June 5, 2001
Volume #10 No. #22
Judy Malloy, Editor
jmalloy@artswire.org

Arts Wire CURRENT is a project of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) -- http://www.nyfa.org

Arts Wire CURRENT features news updates on social, economic, philosophical, and political issues affecting the arts and culture. Your contributions are invited.
Contact Judy Malloy, editor.

To encourage the exchange of arts information and perspectives, Arts Wire CURRENT contents are not copyrighted unless specifically stated. We ask that you cite Arts Wire CURRENT as well as Arts Wire's url (http://www.artswire.org) when reprinting material. In addition, Arts Wire is very interested in documenting the use of material from Arts Wire CURRENT in other newsletters, publications and on online networks. Please send a copy to: Judy Malloy.



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Missing Person Alert: Terry Costa, Founding Artistic Director of UNI Theatre

About Arts Wire Current



FROM NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS PROGRAMS DIRECTOR, PENELOPE DANNENBERG

As a project of the New York Foundation for the Arts, Arts Wire has introduced and provided electronic communication services to thousands of artists and arts organizations. We are proud to be a leader in the use of technologies, not just in the arts community, but also in the non-profit world in general.

During the past few months, the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has been considering how to better incorporate technology services with its other programs for individual artists and for organizations which serve artists. As a result, on July 1, 2001, we will be discontinuing Arts Wire membership, including webhosting, email, on-line conferencing, and related services for artists and arts organizations. Details of the Arts Wire membership transition are available at http://www.artswire.org/webhost

We will, however, be continuing the unique and valuable weekly online Arts Wire Current, including jobs and opportunities listings, as well as NYFA's nationally recognized training activities, Spiderschool and the Knowledge in Technology Project.

We are happy to announce that in 2002, we will be launching a new portal site which will amalgamate NYFA's considerable resources with information about resources on (and off) line offered by service organizations across the country. As a first step, NYFA is integrating information on the artswire.org and nyfa.org sites -- to provide artists and arts organizations with more complete and easier access to what NYFA has to offer them.

We look forward to seeing you at http://www.nyfa.org


NEWS FROM THE STATE ARTS AGENCIES

Across the country -- in each of the 50 states and six jurisdictional governments -- State Art Agencies support both established and emerging artists and arts organizations; develop, promote, and sustain programs which reach rural and underserved populations; provide alternatives for at-risk youth; act as catalysts for economic development; and offer innovative approaches to arts education.

The many State Art Agency (SAA) supported programs which benefit artists range from the Louisiana Arts Council's Crafts Marketing Program; to Art in Public Places Programs, such in North Carolina, where the North Carolina Arts Council's web site features a map and images of art works created through the Artworks for State Buildings program; to the Southeastern Media Institute, a South Carolina Arts Commission Media Arts Center program which offers seminars and workshops in many areas of film and video production.

In New York, funding categories in many New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) programs support artist residencies, commissions and special project opportunities. For instance, the New Music Technology program supports institutions which provide musicians with residencies, studio time, technical instruction and access to equipment, as well as project completion funds to professional musicians of significant expertise.

The Rhode Island State Council on the Arts provides opportunities to exhibit the work of Rhode Island artists at The Atrium Gallery in the State Capitol Complex. The Delaware Division of the Arts hosts one-person exhibitions of Delaware artists at the Mezzanine Gallery in the Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington. Featured in the gallery in June are the works of Joe Rasemas, an illustrator working in pencil and watercolor.

In Idaho, the Idaho Commission on the Arts' Writer-in-residence, Jim Irons from Twin Falls, travels throughout the state providing communities with readings and workshops.

In Utah, the Utah Arts Council's Individual Artist Grants program awards up to $1,200 for Utah residents, funded by interest drawn from the Individual Artists' Endowment, made possible by a 1991 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Challenge Grant.

