Weeden Arts Watch

Carl Moore Mural Design Fundraising Dinner this Friday!

2012-01-23T10:18:00.000-06:00

A progressive dinner is being held this Friday in Cooper Young to raise funds to produce a mural by local artist Carl Moore at the underpass on McLean south of Central Ave. Tickets are $20 per person and are almost gone, so hurry and get yours by calling the Cooper Young Community Association office.

This article by event organizer Andy Ashby explains all.

M is for Meaning

2012-01-10T03:30:00.000-06:00

This is Dr. Viktor Frankl describing his thoughts on what he terms the 'will to meaning.' I'm a fan.

L is for Leadership, Part 3: What Arts Leaders Should Beware of in Order to Avoid Disaster

2012-01-03T13:49:00.004-06:00

The potential pitfalls of non-profit arts leadership are myriad and pernicious, if you're not diligent about keeping a number of factors in sync at any given time. Here are a few things that will derail your momentum, bog you down, and add extra stress to your work that will distract you from managing the activities of your organization successfully.

Actually, that's putting it politely...if you fall into one of these ruts it can quickly mean disaster, so beware!

1. Beware of over-committing. Time is your most valuable asset next to your knowledge and expertise in your specialist field. Be very, very, very careful how you schedule your activity. If you are successful, people will come out of the woodwork wanting to partner on projects, but taking on more than you can reasonably handle within the time you have available is a very real and serious threat to your getting your 'necessities' done in a professional manner. First, vet prospective projects and partnerships (and meetings to discuss such) with the simple question: how does it help you fulfill the mission of the organization, or lead to organizational sustainability? If the likelihood is slim that it will do either in the immediate, mid-term, or long-term future, you should probably relegate it to the back burner. Getting covered up with meetings in general is usually a time-eater overall. Streamline your communications with Skype video conference calls or telephone conversations instead. Email is God's gift to workaholic arts professionals, use it!

2. Beware of "best friends" bearing gifts: Just as the ancient Trojans found out the hard way that not all presents wrapped in pretty paper are actually worth bringing inside the gates, arts leaders need to get their head out of the clouds and realize that not everyone else in the world they work in shares their idealism and dedication to the Greater Good. There are, in fact, those that may seek to partner with you, or offer you services of assistance, that have no real interest in furthering the impact of your group's work in the community. These individuals are generally motivated by self-interest and will attempt to get close to you and your group's inner workings in order to benefit themselves. How, you ask? If you possess access to social and professional networks that they do not, it would benefit them by gaining access to the same networks to further their own career ambitions. Likewise, if your programs and projects enjoy positive media coverage and goodwill in the community, it may serve their own interest to align themselves with your cause. You have to be really careful when recruiting volunteers, considering candidates for adding to your Boards and ad-hoc committees, and even commissioning artists for projects, or establishing working protocols with government authorities in this regard. It is easy to choose people based on paper demographics alone, setting aside the criteria that they have a knowledge of the organization's field, proven commitment to its impact in the world. These individuals can easily spoil relationships the organization has worked hard over years to build with donors, political supporters, media outlets, community groups, artists, staff, etc. if they prove to be unstable or ill mannered. How do you prevent crazy? Interview, check references (stated and unstated) and investigate their professional history of working with partners on other projects. Think about it this way: Everyone working in any capacity associated with your organization is an ambassador for its work in the world. If you allow crazy people to represent themselves as being connected to your organization, the rest of the world will begin to think you are crazy as well. And that will get you nowhere fast!

3. Beware of the Do-Gooder Disease: Do not, dear reader, wonderful spirit of humanity's finest qualities, kind and gentle soul, fall prey to the belief that because you are in the business of making the world a better place that the world you are changing for the better will actually give a damn or support your efforts. If you are doing great work and making a significant impact, you will undoubtedly upset someone at some point no matter how genuine your motivation, worthy your cause, or awesome your arts product. Some people like to throw rocks simply to see the blood spill when it cracks your head. They will not change. Do not beat your head against a brick wall expecting it to come crashing down. It will not. The fate of the Do-Gooder is one of heartbreak and madness. It will shut you down. Get real, say to hell with the bastards trying to make you think less of yourself, and get to work. Eat your spinach, roll up your sleeves, and focus on making the mission of your organization a reality in the world. The good it does must be its own reward.

There is, of course, a lot more to discuss on the matter, but for a blog post this is enough to get your heart beating. If you’d care to make an appointment with Vita Brevis Arts Bureau for me to visit you or your team to talk about what other pitfalls arts leaders need to beware of in order to avoid disaster, contact me at john@vitabrevisartsbureau.com to schedule a free assessment of your needs to determine what level of consulting assistance you may need.

