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2007 national arts news archive
01/10/2007
Dan Harpole, 51, played key role in arts
Mr. Harpole, executive director of the Idaho Commission on the Arts and former chairman of the Washington State Arts Commission, died from cancer Dec. 29 at his brother's home in Portland. He was 51.
Weeks before his death, Mr. Harpole learned that he would be awarded the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman's Medal to recognize his service to the arts in the United States.
Mr. Harpole not only brought the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies conference to Idaho for the first time but also encouraged that state's Republican congressional delegation to support recent increases in NEA funding.
Seattle Times 01/09/2007
01/10/2007
K.C. Symphony’s suit scaring some arts advocates
They worry that the KC orchestra’s court action jeopardizes their state aid - Since the lawsuit was filed last week in Cole County Circuit Court, word has rippled through nonprofit arts organizations across the state that the governor’s office had sent a message: All potential arts funding in the budget that the governor will announce on Jan. 24 has been withdrawn from consideration.
“The word I received from the governor’s staff was that when the lawsuit was filed, all the funds were off the table until further review,” said arts lobbyist Kyna Iman. “That has not been made official.”
Jessica Robinson, a spokeswoman for the governor, said she had no direct knowledge of any communication between the staff and arts advocates after the lawsuit. She added that the budget had not been finalized and that all funding proposals were still “on the table.”
She did suggest, however, that arts funding could be held back if the lawsuit dragged out for years.
The Kansas City Star 01/05/2007
01/10/2007
A patron at the helm?
L.A.'s cultural leaders size up the mayor after 18 months and ask: Is there ... - The mayor's role, says Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, is "to promote the arts, to galvanize the city around the arts." He ticks the points off on his fingers. "To support, promote, galvanize."
Adds the mayor: "I intend, in coming years, with public-private initiative, to really increase our investment in the arts. And not just around the idea of cultural tourism; I think we need to promote the arts for art's sake."
"We are sorely lacking in cultural policy, not just for Los Angeles but for the state of California," says Claire Peeps, executive director of the Durfee Foundation and president of Grantmakers in the Arts, a national arts support organization. "If Los Angeles can seize this moment and take the lead in drafting a cultural policy to be of service to the city, then it will be of service to the greater citizens of California."
Los Angeles Times 01/07/2007
01/12/2007
Deal Stalls but Classical Radio Station Ponders Format Change
Washington, DC - WGMS's future as a classical station is uncertain, people close to its parent company say. One intriguing possibility, they say, is that the station's present owners could turn WGMS into a sports-talk outlet that would compete against Dan Snyder's fledging radio company.
Bonneville International, who owns WGMS-FM, has begun to weigh alternatives for WGMS, which has broadcast classical music for almost 60 years. The company is considering dropping classical music for sports-talk programming.
Bonneville, however, would likely face a public-relations backlash if it dropped WGMS's classical format.
As another option, WGMS could switch to a rock or pop-music format, executives say. In recent weeks, Bonneville has shown signs of preparing to drop classical; in addition to accepting a preliminary offer from Snyder to sell WGMS, the company has offered to donate its library of classical recordings to public station WETA-FM (90.9) in the event of a sale.
"At this point," a Bonneville executive said, "we have to look at everything."
The Washington Post 01/04/2007
01/12/2007
Arts Endowment, XM give public more exposure to musicians and writers
The National Endowment for the Arts is producing a steady stream of jazz and literature "moments" which are being aired by XM Satellite Radio, Inc. on 12 of its channels including CNN, Take 5, Oprah and Friends, and Fox News.
"These are beautifully produced, entertaining, informative pieces that put the arts back in the public conversation where they belong," said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia.
The NEA moments, which currently consist of 17 literary segments and 31 jazz segments, will run in random rotation on XM channels. The segments are short interviews with legendary and contemporary artists about their own work and that of other artists. They include musical samples, historical information, and first person anecdotes designed to give listeners added insight into the artists and their art. The moments also will highlight NEA jazz-related programs such as NEA Jazz Masters and NEA literary programs such as Poetry Out Loud, the Big Read, and Operation Homecoming.
In addition to the jazz and literary moments, the NEA plans to add "arts moments" which will highlight NEA-supported events by local arts organizations around the country.
Media Newswire 01/12/2007
01/18/2007
Arts and Education Programs for Underserved Youth to be Honored In Washington
Young people from communities across the U.S. and Mexico who engage in after-school arts and humanities programs that promote educational achievement and productive lives will be honored at the 2006 Coming Up Taller Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Monday, January 22. Time and location TBD.
Coming Up Taller is an initiative of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The President's Committee partners with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to administer the program, which was founded in 1998.
The Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America's young people, and provide them with new learning opportunities and the chance to contribute to their communities. The awards also highlight the contributions that historians, scholars, librarians and visual and performing artists make to families and communities by mentoring children. More than 250 nominations were received by the program in 2006.All programs will receive $10,000 in honor of their accomplishments in enriching the lives of young people and their communities.
PR Newswire Via BroadcastNewsroom.com 01/17/2007
01/24/2007
Toys for making noise
A NAMM instrument industry convention gathers the giddy and the gifted.
Digital home recording has played a large role in the industry's growth and helped a new generation of hobbyist music-makers move out of the garage and onto the Internet.
Using cheap — sometimes free — software and home computers, they are part of a rapid democratization of the music world in which artistic souls with very little money can create, record and distribute their own music through MySpace.com and other networking websites. It's not just music. Digital cameras have become cheaper and better, and cellphones now double as video recorders. Everyone, it seems, can get in touch with his or her inner media mogul.