In Massachusetts, in addition to the Massachusetts's Cultural Council's (MCC) $12,500 fellowship grants to individual artists fellowships, the MCC's Local Cultural Council Program offers project grants to artists to work in schools and other community settings. Local cultural councils receive an annual distribution from the MCC, then decide how to re-grant these funds in their own communities.

In South Dakota in FY01, The South Dakota Arts Council's Artists-in-Schools program grants approved funding for 224 weeks of residencies conducted by professional artists at schools and other educational institutions throughout the state.

In Iowa, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and IMAGINE IOWA 2001: A CULTURAL VISION are asking the arts community and the public: "What if Iowa...was a national center for rural culture?... had a cultural trust?...had a cultural tourism program? ...had initiatives to assist emerging artists with business skills? ...had a ______ in your community? (You fill in the blank!)"

SAA programs which directly support individual artists include artists fellowships in many states -- such as New Jersey, where the New Jersey State Council on the Arts co-sponsors a Fellowship Program for New Jersey artists with the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation; Virginia, where the Virginia Commission for the Arts awards fellowships to writers and visual artists; Arkansas, where the Arkansas Arts Council Individual Artists Fellowships program recognizes individual artistic accomplishments and enables artists to set aside time for creating their art and improving skill levels; and Oregon where the Oregon Arts Commission recognizes the achievements of Oregon artists and the contributions they make to the cultural health of the state through its annual Artist Fellowship grants.

According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, (NASAA) the state arts agencies received nearly $447 million in legislative appropriations in fiscal year 2001. With an appropriations increase of 11.8% from the previous year, this marks the seventh time in ten years. However, there is some concern that the current economic downtown could begin to impact State Arts Councils. For instance, in California, where, as reported in this issue of Arts Wire Current, a sizeable augmentation for the California Arts Council is in jeopardy.

As mandated by Congress, state arts councils also receive substantial block grants from the National Endowment for the NEA. NEA funding awarded to SAAs this year is documented at http://www.arts.gov/learn/01grants/Partnerships.html

This issue of Arts Wire Current looks at funding issues and new programs at state arts agencies in California, Nebraska, and Texas. In the workshop section, information is provided about IT CAN BE DONE - BUILDING AUDIENCES THROUGH UNIVERSAL PLANNING AND ACCESSIBILITY, a series of NYSCA and New York Foundation on the Arts (NYFA) workshops throughout New York State which facilitate universally accessible environments.

Also highlighted are a conference on WORKING ARTISTS: ENERGIZING COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS, co-sponsored by Connecticut Commission on the Arts; the Kentucky Poet Laureate, whose selection is coordinated by the Kentucky Arts Council; a series of exhibitions for artists fellowship winners hosted by the Ohio Arts Council; Colorado Council on the Arts web pages which spotlight artists fellowship recipients; and the last "Open Home" in Arts Wire Current -- for long time Arts Wire supporter, the Illinois Arts Council.

To find out more about your State Arts Agency and what programs it has available for artists and arts organizations, visit the NASAA map of SAA's across the US, available at http://www.nasaa-arts.org/new/nasaa/aoa/saaweb.shtml

The NEA also details state and regional arts agencies at http://www.arts.gov/artforms/RAO_SAAs.html

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF STATE ARTS AGENCIES (NASAA) WEB SITE http://www.nasaa-arts.org


DESPITE ENERGY CRISIS, CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL BUDGET MAY STILL RECEIVE PARTIAL AUGMENTATION; STATEWIDE RALLY FOR ARTS FUNDING TO BE HELD ON CAPITAL STEPS ON JUNE 7

SACRAMENTO, CA -- In May, Governor Davis released the revised budget for the California Arts Council. (CAC) Because of less revenue than projected, the revisions reflect cuts to previously proposed augmentations and new one-time funding. From the proposed $26 million increase, $14 million was cut from the Cultural Infrastructure Development program. (from $20 million).