Be brave!

L is for Leadership Part 2: What Arts Leaders Need to Succeed

2011-12-30T10:07:00.000-06:00

Following up on Part 1 on the Arts Worker A-Z series of essays, Part 2 of L is for Leadership seeks to address the various factors arts leaders need to be aligned within their work universe in order to succeed in fulfilling the mission of their organization. Here are a few of the requisite 'givens':

1. Passion for your cause

2. Ability to communicate this fervor to converts and the uninitiated alike

3. Thorough knowledge of your subject

4. Ability to deal with stress in a constructive manner

5. Discipline to do the boring work no one likes, but that has to be done absolutely correctly and consistently. (Ex.: payroll, taxes, grant reporting, quarterly reports, audits, etc. basically everything financial)

Given that the individual possesses all the above traits, here's what they'll need from their team, organization, and partners to succeed in their projects and programs.

1. Open and honest communication with staff and Board. Leaders need to be able to delegate tasks and responsibilities, but in order to do so you've got to be able to trust your staff to get the job done in the appropriate manner every time. Training new employees requires a lot of work and time from the Leader, but it is well worth it to cultivate the right individual into a highly effective performer. Board members need to be held accountable to assigned tasks and roles as well. Maintaining standards of execution of duties is imperative to realizing this point. What does a well done activity look like? What are the outcomes desired? These and many more questions need to be answered to ensure your objectives are realized.

2. Accurate information. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of having accurate information to the successful outcome of any arts endeavor, especially if it involves working within the public realm of municipal politics. Getting the straight story and the behind the scenes skinny can be difficult sometimes in a world where everything is potentially a political football, but the detective work and lobbying is essential to knowing what's really going on. Once you're confident you're working with the correct and current information it makes the likelihood that your endeavors will bear fruit.

3. Space to think. With so much happening all at once in terms of projects, constituents, ego management, organization compliance, etc., it can be difficult to find the time to step back and take the wide view for strategy planning. However, nothing is better for an arts leader than to be able to take a breath and have the time and space to think without interruption and distraction from planning how to make the big picture vision a concrete reality that can make a positive impact to real people. Carve out space on your calendar and hold it inviolate. Leaders need this time to plan how best to lead.

These are just a few of the essential tools arts leaders need to get their job done in a dynamic way. There is, of course, a lot more to discuss, but for a blog post this is enough to get your wheels turning. If you'd care to make an appointment with Vita Brevis Arts Bureau for me to visit you or your team to talk about what makes a successful arts leader, contact me at john@vitabrevisartsbureau to schedule a free assessment of your needs to determine what level of consulting assistance you may need.

Be brave!

In part 3 I will talk about what arts leaders need to beware of in order to avoid disaster.

L is Leadership, pt.1

2011-12-28T11:11:00.000-06:00

Leadership is essential to the coordination of any sustained effort to make a difference, be the change you seek to make manifest affect the arts world, or the world at large. There are as many books, theories, training programs, and pithy slogans on topics relating to leadership as there are stars in the sky. It would be absurd to address the subject in a blog post, because do so would be slight the seriousness of the issue. It is far to complex a subject to reduce to one-liners and pocket sized how-to guides. I will not pontificate about how "Leaders" should act, or what management techniques one must adopt for delivering results. Everyone is a walking universe of mercurial ideas of their own on the matter that tend to evolve and shape-shift over time as every new experience teaches what works within which context and scenario one confronts. It is different for everyone. I have completed year-long leadership academies, and taught leadership to aspiring undergraduate arts administrators. I have won leadership awards, and have given awards recognizing others for outstanding leadership in the arts. I have led organizations, and have been led myself, occasionally to great success, occasionally to the slaughter.

Instead of telling you what you should do, I shall tell you what I have learned in two general areas, keeping it as practical as possible:

1. What arts leaders need in order to succeed.
2. What arts leaders need to watch out for in order to avoid disaster.

More to come in Part 2 of 'L is for Leadership'...

J is for Juxtaposition

2011-12-23T02:37:00.000-06:00

Ahhh, Art History 'vocab' words, how I love thee...your warm fuzzy glow envelopes and sustains even in bleak mid-winter.

There is something inexplicable about the way certain text book glossary terms harken one back to a darkened classroom circa 1993 with flickering slides projected onto the wall painted white, breathing fire and glory of the Romantics, vs. Mannerists, vs. Vorticists, vs. Post-Impressionists, vs. Fauvists, vs. every other kind of -ists one might care to devour with the voracious eye of a novitiate art shark.

