americans for the arts news

The 2008 MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series—New Frameworks for The Changing Face of America—looks at how both arts and business are addressing the issue of increasing diversity in this country as it relates to workforce development, leadership and management, and product offerings through a new theory being advanced by keynote speaker, author and cultural analyst Patricia Martin.  The first event in each series will feature Martin; the second forum will be a follow-up discussion among community arts and business leaders tailored specifically to each community.

For more information and a schedule of Forums, visit: MetLife Foundation National Arts Forum Series

Patricia Martin's book, RenGen: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What It Means to Your Business, is available in the Americans for the Arts store.

For more information, visit: www.americansforthearts.org/events/2008/convention/default.asp.

In this provocative lecture, Pink makes what he calls a “hard-headed case for arts education.”  He explains how three powerful forces in the economy are making logical, linear, rule-based, “left-brain” abilities necessary in the workforce, but no longer sufficient.  And he shows how these three forces—what he calls abundance, Asia, and automation—are making artistic, empathic, big picture, “right brain” abilities the most important abilities in just about every profession in industry.

Daniel Pink’s books A Whole New Mind and A Free Agent Nation are available in the Americans for the Art Store.

For information, transcripts, and podcasts of previous Hanks lectures, visit here: http://www.artsusa.org/events/nancyhanks.asp

Keynote and plenary speakers include:

• Ed Keller—CEO, Keller Fay Group and word-of-mouth guru
• Karen Brooks Hopkins—President, Brooklyn Academy of Music
• Alan Brown—Principal, WolfBrown
• Patricia Martin—President, LitLamp Communications Group, Inc.

Also on November 8, two preconferences are offered: The Pricing Institute and Sponsorship Bootcamp.

For more information, visit: http://www.artsusa.org/events/2008/abc/namc/default.asp

• Robert Redford
• John Legend
• Kerry Washington
• Jonathan Spector
• Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann
• Robert L. Lynch

And be sure send your member of Congress a message on Arts Advocacy Day: http://www.capwiz.com/artsusa/home/

The entire Creative Industries 2008: The 50 City Report, as well as additional reports on states and U.S. Congressional Districts, are available online at: www.AmericansforTheArts.org/CreativeIndustries.

A list of participants and the full recommendations report is available online at
www.AmericansForTheArts.org/go/PolicyRoundtable.

Each year, Americans for the Arts and NLGA present a Public Leadership in the Arts Award to a lieutenant governor who demonstrates outstanding leadership in the advancement of the arts at the state level. Read more...

New This Year
For 2008, the NAMP Conference is about fundraising too! In addition to the marketing track, there is now a fundraising track, and a track focusing on where the two areas interact. We encourage you to propose sessions in marketing, fundraising, or the intersection of both. Topics of interest include: branding, social networking, sponsorships, young philanthropists, dynamic copywriting, loyalty programs, and more!

You can share your experience in any format-choose from three types of sessions. Applications for conference sessions, exemplary practices presentations, and roundtable discussions will be accepted. Americans for the Arts welcomes proposals from:

Each track will be divided into two levels:

• 101 Level for beginner/intermediate skill level and small organizations
• 201 Level for intermediate/advanced skill level and larger organizations

View the entire session proposal document and more information on the conference.

Watch the website for registration and hotel information along with the program.

"On the heels of signing the largest Congressionally-initiated funding increase for the arts in 28 years, President Bush has proposed a senseless $16.3 million cut for FY 2009 for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)—from $144.7 million to $128.4 million. After three years of minimal, but incremental, funding growth, we are sorry to see an attempt at this progress erased. Americans for the Arts calls on Congress to restore full funding to the NEA at its FY 1992 level of $176 million .... In May 2007, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, led by Chairman Norm Dicks (D-WA), approved $160 million in funding for the NEA—$32 million more than the White House’s FY2008 proposal. We applaud Congress for its continued and significant support of federal arts and culture funding."

To read the full statement visit the Press Room. For more information on the FY 2009 budget, visit the online Arts Action Center.