"If that seems like a big cut to you, bear in mind we were fully prepared to have the entire $26 million cut," CAC Director Barry Hessenius writes in the CAC WEEKLY UPDATE. "The proposed additional (new money) $3 million (more) for Arts Education, $1.5 million (more) for Organizational Support, $1 million for a new Cities Program, $500,000 for Public Art and $6 million for a Facilities fund ALL remain. The total $12 million (plus operations) augmentation would raise the CAC budget next year (IF APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATURE) to about $45 million. None of this new money is one-time funding. It's ongoing, meaning it would be in our budget every year. That means Governor Davis, even at this time of extremely hard choices, has increased support for the arts by $25 million in two years - more than doubling the funding."

The fate of the funding increase now hangs on what happens in the State Legislature -- which has indicated in subcommittee reports that more money will be cut from the augmentation.

"The governor and the first lady recognize the strength of arts and we are hopeful," a CAC spokesperson told Arts Wire Current. "The arts are a vital part of what makes up the rich cultural fabric of California, and they contribute greatly to our economic and education base. The arts are not a subsidy they are an investment!"

This week, arts leaders from all over the state will gather in Sacramento for a JOINT CONGRESS OF THE ARTS -- bringing leaders from every arts field and discipline in California together in one place at the same time to provide opportunities for networking and discussion of ways to collaborate and cooperate between arts groups that normally don't have the opportunity to interface and brainstorm.

On June 7, a rally for arts funding will be held on the North Steps of the State Capitol -- featuring the Cal Aggie Marching Band from UC Davis, with the Sacramento Taiko Dan drumming, celebrity speakers, and more. The rally is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

"This just might end up an historic event signaling a shift in the fortunes of the arts," CAC Director Barry Hessenius writes in an email alert. "A point in time people will talk about a decade from now. I hope you can somehow be there too. Your voice needs to be heard. You need to be a part of this."

A Parade leaves from the Sheraton Grand Hotel at 1:45, arriving at the Capital at 2:00. The rally is scheduled to run from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. Speakers include: State Senator Jack Scott, Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Arts,; Assemblymember Marco Antonio Firebaugh; State Senator Dede Alpert; Lavonne McBroom, President, California State Parent Teacher Association; and Jacqueline Antee, State President, AARP -- plus actor Joe Pantoliano; (MEMENTO, THE MATRIX, THE FUGITIVE, and HBO'S THE SOPRANOS) actor Delroy Lindo; (CIDER HOUSE RULES, GET SHORTY, A LIFE LESS ORDINARY) actor Chris Lawford (THIRTEEN DAYS, THE DOORS) and actress Frances Fisher. (TITANIC)

"The Legislature needs to appreciate that there is an enormous grassroots army out there for whom funding and support for the arts is the highest priority, and that this army supports the Governor's budget, and that it is an army on the move....The message that the arts are an investment, not a subsidy; that the arts are not a frill needs to be made over and over and over. If you don't send that message, who will?" CAC Director Hessenius states.

He adds: "No matter what finally happens, I hope this effort is just the beginning of the arts coming of age. And when it's all over, please take the time to thank the Governor - the arts community owes him a lot."

Sources/resources:

CALIFORNIA ARTS COUNCIL HOME PAGE -- http://www.cac.ca.gov/
Adam Gottlieb, Communications Director
Email: AGottlieb@caartscouncil.com
tel: 916-322-6588
Note that the Joint Congress is filled but the Rally is open and free. For more information contact the CALIFORNIA ARTS ADVOCATES at: 619-239-8678 Email: SLucal@calartsadvocates.org


NEBRASKA ARTS COUNCIL BUDGET HOLDING STEADY: NEW PARTNERSHIP TO INITIATE ARTISTS RESIDENCY CENTER IN NEBRASKA CITY

OMAHA, NE -- The Nebraska Arts Council (NAC) annual budget is holding steady at just under $3.5 million, according to NAC Public Information and Touring Program Coordinator, Christine Basque Malloy, who notes that "Increases in state funding for the next two years are unlikely due to fiscally conservative spending policies in the governor's office and a reluctance on the part of the state legislature to spend state surplus in light of predictions of economic slowdown, therefore grant programs and other NAC services are also status quo."