First and foremost among these is one that stands far and away from the pack of more meager definitions, the godfather of Art History hot words for the SAT: 'Juxtaposition'.

Def: the act of positioning close together (or side by side) for use in contrast and comparison. Ex.: The Fauvists were known for their juxtaposition of strongly contrasting colors.

Of course, having a penchant for poetic license that I do, I am prone to use the term more frequently in scenarios that involve more abstract conditions than simple pigments on canvas. It has to do with comprehending the meaning of a thing in more polyvalent ways by it's contrast with something else than would be possible examining the thing by its lonesome. Art means more when considered in a context of surrounding variables that influence its interpretation. Standing alone, it is much less interesting. Kind of like people.

Armory Show Art Tour

2011-12-21T15:17:00.000-06:00

Vita Brevis Arts Bureau is offering a tour of the Contemporary Art section of the Armory Show in New York, 08-10 March 2012 for groups of 10 people per day. Guests arrange their own transportation to and from New York, as well as hotel accommodations. The group will meet on site of the fair and be introduced to various gallerists, curators, and artists from around the world. The cost per person is $80/day, and includes admission fee for one day’s entry. Each tour is 2 hours, then guests are able to view the show at their own pace. RSVP’s and payments must be confirmed by 01 February 2012 to ensure a place in the group. Additional tours of Chelsea district art galleries are offered separately.

Contact john@vitabrevisartsbureau.com for additional information.

Call to Artists: Memphis Photographs and Illustration Prints

2011-12-21T14:06:00.000-06:00

Vita Brevis Arts Bureau and Michel Allen Projects have formed a collaborative partnership to provide expert art consulting through a new signature service for commercial and residential clients entitled MPrint.

MPrint accepts submissions of photography and graphic art/illustration prints around themes and scenes specific to Memphis and the Mid-South region. Artists receive half of the proceeds from every sale. Consumers can either buy an exclusive image or an edition ranging in size from 8x11” up to 48x72”. No more than 50 copies are ever sold of any one image regardless of size for images produced as limited editions. All images are accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed and numbered by the artist. Artists retain all copyrights to their original images. Framing is provided for an additional fee.

MPrint is currently seeking images of the following type, is always interested in additional image types not cited below, as long as they reflect the spirit of Memphis and the Mid-South:

Football games
Churches
Duck hunting
Town squares
Architectural motifs
Country stores
Diners and cafes
Juke joints and nightclubs
Music performances
Old cemeteries
Historic statues and monuments
Sunsets over the Mississippi River
‘M’ bridge
Peabody Hotel: ducks, lobby, rooftop
Historic sites, homes, and other buildings
Vintage cars
Horses
Dogs

Submissions: Artists may submit lo-res JPEG images for consideration (no larger than 10MB) via email to: vitabrevisarts@gmail.com. If chosen for representation as an original work of art or production as a limited edition print, artists will receive an agency agreement and instructions for submitting print-ready images.

K is for Kunstverein

2011-12-19T11:14:00.000-06:00

Memphis needs a Contemporary Art Society, or to invoke the German language term from whence the concept first derived, a 'Kunstverein'. The premise is simple, a group of members pay dues to the organization in order to cover costs associated with staging cutting edge exhibitions of Contemporary Art, host guest lectures, tours of artists' studios, etc. It does not house a permanent collection, rather it produces exhibitions of a transitory nature and publishes a catalog to document its existence. Some notable CAS's: London, Frankfurt. This phenomena is an old one, established in Europe with chapters still extant from their founding in the late 18th century. Some stress education and workshops, some tours of exhibitions, some produce new media festivals, others emphasize hosting visiting lectures by art stars of the day.

This type of organization does not exist here, and it should if Memphis seeks to truly stake its claim as an arbiter of contemporary culture in the new century.

ArtSpace Coming to South Main

2011-12-14T08:57:00.002-06:00

Artists' live-work space coming to S. Main!

Improv Everywhere MOVIE in the Works!

2011-12-14T08:27:00.001-06:00

I want this project to happen so bad I can hardly stand it.

Spread the word and share the love!

I is for Inspiration

2011-12-10T04:50:00.001-06:00

I have at times been gruff with younger more starry eyed ingenues chasing dreams of rainbows and unicorns and all things breathtaking, chiding them that "Inspiration is for amateurs," to quote the incomparable painter Chuck Close. While sunbeams and lollipops may make your insides feel pretty, the ever so mercurial 'inspiration' is nothing more than a flash in the pan, a momentary spark that will fail to ignite a true creative fire with the potential to produce real and lasting results if there is not the discipline and erudition to channel the torrent of inspiration's power into actual impact. It takes more than exuberance, it takes effort. It takes vision. It takes strategy to make art matter. For lack of a better analogy, it is incumbent upon the art worker, the cultural arbiter, to capture this lightning in a very well designed sort of bottle.

