The first session in our April webinar series will discuss how funding and support to artists fits into the broader arts funding landscape and why directly funding individuals to create and produce work is critical to arts and culture. We will cover some of the common myths, such as the belief that foundations cannot write checks directly to individuals, as well as some of the common challenges, such as how funders define the “artist” and “artistic quality.” We will hear from a private funder and a public funder on different approaches they take in the services and support they offer to individual artists, including what they are doing to reduce barriers to access for interested applicants.
This series is designed for organizational leaders and program staff of funding organizations who currently support or are considering support to individual artists, particularly through open application processes. It is free to the staff and board members of GIA member organizations. The fee for nonmembers is $35 per session, or $90 for the series pass.
Kristina Newman-Scott is the director of culture for the State of Connecticut where she oversees all aspects of the state’s programs and services related to art, culture and historic preservation. Prior to this role, Newman-Scott served as the director of marketing, events, and cultural affairs for the City of Hartford, the director of programs at the Boston Center for the Arts, and director of visual arts at Hartford's Real Art Ways. She has been a visiting curator, guest lecturer, and speaker at many organizations and institutions across the country. Kristina serves on the boards of the New England Foundation of the Arts, the Connecticut Forum, and is a member of Americans for the Arts Private Sector Council. She was a visual artist, arts consultant, and a television/radio personality in Jamaica where she was born and raised. Newman-Scott moved to Connecticut in 2005 and became a citizen of the United States in 2012.
Jayson Smart serves as a senior program officer for Rasmuson Foundation, a private family foundation based in Anchorage, Alaska. Jayson provides oversight of the foundation’s portfolio in arts and culture, and also works on special topics in health and education. Jayson has held positions in arts and education administration, with a focus on performing arts presenting and touring. He formerly served as deputy director with the Municipality of Anchorage Department of Health and Human Services and has a background in social service agency management with a focus on disability advocacy and policy. Jayson is a board member of the Anchorage Concert Association, and the Alliance of Artists Communities, a national organization based in Providence, Rhode Island. Jayson holds two degrees from the University of Alaska Anchorage and has spent the last 32 years in Southcentral Alaska.
