Erin Gough

It has been an exciting few weeks for arts and arts education professionals and advocates in the nation’s capital.

After a week of activities hosted by the Arts Education Partnership, Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network, Emerging Arts Leaders at American University and Americans for the Arts’ State Arts Action Network, training for Arts Advocacy Day began on April 8 and we were off to the races to meet with our congressmen and women all day on April 9.

Quite honestly, by the time I headed home, I expected to be totally wiped out—overloaded with information and overwhelmed by the situation at hand. Instead, it felt like the more time I was able to spend with such passionate people, the more energized and inspired I became.

People do not work with students, schools, community organizations, or become advocates because they are passive. They do it because they see a need to ensure arts opportunities for all of America’s students, but they know that the annual Arts Advocacy Day activities are only a small part of the work that needs to be done.

Coming down to Washington to learn about and discuss federal issues is a change of pace for me, and for most of us who work at the state and local levels.

It is absolutely important to learn about, and try to influence, federal education issues that impact the arts such as the reauthorization status of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Delayed. Again. Still.), Race to the Top requirements (which require teacher effectiveness evaluations for all subjects, including the arts), and No Child Left Behind waivers (which allow for more flexibility at the state level to pursue changes in graduation requirements and assessments).

These issues are the hot topics in Washington, and are important, but they are implemented in our states, and in our districts. It is important to share the Arts Advocacy Day asks with your congressmen and women; but it is imperative that you remain active in your home district and state throughout the year as well.

The idea that all politics is local is more relevant now than ever. In fact, lately, inaction at the federal level has created a necessity for action at the state and local levels.

It is great to share the policy asks with the data and research that Americans for the Arts provides for advocates (it really is—view this year’s Congressional Handbook), but what they really need to hear are the stories about how these policies and the arts are impacting students and families in their home districts.

Earlier on ARTSblog, Charles Jensen wrote an excellent post about how the messaging and work of your own organizations is also an advocacy message. This is absolutely true.

Those who work in education, however, don’t often have such a naturally existing vehicle for messaging. Arts teachers in public schools don’t have a marketing budget. Where other arts organizations may structure their programming around what will bring in audiences and grow a reputation, arts educators work within the constraints of policy decisions that are made by individuals for whom the arts may not be a priority, or even on their radar.

Without collective and strategic action, arts education can be swept under the rug by policymakers in discussions about budgets and academic requirements. As many proclaimed throughout the week, “Arts education advocates must be AT the table before we end up ON it.”

For so long, the work of arts and arts education advocacy was the work of arts organizations. We had siloed ourselves off from the actual decision makers and spent our energy “preaching to the choir,” and then wondered what happened when new policies are enacted that didn’t benefit the arts. We often speak amongst ourselves talking about the benefits of arts education, but only share them with “others” when we’re playing defense.

In Pennsylvania, our Arts Education Network is housed and staffed by the Education Policy and Leadership Center. Because of this, the organizations and individuals who helped develop our policy inventory and policy agenda were those who knew, understood, and influenced how education policy was created and enacted. Their institutional knowledge helped to include arts education issues in the discussions that policymakers were already having, and has helped to grow an nontraditional network of support.

Yo-Yo Ma alluded to this in his Nancy Hanks Lecture on April 8 at the Kennedy Center. He spoke about how, at age 7, he was transfixed when Danny Kaye came down to the eye level to “meet at the crucial edge that divides adult and child.” Ma said he has continued to try to internalize that gesture and that attitude, to meet people at the edge that divides one person from another. (Read/see more on Yo-Yo Ma’s inspiring lecture from another ARTSblog post).

The idea that the arts can bridge divides is nothing new for arts educators. We’ve always known that the arts enhances understanding in all subjects—but now we need to apply it to our own work, to create and enhance relationship with crucial decision makers to better influence education policy at all levels, and at all times.

On a lighter note, arts advocates should be encouraged. We must be doing something right as we are now getting credit for the advocacy efforts of others.

Steven Dawson

Once again, the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium (EALS) at American University has proven to be a smashing success. The EALS is in its sixth year of existence. The event is an annual meeting of students and young professionals who work in the arts that is held at American University. As national partners with Americans for the Arts, EALS is the official kick off for Arts Advocacy Day, and is held the day before.