"We are looking at the first creative generation," Henry Juszkiewicz, co-owner of Gibson Guitars, said last week as he was surrounded by instruments in his firm's display room at the convention, which ended Sunday. "The cost of creative tools has gone down. And now you have the ability to share with other people your creation. These two fundamental, solid changes are allowing the younger generation to be actively creative."
The biggest market demographic is young adults. The NAMM musical industry group, which sponsored the convention, contracts with the Gallup Organization for a poll every three years. The most recent found that the number of instrument players ages 18 to 34 grew from 24% in 1997 to 32% in 2006.
It also found that last year about half of American households had at least one person who owned a musical instrument, up from 43% in 1997. The instruments of choice: piano, 31%; guitar or bass, 28%; and brass, 27%.
Los Angeles Times 01/24/2007
01/25/2007
Crafting industry could lift state's economy
There are tens of thousands of crafters working in Michigan - making everything from quilts, to wooden fish decoys, to pottery - and a new study shows their work could help the state's sinking economy.
Kathy Eftekhari is the executive director of the Arts & Industry Council, a Battle Creek-based nonprofit arts council. The AIC recently partnered with local economic development group, Battle Creek Unlimited, to improve the economy through fostering creative endeavors.
Eftekhari said the partnership gives local artists resources such as marketing and technical services, professional development programs and grants to more than 60 arts and cultural organizations and hundreds of Michigan artists. The council has been recognized on the state and national level for being the only program in Michigan to boast a strategic economic plan involving local artists.
The state hopes to promote more of the talents of Michiganians, a move especially critical as the state deals with a 7.1 percent unemployment rate and the loss of jobs at corporate giants such as General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Pfizer Inc.
"People think of art as something in a musuem," Eftekhari said. "But more than ever, we are seeing that creativity can be important to the economy."
WZZM 13 News Grand Rapids, MI 01/24/2007
01/25/2007
New Approach to Budgeting Arts Money
Many of the city's (New York's) cultural institutions won't have to fight quite as hard to get funding in the coming year.
Mayor Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced that baseline funding for arts groups will be written into tomorrow's preliminary budget. Mayor Bloomberg says the city will guarantee funding for the Cultural Institution Groups -- or CIGs -- but will also make them more accountable through a review process.
BLOOMBERG: There will no longer be any cut and restoration dance for involving the CIG members and they can stop all the lobbying - get back to what they are supposed to be doing - making the citys cultural institutions even greater.
The city is setting aside nearly one -hundred and twenty million dolllars for the CIGs and allocating 30 million for other arts organizations to apply for on a merit-basis.
WNYC Newsroom New York Public Radio 01/24/2007
01/30/2007
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy (CT-5) wants to restore $50 million to the federal budget for the arts.
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy (CT-5) wants to restore $50 million to the federal budget for the arts.
"The arts are going to be a priority," Murphy said during a press conference Friday afternoon at the historic Warner Theatre on Main Street. "It is time for the federal government to be a partner in the arts...Art programs have changed lives."
Federal funding for the arts dropped from a high of $176 million in 1992 to less than $100 million in 1995, Murphy said.
"(The cuts) are an unconscionable way to treat the arts."
Murphy said he does not know how Congress will fund the $50 million to bring the level of funding back to 1992, but the funding is needed to keep the country flourishing.
The Register Citizen 01/27/2007
02/06/2007
$30 million gift could make Des Moines and art hot spot
Philanthropists John and Mary Pappajohn plan to donate a collection of outdoor sculpture valued at between $20 million and $30 million for Des Moines' Western Gateway Park.
The donation is believed to be the largest single public gift in Des Moines' history.
The initial gift of 16 sculptures is likely to catapult Des Moines to the world art stage, said Des Moines businessman Jim Cownie, who has agreed to raise money to pay for installation, maintenance and security costs.
The sculptures, which will be owned by the Des Moines Art Center, will begin to be placed in the park this spring, pending City Council approval on Feb. 26. The Gateway Park, located from 10th to 15th streets between Grand Avenue and Locust Street, is a $30.5 million city project that was completed in 2006.
The Des Moines Register 02/04/2007
02/06/2007
Arts education on a large scale
Some readers accuse the media of ignoring all the good things that happen at DISD. But some things are too big to ignore, including this week's unveiling of what is one of the largest citywide arts-learning initiatives in U.S. history. The Dallas Arts Learning Initiative – a partnership between the city, the district, the Wallace Foundation and Big Thought – is infusing more arts into the city, one school and neighborhood at a time. By 2009, the plan is to offer every DISD elementary school student 45 minutes of art and music instruction each week. And that's only a fraction of what they hope to accomplish.
Dallas Morning News 02/03/2007
02/06/2007
Council takes new approach in celebrating black history
"I think it's important that when we remember black history we remember more than the marches, sit-ins, and the protests," said Valentine, a Douglass College junior. "Though they were very important we also have to remember that those acts on civil rights paved the way for blacks in the arts who were the first to sing in normally segregated clubs and introduce new genres of music that brought about black integration into popular culture."
Instead of opening the ceremony with a traditional keynote speaker, this year's program, "A Tribute to Black Americans in the Arts," featured acts from local performers, Rutgers students and alumni ranging from spoken word to interpretive dance performances.
The Daily Targum 02/05/2007
02/16/2007
Arts Programs See a Boost in Funding
After a long period of minimal funding for arts programs, school districts in San Benito County are finally receiving a financial boost for their dance, music, theater and visual arts programs.
