Archive for Community
Relevance must never be a rhetorical question.
Posted by: | CommentsThat Arizona’s arts & cultural organizations are suffering an extreme financial drought is unquestionable.
The stark realities of withdrawn corporate sponsorships, shrinking government allocations, downgraded philanthropic support, diminished earnings and weakened audience participation/philanthropy is testing the intestinal fortitude of leaders, staff and stakeholders alike – and challenging (as far as I can tell) organizations of every size, genre and maturity.
While reporting on the latest organization (Arizona Jewish Theatre Company) to go public with its challenges, the Arizona Republic’s Kerry Lengel asks a critically important question – and it deserves YOUR immediate answer.
He writes:
“For years, advocates have been trying to make the case that supporting the arts is about more than just feel-good altruism or even “quality of life” enhancement for the Valley. Rather, it is an economic driver in its own right, they have argued, with studies to back them up. My question is, with governments slashing arts funding and corporate donors focusing on social welfare, have those advocates officially lost that debate?”
What do YOU think? My observation is that people who work, lead, contribute to and volunteer for Arizona’s arts & cultural organizations are passionate, tenacious and highly creative. Despite dire challenges, I’ve never met an pessimist among us.
Now is a good time to say so publicly. (And if you can, write a personal check to support whatever organization in town you enjoy, respect and/or appreciate most.)
You can read (and reply to) Kerry Lengel’s post here: http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/KerryLengel/150152
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Community Database: Serving Up Local Audiences
Posted by: | CommentsErika Sung is an ASU doctoral student in community resources and development where she focuses on non-profit management. Her analysis of the Arizona Arts & Cultural Census/Community Database is underwritten by a grant from the Lodestar Foundation.
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Which comes first - the audience or the arts & cultural offering?
Consider what the community database reveals about the number of arts & cultural organizations situated throughout Arizona and the density of audience participation. I think it tells us that the AUDIENCE comes first!
From an organization’s perspective, a large population of arts & cultural attendees suggests that there is a tempting market from which to attract people to attend arts & cultural venues and events.
This map reveals the arts & cultural attendance density from nearly 700,000 unique Arizona households. The dark pumpkin color area indicates audience participation of over 9,000 households. As expected, the Phoenix metropolitan area is one of the biggest areas, with bountiful arts and cultural participation. However, what draws my attention is the fact that the households of Prescott and Flagstaff show very dense arts & cultural attendance as well even though those communities have very few organizations represented (so far) in the Community Database.
As of 2011, the Community Database includes four arts and cultural organizations in Prescott and one in Flagstaff. As you can see in the above chart, the organizations in Prescott represent 8% of all the member organizations. However, even though the dark pumpkin color represents bountiful households participating in arts and culture, the number of households that participate in local arts and cultural events was unclear. That means many people in Prescott go to other towns (mostly Phoenix area) to enjoy their arts and cultural activity.
For the leaders of local arts & cultural organizations in those communities, the obvious question is “How can we encourage the households to enjoy arts & cultural opportunities closer to home?”
At first glance, it may feel like bad news to some arts and cultural organizations. However, it shows actually a large amount of potential consumers that organizations can attract. It means there is a huge market that organizations can explore. If Community Database members can access the households’ information and analyze consumer’s pattern, they can increase the arts and cultural attendance rate for their own organizations and in their own communities.
The Community Database has already set the table for you- now come and partake of the feast!
We could ALL use some MAGIC!
Posted by: | Comments
A BIG public thank you to Roland Sarlot and Susan Eyed who, as Carnival of Illusion, have been performing their special parlour magic show in Tucson for years to audiences of just 35 people at a time.
On November 30 and December 1 – they’ll be performing 2 shows in Scottsdale as a special benefit for Alliance for Audience & ShowUp.com. (And goodness knows, we are VERY GRATEFUL!)
CLICK HERE for complete details & to purchase tickets.
They’ll be performing in the cabaret of Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre (to whom we also extend our thanks for making the space available.)
Tickets are very limited – so act fast!!! This is going to be an incredibly FUN show – and all proceeds benefit the work of Alliance for Audience & ShowUp.com!!!
More about Carnival of Illusion HERE
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Prescott Pioneers a First-Ever “Media Expedition”
Posted by: | CommentsIn STAR TREK, they would be called a “Landing Party”…
Last Wednesday, representatives of Prescott’s arts & cultural community undertook a first-of-its-kind ”expedition” to Phoenix-based media to raise the visibility of Prescott as a premier arts & cultural destination in Arizona and make valuable personal connections.
In a series of candid & highly-informative meetings with the Arizona Republic, KTVK/NewsChannel 3, Arizona Office of Tourism, Echo Magazine, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, AZ Weekly and bloggers from Locallilly.com and Raising Arizona Kids – the delegation came away with immediately actionable insights about WHO to contact, WHEN to contact them and HOW they preferred to be contacted.