It is not enough to ask "What inspires you?"

One must ask another more prickly question: "What are you going to do about it?"

If the answer involves something along the lines of skipping through dandelions to watch the fluff float, I tend to smile politely, let them have their moment, then never ask them to plug into anything important.

I am not interested in the beauty of the moment solely for its ineffable feel-goodness.

While wonderful to be sure, what I find far more compelling is how to elevate the essence of the instant to the condition of continuous expectation. How do we craft the communal context in such a way that the magic is always happening? How do we elevate expectations of magic as a matter of course to such an extent that we demand to know what the heck is going on if we experience circumstances where there is no magic at all?

Hmmmm...I may be painting myself into an metaphysical conundrum here...if magic becomes the expected norm, can it continue to be truly 'magical'? If it is commonplace, can it inspire?

I have some pondering to do, more later!

What I'd Do with Overton Square

2011-12-09T04:48:00.001-06:00

Overton Square in Midtown Memphis was once a nexus of cultural activity, in its heyday in the late 1960's to 1980's it saw a heady mix of coffee houses, bars, nightclubs, restaurants, festivals, and shops. The past decade had seen it spiral downward into a gaping hole of a ghost town in the center of the city, an eyesore of a reminder of better times. Now, however, after much wrangling and wringing of fists, community angst at the demolition of an architectural landmark and its replacement with a CVS, our town seems to be on the right track with the enlightened local developer Loeb Properties at the helm. New construction and renovation is underway, the businesses that managed to hang on through the rocky times are poised to reap the benefits of the rejuvenated space, and Memphians for miles around will enjoy the added quality of life assets the new district will bring. Bike lanes on Madison Avenue may still seem weird to many, but in the long run will most likely further contribute to the entire layering of a more vibrant community as well. Theatre maven and local arts god-among-mortals Jackie Nichols' stalwart stewardship of the Playhouse on the Square empire has done more for the cultural economy of area (and the entire city) for decades, and their newest flagship theatre/office/event complex at the corner of Cooper and Union is evidence that dreams can indeed come true. The recent announcement of Hattiloo Theatre's impending move to the quarter further bolsters the entire push to establish the Square as a dedicated 'Theatre District', a canny move from any cultural strategist's perspective.

Ideas and plans abound about what could and should be done in terms of designing the new space and its parcels...here are a few of mine. Use this opportunity to show the world that Memphis is a culturally progressive city to reckon with on an international stage. Half measures will not impress, go big, go bold!

1. Murals on two key vantage points for welcome beacons to visitors entering the area: the North face of Bari, and the South face of the currently empty building at the Southwest corner of Cooper and Madison, facing the vast sea of parking lot. One mural should reflect the rich cultural history of the area, the other should be over the top colorful abstraction to inspire new dreams of possibility for the future. Examples of a history mural I would love to see would be an homage to many of the cultural heroes living and past that have actually made work in the area: Jim Dickinson, Furry Lewis, Alex Chilton, Jackie Nichols, William Eggleston, Joyce Cobb to name but a very, very few. For the abstract mural I'd love to see something like the work of Sarah Morris, or better yet, local living legend Hamlett Dobbins. See examples below:

2. Pop-up shops: Temporary arts and culture related businesses occupying storefronts. See SF Made, David Adjaaye, Claes Oldenburg, and Pop-up Pittsburgh as examples of activities.

3. A hotel worth a damn in Midtown! The pitiful French Quarter Inn that has been closed for several years should have been condemned as a menace long before it actually shut its doors. However, I know from experience the difficulty every out of town visitor with a kid in school at MCA, Rhodes, or CBU has in finding decent accomodations anywhere outside Downtown or East Memphis. Furthermore, with all the visiting artists, actors, dancers, musicians, and film makers the new arts district will bring, they are going to need a place to stay that inspires them! See Century 21 art hotel in Louisville, and the Ace Hotel brand for guidance on the perfect mix of casual, convenience, and cool.

4. Outdoor projections all year round. Another idea for that massive blank south-facing wall of the empty building on the south-west corner of Cooper and Madison would be to use it as a defacto projection screen for area artists and film makers to show their stuff free of charge. See the Digital Graffiti festival in Alys Beach for reference.

