Literary arts

I am a fan of peer panels and have always enjoyed serving on them. Coming from a dance/theater background I view them as a performance event rich with actors and drama, text and subtext. I particularly appreciate the transformation of a group of individuals into a temporary community of purpose. Panelists are introduced, size each other up, conduct negotiations, build consensus, argue and disagree, acknowledge their differences, struggle to find a common language, reach certain compromises, and finally come to a set of conclusions.

In the spirit of our purported "national dialogue on race," it is appropriate to consider Faces at the Bottom of the Well, long one of my favorites on the topic. We, as grantmakers, certainly need to face this topic along with the rest of the nation. Although women have found a comfortable niche among grantmakers, there is still a considerable shortage of ethnicities in our ranks. As arts grantmakers, we also need to remember that the American arts first recognized in Europe and worldwide were the myriad arts forms of black America.

The following article is based on excerpts from a program examination by Arts Action Research.

Bimbo Rivas: Artist Profile

Annual GIA Conference
November 16-18, 1998
Titled "Art Under 21: At the Crossroads of Community and Youth Development," the 1998 annual conference of Grantmakers in the Arts will be held November 16-18 in Chicago. See related article in this issue. For more information call Marion Goldfinger, MacArthur Foundation 312-726-8000.

Call for Roundtable Topics

Lance T. Izumi is a senior fellow in California studies at the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy. The following text is based on a transcript of Izumi's remarks at a symposium sponsored by the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF). The topic of the two-day symposium was the support of visual artists. It was held in Seattle on December 4 and 5, 1997. The remarks are published here with permission of Izumi and WESTAF.

1996, 142 pages, National Endowment for the Arts, Seven Locks Press, Santa Ana, California, 800-354-5348

2006, 12 pages. Alliance of Artists Communities, 255 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02905, 401-351-4320, aac@artistscommunities.org

2006, available online. Center for Arts Policy, Columbia College Chicago, 600 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605, 312-344-7985

What do Cirque du Soliel and acid mine drainage have in common? And how do they relate to arts and democracy? You can explore these questions and learn about many other surprising combinations in this mind-expanding new "cyber series" now being distributed free of charge by the Center for Arts Policy at Columbia College Chicago.

2006, 27 pages. Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, 2324 University Avenue West, Suite 114, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55114, 651-645-0402, www.mrac.org

Download pdf at The Bush Foundation website

"Harmony is not an arts destination. We seek the arts at the core of everyday lives. We simply want a more solid community, a well-rounded community, beauty in our lives." — Paula Michel, Harmony Arts Council

Imagine throwing an arts event and the entire community shows up. This is oftentimes what takes place in the towns delightfully portrayed in Bright Stars, a publication from the McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In Neal Cuthbert's foreword to this award-winning piece, it is underscored that rural communities in Minnesota are suffering in several ways due to listless econo-mies and dramatically shifting demographics.