It is an opportunity to engage in quality discussion about issues, unique or universal, that affect arts organizations with students, peers, and experienced leaders in the field. Past keynote speakers have included Rachel Goslins, Ben Cameron, Bob Lynch, and Adrian Ellis. All symposium activities and planning is organized and executed by a selected committee of American University Arts Management students.

The framework of EALS 2013 was “Looking to the Horizon.” Each speaker and panel discussed the new and innovative strategies and ideas coming down the road in each of the topics addressed that day. These topics included international arts management, marketing, audience engagement, career advancement, innovative organization models, and fundraising.

As the Executive Chair, I am elated to report that EALS 2013 was by far the largest and most successful Symposium ever. Counting the speakers, attendees, staff, and volunteers, 225 people walked through the doors on Sunday, April 7. That proved to be well over double last year’s number, a record growth for the Symposium.

EALS also extended its reach throughout the country. Previous years saw attendees mostly from the surrounding DC metro area and within a few hours’ driving distance. EALS 2013, however, saw attendees from geographical locations spanning the entire east coast, the midwest, and as far west as Utah. What caused so many people from so many locales to flock to American University?

The EALS Executive Committee’s focus on quality programming. At the beginning of the planning process, the Executive Committee made the decision to host big names from the industry that have valuable knowledge and experience to share. Doing so would be a financial gamble, but they had faith that presenting the highest quality programming would pay for itself by attracting more attendees. They were right.

The morning began with opening remarks and a welcome from myself, and jumped right in to the opening keynote address by Karen Brooks Hopkins, the president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Since taking over as president of BAM in 1999, Hopkins has led the organization with stunning competency, riding the waves of financial and philanthropic ups and downs. The annual attendance has exploded, the budget has over doubled, and the organization’s endowment has almost tripled to over $80 million. Her address connected the ideas we were discussing at EALS 2013 with her real and successful organization. A perfect start to the day.

The attendees then split off, as they went to the morning breakout panel session of their choice. One morning panel was International Arts Management. In this panel, Gail Humphries Mardirosian (American University), Todd Dellinger (Rider University), Stacy White (US Dept. of State), and Arts Management professor Ximena Varela discussed the newest research and issues in this growing area of the arts.

The other morning panel, Marketing for Today’s Organizations, saw leading marketing specialists discuss new strategies, as well as multiple points of view on some hot topic issues, such as subscription plans. Panelists included JoAnn LaBrecque-French (The Washington Ballet), Jennifer Buzzell (Strathmore), Khady Kamara (Arena Stage), and American University Museum head curator Jack Rasmussen.

After a networking lunch, the attendees split again into their choice of three panels. One afternoon panel, Audience Engagement, discussed the importance of engaging audiences…not selling to them…and the strategies to do so. Those panelists included engagement experts Margy Waller (Topos Partnership), JR Russ (Dance Place), Alli Houseworth (Method 121), Doug Borwick (ArtsEngaged), and AU’s Ximena Varela.

The second afternoon panel provided attendees the opportunity to pick the minds of younger arts leaders about starting and advancing their careers in the Career Beginnings and Advancement panel. Panelists included Jojo Ruf (National New Play Network), Christopher K. Morgan (Christopher K. Morgan & Artists), Allison Peck (Freer|Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian), and AU’s Anne L’Ecuyer.

The Innovative Organization Models panel rounded out the afternoon selections. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about some of the most cutting edge organizations, and to pick the minds of the leaders of these organizations. Those leaders were Rachel Grossman (dog&pony DC), Thaddeus Squire (Culture Works Greater Philadelphia), Margaret Boozer (Red Dirt Studio), and AU professor Andrew Taylor.