It may not be a surprise – but it was truly delightful to hear EVERY media representative express LOVE for the Prescott community and warmly invite continuing relationships to share knowledge of upcoming events & activities. That’s the power of such a collaborative effort: the major impression left behind wasn’t so much for any individual organization but of GREAT EXCITEMENT for Prescott arts & cultural community as a whole!
Participants were: Cyndi Gresser (Smoki Museum & Prescott Arts & Humanities Council); Mike Lange (Sharlott Hall Museum), Terri New (multi-media producer), Michelle McFadden (playwright), Jon Meyer (Prescott Center for the Arts), Patti Ortiz (Tis Gallery), Tim Graham (Whispering Pines Bed & Breakfast), Kim Villalpando & Edd Kellerman (Phippen Museum), Margo Christensen (Springhill Suites & Alliance for Audience Board Member) & Don Prince (City of Prescott).
The visit was organized by Alliance for Audience (with the very generous assistance of PR maven Steve Carr) - and in very close partnership with Don Prince, the City of Prescott’s Director of Tourism who (on top of everything else) piloted the shuttlecraft (er, drove the van).
Thank you, too, to the Arizona Community Foundation which allowed us the use of their conference room.
Arts, Culture & Democracy: A Tucson Community Discussion
Posted by: | CommentsYOU ARE INVITED… to participate in a community discussion organized jointly by Tucson Pima Arts Council and Alliance for Audience/ShowUp.com and underwritten by a grant from the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona
ARTS, CULTURE & DEMOCRACY: A TUCSON COMMUNITY DISCUSSION
- Thursday, November 17, 2011
- 8:30 – 11:30am
- Temple of Music & Art, Cabaret Theatre, Tucson
- CLICK HERE to reserve FREE tickets (limited seating)
Keynote Speaker:
- Doug McLennan, Founder & Editor, ArtsJournal
- “More than Applause: The Pursuit of Cultural Conversation”
Panelists:
- Ron Barber, District Director, Office of Representative Gabrielle Giffords
- Denise Uyehara, Artist
- James Garcia, Co-Founder, The Real Arizona Coalition; Producing Artistic Director, New Carpa Theatre.
Facilitators:
- Roberto Bedoya, Executive Director, Tucson Pima Arts Council
- Matt Lehrman, Executive Director, Alliance for Audience & ShowUp.com
Description:
Where does our country – and our community – conduct its most important discussions? Consider ANY issue facing our country and our community (i.e. economy, war, immigration, terrorism, budgets, foreign affairs, education, health care, to name a few.). Where do people go to expose themselves to new perspectives, gain new information or engage in meaningful dialogue? Is it via the pundits of television news? Presidential candidate debates? Newspaper articles and editorials? Blogs? Is it the realm of Jon Stewart and Colbert Nation? To some extent, it’s all of these.
But the provocative question of this morning is: What will it take for the arts & cultural community to rise to the opportunity of serving civil society? What can/should/must we do to strengthen the arts & cultural community’s presence as values leaders, among others, who animate democracy within our pluralistic society.
In a tough economy, it’s understandable that artists and arts & cultural organizations are largely oriented to the need to invite the public to engage “on our turf” – to promote the sale of works of art and to participate in experiences situated in exhibitions, concerts, performances, festivals and other kinds of activities that we present or produce.
This morning we’ll argue that THAT’S JUST NOT ENOUGH. Decisions about budgets, for example, are not merely analytical exercises for economists and mathematicians – they represent fundamental questions of the values and of our community – what we are and to what we aspire. These questions deserve to be explored on the stages, in the galleries and via every means of engagement accessible by the arts & cultural community.
The goal here is not to politicize the arts. Rather, it is to make a strong connection between the issues facing contemporary society and the appropriate, helpful, engaged, constructive and vital role that the arts & cultural community can plan in advancing the public dialogue necessary to address those issues.
Please join us for a most important community discussion!
Again, CLICK HERE to reserve FREE tickets (limited seating).
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ASU President Michael Crow Addresses “STEM”
Posted by: | CommentsCLICK HERE and see ASU President Michael Crow’s thoughtful, articulate and incredibly compelling argument at Slate.com for why the nation’s education system must pursue goals broader than STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math).
“…resolving the complex challenges that confront our nation and the world requires more than expertise in science and technology. We must also educate individuals capable of meaningful civic participation, creative expression, and communicating insights across borders…” - ASU President Michael M. Crow, October 21, 2011 on Slate.com
Here’s a direct link, too: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2011/10/michael_m_crow_president_of_arizona_state_university_explains_wh.html
This is very well said – and worth sharing widely!
