GIA Blog

Createquity Examines Health Benefits of the Arts for Aging Adults
Posted on November 3, 2016 by Monica

A recent article on Createquity reviews literature on the benefits of the arts for older adults:

There is substantial causal evidence that participatory arts activities help to maintain the health and quality of life of older adults. These benefits … include improvements in cognitive and tactile abilities, subjective wellbeing, and dementia risk reduction (although the effects on managing dementia are less clear).
Member Spotlight on The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
Posted on November 3, 2016 by SuJ'n

For the months of November and December, GIA's photo banner features Common Field, a project supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts ("Warhol Foundation"). The Warhol Foundation was established in 1987 out of a provision in artist Andy Warhol's will that the majority of his estate be used to create a foundation dedicated to the advancement of the visual arts.

New from the GIA Reader: What Will the Future Look Like?
Posted on November 2, 2016 by Steve

In an article in the latest issue of the GIA Reader entitled “What Will the Future Look Like?: Generational Change in the Arts Sector,” Emiko Ono of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation discusses generational differences in the arts and culture workforce, from cultural values to working styles, and their implications on the future of arts leadership.

California Arts Council Issues Statewide Arts and Public Media Report
Posted on November 2, 2016 by Monica

The California Arts Council released the findings of an extensive evaluation of the state agency's support of nonprofit media organizations in California, specifically as it relates to arts and culture coverage and related projects. The report, Nonprofit Media Coverage of the Arts in California: Challenges and Opportunities, is the first of its kind – assessing the status of California nonprofit media organizations' engagement with arts and culture, and the funding of such activities.

AFTA Publishes Directory of Arts Resources for Service Members and Veterans
Posted on November 1, 2016 by Monica

Americans for the Arts, as part of its National Initiative for Arts and Health in the Military, has published a national directory of arts-related programs, services, and resources for military service members, veterans, and their families. The directory includes state-by-state listings and continues to be updated as more resources are added.

Reflections on the Saint Paul Conference
Posted on October 30, 2016 by Steve

Blogger Lara Davis posts her final thoughts on the 2016 GIA Conference:

My barometer for what makes a conference good is informed, in part, by GIAcon. The conference has a strong focus on power and privilege at the intersection of grantmaking. There are a lot of suits, but the dialog and introspection crack the veneer of professionalism, creating space for real talk, and accountability. “A Confluence of People, Cultures, and Ideas” is apt subtitling for this year’s GIAcon.

Read the full post.

Reflections
Posted on October 28, 2016 by Lara Davis

It’s been a week since the GIA Conference ended, and I’m already gearing up for arts conference number three of the season. Next week, I’ll be heading to Chicago for the National Guild for Community Arts Education’s Annual Conference. My barometer for what makes a conference good is informed, in part, by the conference; it has a strong focus on power and privilege at the intersection of grantmaking. There are a lot of suits, but the dialog and introspection crack the veneer of professionalism, creating space for real talk, and accountability. “A Confluence of People, Cultures, and Ideas” is apt subtitling for this year’s conference.

New from the GIA Reader: Advancing Racial Equity
Posted on October 26, 2016 by Steve

An article in the latest issue of the GIA Reader, “Advancing Racial Equity: Racial Equity Funders Collaborative in Minnesota”, discusses the formation and work of the Racial Equity Funders Collaborative, a group of Minnesota funders working to advance racial equity in arts philanthropy.

NEA and DoD Announce Expansion of Military Healing Arts Programs
Posted on October 26, 2016 by Monica

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) announced their expansion of the partnership into Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts Network. The expanded Creative Forces program places creative arts therapies at the core of patient-centered care at ten additional clinical sites, and increases access to therapeutic arts activities in local communities for military members, veterans, and their families. The program is also investing in research on the impacts and benefits of these innovative treatment methods.

Offering Space, Unbound Arts and Dynamic Resources
Posted on October 25, 2016 by Steve

2016 GIA Conference blogger Ebony McKinney wraps up her postings with final observations:

I can’t let go of the idea of space. It’s lingered with me since artist Barak adé Soleil brought it up at the Building Equity in Support for Individual Artists preconference. His unique perspective, that of a black, queer, cis gendered, disabled choreographer, underscored the layers of Tetris-like maneuvering he undergoes whenever attempting to cross a busy street, or other more philosophically constrained space. “What is the real way of grounding ourselves and opening the space?” he asked while advocating for both an awareness of physical space/hospitality and a “deepening complexity of identity.”

How can I become more aware of physical or language barriers to information or resources? What categories or characterizations limit expressiveness? How can I welcome work that links justice and beauty or tradition and innovation? In what ways, small and large, can I create inclusive platforms, move out of the way and support artists who then thrive?

Read the full post.