In the past year, visual and performing arts programs at schools in California have seen a $105 million increase in state funding. On top of this, a one-time grant of $500 million for art, music and physical education will soon boost district coffers throughout the state. All of this adds up to the first surplus of money arts programs have seen in a long time.
"This is the first time ever that the state has had this kind of money for the arts. It's historic," said Nancy Carr, a California Department of Education consultant for visual and performing arts.
Traditionally, Carr said, arts grants are competitive so not all districts receive the funding. Both the ongoing funding and one-time grant will be provided to all districts in California.
The one-time grant, which will be shared with the school's physical education department, is expected to be around $82 per student, according Jim Koenig, director of finance and operations at SBHS.
Hollister Free Lance 02/16/2007
02/16/2007
Want more National News? Join the Cultural Policy Listserv!
Interested in receiving the latest policy-relevant arts and culture policy news, sent directly to your e-mail inbox? The Americans for the Arts' Cultural Policy Listserv, a continuation of the Center for Arts and Culture's listserv, is the ideal way to spot emerging trends, track on-going issues, and connect to a world of news and ideas. In each weekly update you'll also get information on upcoming conferences, events and news from colleague organizations.
Americans for the Arts 02/16/2007
03/13/2007
Congress tackles arts funding
Arts activists joined the advocacy group Americans for the Arts on Tuesday for a day of lobbying and testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior. They asked that funding for the National Endowment for the Arts be increased to $176 million for fiscal 2008, which was the federal government's all-time high allocation in 1992. Part of the rationale for the federal cuts in the 1990s was that private funding could fill the void. But the share of philanthropy being directed to arts organizations also has declined since 1992, said Robert Lynch, president and chief executive officer of Americans for the Arts. Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, actor Chris Klein, BET co-founder Sheila Johnson, CEO of Raisbeck Engineering James Raisbeck, Mayor David Cicilline of Providence, RI and Americans for the Arts presient and CEO Robert L. Lynch pressed Congress to restore funding for the arts to levels from 15 years ago -- before those funds were slashed.
AP Business Week 03/13/2007
03/19/2007
Arts backers make case for education
Kansas Senate President Steve Morris played baritone in his high school band. He also sang in chorus and performed in a couple of school plays. Sen. Jay Emler played flute in his school's orchestra when he wasn't doubling as drum major on the football field. The two lawmakers had plenty to say to a crowd of arts supporters who came to the Capitol rotunda Thursday morning to remind the Legislature of the everyday effects that things like music, dance and painting have on the lives of Kansans. State Department of Education fine arts consultant Joyce Huser said that class time for the arts has dropped by an estimated 20 percent in recent years. As for Sen. Emler, he gained confidence in himself as he led his high school band and participated in drama activities.He'd like to see that re-emphasized by schools that today must march to the NCLB drum.
The Hutchinson News 03/09/2007
03/19/2007
Educators charge arts lag under No Child Left Behind
According to the Minnesota Music Educators Association, there's been a 6.5 percent decrease in the number of public school music teachers in the state since 2000. Many elementary schools now offer arts programs for just nine weeks out of the year. Nationally, arts education time in the classroom has dropped 22 percent since No Child Left Behind was enacted. Congresswoman Betty McCollum, DFL, St. Paul,said "The biggest challenge is having the President committed to put the dollars in that he did when he first brought forward this nationalized testing that he's doing to make sure that school districts aren't having to cut courses like art and music." Most arts educators don't object to testing. In fact, they want performance measures across a broader range of NCLB's core learning areas, the arts included. The Perpich Center's Mike Hiatt says NCLB has set national standards in virtually every curriculum, which is an expensive proposition. He says the country has to decide whether it's willing to pay enough to ensure that those standards are met.
Minnesota Public Radio 03/13/2007
03/19/2007
Students rally to keep fine arts in schools
Hundreds of students from around Texas performed in the rotunda and on the Capitol steps Thursday to draw attention to Arts Education Day. A new study by the Texas Coalition for Quality Arts Education shows both students and schools with robust fine arts programs do better academically. Schools rated "exemplary" had 61 percent of their students enrolled in fine arts courses, compared with 54 percent for "recognized," 51 percent for "acceptable" and 44 percent at "low-performing" schools. Arts advocates have at least one influential ally in Rep. Rob Eissler, R-The Woodlands, chairman of the House Public Education Committee. A fine arts education is imperative "for our culture to survive," Eissler said, adding Texas schools develop "amazing talent." "Left brain is logic, right brain is creativity," he said. "We don't want our kids to compete internationally with half of their brain tied behind their backs."
The San Antonio Express-News 03/11/2007
03/19/2007
Majority of California Schools Fail to Meet State Goals for Arts Education, Study Finds
The vast majority of California's schools fail to meet state standards set in 2001 for teaching visual arts, music, dance, and theater, and access to arts instruction varies widely among the state's schools, a new study conducted by SRI International in Menlo Park, California, finds. An Unfinished Canvas, Arts Education in California: Taking Stock of Policies and Practices (163 pages, PDF) is believed to be the first study to examine systematically the status of arts education in California. The study found that 89 percent of California schools fail to offer a standards-based course of study in all four disciplines — falling short of state goals — and 29 percent do not offer a standards-based course of study in any of the four disciplines. In addition, more than half (61 percent) of California schools do not have a full-time equivalent arts specialist. Students lag behind the national average in hours of arts instruction — up to 50 percent less in music and visual arts instruction at the elementary level. Moreover, standards alignment, assessment, and accountability practices are uneven in arts education and often not present at all.
