AFC makes it easy for you to tell your legislators why the arts deserve to be funded. Please join us on Wednesday, April 3 at the Colorado State Capitol to connect with policymakers and other arts advocates. The day will kick off with breakfast and advocacy training session, followed by a rally. Meet with your legislators, then enjoy lunch and entertainment. Additional details about the event and information regarding how to register will be announced shortly. Please contact Aleah Menefee at info@artsforcolorado.org for more information. Space is limited for this event.

Legislative Victory for the Arts in Colorado

The Colorado legislative session began on January 9, 2013, and there have already been some exciting funding developments. The Joint Budget Committee announced that an additional  $101,791 would be allocated for Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) this current fiscal year due to higher than projected revenues. Once approved by the full legislature, these funds will be made available to the CCI. If approved, the new funds will bring the total available state ...]]> AFC’s Advocacy Day: Mark Your Calendar for April 3, 2013

AFC makes it easy for you to tell your legislators why the arts deserve to be funded. Please join us on Wednesday, April 3 at the Colorado State Capitol to connect with policymakers and other arts advocates. The day will kick off with breakfast and advocacy training session, followed by a rally. Meet with your legislators, then enjoy lunch and entertainment. Additional details about the event and information regarding how to register will be announced shortly. Please contact Aleah Menefee at info@artsforcolorado.org for more information. Space is limited for this event.

Legislative Victory for the Arts in Colorado

The Colorado legislative session began on January 9, 2013, and there have already been some exciting funding developments. The Joint Budget Committee announced that an additional  $101,791 would be allocated for Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) this current fiscal year due to higher than projected revenues. Once approved by the full legislature, these funds will be made available to the CCI. If approved, the new funds will bring the total available state revenues for Colorado Creative Industries in the current fiscal year to $1,183,953.

Jack Becker Public Art Workshop and Interview a Success

On January 10th, public art administrators and advocates from across Colorado attended AFC’s workshop and interview with public art expert Jack Becker. The event attracted participants from from Grand Junction, Trinidad, Fort Collins, and from across the Front Range. Becker is the founder and executive director of Forecast Public Art, which is headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Forecast was established in 1978 and specializes in consulting, facilitation, and a wide range of other services pertaining to arts development, public art planning, programming, and commissioning. The organization also publishes a biannual journal titled Public Art Review, and recently launched the Public Art Toolkit, which provides information and examples of all aspects of public art, from contemporary ideas and resources, to a step-by-step guide to the entire process of creating public art.

The day’s events opened with an interactive workshop in which Becker posed several questions to the workshop participants. He then encouraged the group to learn from one another as he augmented the discussion with insights and analysis from his work in the field of public art. Becker then addressed current and future trends in public art, funding for public art, the role of technology in public art commissioning, measurements of the success of public art projects, and ways to increase the perception and value of public art and artists in a community. Following the workshop, Becker was interviewed by national public art consultant John Grant. During the interview, Becker and Grant discussed the critical role public art plays in shaping communities. If you would like more information about the Becker workshop and interview, please visit the Arts for Colorado website to read an article about the event.

Meet a Board Member: Sandy Greenhut, Arts for Colorado Board Treasurer

Tell us about your career before you moved from Indiana to Summit County.

Prior to moving to Summit County, Colorado, I performed germ-free research at Lobund Labs at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and conducted cancer research at Upjohn Pharmaceuticals in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I also was a travel agent.  While in South Bend, I founded and chaired many arts organizations.

Please tell us about your role in AFC.

When AFC was created in 1999, I served as the first vice president, and remained an active member representing the arts in rural Colorado. Currently, I serve as the treasurer, and in that capacity I oversee the financial affairs of the organization.

How did you become involved in arts-related advocacy?

I initially became involved in arts-related advocacy through my participation in the Democratic Party. I was the Democratic chair in South Bend, Indiana and Summit County for many years and I realized that supporting the arts was critical in order for politicians to get elected.

In what ways have you engaged in politics?

I ran many local and national Democratic political campaigns.

What are some strategies for people living in rural areas of Colorado to become engaged in the arts?

There are many strategies for people in rural Colorado to become involved in the arts. I suggest that people discover the arts in their area and become active.

Describe your involvement in the arts in Summit County.

I founded and chaired numerous arts organizations in Summit County, including Summit County Arts Council, Arts for the Summit, Fall for the Arts, and Dillon Pocket Park Committee.

How have you brought different arts organizations together in Summit County?

Bringing organizations together and creating opportunities for collaboration is key to the success of arts organizations in Summit County. Thus, I founded and continue to chair Arts for the Summit which is a 24 member non-profit cultural organization in Summit County. The mission of this organization is to collaborate, cooperate, and coordinate.  Every year, I lead the planning and execution efforts for the “Fall for the Arts” event that showcases all arts-related organizations and venues in Summit County.

