Conference Proceedings: Break-out Sessions

Community focused giving is a growing field of philanthropy. Individuals involved in studies and giving programs from a variety of communities addressed this issue.

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   Highlighting the Development of Giving in New Communities (549Kb)

Community foundations offer unique opportunities for arts philanthropy. In addition to funding arts organizations, these foundations are set up to offer substantial technical assistance and build ongoing relationships with donors. Speakers reflected on how community foundations are succeeding as partners in support of the arts in their communities.

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Contemporary artists in all disciplines are creating significant work ranging from extensive public installations to single works that incorporate the natural world. This session focused on how artists use art and design to connect individuals, institutions, and communities with their natural surroundings.

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   Artists and the Natural World (257Kb)

Why do family foundations choose to give to the arts? In this session, leaders in family foundations told their stories about how they became passionate about the arts and committed to arts funding.

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   Family Foundation: Where They Focus and Why (551Kb)

From humble origins as peer groups or lending libraries, service organizations have grown to offer a huge range of support for individual artists, from career development grants and exhibition opportunities to tax advice and industry connections. Now some are going beyond direct service to artists by making efforts to advance their fields – developing new audiences, presenting a collective voice to policy-makers, and trying to define or redefine an art form's place in the world.

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Working in first-ring suburbs requires a method of thinking about arts that is more about broad-based, long-term partnerships than it is about artistic collaborations, in order to deal with the new urban/suburban structure. What kinds of partnerships can we do in the future?

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   Arts in Suburban Communities (336Kb)

October 16, 2000, 12:45 p.m.

Commerce and Art
Presenters:
Gail Silva, Executive Director, Film Arts Foundation
Ruby Lerner, President, Creative Capital

Viewing and Evaluating Circles
Presenters:
Robert Byrd, The Jerome Foundation
Alyce Myatt, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Youth Culture
Moderators:
Dan Bergin, Twin Cities Public Television
Alex Rivera, Artist Producer

Commerce and Art

Many grantmakers have been awarding funds for years based on impressions about cities and suburbs that are no longer true. How do the realities concerning where today's arts activities and audiences are converging change how we think about grantmaking? How do we fund the arts in a changing geographic and demographic climate?

Minnesota has a long history of arts-giving and is continuing this tradition. Community legends and leaders shared the stories of the long-standing commitment Minnesota individuals and organizations have made and are making to fund the arts.

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   Arts-Giving in Minnesota (554Mb)

The explosion of individual wealth in America has given rise to anew breed of venture philanthropists and social entrepreneurs working outside the traditional boundaries of organized philanthropy. A panel of funders and practitioners engaged in this promising new arena discussed whether high risk, high reward business investment models can be applied to the nonprofit arts ­ including a candid assessment of what works, and what stands in the way.

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