In a new program, the NAC has recently entered into a partnership with the Nebraska-based Richard P. Kimmel and Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation to renovate a small apartment complex into an artist residency center in historic Nebraska City, located in the southeast corner of the state.

"The residency program is in development, but plans are to open the facility to artists in all disciplines for 9 week residencies that will include a stipend in addition to living and studio space," the NAC told Arts Wire. The studio area may also contain a sprung wood dance floor suitable for choreographers.

Eligibility will be for artists in the Mid-America region, including Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas, and for states contiguous to Nebraska, including Iowa, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Colorado.

The Nebraska Arts Council provides monetary awards to Nebraska artists in various disciplines as well as basic support for Nebraska arts organizations. NAC'S WEBSITE -- which features a Calendar of Arts and Cultural Events for the State of Nebraska as well a directory of artists who have been approved for participation in the NAC's Artists-in-Schools/Communities and Nebraska Touring Programs -- is located at http://www.nebraskaartscouncil.org

For more information, contact Christine Basque Malloy, Public Information and Touring Program Coordinator at email cmalloy@nebraskaartscouncil.org


TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS RECEIVES SLIGHT INCREASE; NEW YOUNG MASTERS PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ADVANCED STUDY IN THE ARTS FOR TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.

AUSTIN, TX -- In Texas, where the legislative session ended last Monday, it appears that the appropriation outcome for The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) the 2002 - 2003 biennium is as follows:

"This appropriation represents a slight increase over the FY 2000 2001 biennium," TCA Director of Marketing Gaye Greever McElwain, told Arts Wire. However, it appears that Texas will remain 56th in public per capita spending for the arts behind all fifty states, the District of Columbia and the five U. S. Territories.

The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is the state agency charged with the development of a receptive climate for the arts in Texas.

Among many TCA programs, The Young Masters Program, a new program intended to support excellence in the arts, will provide scholarships for advanced study in specific artistic disciplines for 8th through 12th grade Texas students. Young Masters will provide scholarships of up to $2,500 per year to promising young school aged children engaged in arts study including the visual arts, literature, music, theatre, and dance.

Students may be enrolled in a school-based program, summer institute, specialized course of study, or be receiving private lessons from a qualified professional instructor, and it is expected that a mentoring relationship will be established between the student and the instructor, explains TCA Director of Marketing Gaye Greever McElwain.

For more information, visit the TEXAS COMMISSION ON THE ARTS WEBSITE at http://www.arts.state.tx.us
Gaye Greever McElwain, TCA Director of Marketing can be contacted at Email: gmcelwain@arts3.arts.state.tx.us


Workshops

NEW YORK STATE
2001-2002

IT CAN BE DONE - BUILDING AUDIENCES THROUGH UNIVERSAL PLANNING AND ACCESSIBILITY

"A universal environment is one that is usable by everyone. It is an environment in which the design of your space, programs, and communication systems enhances everyone's ability to use your programs and services. A universal environment does not end with accessibility but reaches beyond it to usability. Accessibility and usability are an organizational asset and not a response to an individual's 'special' request." -- The New York State Council on the Arts, A UNIVERSAL ENVIRONMENT: BEYOND ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY -- http://www.nysca.org/UniversalPlanning.html

54 million Americans report some level of disability -- 15% of the population. It is estimated that there are 2 million people with disabilities in New York -- 11% of the population.

The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) considers usability an opportunity and believes that making facilities, programs, and information usable by all people -- with and without disabilities and people of all ages -- creates opportunities for audience building and better constituency services. NYSCA is encouraging all organizations to consider accessibility/usability in the early stages of project and program development, including design of physical facilities, programming and communications systems.