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Please take the Fiscal Pulse survey BY FRIDAY…
Posted by: | CommentsONE LAST NUDGE…
Alliance for Audience, in partnership with Theatre Communications Group (TCG) and the Association of Performing Arts Service Organizations (APASO), is conducting a very short snapshot survey to get an up-to-the-minute sense of how non-profit arts & cultural organization are faring. The information gathered in this survey will contribute to a regional and national picture of the fiscal health of the arts & cultural sector, so I write (again) to ask you to complete it!
Even if you don’t think all of the questions are relevant to your organization, please let me URGE you to participate as long as you are a not-for-profit arts or cultural organization.
It should only take 5-10 minutes to complete - and the deadline has been extended to this Friday, October 7.
The link to the survey is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SJHPKP
- This survey will not require you to crunch any numbers and should only take 5-10 minutes. You must begin and submit it during the same session; you cannot save your answers and submit them later.
- If you receive this survey from more than one service organization, PLEASE ONLY FILL IT OUT ONCE, but do select ALL service organizations with which you are affiliated on the preliminary information page.
- If your fiscal year 2011 is not yet over, please estimate where you will be.
- In order to provide an accurate analysis of the data, THIS SURVEY IS INTENDED ONLY FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT ARTS & CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS. Those who should NOT fill this survey out include arts service organizations, individual artists or teachers, commercial producers or companies and for-profit theatre camps or studios.
- Because the survey was instituted by Theatre Communications Group (TCG), its default language speaks to theatre companies and performing arts organizations. If you’re some other type of arts or cultural organization, PLEASE PROCEED ANYWAY! (TCG will filter out non-theatre companies for their national analysis – but Alliance for Audience is still very interested in capturing a broad Arizona perspective on the whole of the arts & cultural community.)
- Please direct questions about the survey to Chris Shuff at cshuff@tcg.org.
The link to the survey is: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SJHPKP
Thank you very much for your participation!
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Phoenix Mayoral Candidates Discuss Arts & Culture
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday, Alliance for Audience published comments from the 2 candidates for Mayor of the City of Phoenix. Unfortunately, we’ve heard that the e-mail distribution for those posts may not have come through.
Please click their names for the link to their comments here:
or simply visit: http://notes.allianceforaudience.org/
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Candidate for Mayor: Greg Stanton
Posted by: | CommentsAlliance for Audience is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established to help Arizona’s arts & cultural organizations work together to achieve critical audience development objectives that are beyond the capability of any organization to achieve alone.
As an organization we are non-partisan and do not endorse any candidate or position.
We have, however, invited the two candidates for Mayor of the City of Phoenix to respond to 5 questions relating to arts & culture in our community with the hope that their answers will help inform those of us who work, volunteer and participate in the sector.
This is the candidate’s complete and un-edited response:
Greg Stanton1. Given the many fiscal challenges facing the City of Phoenix, what do you consider to be the specific OPPORTUNITIES to advance the role of arts & culture in our community during the next 2-4 years.
I have long believed that Phoenix should fund citywide arts grants at $1 per capita annually, and that this is a sound and sensible goal which can be achieved over 3 to 4 budget cycles. The mayor needs to use the “bully pulpit” of the office to make the case to the people of Phoenix about how we can better capitalize on Phoenix’s world-class arts and cultural events, programs, facilities and the expertise of arts professionals, and leverage them for their utmost collective benefits. We must continue offering strong support for the city’s percent-for-the-arts programs, which has funded more than 150 arts projects since 1986.
Another opportunity includes reviewing the city building codes and permitting processes to remove unnecessarily prohibitive rules that apply to creative sector entrepreneurs and cultural businesses and organizations. City government should work with the arts and cultural community to expand its presence, not hinder it with burdensome rules and regulation.
2. Why is it important to you that Phoenix have a vibrant arts & cultural community?
A vibrant arts and cultural community is key to ensuring Phoenix’s ability to compete in a 21st- century global economy.
Investment in the arts and cultural community is vital to Phoenix’s continued economic development. Entrepreneurs view arts and culture as an important factor when choosing where to locate their companies, as highly-qualified workers want to live in communities where they can access diverse recreational opportunities for their families. For these reasons, we must ensure that Phoenix places a focus on its creative sector resources, to encourage more business growth overall.
Additionally, a vibrant arts community is critical to our efforts to strengthen Phoenix’s schools and after school programs. Students who have access to quality opportunities to participate in the arts demonstrate improved performance in math, science, and technology – thus better equipping them to compete in a global workforce. And for kids with disabilities, or kids experiencing familial or social challenges, access to arts programs can provide safe outlets for expression. For them, participating in the arts helps develop self-esteem, resiliency and an ability to collaborate, motivating them stay in school and make better choices outside of school.
Overall, I believe that by making smart investments in a vibrant arts and cultural community today, Phoenix can create a brighter future for tomorrow.