Exduco 03/10/2007
03/19/2007
Economic report encourages focus on arts in Berkshires
A two-year, $1 million study released Friday by the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation pushes for more development, support and marketing of the area's creative and artistic resources. "Art means business in the Berkshires," said Laurie Norton Moffatt, director of the Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. "Until now, the impact of the creative cluster on the Berkshires hasn't been fully understood. It is an area ripe for economic development." Moffatt and Ellen J. Spear, president of Hancock Shaker Village and steering committee co-chairwoman, headed the Creative Economy Project, which showed that 10 percent of the county's workforce, or 6,000 jobs, are involved in some type of art-related business. "The creative cluster is an export business that brings millions of dollars into the region each year," Spear said. The Berkshire Blueprint suggests providing more training, marketing and infrastructure improvements in the area's towns to stimulate and support arts-oriented businesses.
Associated Press 03/09/2007
03/22/2007
Michigan Cuts Arts Funding, and Trouble Begins
State lawmakers have cut funding for the popular Ann Arbor Film Festival, claiming it showed material they considered pornographic on the depiction of sex acts. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit in order to force the state to remove those restrictions. The guidelines have been in place since 1996, but they had not been rigorously enforced until last year. Amid passionate talk in the state house about protecting citizens from pornography and obscenity, legislators decided to bar the Ann Arbor Film Festival from receiving state money for at least three years.
National Public Radio 03/20/2007
03/22/2007
Theater Association Supports Dismantling of Scalping Laws
A trade association representing Broadway theaters and producers now wants state officials to dismantle the laws that limit the resale of tickets to musicals, plays, concerts and other events. Under a law that expires in June, brokers are limited to no more than 20 percent, or $5 over face value, whichever is greater, in venues with fewer than 6,000 seats, including most Broadway theaters. Ticket brokers and others — including Gov. Eliot Spitzer — have pushed to get rid of the limits and allow market forces to set prices in the so-called secondary ticket market, so long as the brokers are obtaining tickets legally. In the past, consumer advocates argued that allowing the brokers to set their own prices would put tickets beyond the reach of ordinary customers. Richard L. Brodsky, who sits on the committee that regulates tourism, said that allowing prices to skyrocket could put tickets out of reach of Broadway visitors. “If you’re not on an expense account or a millionaire, it will be much harder to get tickets for hot shows.”
The New York Times 03/19/2007
03/22/2007
New 50-State Report on Key State Education Policies
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) has released their biennial report, "Key State Education Policies on PK-12 Education: 2006." Updating two decades of research, the report provides 50-state analysis and trends for state policies that define teaching and learning across the nation. In 2006, 29 states reported requirements in Arts, while 26 reported an Arts requirement in 2004. The reported credit requirements by these states vary from 0.5 to 2.0 credits per state. 45 states also have content standards in the arts, 40 in foreign language, 44 in health, 42 in physical education, and over 25 in both vocational and technical education.
The Battle Creek Enquirer 03/20/2007
03/29/2007
Sound investment: Atlanta might be ready to step up and support the arts
Atlanta has realized that, along with economic growth, it is necessary to grow the arts or risk becoming a podunk megamall. Many Atlantans realized a long time ago when trying to lure friends from New York, Los Angeles or even Austin, Texas, to visit, the refrain inevitably was, "Whaddya got?" And the answer was not always great.
There have been some positive signs lately that Atlanta's art scene is seeing its fortunes increase with a rash of grants, awards and giving.
On March 21, Mayor Shirley Franklin convened a press conference to announce the formation of a Cultural Investment Fund that would award $10 million annually to the arts. The money would most likely come from a percentage of a new or existing city tax. The city currently spends about $4 per citizen annually on the arts, and that figure would jump to $21.
The Atlanta Gallery Association and the Loridans Foundation have also committed funds to the city's schools and artists in recognition of the lack of city arts funding.
Creative Loafing 03/28/2007
03/29/2007
Creativity's essence explored by MetLife Foundation Forum
Orchestrated by the Arts & Business Council of Rhode Island, an offshoot of the A&BC of Americans for the Arts, the forum on creativity in education is among 40 being sponsored around the country by the MetLife Foundation is part of a National Arts Forum Series to better link the arts and business.
Although "innovation and creativity" are two of the hardest qualities to pin down in job applicant tests that explore "67 competencies, descriptions, strengths and weaknesses," they are ever more crucial tools in the business world and "hard to develop and in short supply."
Skills like math can always be learned later as needed but "it's really difficult to teach people to be creative."
One panelist said taking or teaching to the No Child Left Behind tests is the opposite of teaching students to be creative. If creativity is wanted, he said, "then you've got to have courses that actually value it." With the increasingly rigid test structure for students, "they're not getting liberated, they're getting confined," because the ability to solve problems is not something confined to a test paper.
Releasing talent is necessary "to be the creative country we need to be in the future."
The Pawtucket Times 03/27/2007
04/10/2007
Arts Groups Scramble in MI as Cuts Come Down
A funding freeze for arts and cultural organizations, ordered by Gov. Jennifer Granholm as part of an effort to improve Michigan's economic picture, might have little impact on the current $600 million-plus budget shortfall, but it's likely to leave hundreds of state-funded arts programs facing big problems.
Last week, Granholm placed a moratorium on some state grants, freezing about $7.5 million of the $10 million designated this year for Michigan arts and cultural organizations.
Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd said the freeze is necessary, but the governor remains committed to the arts as an engine of economic development.
Elinor Marsh, executive director of the Music Center of South Central Michigan, said "It is my hope that the current moratorium is a temporary action, but it is my fear that it will be long term. Once you take something away, it's very difficult to bring it back."