What are some of the most effective ways people can connect with their legislators?

People should meet and get to know their legislators, attend their forums, and assist their legislators during their election.

Why should people attend the upcoming AFC Advocacy Day?

AFC will make it easy for people to become acquainted with their legislators, and it is important for legislators to know that you support the arts in Colorado.

When reviewing Becker’s history with public art, you have to go back almost to the beginning. One could argue that his work in the field began in college, where he received his bachelor of fine arts from Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Or you could say that his career interest took shape when he established Forecast Public Art in 1978. But, as Becker explained it, you have to go back even further than that.

In 1963, Becker, a third grader in St. Louis, was asked to write something on a piece of paper about the city in which he lived. Although Becker insists he cannot remember what it is he wrote, he joked that it was “probably something profound.” Becker and all his classmates were to take these facts about the city and ...]]> At a January Arts for Colorado-sponsored event at Denver’s Paris on the Platte, national public art consultant John Grant interviewed Jack Becker to get to the bottom of something. Becker is the Director of Forecast Public Art, a national resource for the public art field.

When reviewing Becker’s history with public art, you have to go back almost to the beginning. One could argue that his work in the field began in college, where he received his bachelor of fine arts from Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Or you could say that his career interest took shape when he established Forecast Public Art in 1978. But, as Becker explained it, you have to go back even further than that.

In 1963, Becker, a third grader in St. Louis, was asked to write something on a piece of paper about the city in which he lived. Although Becker insists he cannot remember what it is he wrote, he joked that it was “probably something profound.” Becker and all his classmates were to take these facts about the city and place them in a time capsule to be buried under the new Gateway Arch that was being built on the west bank of the Mississippi river in Downtown St. Louis. “You could see the legs of this thing climbing up into the sky,” Becker recalled.

The rest, as they say, is history. The Gateway Arch was completed in 1965 and has gone on to become one of the most iconic public art pieces in the United States. The Arch also played a role in revitalizing the once-crumbling riverfront area. For Becker, a seed was planted and a profound impact was made. “This is how I grew up; this is what I thought all cities did,” he said.

While Becker admits his history with public art is unique, he insists it is never too early to educate young people about not only the value of public art but to also let them know they too can be a part of shaping the landscape around them.

“You start to think about what kind of influences can happen at early education,” he said. “Do children ever hear the word ‘design’ in early education? Do they realize that someone designed the chair they are sitting in or the building they are learning in? Do they realize they can be a part of that?”

So, while Becker believes you must go back to the beginning to trace the true path of public art, he still thinks that by giving it time, we can build our own history.

“It is a way of thinking about building a city and validating our identity. That way, it can organically grow from within.”

At AFC, we make it our business to ensure that state and private funding for the arts is maintained or increased from year-to-year, so the invaluable impact of the arts is never diminished by budget cuts. Through our lobbying and advocacy efforts, we ensure that Colorado Creative Industries and other arts organizations in our state receive the funding they need to fulfill their missions. A majority of these funds are allocated for grants programs across the state to benefit artists, arts-related programming, arts education, and much more. AFC does more than just secure money for Colorado Creative Industries, we provide advocacy tools and professional development opportunities for members of the arts community in Colorado. Below are just a few of Arts for Colorado’s advocacy activities and contributions to the state’s cultural community from 2012:

“Being a college administrator of any sort was never in my original plan,” said Hart. His original plan, from the early age of seven, was to become a musician. As a young boy,  Hart played saxophone in Denver’s Mile High Boys Band. The experience led him to his later role as a high school band teacher. From there, Hart went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in music education from Metropolitan State University of Denver and subsequently taught music for a number of years in various Colorado public schools.

Kerry Hart went on to receive his master of music degree in conducting and music literature and later earned a doctorate in music education and higher education administration from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Attaining his degree opened the door to several college-level teaching opportunities. As his responsibilities increased, Hart eventually found himself in his current position but he ...]]> Dr. Kerry Hart is the President of Morgan Community College in Fort Morgan and an Arts for Colorado board member. Hart often wonders how he arrived at his current career.

“Being a college administrator of any sort was never in my original plan,” said Hart. His original plan, from the early age of seven, was to become a musician. As a young boy,  Hart played saxophone in Denver’s Mile High Boys Band. The experience led him to his later role as a high school band teacher. From there, Hart went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in music education from Metropolitan State University of Denver and subsequently taught music for a number of years in various Colorado public schools.

