GIA Blog

How Should Art Be Assessed?
Posted on by Steve

Diane Ravitch responds, on her blog, to a piece in Education Week that asserts that multiple-choice standardized tests are sufficient to assess arts education:

I understand and embrace the idea of cultural literacy, but I don’t think that multiple-choice standardized tests are the best way to teach it or to assess it. If a teacher of music wants students to understand the differences between Mozart and Schoenberg, the best way to do that is to listen to their music and discuss the differences. If the teacher of the arts wants students to understand the differences between classical Greek and Roman architecture, the best way to do it is to view it and discuss it.
Supporting Innovation Not Stagnation
Posted on by Tommer

Commentary on an approach to funding innovation by Nina Stack, President, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, on the Dodge Blog.

Artnet Magazine Will Cease Publication, Ending 16-Year Run
Posted on by Steve

From Dan Duray at GalleristNY:

Artnet magazine, an online publication that has served as the journalistic arm of the German-based tech company by that name, will cease publication today, after 16 years as a leading voice in the field of arts journalism.
7 Must-Haves for Nonprofits Planning to Scale
Posted on by Steve

From Geri Stengel at The Huffington Post:

In a world where social needs are increasing and resources decreasing, it's critical to scale organizations that efficiently and effectively address social problems. For the last three years, the Social Impact Exchange has been convening leaders in the field to address this issue.
What is Collective Impact?
Posted on by Steve

According to the consulting firm FSG, there has been resounding agreement on the basic premise of the ideas behind collective impact: that no organization acting alone can solve large-scale issues. Collective impact is more than just collaboration. It is a rigorous approach with five conditions that, together, are a lever for deep and lasting social change. FSG created a series of three short videos, which describe the idea of collective impact and show two examples of collective impact in action: The Elizabeth River Project, and The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

By Eliminating the Arts We Are Undermining Our Founders Vision of America
Posted on by Steve

From Nicholas Ferroni at The Huffington Post:

In 1780, during some of the most crucial years of the Revolution, John and Sam Adams, and John Hancock felt it necessary to charter an academy in Cambridge, even before America won its independence. It seems obvious that only a military academy would be that important to create in the midst of a war, but it was not a military academy. In fact, they founded the American Academy of the Arts and Sciences, one of the most prestigious societies of research and study in the United States. Adams penned the Academy's motto himself; it read “To cultivate every art and science which may tend to advance the interest, honour, dignity, and happiness of a free, independent, and virtuous people.”
Indiana University Approves School Of Philanthropy
Posted on by Steve

The Board of Trustees of Indiana University has approved a plan to establish the nation’s first School of Philanthropy. The degree will carry the same weight as a degree from one of the university’s other schools, such as liberal arts. The School of Philanthropy will combine under one umbrella academic and research on the philanthropic sector. The research arm will be the Center on Philanthropy (CoP), which was established in 1987 and has been the university’s hub for philanthropic studies.

Reviews of Early Exhibitions of (Now) Famous Artists
Posted on by Steve

From Alison Nastasi, at Flavorwire:

This Sunday marks the 111th anniversary of Picasso’s [first] Paris exhibition. The few critics that did attend the show gave him favorable reviews. Years later, the painter’s exhibit in Switzerland drew enormous crowds and the criticisms of some very prominent figures. Find out who after the break, and see what other reviewers had to say about famous artists throughout history during the early part of their careers.
Talking About Race in America
Posted on by Janet

On June 11-13, 2012, thirty individuals met at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture in Pittsburgh for a Grantmakers in the Arts Thought Leader Forum on Racial Equity Grantmaking. They were all there because they were experienced arts funders working in social justice. Some are relatively new to their positions, others have been around for a while leading discussions in and outside of GIA on the topic of the arts, equity, and social justice.

McKnight Foundation celebrates 30 years of artist fellowships
Posted on by Noah

Over the past 30 years, The McKnight Foundation has supported more than 1,100 individual artists through its Artist Fellowships program. To mark the program’s anniversary, the foundation hosted a celebration on June 16 with hundreds of artist fellows in attendance, work commissioned from former fellows for the event, and remarks by NEA Chair Rocco Landesman and nationally renowned storyteller Kevin Kling.