The Battle Creek Inquirer 04/08/2007
04/10/2007
Darden donates $5M to proposed arts center
Darden Restaurants Foundation Inc. announced it will donate $5 million over five years to help build the Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center in downtown Orlando.
The center will be home to the Orlando Philharmonic, Orlando Ballet, Orlando Opera, Festival of Orchestras and provide a venue for touring shows.
The performing arts center backers have agreed to name its box office after Bill and Mary Darden, the family that helped found the Orlando-based restaurant chain.
Darden also supports the Orlando Ballet, the Orlando Opera, the Orlando Philharmonic and more than 20 other Central Florida performing arts organizations. Since 1988, the Darden foundation has donated more than $45 million to support community nonprofits around the country, and since 1995 has given more than $9 million to arts organizations.
Orlando Business Journal 04/06/2007
04/10/2007
Study urges help for city arts RAND report sees progress
A study on Philadelphia's arts sector, conducted at the request of the William Penn Foundation and the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, says the scene is thriving but civic leaders could do more to help sustain and promote arts and culture in the city.
The report recommends Philadelphia should integrate its arts and culture with its economic-development and neighborhood-revitalization projects and that Philadelphia's next mayor consider reopening the city's Office of Arts and Culture, which closed in 2004.
Peggy Amsterdam, president of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, said the RAND report serves as "a call to action" for government, the corporate sector, nonprofit groups and the arts community to work more collaboratively.
The RAND report says Philadelphia faces various threats to sustainability including the city's ability to keep college-educated adults here, a fragmented arts-community leadership and financial pressures.
The authors of the RAND study, "Arts and Culture in the Metropolis: Strategies for Sustainability," interviewed 37 people in Philadelphia associated with arts, educational, nonprofit and news organizations.
Philadelphia Daily News 03/09/2007
04/19/2007
Mass. now has creative economy liaison
The Massachusetts creative economy -- industries that include education, film, software, tourism, museums, art and design -- is now an official arm of the state's Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development.
Deputy Chief of Staff for Business Development Sarah MacDonald will be the creative economy liaison and will serve as the point of contact between members of the state's creative economy industries and organizations.
Pending legislation will also establish the Commonwealth Creative Economy Council and an index for schools to measure what children learn from the "creative sciences."
The creative economy has pumped upwards of $4 billion into the state's economy over the past five years.
"For the first time, it's in the economic realm," said Beate Becker, a Cambridge, Mass.-based creative economy consultant.
Boston Business Journal 04/12/2007
04/19/2007
Kitty Carlisle Hart, a New York Blend of Actress, Singer and Arts Advocate, Dies at 96
Kitty Carlisle Hart, a doyenne of New York culture and society and a perennial entertainer who appeared on Broadway and in films, died Tuesday at her home in Manhattan. She was 96.
Outgoing and energetic, Miss Carlisle became a visible champion of the arts in her middle years, lobbying Congress and the New York State Legislature for financing. For 25 years, first as a member and later as chairman of the New York Council on the Arts, she crisscrossed the state to support rural string quartets, small theater groups and urban dance troupes.
Working for the arts council, Miss Carlisle saw herself as a “Johnny Appleseed for culture,” especially in rural parts of New York State. “Wherever we go, the arts flourish,” she said. “It’s a cliché now that people say they want to make a difference, but I’d like to think that I somehow made a difference.”
Miss Carlisle was the recipient of the Americans for the Arts 2006 Special Recognition for Outstanding Contributions to the Arts award.
New York Times 04/19/2007
04/25/2007
Arts, outdoors amendment rejected by Minnesota Senate
A constitutional amendment that would set aside sales tax money for environmental and cultural purposes was defeated Tuesday in a Minnesota Senate committee. The bill came up two votes short of the needed majority in the Senate Taxes Committee, dimming the measure's prospects this year. The Legislature is debating whether to put it on the 2008 ballot. The amendment has repeatedly fallen short of the statewide ballot despite a prolonged and organized lobbying effort by outdoors enthusiasts, environmentalists and arts advocates. In its current form, voters would be asked if they wanted to raise the state sales tax three-eighths of 1 percent and put the proceeds into three pots of money: one-third for reserving and enhancing fish and wildlife habitats and land resources; 43 percent for protecting and restoring bodies of water, parks, trails and natural areas; and 24 percent for supporting nonprofit arts organizations and increasing access to arts education.
Associated Press 04/24/2007
04/25/2007
Bohemian Today, High-Rent Tomorrow: the cities artists should flock to now
BusinessWeek.com and Sperling's Best Places came up with a list of the best places for artists in the U.S. by identifying the metro areas that have the highest concentrations of artistic establishments. The criteria for the list includes percentage of young people age 25 to 34, population diversity, and concentration of museums, philharmonic orchestras, dance companies, theater troupes, library resources, and college arts programs. Lower cost of living played a part in the selection of some cities but had to be overlooked in others because of other very favorable factors. Los Angeles leads the list is with 56 artistic establishments for every 100,000 people, a diversity index of 84.2, and an arts and culture index of 100 (on a scale of 1 to 100). Santa Fe came in second, followed by Carson City, NV. New York City was 4th, Kingston, NY, 5th, followed by Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA, Nashville, Boulder, CO, San Francisco, and Nassau-Suffolk Counties in NY.