Kerry Hart went on to receive his master of music degree in conducting and music literature and later earned a doctorate in music education and higher education administration from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Attaining his degree opened the door to several college-level teaching opportunities. As his responsibilities increased, Hart eventually found himself in his current position but he continues to insist: “I have never forgotten my roots, as a I continue to stay connected with music by performing and conducting when opportunities present themselves.”

Kerry Hart recently responded to a series of questions from Andy Thomas, a writer for the Arts for Colorado web site. Following are the questions that Thomas posed to Hart and his answer to each.

Please lay out your views regarding the importance of art inclusion in the K-16 education process.

Education must have a direct connection to reality, and reality is composed of the various environments in which we live. Each area of study has an important and unique role to play in helping students learn about the various environments they encounter– and one of those environments is the arts environment. Math, science, and technology, are disciplines that help students learn about the physical environment. Language and the social sciences help students learn about the human environment. The arts, however, help students learn about the environment of the self–the environment where self-identity or self-knowledge is nurtured.

The arts are the most powerful tool in an educational curriculum for helping students know themselves, build self-esteem, and develop positive attitudes toward learning.  The arts also nurture the creativity inherent in humans. This creativity can be applied to problem-solving in life, and also to work in other academic disciplines. Indeed, an inventor in the sciences must know how to create – and the arts are the best means to nurture this essential creativity.

Albert Einstein was an accomplished violinist, and his ability to create was expressed through physics. Leonardo da Vinci was both an accomplished artist and an inventor. The list of scientific inventors with backgrounds in the arts is long, and the positive influence of the arts on other academic disciplines is self-evident. I have personally used music to improve students’ test scores in language, math, science and social studies. I have also helped prospective classroom teachers use music (and other art forms) to help their students become successful and more enthusiastic learners.

If educators are truly interested in holistic education and teaching both the right and left sides of the brain, the arts are critical. Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” There is no other discipline outside of the arts that can nurture the imagination and help students use the capacity to learn, know, and understand through intuition. Parenthetically, learning to use intuition is an equally important learning process as is learning to reason and comprehend through logic and deduction. If we exclude the arts from the curriculum, we are letting an important brain function atrophy.

How did you become involved with Arts for Colorado? What is your role?

I am not certain how I was picked up by the AFC radar. My understanding is that I was invited to join the AFC board in part to serve as an arts advocate from rural eastern Colorado. This occurred about the same time many new arts initiatives were being established at Morgan Community College. I am both honored and humbled to serve on the Board of Arts for Colorado.

Tell us about some of the artistic endeavors occurring in your community.

Fort Morgan, Colorado is the boyhood home of Glenn Miller. In 2009, a music program was initiated at Morgan Community College (MCC). Soon after the program began, a  jazz ensemble was established to promote the connection between Fort Morgan and Glenn Miller. This program was started–and is sustained–strictly with private funding. The way the program was built with community support (rather than tax dollars from the general fund) received national recognition and a national award for exemplary practices. The CD that was made from the inaugural performance of this group has been played on NPR stations in Denver (KUVO), Alamosa/Taos (KRZA’s Swingtime in the Rockies), and even on a station in Oahu, Hawai’i. The CD has been promoted through the Fort Morgan Chamber of Commerce and the Morgan County Economic Development Corporation. It has been used as a business calling card of sorts for economic development officials seeking to attract new businesses to Fort Morgan.

Following the formation of the Jazz Ensemble, MCC brought an existing community band and s community choir under the umbrella of the College. Doing so allowed our students an opportunity to perform in large ensembles for college credit. The band and choir conductors were hired as adjunct faculty and a scholarship program was implemented to enable all participants to earn college credit with no out-of-pocket costs. This allowed MCC to offer a large music ensemble experience without competing for resources and musicians with existing groups.

Using the MCC Jazz Ensemble as a springboard and prototype for building programs with private funding, in 2011, MCC developed a Center for Arts and Community Enrichment (CACE). The Center utilizes local talent, but enhances the community’s artistic and cultural opportunities by bringing in guest performers, artists, and speakers/authors. The program also creates opportunities for those engaged in arts education. In addition, the MCC has created an art gallery by converting vacant space in a college-owned historic building in downtown Fort Morgan. This is the first (retail) art gallery in Fort Morgan. Gallery commissions from the sale of the art are used to support the visual art program.

What began with an orchestral concert featuring a guest organist funded by a private donation, a Colorado Creative Industries grant, and a business sponsor, has now blossomed into 23 major events for the 2012-13 academic year. These events include musical performances, art exhibits (one show each year is dedicated to middle school, high school, and college student art), open mic poetry readings, and a nationally known guest speaker. At the time of this writing, over $100,000 has been raised to support these activities.