5. A parking garage that is so much more than just another parking garage. Looney Ricks Kiss is designing the parking structure to fill a massive section of the current concrete ocean of a parking lot along Cooper, complete with a retaining basin at the bottom for flood run-off from Lick Creek. Make it art for Pete's sake! See below for examples of what could be something so simple as lighting system to make an otherwise mundane structure just that little bit more magical, these from artist Erwin Redl in Tampa:

H is for Handbook

2011-12-08T14:25:00.001-06:00

Art workers serve their organizations well by taking the time to describe the processes by which their projects are made manifest. I'm not talking employee manuals or crisis plans for board governance, but the real deal daily dish of how things get done. Start with the who, what, where, and when, then take the gloves off and dig deep into the how and why for every action. This kind of handbook is essential for ensuring the wheels on the bus continue to go 'round and 'round once a key staffer leaves the company and takes all their inside understanding with them. For structuring methods and content development strategies contact me at Vita Brevis Arts Bureau for a consultation.

G is for the Greater Good

2011-12-06T08:45:00.000-06:00

Arts workers are generally not driven by motivations of glory, power, or money. If they were they would be pursuing other careers in which those are more likely payoffs. No, typically arts workers are a rare breed that actually wishes to see their efforts result in a positive impact on the 'Greater Good.' This is a notion as old as the hills, that somehow one's labor might make the world a better place, and there are more believers in this mantra within the arts fields per capita than in almost any other career industry [*Social work, education, and charities also see high numbers of 'believers'.]

It is perhaps born out of a sense of magic and wonder that arts workers enter their respective field, music, theater, visual art, dance, etc., but without a presiding faith that their actions make a difference in the world around them through their chosen medium, few will stay the course simply for the joy experienced in the moment of art's encounter. No matter how amazing, it is all too fleeting to carry one through years of countless battles unseen by the audience that go with making any production a reality. The painter Chuck Close perhaps said it best when he responded to an interview about the role of inspiration played in creating his work: "Inspiration is for amateurs."

Art is work, you get up every day and you go to work making your art.

Brothers and sisters, the world would end tomorrow if we all just waited around for inspiration to strike. Art only ever matters to anyone outside the cultural cognoscenti because we give enough of a damn about it day in and day out to make it matter.

F is for Funding

2011-12-05T12:28:00.000-06:00

Non-profit arts funding must be approached in terms of developing a "portfolio" of resources for the organization, composed of various sources and types. Putting all of your eggs in one basket is never a good idea for any reason. With the portfolio approach you are layering one revenue stream over another: donors, grants, earned income, memberships, corporate sponsorships, etc. All efforts should reflect the distinctive character of the organization while aspiring to reach out to new audiences as well. With social media advances being what they are today there are more tools for connecting audiences eager for your content than ever before. Contact Vita Brevis Arts Bureau for more information and to set up a consultation.

E is for Enthusiasm

2011-12-02T11:37:00.001-06:00

To put it plainly, if you are not enthusiastic about working in the public art industry, get out.

There is far too much stress in the form of ever shifting political pitfalls, angry un-chosen artists, angry chosen but unpaid artists, potty citizens angry in general about tax money being spent on anything other than more cops on the street or fixing potholes, board members with Napoleon complexes, board members with too much to say without the knowledge to back it up, board members with knowledge but too few guts to say anything at all, mid-level municipal functionaries checking off the days until their pension hits with no intention of giving anyone the straight story about where that maintenance money went, and much, much more that will turn your insides out several times a day to make it ever worth your while.

You must either love it unconditionally, or leave it.

Otherwise, you will just be in the way of making the magic happen.

Next time...'F' is for 'Funding'.

Turner Prize announced Monday, good luck George!

2011-11-29T15:33:00.001-06:00

My dear friend George is up for the Turner Prize to be announced Monday in Newcastle.
Fingers crossed, mate!

D is for Design

2011-11-29T11:25:00.000-06:00

When public art administrators begin discussing 'design' it is important to distinguish the specific terms you're about to be dealing in. 'Design' is a broad category encompassing urban planning, civil engineering, architecture, art work composition, and process management. At any given time a public art worker may be asked to participate on any combination of this array of factors in assisting the cultivation of community vibrancy, and the enhancement of its citizens' quality of life as a result. I'm excited about a new community design program being developed by the Tennessee Arts Commission that will address all of these issues and more, of which I've been invited to participate as a member of its first review committee. [*I know, I know, committees are often wobbly, but not if done right!]

For those of you still living with a mid-20th century mindset that accepts suburban sprawl and negligible public spaces with art improvements as a good thing, here are a few considerations as to why the arts in public places and well planned community design matter. [*NOTE: the following text is an updated version of an earlier journal entry first posted to this blog in 2007...yes, I've been banging this drum for that long!]

