What Is—or Can Be—the Role of Community Foundations in Funding Artists and Arts Related Initiatives

Tuesday, October 14, 8:00 am – 9:30 am
Sycamore, M2/International Ballroom Level

Organized by Daniel Kertzner, community philanthropy officer, Rhode Island Foundation and presented by Daniel Kertzner; Mindy Fried, Ph.D. and Claire Reinelt, Ph.D., evaluators; and Wanda Miglus, community philanthropy associate, Rhode Island Foundation.

In this workshop, we will present the notion that community foundations have an important role in supporting the creative practice of artists within their communities. We will discuss the value and effects of the different roles that artists play in service to their practice and in the case of artist-community collaboration, as it impacts civic engagement. The Rhode Island Foundation has funded initiatives that include an artist-community partnership called New Works, and an initiative that funds individual artists to pursue their creative vision called the McCall Johnson Fellowship—two different but not mutually exclusive approaches. We would like the audience to leave with an understanding of the important role community foundations can play in supporting artists and arts-related initiatives.