If a student wanted to cultivate their artistic/creative side, is MCC the school for them? Tell us about some of your arts programs at the school.

Morgan Community College has a long-standing tradition of excellence in two-dimensional art. Because MCC is in the beginning stages of developing programs in the performing arts, we would need to match a prospective student’s goals to our existing programs. While it would be nice to say that we can be all things to all students, we take pride in making certain that MCC is the right fit for each student – and we want students to be successful regardless of what college or university they choose!

The general election is quickly approaching, and time is running out to register to vote.  The last day to register or update your voter registration information is Tuesday, October 9th. If you have recently moved, it is critical that your personal information is up-to-date. Believe it or not, registering is quick and easy, and can be done online through the following site.

Once your voter registration information is current take the next step and  conduct research about the candidates that could potentially represent you before heading to the polls. Votesmart.org is an excellent resource that provides objective research about candidates and elected officials. On the Project Vote Smart site, you can access voting records, candidates’ contact and biographical information, issue petitions, interest group ratings, public statements, and public finance campaign records. To find information about a candidate or elected official, enter his or her name into the search bar on the site. The information provided will help voters gain an understanding of the specific issues, including the arts, that candidates ...]]> Get Ready to Vote SmART: Are You Ready?

The general election is quickly approaching, and time is running out to register to vote.  The last day to register or update your voter registration information is Tuesday, October 9th. If you have recently moved, it is critical that your personal information is up-to-date. Believe it or not, registering is quick and easy, and can be done online through the following site.

Once your voter registration information is current take the next step and  conduct research about the candidates that could potentially represent you before heading to the polls. Votesmart.org is an excellent resource that provides objective research about candidates and elected officials. On the Project Vote Smart site, you can access voting records, candidates’ contact and biographical information, issue petitions, interest group ratings, public statements, and public finance campaign records. To find information about a candidate or elected official, enter his or her name into the search bar on the site. The information provided will help voters gain an understanding of the specific issues, including the arts, that candidates and elected officials support.

Help Us Advocate for Arts Funding

In 2012, the Colorado legislature funded the Colorado Creative Industries (CCI) at the $1.1 million level. Arts for Colorado (AFC) had to fight hard to obtain that level of funding, even though it represents a 32 percent reduction from the peak funding the agency received prior to the recession. This funding helps CCI fund grants and other arts-related programs throughout the state. Elected officials need to know how arts funding benefits communities and individuals.

Arts for Colorado will make it easy for you to make your voice heard. All you need to do is meet with an AFC representative and a local elected official to share your story about how arts funding has helped you and/or your business, and we will take care of the details. If you are interested in this opportunity to advocate directly with a member of the state legislature for the arts in our state, please email Aleah Menefee at Aleah.Menefee@westaf.org or call 303-629-1166.

Meet an AFC Board Member: Karen Gerrity, Board Secretary

Karen Gerrity has served as the Cultural Affairs Manager for the City and County of Broomfield since February of 2008.  She is the secretary of the Arts for Colorado board. For the past eight years, Karen has volunteered at Heartland Hospice in respite care and bereavement.

In 1985, Gerrity graduated with a master’s degree in cultural foundations of education from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and has held leadership positions in nonprofit management and governmental positions for over 25 years. She is the founder of several thriving organizations and community programs. As a change agent, Gerrity has successfully helped nonprofit organizations emerge, go to the next level, and achieve sustainability. A list of some of the diverse organizations she has been associated with with includes: Boulder Country Day School, The Dairy Center for the Arts, Colorado Straw Bale Association, U.S. Bancorp, and the Eye Health Institute. Her experience includes board development, financial development, retreat facilitation, and strategic planning. She has helped organizations raise millions of dollars through capital campaigns, annual giving drives, membership drives, corporate sponsorships and major donor cultivation

1. How did you become involved with arts-related advocacy?

My first experience with arts-related advocacy was in 2004 when I worked on the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) reauthorization. As the Chief Operating Officer of etown, an SCFD Tier II organization at that time, I did  my part to spread the word. I stood on street corners with the SCFD bear, made curtain speeches at events and spoke to organizations like the Boulder Rotary. Ever since, I have continued volunteering for arts advocacy work with the SCFD and Arts for Colorado.

2. What have you learned about arts advocacy from being involved in Arts for Colorado?

I did not realize how accessible elected officials are to the public until I attended my first Arts Day at the Capitol, which was hosted by AFC. The process of talking to elected officials is pretty simple and rewarding. In the five years that I attended this event I was able to effectively connect with my legislators.