In addition to NYSCA's A UNIVERSAL ENVIRONMENT: BEYOND ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY website, in 2001 and 2002, across New York State, a series of workshops on accessibility/usability topics will be offered across New York. The accessibility workshop series is a project of the New York Foundation for the Arts in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts and in cooperation with New York regional arts councils.

June workshops in Hicksville, Huntington, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Buffalo are listed below.

HICKSVILLE, NY
June 5, 2001 - 10:00 AM 1:00 PM
Hicksville Public Library, 169 Jerusalem Avenue
Co-Sponsor: Long Island Arts Council at Freeport
Reservation: 516-223-2522

HUNTINGTON, NY
June 6, 2001- 10 AM - 1 PM
Town Hall Board Room, 100 Main Street
Co-Sponsor: Huntington Arts Council
Reservations: 631-271-8423

BRONX, NY
June 14, 2001 - 1:30-4:30 or 5:30-8:30 PM (repeat sessions)
Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, Bedford Park Boulevard West and Goulden Avenue
Co-Sponsor: Bronx Council on the Arts
Reservations: 718-931-9500

BROOKLYN, NY
June 21, 2001 - 2:00 -5:00 PM
KeySpan, 1 MetroTech Center
Co-Sponsor: Brooklyn Arts Council
Reservations: 718-625-0080

BUFFALO, NY
June 28, 2001 - 1 PM - 4 PM
Elizabeth Pierce Olmsted, MD Center for the Visually Impaired, 1170 Main Street
Co-Sponsor: Arts Council in Buffalo & Erie County
Reservations: 716-856-7520

A complete listings of other workshop's and locations -- including Staten Island, Norwich, Corning, Rochester, Syracuse, Saratoga Springs, New York, and Lake Placid -- is available at http://www.artswire.org/current/access.html

For directions to the site, please call the co-sponsor at the phone number given. NYSCA encourages participants to bring administration, board members, staff, and volunteers to the workshops. They also note that the workshops are being held in accessible facilities and they ask for notification 3 weeks before the date of a workshop if there are accommodations they can provide to facilitate participation in the workshop. Because many people have chemical sensitivities to scented products, they ask all participants to keep rooms smoke and scent free.

For further about the workshops, contact arts4all@nysca.org. Call the number listed for phone reservations or email arts4all@nysca.org

The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) -- http://www.nysca.org -- is a state funding agency that provides support for the activities of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in New York State and helps to bring artistic programs of high quality to the citizens of New York State.

NYFA WEBSITE -- http://www.nyfa.org


Conferences

NEW LONDON, CN
June 29-30, 2001
Garde Arts Center

WORKING ARTISTS: ENERGIZING COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS

The Connecticut Commission on the Arts Urban Artists Initiative, in partnership with the Institute for Community Research, will present WORKING ARTISTS: ENERGIZING COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE ARTS from June 29-30. Conference activities will take place at the historic Garde Arts Center, as well as New London's scenic waterfront, art galleries and other venues in the downtown arts district.

Working Artists is a participatory conference for artists, arts organizations, community based organizations, educators, funders, social, healthcare and human services professionals, tourism professionals, students and anyone with an interest in the arts. The conference offers an opportunity for attendees to come together to learn how they can contribute to their communities through the arts in ways that impact them culturally, socially and economically.

More than 50 nationally recognized presenters and artists will lead skill-building workshops, conduct tracks and convene engaging panels. Experts will share strategies for addressing common concerns regarding arts programming, arts-related careers, partnership building and much more.

Keynote Speakers are:

HOWARDENA PINDELL, a NY-based painter, critic, curator, art professor and author. A collection of her writings and paintings, entitled THE HEART OF THE QUESTION, has just been published.

violinist and studio musician STEVE SIGEL, whose career embodies a unique mix of community development, theatre production and administration.

A Panel on LIVING YOUR DREAM will feature: