Sigh…..
Talk about a stimulus package.
The National Endowment for the Arts may be spending some of the money it received from the Recovery and Reinvestment Act to fund nude simulated-sex dances, Saturday night “pervert” revues and the airing of pornographic horror films at art houses in San Francisco.
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[Ms. Obaba was] Dressed in a short-sleeved, bright canary yellow suit by Michael Kors.
“An educational foundation is only part of the equation,” the first lady said. “In order for creativity to flourish and imagination to take hold, we also need to expose our children to the arts from a very young age.”
She said Albert Einstein had it right when he said imagination is more important than knowledge. “We [...]
The guardians of Georgia O’Keeffe’s legacy have a bone to pick with an Albuquerque elementary school named after the artist. It’s not a pretty picture.
Officials of The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe complained recently about a “GOK” logo proposed for the school’s new facade, and about T-shirts that said “Georgia O’Keeffe Kindergarten.” E-mails from [...]
In June, the choreographer announced an initiative called the Living Legacy Plan that would safeguard his work and provide for a smooth transition of assets in the event that he should no longer be able to serve as leader of his New York-based dance company. It was an innovative move in a career marked by [...]
Jordan Levin in the Miami Herald
Two South Florida dance companies closed recently. West Palm Beach’s lively, lovely Ballet Florida filed for bankruptcy two weeks ago, and Miami-Dade’s gallant Ballet Gamonet, after months of financial struggle, suspended performances in March and seems unlikely to return.
Meanwhile, American Idol host Ryan Seacrest will get $45 million to stay [...]
This brief publication is a handy bibliography to more lengthly research reports elsewhere.
The key to increasing demand for the arts may well lie in reversing the 30-year-long downtrend in arts learning both in and out of school. A number of cities have been tackling that challenge by using “coordinated approaches” that seek to have schools [...]
New research supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation examines new web-based tools for sharing data and evaluation.
The social sector’s ability to solve complex social problems is limited by traditional approaches to grantee performance and outcome measurement. By focusing on individual grants and nonprofit initiatives, these measurement approaches neglect the reality that no single [...]
Earlier this year several Seattle Native nonprofit groups came together to both learn more about the work that they each do and to find ways in which they can support each other in these difficult times. The meeting arose out of a brief gathering that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation hosted to discuss the [...]
Big breaking news from the New York Times. Must be vacation season or something. Maybe the interns took over.
Although it may be hard to remember now, there was a time when the National Endowment for the Arts seemed to be on solid footing, both financially and politically, and could spend its days quietly financing artists [...]
Greg Sandow takes on Chorus America’s research publication on ArtsJournal
This post makes me just a little sad to write. Chorus America, a while ago, published the results of a study, which they say shows that people who sing in choruses are exceptionally good citizens. They then say that choruses should bring this information to the [...]
Kinshasha Holman Conwill IN THE ART NEWSPAPER
The US art world is abuzz over the White House campaign to bring a greater diversity to its art collection—including more works by African American artists [the Obamas have been quietly notifying an array of public institutions, dealers and collectors that they are looking to borrow first-rate art of [...]
An inspired program from Worldchanging:
Attention philanthropy is a gift of notice. In a noisy world, deluged in advertising, overrun with PR flacks and crowded with the superficial, one of the biggest barriers to success for a small, good idea or noble enterprise can simply be getting noticed in the first place.
Attention philanthropy is all about [...]
This is firefly season in Washington, the best and brightest in several years. Scientists say a wet spring has made a lightning-bug-friendly region even more so, and hordes of the insects are now spending the last days of their lives floating over lawns and blinking in treetops.
This spectacle holds even more magic if you know [...]
Retired Bronx Council for the Arts Leader profiled in the NY Times
“My father loved to read poetry,” recalled Mr. Aguado, 63, who retired as director in May. “As a kid I sat in his lap while he read poetry in Spanish to me. It was such an important experience that I could feel his passion [...]
Here’s a quick overview of current and historic Federal arts support on the Art:21 blog.
Talking about federal arts funding in America can be very confusing because of the many facts and figures. So, in an effort to understand the current and historic levels of federal funds that artists of all types have enjoyed, and to [...]
Richard Kessler on Dewey 21C
The “arts czar” idea is still buzzing about. Of course, the actor Kal Penn was appointed to the White House Office of Public Engagement, and we will have Rocco Landesman heading up the NEA, and Jim Leach heading up the NEH. But certainly, that’s a far cry from what a number [...]
Albert Ruesga on Courtesy White Telephone Blog
Those of us in the business of grantmaking often get so caught up in the mechanics of our work that we lose sight of the transformed lives and communities we strive to bring into being. We forget the good we set out to accomplish. This is a great shame. [...]
Ben Donenberg in the LA Times
Irecently sent an article to a local philanthropic leader about the importance of helping arts organizations during the recession. I thought he might draw inspiration from it, but that was too optimistic.
“I don’t need inspiration,” he quickly responded. “We aren’t supporting the arts; we’re supporting essentials.”
I know [...]