3.  At the City and County of Broomfield’s Cultural Affairs Office you serve as the Cultural Affairs Manager. Can you tell me about some of the projects you work on there?

I manage all the cultural programs and facilities for Broomfield. These include two museums, the sister cities program, public art, the allocation of public dollars for culture  and an auditorium and gallery.

4.  How–art-wise–does Broomfield relate to the Denver metro area art scene? How does it relate to what is happening in the arts in rural Colorado?

Broomfield is an interesting place. There is a small town feel with lots of grassroot cultural organizations (similar to rural areas). There is also a strong initiative in place to create a robust and vibrant cultural landscape illustrated by the public art program and the creation of a Cultural Affairs Division (similar to Denver). The Broomfield Auditorium and Gallery are the envy of many similar sized communities in the region. Our population is about 56,000.

5.   As the Cultural Affairs Manager, how do you encourage business owners and other community leaders and elected officials to be more involved in the arts?

I am very involved in the Chamber of Commerce and make certain I share cultural information with Chamber members. I contribute tickets to events to the Chamber give-aways and reach out to local businesses with sponsorship opportunities.

6.  You have leadership roles in many other arts-related organizations. Tell us about your responsibilities in those organizations.

In addition to my volunteer work with Arts for Colorado, I provide pro-bono or reduced rate consulting services as a way of giving back to my community. My consulting services include strategic planning, visioning, board development, fundraising and program development. I have helped a variety of organizations including the Boulder County Arts Alliance, Lemon Sponge Cake Ballet, Nonprofit Know How, and the Circulation Department of the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Library in Broomfield

7.   What did your time at the SCFD teach you about advocacy for the arts?

My biggest advocacy-related takeaway was that it is important–sometimes essential– to have a unified voice and a consistent presence with the legislators. Anyone can become an arts advocate. Contact your legislators and keep up with arts-related policy news. Become a member of Arts for Colorado to be more informed of ways in which you can be involved in the advocacy process.

In 2011, Urata used that voice to defend an engaging issue – advocating on behalf of National Public Radio (NPR) to members of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Urata and his bandmates, Tom Hagerman, Shawn King, and Jeanie Schroder, argued at the time that if it had not been for NPR, they would have never been discovered by filmmakers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Dayton and Faris first heard the band on the Santa Monica public radio station KCRW, and later asked the band to score their breakout movie Little Miss Sunshine – which went on to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture. DeVotchka would later send a letter to the Colorado Congressional delegation referring to NPR as an “important platform for American musical culture.”

Still today, the band focuses much of their efforts on arts advocacy, inclusion, and helping underfunded non-profits in any way it can. We recently spoke with Urata about the importance of these issues and how DeVotchka will continue to use its ...]]> DeVotchka’s Nick Urata has always had a unique and engaging voice.

In 2011, Urata used that voice to defend an engaging issue – advocating on behalf of National Public Radio (NPR) to members of Congress in Washington, D.C.

Urata and his bandmates, Tom Hagerman, Shawn King, and Jeanie Schroder, argued at the time that if it had not been for NPR, they would have never been discovered by filmmakers Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris. Dayton and Faris first heard the band on the Santa Monica public radio station KCRW, and later asked the band to score their breakout movie Little Miss Sunshine – which went on to receive an Oscar nomination for best picture. DeVotchka would later send a letter to the Colorado Congressional delegation referring to NPR as an “important platform for American musical culture.”

Still today, the band focuses much of their efforts on arts advocacy, inclusion, and helping underfunded non-profits in any way it can. We recently spoke with Urata about the importance of these issues and how DeVotchka will continue to use its music to help arts in even the “crappiest” of settings.

Explain how you became involved with advocating on behalf of National Public Radio.

It happened quite naturally. NPR and public radio were the first to embrace our music and allow us to find an audience. To show our gratitude, we began by donating our time and money to stations whenever we could.

In 2010, some members of Congress began to push for the defund NPR–and things got serious. Fortunately, NPR is beloved by millions and the people are rising up and fighting back on many fronts – including on Capitol Hill.

Have you been involved in similar advocacy efforts since then?

We started a tradition where we donate to struggling arts programs in every city we play. We found the small ones really need the money, and this way we could make sure the money stays local. The programs range from music- and performance-based organizations to groups focused on circus training or transitioning homeless kids with arts education.

Have you gotten other like-minded musicians involved in advocacy efforts?

Luckily there is already a strong spirit of advocacy and empathy among musicians – but there is always strength in numbers. This year we hope to turn a lot of bands on to El Sistema Colorado , which helps get instruments directly into the hands of low-income students.

You have recently done shows with the Colorado Symphony. Can you talk about that collaboration?