First, the arts fuel creativity in a fundamental manner like no other human endeavor can ever do or has ever done in the entire course of history. Bold statement? You better believe it!

[*Please don’t write me notes about how warfare has given more benefits to human kind than harm, I’ve heard it all before and am not having it. Yes, Da Vinci invented tanks and helicopters and cannons, I know. Yes, without warfare there would be no modern medicine or internet, I know, I know. And yet I still maintain the arts are infinitely more important to the development of human civilization, so there!]

Creativity fosters problem solving, improvisation, team work, risk taking and, perhaps most importantly, creativity drives innovation. Without innovation nothing new ever gets done, social ills are never appropriately addressed, businesses go bankrupt, and cities stagnate. The arts are creativity embodied in concrete form. They produce what I’ve often called ‘the what else effect.’ Art provokes one to have ideas. When one day there is a vacant lot or a blank wall, and the next there is a sculpture park or 10 storey mural painting, people’s instinctual inclination is (most often) to wonder what else could be done to other blank spaces within the area.

Encounters of art in public spaces causes passersby to wonder what else is possible? With that question of possibility comes an enhanced opportunity to take the next step in the linear thinking process of how one can actually take part in the shaping of the visual streetscape. When the arts are woven into the landscape of the city its inhabitants are more easily transformed from passive consumers to active contributors of the mettle with which their collective culture is constructed. Which, leads me to my next point…art in public places produces connectivity.

Connectivity means that the denizens of a particular place feel a connection to the area in which they live. Art enables this condition of connectivity in that neighbors often play a crucial role in determining what form their particular mode of arts practice takes within their own neighborhood. Whether it’s a mural, or outdoor film series, a sculpture project, or an all weather stage for music, dance and theatre performances, when people take an interest in what happens in their own ‘yard,’ so to speak, you’ve suddenly got localized stakeholders with a desire to see something special take place.

Art in public places engenders this sort of ‘something special,’ most often in the form of common experiences and the concomitant stories shared by all who took part in the making of them. Art of this sort empowers voices to be heard that may not have had an outlet otherwise. It enables people to have a say in how their world works in the most literal and immediate way imaginable: by choosing the way one’s world looks. This connectivity phenomenon leads to my final point of community.

When people feel this kind of connection, this pride of ownership built through their own creative output, they tend to want to take care of their community because it matters to them more than something in which they’ve had neither say nor participation. They want to make sure that the arts comprising the unique social landmarks that signify the character, values, hopes and dreams of that community are respected. The shared stories initiated by the creative experiences of the arts in public places then contribute to the weaving of a more tightly knit community at large; one that cares about its collective future for generations to come, as well as the well being of its individual constituents in the here and now.

To summarize into ‘elevator speech’ terms…the arts fuel creativity which drives possibility and increased interest in what else is possible. This creative contribution of the public to the visual, musical, theatrical landmarks of its neighborhood breeds connectivity to the area through shared story-making and telling. Connectivity, in turn, builds stronger, more sustainable communities by giving people something to care about that would not have been accessible otherwise.

Still dubious that arts productions in public places make our communities matter most?

Ever heard of Elvis? As a kid he honed his chops digging on blues musicians playing outdoors in Handy Park on Beale Street in Memphis! If you’re unfamiliar, you should look him up.

The rest of the human race seems to think he’s a pretty big deal…

C is for Committees

2011-11-23T13:48:00.002-06:00

If you are a public art worker the bane of your existence will likely quickly become Committees and the work required to manage their meetings, decisions, and composition in a meaningful way that enables inspiring art to be created rather than milquetoast pablum that pleases no one outright, but at least does not offend. Let me clarify: committees are not necessarily a bad thing in and of themselves, but if not managed properly they can quickly run a project off the rails. The key is to communicate expertly the expectations, roles, and goals of the committee members participation. Articulate the envisioned outcome (or possible scenarios for outcomes) in as clear and concise a manner as is possible, then guide them through the process step by step. Committees' existence should be time sensitive, with a set purpose. Do not let them stray off course and sprawl in their mission to matters not directly applicable to their remit. Do not let any one member micromanage the others' activities, and do not allow anyone to hijack the process or project overall. If they cannot commit to attending all the meetings, then they should not be on the committee. If they do not open their mouths and express an informed opinion on the proposal at hand during the meeting, then they need to not be on the committee.

Committees are essential, but can quickly overwhelm a public art worker if members are not specialists in the field offering expert insights, or neighborhood stakeholders with a direct connection to the project's ultimate incarnation and the success thereof. Compose your committee wisely, keeping it small enough to be manageable, but large enough to communicate a set of skills, networks, demographics, and viewpoints to be viewed as legitimate to the community at large.