After a coffee break, attendees headed into the Abramson Family Recital hall to attend a panel that discussed one of the most important parts of arts management, yet one of the most uncomfortable parts: Fundraising. Panelists, moderated by Andrew Taylor, included leading minds in the field: Barbara Ciconte (Donor Strategies), Kendall Ladd (Sitar Arts Center), Pete Miller (Local arts board member and philanthropist), and Russell Willis Taylor (National Arts Strategies)

The day was concluded with Aaron Dworkin’s closing keynote address. Dworkin is the founder and president of The Sphinx Organization, the leading organization focused on cultural diversity in the arts, and President Obama’s first ever appointee to the National Council for the Arts. His poignant and invigorating address discussed racial access to the fine arts, and how we as arts leaders must work to make the arts represent the true diversity that is the United States.

For more information on the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium, and to hear audio recordings of the conference, visit www.american.edu/cas/arts-management/eals/index.cfm. Podcasts are in the process, so they may not be up yet. Check back later this week to see if they are available!

Tim Mikulski

As I have been sitting back at my desk at Americans for the Arts this afternoon, I’ve had a hard time coming up with a way to describe what I experienced last night at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

It could be the lack of sleep, the lack of coffee, or the abundance of Twizzlers and Clif Bars I’ve eaten during and before Arts Advocacy Day 2013; but, I’m not convinced of that.

Watching Yo-Yo Ma’s combined lecture and performance of a speech called “Art for Life’s Sake: A Roadmap from One Citizen Musician” as our 26th annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy last night was priceless.

Not only did it feature eloquent points about the power of arts education and being a citizen musician, but it also featured memorable performances by jooker Lil’ Buck, bagpiper Cristina Pato, MusiCorps, and teaching artist Greg Loman and founder Arthur Bloom—two of which brought tears to the eyes of those around me in the Concert Hall.

Before I get too involved in describing it, I guess I should provide you with a chance to watch the entire event below or you can continue reading and click on the links to see the specific parts I point out as I attempt to capture the night to the best of my ability.

I’ll wait here while you watch…

Speaking of arts education, Ma explained that experts say there are four qualities needed in students and inside the current workforce: collaborative, flexible, imaginative, and innovative.

Ma said, “We know that our present educational system encourages knowledge acquisition and critical thinking, but what about these other qualities? How do we develop them?” He thinks the answers are in the arts through its integration into the entire school curricula.

Bringing a little science to the mix, Ma said that the “edge effect” is the point in ecology where “two eco-systems meet” and “in that transition zone, because of the influence the two ecological communities have on each other, you find the greatest diversity of life, as well as the greatest number of new life forms.”

He then went on to explain that this effect impacted his life as he initially balanced his immigration from Paris to New York City at the age of seven and then again in examples like the fact that he played at one of the first fundraisers for what would eventually become the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as a young child, too.

It was at that event that he met Danny Kaye who literally came down to his level in order to speak with the young cellist “in order to be an equal.” Ma said Kaye came to the edge of a child who was probably fairly uncomfortable and won him over.

Ma explained that since then he “subliminally internalized this gesture and attitude today” and has tried to apply that concept to everything he does—to meet people at eye level, at their edge that decides one person from another.”

Ma, Parto, & Lil’ Buck perform “The Swan”

At this point that he turned to his cello, invited dancer Lil’ Buck and pianist Cristina Pato to the stage for a performance that left the audience smiling and nodding in silence (minus a “wow!” or two that I could hear from my back row orchestra seat…Lil’ Buck formed a swan with his body to end the performance named after the bird!).

Ma returned to the main topic of “Arts for Life’s Sake” as he set up a performance that may stick with me for the rest of my life.

He began by saying that “musicians spend years learning technique, but the point of art is always to transcend technique. That’s when we get to meaning. We transcend technique in order to seek out the truths in our world in a way that gives meaning and sustenance to individuals and communities—that’s art for life’s sake.”

From there, Ma said he wanted to share with the audience an example of an artist responding to need in the form of Arthur Bloom, who developed MusiCorps which is a program that works with injured service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

I just had a chill even thinking about the stirring rendition of Levon Helm’s “Wide River to Cross” that followed. The song was emotionally performed by Specialist Nathan Kalwicki, Lance Corporal Josh Cawthorn, Sergeant Rex Tharp, Corporal Marcus Dandrea, Lance Corporal Tim Donley, and MusiCorps teaching artists Greg Loman and Arthur Bloom.