It was a long time coming and it was a great event for us. It is such a blessing that we have this world-class symphony and a stellar performing arts center. They were good enough to rehearse and play two sets of our arrangements and in return I think we got some people down to the Boettcher [concert hall] that otherwise might not have a reason to ever go. We had such a great response on both sides that we are reprising the show at Red Rocks on September 20. I should mention that both of these shows will benefit The Colorado Symphony Orchestra.

How important is art inclusion to your band? What other ways have you, or will you, include other art forms into your music?

Going back to when I was organizing tiny shows in the crappiest of venues, I always saw it as a golden opportunity to encompass as many different art forms as possible. We have always collaborated with dancers, acrobats, filmmakers, poets and painters. The philosophy being, if you have the courage to get up there in front of these people and kill some time, I will gladly part the curtain for you.

Written by Andy Thomas

Arts for Colorado recently caught up with Tepper and asked him about The Curb Center, the importance of creativity in the workplace, and the impact he hopes to achieve with his work.

AFC is proud to present a talk by Steven J. Tepper on Thursday, August 16th entitled Creative Work and the Work of Creativity at the Dikeou Collection, located in Downtown Denver.

In his presentation, Tepper will examine the role of creativity in the new economy as well as the challenges faced by universities in the preparation of graduates to be flexible, imaginative, empathetic, and entrepreneurial. ...]]> When it comes to the subject of arts advocacy and democracy in general, Steven J. Tepper believes in posing provocative and challenging questions. Tepper is the Associate Director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy and professor in the Department of Sociology at Vanderbilt University. In his recent book Not Here, Not Now, Not That: Protesting Art and Media in America, Tepper challenges his readers to analyze their opinions on censorship, the First Amendment, the culture wars, and arts policy.

Arts for Colorado recently caught up with Tepper and asked him about The Curb Center, the importance of creativity in the workplace, and the impact he hopes to achieve with his work.

AFC is proud to present a talk by Steven J. Tepper on Thursday, August 16th entitled Creative Work and the Work of Creativity at the Dikeou Collection, located in Downtown Denver.

In his presentation, Tepper will examine the role of creativity in the new economy as well as the challenges faced by universities in the preparation of graduates to be flexible, imaginative, empathetic, and entrepreneurial. He will also report on new findings from a survey of more than 50,000 former art students in America.

Tell us about your role as the Associate Director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University.

The Curb Center was founded 10 years ago by Bill Ivey, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. As a national policy center, we examine support for the arts and creativity more generally in the US. Our center was founded with the mission to raise provocative questions and challenge assumptions about traditional modes of support. Ultimately, we think arts leaders and policy makers need to take greater account of the “public interest” when considering how to nurture and support creativity and artistry in America. Under the Curb Center’s new director, English Professor Jay Clayton, we will continue to conduct high profile national research as well as develop curricula and grant programs on the Vanderbilt campus around creative inquiry, public policy, and leadership. As Associate Director, I am involved with all academic programing and direct most of the Center’s national research projects.

Please briefly explain the relationship between creativity and the changing economy.

Many scholars and pundits have argued that success in the 21st century requires creative workers and citizens who can imagine new products, new services, and new ways to tell stories, produce compelling designs, and discover non-routine solutions to vexing public problems. Creativity has always been important to the US economy, but over the past few decades it has become a growing slice of our economic pie. Moreover, more young people aspire to creative careers and seek to live in vibrant cities that can support their creative hobbies and lifestyles. Many are choosing to study the arts as a foundation for creative careers, with the number of performing and visual arts graduates growing from around 80,000 per year in 1998 to more than 120,000 per year in 1997.

Finally, graduates need to be creative in constructing careers in the 21st century. Gone are the days when most graduates could pursue a linear career working within one or two organizations. In fact, in 2010, 18- to 44-year-olds held, on average, 11 jobs in their lifetimes and 25 percent held 15 or more jobs. In a contingent economy with a growing rate of contract and self-employment, graduates need to be flexible and adaptable and see opportunities to draw creatively on various relationships and talents to “make interesting things” happen in their communities and for the larger society.

How are artistic practice and training relevant to creative skills in the 21st century?

There is increasing evidence from cognitive scientists, psychologists, and education researchers that artistic practice can help prepare people’s brains to think in creative ways, including analogical reasoning, making remote associations between dissimilar ideas, empathetic reasoning, idea generation, dealing with ambiguity and complexity, improvisation, and learning to work collaboratively on open-ended puzzles.

Recently, Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) conducted a survey of more than 50,000 former art students. What were the most informative or useful findings from that survey?