Lastly, never, never, never, try to coordinate the activities of too many committees at any given time. I have seen situations where public art administrators attempt to balance the activity of over 40 committees at any given time and it nearly drove them insane. Keep it under 10 and you should be fine, as long as your time management skills are wicked sharp!

Committee composition and coordination is a both an art and a science, one that I will be happy to discuss with you or your organization in extensive detail via my consulting firm the Vita Brevis Arts Bureau, if you care to make an appointment.

Next time, 'D' is for Design.

B is for Boards of Directors

2011-11-22T16:23:00.001-06:00

I will endeavor to be brief on the role of Boards to the vitality of a non-profit organization. Every non-profit organization lives and breathes by the dynamism of its Board of Directors. If your Board is well recruited, thoroughly trained, and effectively motivated you will enjoy success beyond your wildest dreams. If it is none of these things, then a Board of Directors will be your worst nightmare. So, how do you go about ensuring yours is of the former and not the latter? Let's get started with a few general rules.

1. Keep it small. Do not make your Board so large that you cannot effectively engage each individual member to the extent that they feel their participation is valuable and positive. The bigger a Board grows the easier it is for them to feel like their involvement doesn't matter, that others will take up the slack. This is a waste of everyone's time, and will not help your organization realize its goals or fulfill its mission.

2. Communicate clearly and concisely. Keep it simple in your messaging and correspondence with the Board, informing of the issues, the potential risks and rewards, and then why you think a certain decision is in the best interest of the organization.

3. Establish expectations and enforce the by-laws. If someone does not show up to meetings or contribute financially, then they need to go. I have heard the rationale that so-and-so is so connected that their name alone is good for the organization to be associated with. This is hogwash. If they do not keep up with the issues or participate in the actions of the organization, all their supposed influence is of no value whatsoever, no matter how much of a big wig.

4. Build your Board like you would build your staff. Identify what the goals of the organization are, then recruit individuals with the skills and resources to meet those needs. You want to cultivate a dynamic team, one in which everyone respects each other and shares a passion for what the organization makes manifest in the community.

5. Believe in the potential of new possibilities. Do not get stuck in the rut of thinking that simply because something has never been done or tried by the organization before, that it cannot work or should not be tried at all. Organizations succeed when they embrace innovation and creativity to solve its issues and accomplish its goals. When your Board is well informed and motivated to make a difference, they will share your belief in the value of new ideas for producing positive change in the community.

That's probably enough for one post, if you want to learn more, set up an appointment via the Vita Brevis Arts Bureau, and we'll discuss consulting strategies in much more detail.

Next time, we tackle the dreaded 'C' word...committees!

A is for Awesome

2011-11-21T16:11:00.000-06:00

The reason public art is awesome is simple: when done right, it makes you feel ALIVE!

A is for...ART

2011-11-20T10:42:00.000-06:00

Following up on Friday's first installment of this series of Public Art A-Z, I'm continuing with topics falling under 'A' and addressing what should (in theory) be the most important facet of the whole ecosystem...the ART. Let's get right down to it. What results as the final work installed is the product of a multiple step process that most artists and bystanders unfamiliar with the ways of the public art world would find staggeringly, even absurdly, complicated. Seriously, folks, a full-scale municipal Percent for Art type project is a thing of near-byzantine complexity. This has mostly to do with the presence of committees and the mandate that all decisions regarding the project must be approved by them (often more than one committee, actually) in order for designs, payments, and fabrications to move forward. More on the vicissitudes of committees later in the series under topics that start with the letter 'C'.

I am a firm believer in the premise that a city's public art collection should be as diverse as the community in which it is installed. There is room in the portfolio for traditional bronze statues and painted murals, as well as avant garde works of new media. Not everyone will like everything produced. Not even the administrators of the program responsible for their production. Some will enchant or perhaps even inspire. Others will only ever appear to be painfully rinky dink on a good day. Just as art in a gallery or museum will not be to everyone's taste, so it is in the public art domain as well. However, whereas style is expected to be subjective, the one facet of any piece that should never be compromised is that of the fabrication quality. Whatever the work of art happens to be, it must be well made. Otherwise, it will fall apart and look awful, making the surrounding area look woebegone, the city that funded it look foolish, and the organization that coordinated its production look pathetic. Artists whose works do not stand up to normal wear and tear in the public domain risk never being commissioned to make public art ever again, and rightfully so.

Next time, how the right public art in the proper context makes a city look awesome.

Street art in the CY

2011-11-19T07:45:00.001-06:00

Recycled glass street art in Cooper Young at Barksdale and York.

