John Zogby, pollster and author of The Way We'll Be will provide a unique look at “where we are” in the midst of the 2009 recession and what's coming next.
Pulitzer Prize-winning Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center will reprise his performance of The Ballad of American Arts, originally performed as the 2009 Nancy Hanks Lecture, focused on the importance of arts and culture to the American identity with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and the Urban Bushwomen will welcome participants and serve as one of the many ways the conference will be anchored in the comunity of Brooklyn. Jawole Zollar will bring the voice of the artist to provide another perspective on “Where we are” in the fall of 2009.
Grantmakers in the Arts
2009 RECESSION Conference: Navigating the Art of Change
October 18–21, Brooklyn, New YorkIn light of the recession, reduced endowments and the growing needs of grantees, this year more than ever arts grantmakers are facing multiple challenges, and mobilizing as never before for collective action.
In response to the recession and the specific need for timely information and responsive strategies, Navigating the Art of Change will be different from any conference that we have produced before. In addition to a focus on the effects of the economy, this conference will provide participants with concrete ideas, new best practices, current research, opportunities to exchange information with colleagues, and a structured effort to build strategies for the field as we move forward. The 2009 conference will be a working meeting designed to help funders manage the changes in the non-profit arts environment they are facing daily. The agenda will begin and end with sessions designed to bring funders of comparable mission and scale together to articulate their needs and share their best practices.
The 2009 conference will be held in Brooklyn, New York and take advantage of the wealth of cultural resources and expertise available in the greater New York area.
'09 CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Opening Plenary Dinner Sunday evening at 7:00
The conference will open with a plenary session and dinner on Sunday evening with keynote presentations by pollster John Zogby and Jowole Willa Jo Zollar and the Urban Bushwomen. This opening event will be the beginning of your conference experience, and programs during the week will reference it. Please plan your travel so you can attend this important first gathering.
Roll up your sleeves and get to work!
First thing Monday morning, we'll be meeting with our philanthropic peers. Breakout groups by funder type and size will put you together with colleagues in similar organizations. A facilitated program developed by Juana Guzman and Roy Priest is designed to identify areas of change at this pivotal time, and set a path for the future. What should funders be doing now to ensure success five years down the road?
Focus on the Economy
This conference will provide funders with new information, effective strategies, and opportunities to share information on best practices and new program ideas in response to the recession. In addition to keynote presentations designed to examine the recession from a variety of different perspectives, conference sessions will also address a range of topics including: Loan funds; Grant programs designed to help organizations close down with dignity; New tools for assessing nonprofit financial health; Effective arts funding models abroad; Ways funders can redefine existing grants in response to new economic realities; Social media as a tool for funders; and a host of others.
Wynton Marsalis presents The Ballad of American Arts
Pulitzer Prize-winning Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center will reprise his performance of The Ballad of American Arts, originally performed as the 2009 Nancy Hanks Lecture, focused on the importance of arts and culture to the American identity with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Conference Tracks
In response to our members' diverse interests we will provide defined conference tracks addressing these topics:
- Roles for Funders in Arts Advocacy
- Best Investments in Arts and Education
- Arts and Social Justice
- Support Structures for Individual Artists
- Changing Communities and Demographics
- Understanding the New Non-Profit Arts Environment
- Our Evolving Philanthropic Practice
- Public / Private Collaborations
Offsite Sessions and Opportunities
Monday afternoon will be devoted to sessions exploring the tracks above at various institutions in Brooklyn and New York's five boroughs. Participants will have the opportunity to experience a range of arts venues and organizations outside the major institutions of Manhattan.
Tuesday evening will also be devoted to arts experiences off the beaten path. Watch this Web site for schedules of performances and other arts opportunities in New York's diverse neighborhoods, as well as on Broadway!
PRE-CONFERENCES
Three one-day pre-conferences will be offered on Sunday, October 18th, taking advantage of the wealth of resources in the New York area, and meeting in various locations near the conference hotel.
Arts Education Pre-conference: The New Frontier for Arts Education
This pre-conference will engage participants in the following topics: “Opportunities in Arts Education: What’s Different Now?” and “Sustaining Arts Education Advocacy at the Local Level.” The new reality is that funders, nonprofits and schools are working with reduced budgets at the same time as education reform, stimulated by the new administration, is gaining traction nationally. What are the frontier issues in arts education, how can funders navigate new entry and exit points, and what opportunities do we have to collaborate more effectively? This provocative discussion, facilitated by arts consultant Diane Mataraza, will set the stage for the afternoon’s foray into local advocacy and community organizing. In the second session, Eric Zachary of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, will lead participants through the paces of organizing an arts education community that not only makes change possible but sustains that change for the future.
Support for Individual Artists Pre-conference
This pre-conference, “Optimism and Opportunities?,” and the Individual Artist Track during the Conference will focus on ways artists continually forge ahead despite economic variables? Through panel discussions and an interactive dialogue with artists and funders, participants will discuss:
- What are the present economic realities facing funders and artists?
- How do artists fit into the bigger picture?
- What opportunities can be found in this economic climate for artists and organizations?
- What are support options other than money?
- How is technology impacting efficiencies in support and in expansion through social networking?
- What are the latest data and reports about artists that can inform the artist support system?
Arts and Social Justice Pre-conference
This pre-conference will examine the state of the arts and social justice field and provide a shared definition of the work of art and social justice.
Pre-conference sessions will present key learnings and findings regarding measuring social impact of art and social justice and art and civic engagment projects including demonstrations of the work as well as the evaluation of the work. Participants will also have the opportunity to look at the role of new media in the movement, and interact with media artists whose work informs the field.
