Monica's Blog

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Monica

“Community Empowerment through Justice, Art, and Leadership” is the new grantmaking model of The Field Foundation of Illinois. President Angelique Power announced the change in a letter to the field on Monday describing steps the foundation took to evaluate its work with feedback from nonprofits and peer foundations, undergo racial equity training, and assess the needs of the Chicago area. The result of these efforts is a new grantmaking model which redefines the foundation’s program areas and funding guidelines and coincides with the launch of its new application process.

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Monica

Former GIA board member Judith Jennings has been awarded the 2017 Sallie Bingham Award from the Kentucky Foundation for Women (KFW). The University of Kentucky (UK), Jennings’ alma mater, reports:

Jennings . . . served as executive director of KFW for 16 years until her retirement in 2014. During her tenure, she established KFW’s Special Project, which provides art-making opportunities for families of incarcerated people. During this period, Jennings also served for six years on the board of Grantmakers in the Arts and became a founding member of the Art x Culture x Social Justice Network.

Jennings was selected for the Bingham Award for her work advancing art for social change both nationally and statewide and for her integral role in putting Kentucky at the forefront of national conversations about the arts and social justice.

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Monica

Following up his interview with Laura Zucker last week, Barry Hessenius continues with another “Exit Interview” featuring former GIA board chair Robert Booker. Bob is retiring after 40 years of service in the nonprofit arts field, having most recently served as executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts. He also served on the GIA board from 2010 to 2016.

Read the interview on Barry’s Blog.

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Monica

The National Endowment for the Arts has released a State of the Field: A Report from the Documentary Sustainability Summit. Released in partnership with the International Documentary Association (IDA), this report explores issues facing the documentary film community, with a goal of articulating tangible, actionable strategies and initiatives to positively impact the field and contribute to a sustainable and healthy ecosystem for documentary professionals.

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Monica

From Howlround:

Several forces have contributed to the erosion of sustainable models of journalism, and arts writers and reviewers have been hit particularly hard. This has affected theatres that depend on third-party coverage for promotion and professional reviews.

To explore ways in which arts service organizations (ASOs) can help alleviate the compound problems affecting arts journalism, the Association of Performing Arts Service Organizations (APASO) held a working session entitled: “Arts Service Organizations and Arts Journalists: Working Together.” Journalists and media experts worked with over twenty-five arts service organizations to crowdsource viable ideas to help fill the void in arts journalism.

Posted on August 1, 2017 by Monica

This week on his blog, Barry Hessenius published an “Exit Interview” with GIA board member Laura Zucker, who ended her 25-year tenure as executive director of Los Angeles County Arts Commission on July 31. In the interview, Zucker reflects on the state of the field and the strategies that supported successful initiatives and programs under her tenure – research, arts education, arts advocacy, and more.

Read the interview on Barry’s Blog.

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Monica

GIA board member Jaime Dempsey has been honored with the 2017 Emerging Leader Award from the Center for the Future of Arizona in recognition of her work as a public servant. Dempsey will become the executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts in August 2017 after serving eleven years as deputy director.

Read the announcement.

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Monica

The Vermont Arts Council has announced that Karen S. Mittelman, PhD, has accepted the position of executive director for the state arts agency. Mittelman is currently director of the Division of Public Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in Washington, DC. She brings to the Vermont Arts Council more than thirty years of experience in the public sector and the federal cultural arena. In addition to the NEH, Mittelman held a senior position at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia and served as curator at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington.

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Monica

A recent article in the Nonprofit Quarterly: I urge you to take advantage of any advocacy opportunities to lobby your state and federal lawmakers. As a board member of an organization that serves populations who were greatly impacted by our state budget impasse, a statewide emergency, and proposed threats from Washington, I continuously ask myself, … Continue reading How Nonprofit Board Members Can Be Effective Advocates in Troubled Times

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Monica

The US House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations approved its Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations legislation on July 19, 2017. GIA’s federal policy firm, Penn Hill Group (Washington, DC), has provided a detailed memo with an overview of opening statements and amendments offered during the … Continue reading House Appropriations Committee Makes Recommendation on FY 2018 Education Budget