3. What leadership role, if any, should the City of Phoenix play on matters of arts & cultural policy either on a Greater Phoenix regional or statewide basis?
The City of Phoenix should provide arts and cultural policy leadership at city, state and regional levels. In developing solutions to the problems we face, we cannot be limited by geography, we must work collaboratively: galvanizing city, state and regional resources, employing the best and most creative ideas, to achieve the most effective, 21st-century solutions for our city. Residents of Phoenix and the surrounding region are creative and diverse. Phoenix’s arts and cultural policy should reflect the ingenuity and diversity of its residents, and support the entire Phoenix area’s continued development and success.
4. Do you support the principle of public funding of arts & culture? Please explain why – or why not?
Yes. In my nine years on the city council, I was a consistent supporter of arts and culture, including service as chair of the city council’s Arts and Culture Subcommittee. I strongly believe that quality economic development and a vibrant arts and culture community go hand in hand. Thus, restoring funding to arts programs (capital funding and arts grants) is critical as soon as the budget allows.
5. What is an investment in arts & culture that City of Phoenix should consider making today that would be significant to the City’s vitality for years to come?
On my first day as Mayor I will launch a Creative Sector Working Group to ensure the comprehensive integration of arts and cultural programs into city policy. Creating a group such as this one, to support innovation and the sustainability of Phoenix’s arts and culture community, will help that community to thrive and provide its myriad benefits to city residents for years to come.
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Candidate for Mayor: Wes Gullett
Posted by: | CommentsAlliance for Audience is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established to help Arizona’s arts & cultural organizations work together to achieve critical audience development objectives that are beyond the capability of any organization to achieve alone.
As an organization we are non-partisan and do not endorse any candidate or position.
We have, however, invited the two candidates for Mayor of the City of Phoenix to respond to 5 questions relating to arts & culture in our community with the hope that their answers will help inform those of us who work, volunteer and participate in the sector.
This is the candidate’s complete and un-edited response:
Wes Gullett1. Given the many fiscal challenges facing the City of Phoenix, what do you consider to be the specific OPPORTUNITIES to advance the role of arts & culture in our community during the next 2-4 years.
If I am elected Mayor and implement my comprehensive government reform plan – which will reign in pension abuses, align employee benefits and compensation with neighboring cities, cut fees and costs, and repeal the food tax – I will work to restore funds for after school programs, for youth at risk, public safety infrastructure and economic development tools, which in my view, include funding for the arts.
What didn’t help to advance the role of arts and culture in our community was a cynical and broadsided attack by my opponent, Greg Stanton, last month of the statewide economic development initiative, Creative Economy. While we ultimately didn’t move ahead with this initiative for various reasons, his continue attacks and distortions of it are demeaning to the good work of hundreds of arts and economic development advocates – and all for Greg’s own crass political gain.
2. Why is it important to you that Phoenix have a vibrant arts & cultural community
Every robust and thriving big city in American has a vibrant arts and culture community. They have used strategically driven private and public investments to realize real economic development returns on investment; expanding tourism, creative industries, and attracting highly educated creative people who are creating the jobs of the future. Thinking boldly and planning strategically about Phoenix’ future has been a consistent theme of my campaign and is a necessity during the economic crash that is a hallmark of Stanton’s time on the City Council.
3. What leadership role, if any, should the City of Phoenix play on matters of arts & cultural policy either on a Greater Phoenix regional or statewide basis?
It is the first role of a Mayor to lead a community discussion about what we want our city to look like economically and from a quality of life stand point 10 and 20 years into the future. To not lead this important discussion is nothing short of a dereliction of your duty as a Mayor or a Councilmember. We need to strategically and boldly plan for the future of our city.
We must look at initiatives that are working in other cities like Denver, Salt Lake City and Seattle. We must also challenge the status quo by being willing to embrace public/private partnerships that take advantage of existing community assets to advance arts and culture.
4. Do you support the principle of public funding of arts & culture? Please explain why – or why not?
I support the principle of public-private partnerships to fund bold economic development projects. To repeat: these kinds of strategically driven private and public investments realize real economic development returns on investment; expanding tourism, creative industries, and attracting highly educated creative people who are creating the jobs of the future. In today’s economic climate, such an investment is not viable.
5. What is an investment in arts & culture that City of Phoenix should consider making today that would be significant to the City’s vitality for years to come?
The most important investment in arts and culture we could make today is to get the City of Phoenix fiscal house in order to get people working again. By leveraging our resources, buying locally, getting government out of the way of small business, cutting the cost of permits, reducing red tape, and assisting businesses instead of fighting them, we can bring back the jobs we’ve lost and get our economy moving. Once we’ve do that we’ll be ready for bold economic development ideas to make Phoenix thriving and vibrant community it can be.
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