The SNAAP findings are critically important for dispelling many myths about an arts degree. Most people assume these degrees are for privileged kids who don’t need a real job. Moreover, people assume arts graduates are unemployable and are bitter and resentful that they spent money and time on a worthless degree. It turns out arts graduates are gainfully employed and the vast majority of them are glad they went to art school and would do it again. Moreover, even those who went on to careers outside the arts say their training is relevant to their work – especially creativity skills.

What can we do to leverage arts education as a means of producing a skilled and capable workforce for the new creative economy?

First, we need to get outside of our gilded ghetto. Arts education must be seen as more than specialized training for the arts. We must identify the practices – what Keith Sawyer calls “studio practices” – that are relevant for education more generally. In this respect, the arts can provide a much more radical reformulation of education more generally. We are not just talking about more people playing music and making art, we are talking about more people using artistic approaches to understanding and diagnosing problems in a variety of domains and seeking non-routine solutions. But, we must also realize that not all arts education is about creativity. Much training in the arts is about repetition and mastery – both are important for creativity but are not geared toward producing creative skills or dispositions. Second, we must think about ways to integrate arts and creativity across the curriculum. About 20 years ago, colleges and universities realized that writing skills should be taught and applied not just in English classes but in all subjects. This spawned a movement called Writing Across the Curriculum. Today, many classes outside of English include “writing” as a core part of the curriculum. We should aspire to the same thing for the arts.

What are some strategies that universities and colleges can employ to better prepare graduates for the business realities of creative jobs?

I think the most important thing we can do is give students opportunities for project-based learning – where individual students or teams work on some “design” challenge – inventing a new way to serve the homeless, coming up with a new delivery system for insulin, creating an innovative theater piece, designing a new urban technology core, etc.. Ball State’s Center for Creative Inquiry creates these intense full-semester courses where students have to see a project from start to finish – creating a solution and then translating that solution into a tangible program, presentation, performance, or set of policies. I also think every student should complete a senior honors thesis – an intense, creative exercise that forces students to draw on diverse skill sets in order to offer a new idea to the world.

What areas of arts and cultural policy would you like to see impacted by your work?

I would love to see education leaders recognize the “creativity imperative” and reform education to meet the needs of 21st century learners, workers and citizens. I want colleges and universities to embrace the messiness and authenticity that comes from creative work – work that does not fit into the neat “right angles” of the traditional classroom learning environment.
I also want cultural leaders to recognize that they have to be bold and radical if they want to be truly relevant in their communities. Too many of us are entrenched in old routines and old views about the arts and their benefit to our communities. The arts field is, ironically, filled with people who don’t want to take chances. I don’t think anyone should go into the arts who is risk-adverse and worries often about job security. The arts should be relevant and robust and challenge conventions and be willing to provoke debate and protest. We need to offer extraordinary work, defend its importance to our communities, and then live with the consequences. Ultimately, I don’t care what type of art forms we support; rather, I seek an arts system that is relevant and that people care enough about to fight over. We need to support “cultural churn” and allow old forms and old ideas to die while encouraging and promoting new forms and new ideas. I want us to stop talking about expanding and growing audiences and instead talk about expanding minds, expanding debate, and expanding opportunities for connection and creative learning. We have to move beyond a narrative of institutional survival and focus on creative vitality, wherever that vitality resides.

At the beginning of June we summarized the Colorado General Assembly (CGA) 2012 session and informed you of the Creative Industries Division (CCI) current budget climate.

In this update, are summarizing some other notable state art agency budget and restructuring activities from around the country for Fiscal Year 2013.

Positives and negatives can be taken from every funding situation but what should be stressed is that many of the proposals described here are pending and could change as deliberations are concluded.

Arizona: According to Arizona Citizens for the Arts, recent advocacy efforts were successful, as HB2265, the bill to reauthorize Arizona Commission for the Arts, passed unanimously. The committee hearing was preceded by a day in which 150 people gathered at the State Capitol to conduct meetings with approximately half of the state’s 90 legislators. These meetings, and advocacy like this in general, are seen as big reason why the legislation was successful.

Kansas: FY2012 was a bleak year for arts in the state of Kansas, as all state funds for the arts were ...]]> Written by Andy Thomas

At the beginning of June we summarized the Colorado General Assembly (CGA) 2012 session and informed you of the Creative Industries Division (CCI) current budget climate.

In this update, are summarizing some other notable state art agency budget and restructuring activities from around the country for Fiscal Year 2013.

Positives and negatives can be taken from every funding situation but what should be stressed is that many of the proposals described here are pending and could change as deliberations are concluded.

