Grantmakers in the Arts

(9-3-10) A proclamation from Gov. Mark Parkinson has paved the way for the second week in September to be recognized as Arts in Education Week in Kansas, the Kansas Arts Commission announced Tuesday.

“Arts Education Week (Sept. 12-18) recognizes the importance of the arts in Kansas schools and in communities,” said John Divine, Chairman of the Kansas Arts Commission.

Read more.

(9-3-10) Rocco Landesman just returned from a trip to Minneapolis and St. Paul, where he spent two days touring arts spaces and cultural facilities. Earlier this week, he blogged about the experience, highlighting places and projects with progressive business models and tangible community impact. Read his full report here and learn about the work of his several enterprising hosts, including GIA board president Vickie Benson.

(9-2-10) Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, today announced the 2010 NEA New Play Development Program’s Distinguished New Play grants. Five theaters will each receive a grant of $20,000 to support the early stages of development for a new play with strong potential to merit a full production:

(9-1-10) In an opinion piece for USA Today, Abigail Disney, great-niece of Walt, argues for the preservation of the estate tax, citing both financial and social benefits, including this statement on the charitable impulse:

...the estate tax incentivizes people like me to do good with our wealth because there is no estate tax on donations to charity.

(8-27-10) In yesterday's Guardian, British theater directors Adrian Jackson (Cardboard Citizens) and David Parrish (Creation Theatre) present the pros and cons of Arts Council spending cuts.

(8-25-10) In honor of CERF+’s first quarter century, an on-line anniversary auction has been launched with 25+ art works donated by long time friends of the organization. Bidding opens today, Wednesday, August 25, 3:00pm, and closes September 25, 10:00pm. Proceeds from the auction will support the programs and services of CERF+.

Visit the online auction here.

(08-24-10) There is a lot of talk these days about “capacity”… capacity building, capacity funding etc. At a meeting of funders in Seattle that included grantmakers from every sector, everyone was talking about building capacity for nonprofit organizations as part of their funding programs from human services to the arts. It certainly is at the core of effective organizational management. Does the organization have the capacity to implement the project? Is capacity strong in human resources, fund development, operating reserves, program management and technical expertise?

(8-24-10) On August 16, the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage announced more than $960,000 in project grants from the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative (PTI) to thirteen theater companies, presenters, and independent theater artists. PTI grants, which support innovative theater programming in the Philadelphia area, are awarded annually on a competitive basis through panel selection. On the 2010 selections, PTI director Pam Kumin notes, "This year's PTI grants support a diverse array of imaginative and ambitious projects aimed at varied tastes and ages.