Business Week 02/26/2007
04/25/2007
National Endowment for the Arts Announces More Than $67 Million in Grants for the Second Round of FY 2007 Funding
The National Endowment for the Arts today announced that it will award 951 grants totaling $67,348,450. The grants will benefit local, state, regional, and national arts organizations across the country in the categories of Partnerships (7% of grants, 63% of grant funds), Access to Artistic Excellence (65%, 19%), Learning in the Arts (18%, 8%), Arts on Radio and Television (7%, 5%), and American Masterpieces (3%, 5%).
The National Endowment for the Arts 04/24/2007
04/26/2007
Bill encourages artists’ donations (again)
For the fifth consecutive session of the US Congress, a bill has been introduced that would allow artists to deduct the fair market value of works of their own creation from their taxes, if they donate them to museums and libraries. Existing provisions enable collectors to deduct the value of donated art, but artists can deduct only the cost of supplies such as canvas and paint. The Artist-Museum Partnership Act was reintroduced by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Robert Bennett (R-UT). The Senate has approved the bill five times since it was first introduced in 1999, but the House of Representatives never sanctioned the measure. The art museum association hopes to attach the bill to tax legislation before this session of Congress closes at the end of 2008.
The Art Newspaper 04/26/2007
04/26/2007
Missouri Arts Council likely to see dramatic increase in funding
The Missouri Senate today approved an appropriation bill that dramatically increases state arts funding. The bill needs a final House vote before being sent to Gov. Matt Blunt for his signature, who included the increased funding in his original budget proposal. The legislation includes $4.5 million for the Missouri Arts Council Trust Fund, up from $3.3 million this year, and more than doubles the funding for public broadcasting stations and the Missouri Humanities Council. It also will provide $500,000 for arts programs in legislative districts that currently receive no funding.
Southeast Missourian 04/25/2007
04/26/2007
Boost in state funding paints a better picture
This year, the Illinois State Board of Education plans to dole out $4 million to create, expand and strengthen school arts and foreign language programs. A 2005 audit revealed that 30 percent of elementary students and 70 percent of high schoolers had no exposure to art, music, theater or dance. This month, the agency gave a combined $625,000 to 26 school districts for planning, with 75 percent targeting arts education. The rest of the money will be given out later this spring so districts can implement their ideas.
Chicago Tribune 04/25/2007
04/26/2007
New Hewlett Foundation Report Calls for Action to Secure Future of Arts Sector
“The future of nonprofit arts organizations, large and small, depends on attracting the best new talent to administer their affairs, to serve as artists and audiences, and to act as advocates, boosters, and financial supporters. Given the shrinking pool of younger people and the increased competition for their attention, action to meet this pressing, and increasingly complex, challenge can no longer be left to a vague future date.” This stirring report identifies the impending challenges to the arts sector workforce with the retirement of the baby boomers and recommends strategies to develop a strong arts sector workforce for the future. Includes comprehensive surveys and case studies of California youth, programs and organizations.
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation 04/26/2007
05/15/2007
UK arts organizations look to US in search of funding
Tate Modern's recent US fundraising success illustrated how sophisticated UK arts organisations have become in tapping American cash. The drive to tap American wealth has increased in recent years as UK arts subsidies have declined. British arts managers are lured across the Atlantic by a form of US tax registration that enables charities to make $100 on every $60 donated. Any British museum, orchestra or theatre can do this simply by registering a US-based arm. Many already have permanent offices in the US. As a result, the value of the US currency has been rising in the UK arts world. The key, says Sir Nicholas Serota, Tate Modern's director and architect of its US fundraising success, is the American culture of giving. "People who have made money there are expected to give some of it back to society. We need to develop that culture in the UK if our arts are to prosper, because state subsidy is not going to increase."
Financial Times 05/14/2007
05/15/2007
Walt Disney World Resort Donates $12.5 Million to Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center
Walt Disney World Resort today unveiled plans for three significant financial donations to the Central Florida community led by a $12.5 million commitment to the Dr. P. Phillips Orlando Performing Arts Center (DPAC). The company awarded $700,000 in grants to 38 Central Florida non-profit organizations. Collectively, Disney's contributions totaled $14.2 million.
Business Wire DiGiTAL50 05/14/2007
06/01/2007
National Endowment for the Arts Announces The NEA Education Leaders Institute
The National Endowment for the Arts has announced a new program to enhance the quality and quantity of arts education called the NEA Education Leaders Institute. The institute, commencing in March 2008, will gather teams of school leaders, legislators, policymakers, educators, professional artists, consultants and scholars from up to five states at a three-day conference to discuss a shared arts-education challenge and engage in strategic planning to advance arts education in their respective states. Topics will include school schedules, assessment, leadership, curriculum development and standards. The institute is modeled on the Mayors' Institute of City Design, a 20-year NEA partnership.
Community Arts Network 05/30/2007
06/01/2007
Pittsburgh Mayor will eliminate amusement tax on arts
Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is vowing to finally eliminate the current 1.25 percent amusement tax on arts organizations from Pittsburgh's 2008 operating budget. The cut is estimated to save nonprofits almost $450,000 in total, according to the city's budget office. The tax will remain at 5 percent on for-profit sports and concert tickets, where it generates more than $9 million annually for the city. The tax cut should mostly benefit performing arts groups -- as museums by and large do not pay it -- by helping them keep ticket prices level and woo new patrons.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 05/30/2007
07/05/2007
New Inquiry Finds LA Phil CEO Highest Paid in US at $1.3 Million
The symphony orchestra CEO who received the fattest compensation package by far was Deborah Borda, executive director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, who received $1,325,542. The closest salary to Borda's was the $767,807 annual earnings of Zarin Mehta, president and executive director of the New York Philharmonic, and former CEO of the Ravinia Festival. The figures were reported to the IRS and posted last week by Drew McManus on his Adaptistration blog (artsjournal.com/adaptistration). The figures were confirmed by the Chicago Tribune.