Arizona: According to Arizona Citizens for the Arts, recent advocacy efforts were successful, as HB2265, the bill to reauthorize Arizona Commission for the Arts, passed unanimously. The committee hearing was preceded by a day in which 150 people gathered at the State Capitol to conduct meetings with approximately half of the state’s 90 legislators. These meetings, and advocacy like this in general, are seen as big reason why the legislation was successful.

Kansas: FY2012 was a bleak year for arts in the state of Kansas, as all state funds for the arts were lost. Recently, a new state arts agency was created and funded for FY2013. The state budget appropriates the new Creative Arts Industries $700,000 and three full-time employees. This budget bill, signed and approved by Governor Brownback on June 1st, represents a new and controversial approach to arts funding.

Michigan: In February, Governor Rick Snyder released his Executive Budget Recommendations for FY2013, proposing an increase of $6,150,000 for the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA), an increase of $3,582, 600 from the previous year. Currently, subcommittees in each house have endorsed the governor’s recommendation.

New Hampshire: Two pieces of legislation were presented to the House that would have threatened the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. HB1274, which proposed abolishing the Department of Cultural Resources (DCR), was amended so the language no longer included the abolishment.

A second bill, HB1285, which sought to eliminate the State Art Fund, was sent to interim study by the House Finance committee. This recommendation was passed by the full House on March 28, leaving the program intact while the legal, curatorial and financial implications of the proposal can be examined.

Utah: Hoping to increse punding towards the State’s botanical, zoological and cultural organizations, HJR13 will place a non binding question on the upcoming ballot asking voters if they would favor an increase in state’s sales tax in order to better fund these programs. If passed, the measure will not create the tax, but will more accurately gauge the interest of the public and better understand their support.

Sources:

www.Artusa.org

www.nasaa-arts.org

www.azcitizensforthearts.org

www.artservemichigan.org

With a large portion of funding given to the Colorado Creative Industries Division (CCI) coming from Limited Gaming Funds, Mello stated that the major reason funding is down is because revenue from gaming has been decreasing, due in large part to the nationwide recession.

“In a recession people do not have as much disposable income, so they do not gamble as much, so the tax receipts go down,” she says. “We started the 2012 session facing a cut not because anyone was after us or was trying to take our money, it’s just that revenue was down. When you do not have as much revenue you do not get as much money.”

Despite the fact that people are not visiting casinos as much as in years past, Mello insists that the funds awarded at this year’s Colorado General Assembly (CGA) were much higher than anticipated.

“The fight we fought ...]]> Arts for Colorado lobbyist Jennifer Mello wants to relay the message that, in order for funding for the arts to increase in Colorado, people have to take a gamble – literally.

With a large portion of funding given to the Colorado Creative Industries Division (CCI) coming from Limited Gaming Funds, Mello stated that the major reason funding is down is because revenue from gaming has been decreasing, due in large part to the nationwide recession.

“In a recession people do not have as much disposable income, so they do not gamble as much, so the tax receipts go down,” she says. “We started the 2012 session facing a cut not because anyone was after us or was trying to take our money, it’s just that revenue was down. When you do not have as much revenue you do not get as much money.”

Despite the fact that people are not visiting casinos as much as in years past, Mello insists that the funds awarded at this year’s Colorado General Assembly (CGA) were much higher than anticipated.

“The fight we fought was about how much money we could recover and where it was going to come from,” she says. “Had we done nothing, we would have received a $400,000 cut — at the end of the day we received a $100,000 cut — we recovered 75% of what we thought we were going to lose because of revenue decline.”

The battle fought by Mello proved to be beneficial, but it was not fought alone. Senator Pat Steadman ultimately made the final motion to the Joint Budget Committee (JBC), ensuring that much of the budget would be retained and a new strategy could be put in place.

“It is important to note that it is a one-time thing,” Mello says. “We have not fixed the problem, but we got through a year with fairly minimal cuts.”

Mello stresses the importance of having champions like Steadman on the JBC to the continued success of the CCI.

“It is always good to have a relationship with your state legislator, your senator, and your representative,” she says. “Those elected officials will always be very receptive to the people in their districts and to what they care about. If they know who you are and that you care about the arts, that is the best thing people can do.”

During the CGA, Mello also fought to pass HB 12-1132, which would have allowed for income and sales tax credits for businesses located in a Creative District — a defined area, small enough to be walkable, that aims to enhance the economic and civic capital of a community. While the bill died on a bipartisan vote, Mello says that helping Creative Districts in Colorado thrive will continue to be addressed. “We are still interested in supporting Creative Districts,” she says. “That is something we will continue to work on.”

In the meantime, Arts for Colorado will continue to work with Mello, and other like-minded lobbyists, to develop strategies for next year and for many years to come ensuring an investment in the arts will not be such a gamble.