers in the Arts

Mixed Blood Theater, a 35 year old company in the Twin Cities, has simply stopped charging patrons for tickets. Board Chair Jack Reuler calls it 'radical hospitality.'

"Anyone can come to the theater and get in for free, it really is that simple," Reuler said this afternoon.

GIA received news that Wesley Montgomery, Chief Operating Officer at National Performance Network, died early Tuesday morning, May 24, in New Orleans.

A celebration of Wesley's life will take place at 1:00 PM on Saturday, May 28, 2011 at Ashé Cultural Arts Center, 1712 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard in New Orleans. A donation has been made to establish an annual NPN Mentorship & Leadership award in Wesley Montgomery's name. Contributions can be made in support of this award, payable to the National Performance Network.

A recent study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health suggests that participation in cultural activities was significantly associated with good health, good satisfaction with life, low anxiety and depression scores in both genders, but more so with men.

NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman and Blue Star Families Chairman Kathy Roth-Douquet today announced the second annual launch of Blue Star Museums, a partnership with more than 1,300 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2011. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families.

Alexis McGill Johnson completes her two-week tour as a guest writer on GIA's Talk Back blog with Black Male: Re-Imagined, a post on unconscious bias, its outcomes, and the work American Values Institute is doing to re-imagine perceptions of black men as they relate to public policy and discourse.

From Dana Goldstein, Columbia University School of Journalism:

With the NewSchools Venture Fund Summit kicking off (on May 17), I thought I'd do an overview of the state of K-12 education philanthropy.

The NewSchools Venture Fund is one of the founding institutions of "venture philanthropy," a school of charitable giving that borrows its ethos from the world of venture capital. Venture philanthropists seek out non-profits that pursue social change while embracing data-driven corporate accountability standards.

The Games for Change 8th Annual Festival will be in New York, June 20-22, at NYU's Skirball Center. Often referred to as “the Sundance of Video Games,” the Festival is the biggest gaming event in New York City. It brings together leaders from government, corporations, civil society, media, academia, foundations, and the gaming industry to explore the increasing real-world impact of digital games as an agent for social change. The Festival is also a showcase for some of the most innovative new games in production.

The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies maintains up-to-date information on the budget proposals affecting state arts agencies. This resource is available in .pdf form at www.nasaa-arts.org/Research/Funding/State-Budget-Center/FY12R&EProposals.pdf.