A is for Advocacy (...and Art, and Awesome)

2011-11-18T10:17:00.001-06:00

As promised, I begin my alphabetically engineered explanation of public art today, starting appropriately with the letter 'A', which in this post stands for Advocacy.

Before I begin, a brief note to say these posts will not be dissertations by any means, they will be journal entries focused on the broad strokes rather than a breakdown of all the minute details. If you find this information useful and want to learn more, schedule an appointment with me through my consulting firm, the Vita Brevis Arts Bureau, and we'll set up something official where your group will get the full benefit of all the in depth knowledge. With that established, let's get started!

First, let's define our terms: advocacy is the strategic making of your case within the realms of authority that affect your arts organization's future ability to produce its programs, impact its audiences, and fulfill its mission. Advocacy may take the form of a letter writing campaign, email blast bulletin, face to face meetings with local government officials, or any other means of making the value of your services known and appreciated to those who ultimately pull the purse strings. In some contexts advocacy may take the form of 'lobbying', while in others it may be more appropriately be couched as 'development', or 'communications'. Whatever the scenario may be, if your organization depends on outside funds not generated by in-house revenue generating activities, you will engage in advocacy in one form or another (most often several, simultaneously). If you do not have an advocacy plan you leave your survival up to chance, and it is more likely that when a crisis hits that you will fare poorly. For demonstration purposes, let's look at the model of a municipal 'percent for art' program dependent on a majority vote of a city council for its budget approval. If the vote goes your way, great! You've got funding to cover basic costs of producing public art for another yearly budget cycle. If not, you could be cooked, leaving projects half started or cancelled before they get off the ground, unable to pay staff to manage them. So, what do you do?

The short version (*Again, this is a VERY condensed synopsis):

1. Perform a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) of the situation at hand. Who on the deciding committee is likely to be on your side, who are not, where are the best chances to build support, what are the most likely obstacles to achieving your aim of funding approval? Develop a plan of action responding to each of the answers this analysis produces.

2. Research the players in the game. Speak to the common values shared amongst the various people responsible for deciding your program's funding future. Demonstrate how your work dovetails or compliments there own ideals and ambitions for the common good. In some cases you may need to emphasize the abstract 'art for art's sake' notions of intrinsic value, stressing the role of public art in strengthening the greater good through its enlightening effect on a civilized society. In others, you may need to emphasize the pragmatic value of public art in contributing to the 'curb appeal' of the city, enhancing the cultural vibrancy, attracting tourists, making the public domain an attractive for new businesses to relocate their employees for the heightened 'quality of life' public art infuses into the urban environment. In short, speak their language. Be an interpretative advocate for what public art can do for the city, its citizens, its visitors, and the person your about to convince to vote for your funding in the committee meeting coming up soon.

3. Rally the troops: This is where a strong communications strategy and tools to implement it come into play. Your organization should have developed a healthy following of social network participants by now. If you haven't this step will be harder to accomplish in a pinch, so get started now! The world has changed to an all digital information stream all the time kind of arena in which your message is competing for attention with a bazillion other social media outlets at any given moment. Your organization needs (at minimum): a Facebook page, a Twitter account linked to the Facebook page, and an email service account with the ability to build distribution lists of several hundred (ideally thousands) of individual email addresses each representing a unique user that has signed up to receive news bulletins about your organization's activities. I recommend Constant Contact. Once you have these in place, you have the means to communicate your advocacy needs to your legion of supporters, rallying them to echo your message demonstrating the value of your organization and the purpose of public art in general to the powers that be in charge of your funding's future. Compose a brief letter stating your case of no longer than 1 page (it won't be read otherwise), and send it to your local political leaders making the decisions via email. Send this same email letter (preferably including bullet points quoting the most up to date statistical data available reinforcing your assertion that your work provides a measurable impact) to those that are in the professional and social circles of those same leaders. Send the same letter to the constituents of their districts who you know have participated in producing your public art projects, as well as those community leaders whose work is ethically linked to your own, requesting they email, fax, and call their district leaders to make their support of your cause known, and to request their vote of approval for continued funding (or whatever the need may be). You should also adapt the letter into a press release and email it to your already prepared list of local media contacts in the press (especially print journalists). In this manner you are making a concerted effort to influence the 'influencers' of those in power responsible for deciding to fund your program, and your future as an organization.

This works, folks. I've done it successfully in various forms for various causes and organizations for years. That's all for today, but if you want to learn more (and there is indeed a LOT more to learn), contact me via Vita Brevis to schedule an appointment. Tomorrow, I'll continue with the letter 'A' and talk about the Art of public art, and how it makes life Awesome.

Be well,

John