Chicago Tribune 07/03/2007
07/05/2007
Music Goliath unloads on wrong David
The Recording Industry Association of America sued a 44 year-old Oregonian single mother, Tanya Anderson, for allegedly downloading over 1200 songs - mostly gangsta rap - in the middle of the night. The industry has taken action against over 21,000 people to combat piracy. Ms. Anderson, who lives on disability, counter-sued after the industry threatened to interrogate her family, friends and subpoenaed her 10 year-old daughter. The RIAA claims they're owed hundreds of thousands of dollars for the pirated music but refused Ms. Anderson's offer to examine her computer. "What are we supposed to do? Check everyone's computer who says they're innocent?" she was told.
The Oregonian 07/01/2007
07/05/2007
A $150 million spending spree for the arts in Philadelphia
If City Council gives its blessing next week, Mayor Street will wrap up his two-term tenure by spending his final months in office sprinkling $150 million among dozens of arts organizations, as well as neighborhood business and cultural strips throughout the city. Some of the funding will be decided this summer by a grants committee, and other spending will be determined through a separate application process. Naidoff said there is a plan to spend almost all of the $150 million before Street leaves office in January.
The Philadelphia Inquirer 06/07/2007
07/05/2007
Some push for arts in MA core curriculum
Arts advocates are pushing the state Department of Education to make arts education a bigger part of recommended high school graduation requirements, which list music, art, and related subjects as electives. The state, for the first time, has been drawing up a list of courses it would like all high schools to require, at a minimum, though the final decision remains with the school systems. Most high schools generally do not require art and music for graduation, but art groups say they want schools to be forced to require more arts. Otherwise, the arts will be cut even further in financially strapped schools, the advocates say. State officials say they're not limiting what schools can offer, but are proposing basic requirements.
The Boston Globe 07/01/2007
07/05/2007
Federal Budget Situation for Charities Improves, Study Finds
Charities have a good chance of getting more money from Congress than President Bush wanted them to receive, a new study finds. The study by the Aspen Institute shows Congress approved an increase of three times more money for programs of interest to charities than President Bush sought in his budget. President Bush proposed an increase of about $75-billion over the next five years. Congress has agreed to a budget blueprint that would increase spending on the same programs by $248-billion by 2012. Still, not all types of charities will benefit. Money for the arts, education, nutrition, and scientific research, would decline under proposals by both President Bush and Congress. Those programs would be cut over the next five years by $111-billion under the Bush plan and by $16-billion under the Congressional plan.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy 07/02/2007
07/05/2007
Presidential candidate Huckabee pushes the arts in Iowa
The former governor of Arkansas and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee is focusing on the significance of music and arts school programs all over Iowa. Teaching the arts, especially music, is important because it helps students "learn how to learn," Huckabee said, citing improvement that students involved with music have in math, language, and science. "You've probably never heard a presidential candidate talk about music and art and the importance of it," he said. "But if I don't get to do anything else running for president, I want to make sure that this county hears that this is a vital part of the future and a critical part of our education system." He believes "education is a function of the states." "What I would want to do as president if to help states to understand why [setting high standards for music and art] is in their best interest academically and economically," Huckabee said.
The Daily Iowan 07/03/2007
07/05/2007
Beverly Sills, American Soprano and Arts Advocate, Dies at 78
Beverly Sills, the acclaimed Brooklyn-born coloratura soprano who was more popular with the American public than any opera singer since Enrico Caruso, died Monday night at her home in Manhattan. She was 78. Ms. Sills was America’s idea of a prima donna. Her plain-spoken manner and telegenic vitality made her a genuine celebrity and an invaluable advocate for the fine arts. Her life embodied an archetypal American story of humble origins, years of struggle, family tragedy and artistic triumph.
The New York Times 07/02/2007
07/24/2007
Conference tries to define 'creative economy'
One of the difficulties of figuring out how to build what has come to be called the "creative economy" in Vermont is figuring out what it is. "I now know it means whatever its proponents want it to mean," quipped Bill Schubart. Schubart, a former chairman of the Vermont Arts Council and founder of the company Resolution, Inc., was joking, but he pointed out one of the key points of the conference — that the idea of fostering a creative economy in the state is broad enough to encompass a huge variety of different things but equally difficult to define. As part of the idea of the creative economy, artists, broadly defined, are not only a direct part of the economy but develop skills that help in other endeavors as well, said Alex Aldrich, head of the Vermont Arts Council. What he calls the "mindset of creativity" is an important aspect of innovation in all areas of the economy, Aldrich said.
The Rutland Herald 07/19/2007
07/24/2007
Bloomberg Arts Initiative To Grade Schools' Performance
Mayor Bloomberg is touting an initiative, dubbed ArtsCount, to grade schools on areas likes music, drama, and dance. School principals will now be judged on their schools' compliance with state requirements, which oblige students to spend, in some cases, 20% of their week on arts education. The change was part of the city's push to give principals more control of their schools in exchange for punishments if they do not meet benchmarks. The city schools chancellor, Joel Klein, said arts spending will increase under the new initiative. A survey circulated this year found that less than 50% of middle school students had access to arts programs in the 2005–06 school year.
The New York Sun 07/24/2007
07/24/2007
Whitehouse Joins National Arts Council
U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) has been appointed to serve as an ex-officio member of the National Council on the Arts, the advisory body to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). He was named to the Council by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The National Council on the Arts serves in an advisory role to the Chairman of the NEA, Dana Gioia, reviewing and making recommendations on grant applications and initiatives. Along with the six ex officio Congressional members, the council consists of 14 people widely recognized for their contribution to the arts.
US Senate Press Release 07/20/2007
08/09/2007
Plan to Build Orlando Arts Center Approved
Officials in Florida's Orange County have approved plans to build a $425 million performing arts center, part of a $1.1 billion public building project that also includes a new arena and significant renovations to the Florida Citrus Bowl. The undertaking is the largest of its kind in Central Florida's history. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and his planners want to turn the sprawling Centroplex into a Creative Village.
Playbill Arts 07/30/2007
08/09/2007
Stepping from music to political arena
Country music's Sammy Kershaw is running for lieutenant governor of his home state, Louisiana, an office that includes the title Commissioner of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. "It's just promoting the state, and I feel like for the last almost 20 years, on the road every night, talking about Louisiana from the stage all around the country and parts of the world, I felt like the ambassador for Louisiana anyway, so why not make it official?" he says.
South Bend Tribune 07/27/2007
08/09/2007
Dump tiff blocks arts center funding
Lexington County’s town leaders revealed a plan to use a fee charged to deposit material in the landfill to help finance the $32 million arts center. A $2 per ton landfill fee would raise up to $500,000 annually for the center, according to Town Hall estimates. “It’s a creative way to fund it so it doesn’t put a burden on the average person,” said Phil Hamby, leader of an advisory panel promoting the center. Town leaders also are seeking private donations, while looking at a mix of taxes and fees for center audiences and setting aside revenue from future property tax growth downtown.
The State 07/27/2007
08/09/2007
Art programs taking off at airports
More and more airports around the nation are using art to boost tourism, polish the image of their host community and soothe passengers in what can be a stressful environment.
"You've got a captive audience," said Greg Mamary, producer of special projects for the American Association of Airport Executives. "It's just become a very trendy thing."
Business Week 07/23/2007
08/09/2007
Arts help D school turn it all around
The Davenport School of the Arts in Polk County was one of 13 schools around Florida selected as a model arts school. Davenport's students in kindergarten through eighth grade get a daily dose of music, dance, theater and visual arts.
Davenport became an arts school in 1999, when it was ranked as a D school by the state. Davenport pulled its ranking all the way up to an A by the 2002-03 school year. Since then, it has consistently earned at least a B and currently has an A. The school is now highly in demand in the district.
The Orlando Sentinel 07/29/2007
08/09/2007
Oregon arts funding up 20 percent with grants of $1.36 million to groups
Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced more than $1.36 million in funding for various Oregon cultural institutions and programs that represents nearly a 20 percent increase from last year and covers a broad cross-section of recipients. All of it comes courtesy of the Oregon Cultural Trust, a state-run trust for culture and the arts funded by tax credits, the sale of cultural license plates and the sale of surplus state assets.
The Oregonian 07/30/2007
08/09/2007
Sotheby's posts record results
Auction house Sotheby's yesterday posted record results after bumper sales in the first six months of this year. The auctioneer generated income of $132m (about £65m) in the first half, 92% higher than a year earlier and more than any full year in its history. Total sales over the six months reached $2.9bn, with 391 lots selling for more than $1m.
Bill Ruprecht, Sotheby's president and chief executive, described the results as "historic by all standards".
The Guardian 08/09/2007
08/09/2007
Holland, MI May Get Arts District
A new state law that encourages redevelopment of neighborhood commercial corridors could help the city create an arts and cultural district. The City Council got its first look Wednesday at the proposed corridor improvement authority, which could allow new tax revenues to be collected and could be in line for state grants and other assistance. If approved, Holland would be the second city in the state to adopt such an authority.
The Grand Rapids Press 08/09/2007
08/14/2007
BacPac hopes to influence public funding for arts and culture
The Birmingham Arts and Culture Political Action Committee was officially launched last week when a letter from organizers Jim Sokol and Rae Trimmier was sent to members of the cultural community. The letter cites Americans for the Arts' economic impact study. BacPac is focused on a single cause: to direct public officials' attention to the importance of arts and culture. "Arts and cultural organizations need more of a political voice," said Sokol. "We don't get on the radar screen of a lot of elected officials. We are looking for a way to have a unified voice." After more substantial funding is established, BacPac will approach city and county officials with the message that arts and culture is a big business, and attracts more big business. BacPac will also encourage the city of Birmingham to continue support for the arts.
The Birmingham News 08/12/2007
08/14/2007
Artists build cultural bridges
An ensemble of musicians separated by oceans and thousands of miles will perform together later this month for the first time, having composed music layer-by-layer with sound files exchanged over the Internet. Their goal: Show how the arts can bridge diverse cultures — even among people who have never met in person before coming together on stage. Musicians from Afghanistan, Iran, Ethiopia, Morocco will accompany American Jewish and Moroccan Muslim singers.
USA Today 08/11/2007
11/30/2007
Arts Leader Louis LeRoy Passes Away
 Photo © The SunYuma Sun 11/26/2007
12/19/2007
Hoping to Turn The Beat Around, Teachers in Manassas Champion the Value of Music
Manassas school leaders see music as critical to developing a well-rounded student. Teachers are encouraged to experiment rather than stick with a rigid curriculum. But even in such an encouraging environment, school officials are struggling to meet the goals of No Child Left Behind. "There are things you need for a healthy society," said Paul Houston, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators. "Music is one of them," he said. But the No Child environment "sucks the juice out of everything else."
The Washington Post 12/17/2007
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