Lance Corporal Tim Donley raises his arm to the crowd after singing “Wide River to Cross.”

After the performance Ma returned to the “edge effect” stating that “as music therapists know, by combining two things many don’t usually associate (music and healthcare), Arthur has discovered a new path for healing for these veterans. And, as Arthur explains, this real work, discipline, and rigor. You can see for yourselves the transformative power of what the veterans are doing when Lance Corporal Tim Donley, who says so beautifully at age 21 that he feels blessed to have found two great loves in his life. First, the marines and now, music.”

Ma went on to discuss his arts education work through his own Silk Road Project and the Turnaround Arts initiative, and the importance of including the arts in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) learning.

He concluded with a performance of Sarabande by Bach from the Sixth Suite for Solo Cello.

While the event came at the end of our training sessions for Arts Advocacy Day the next day, everyone in the Hall felt that the impact of Yo-Yo Ma’s lecture will likely live on well beyond as more of us take the time to appreciate, participate in, and cherish “Art for Life’s Sake.”

Charles Jensen

This week, hundreds of advocates are gathering in and around Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to communicate to our national elected officials the value and impact of the arts on local communities, on families, on individual lives.

This is an important day, not just for the arts community, not just for our Senators and Representatives, but for the people served by us, those who cannot be in Washington having these conversations.

I’ve worked within and outside of advocacy over the course of my career in the arts, so I understand why arts administrators are willing to make the commitment to travel to Washington, or even to their own state legislature, to promote the value of the arts. I know there is confusion about what roles arts nonprofit staff can take in the name of “advocacy” without jeopardizing their 501(c)(3) status with the IRS.

And I know our arts leadership, those most likely to speak with legislators, are also our busiest, most called-upon experts, and often feel that devoting several days to the work of advocacy is the best they can do under their current circumstances.

But, friends, it’s not all. The work happening in Washington this week is the chorus of the song we sing all year long: the arts build communities. The arts turn around lives. The arts stimulate the economy. 

Over the last several years, it’s been an urgent chorus, one we can’t let ourselves stop singing. While it’s true that responding to threats to arts and culture funding, unfavorable legislation, or moves to otherwise impede our ability to serve our communities is a true emergency, it is about 5% of work we need done. Let me say it again: it’s a critical 5%. But it’s 5%.

The real work of advocacy—to extend the metaphor, the verses of our song—is already happening, every day, in each of our organizations. It’s happening on Facebook and Twitter, when your staff answer phones, when the curtains go up or the lights come down or the performers take their places or the doors open or the first words are sung or spoken. It’s happening when your patron or audience member has a positive interaction with a member of your staff.

We cannot discount the enduring value of positive, consistent, and targeted messages about the effectiveness of our organizations. When your staff members sit down to write grants to funders and have to quantify the impact you have in terms of attendance or people served or lives changed—that’s an advocacy message.

When marketing departments send a press release to celebrate an award their dance company just received—that’s an advocacy message.

When, at my job at Arts for LA, I interview the largest classical radio station in California about their new mobile applications that widen the audience for classical music, that’s an advocacy message.

The real work of advocacy—and, from my perspective, the most important—involves the choices we make every day to contribute to that ambient messaging about the arts. Ambient messaging happens whether we like it or not—consider how your staff reacts when an audience member posts a negative review of your show on Facebook—but it is not outside our influence.

We cannot control ambient messaging, but we can contribute to it and, with a growing chorus of voices, establish the dominant melody.

To take that metaphor another step further, as advocates, we want our messages to ring true for the audiences that hear them. One way we can do this is by making them familiar. One of the most positive outcomes of an advocacy message, when delivered to a decision maker, is “I think I’ve heard something about that before.” It means they’re listening. And it means they remember.

One method arts organizations can use to strengthen their message is to “de-silo” their information. A lot of quantitative data ends up with the fundraisers and grantwriters, while a lot of qualitative expressions end up with the marketers and communication staff. Let these groups exchange information and use it to craft stronger messages about the impact your organization has in the community.

If every organization works to push out messages about their own impact, these voices will gather locally and create that ambient effect. And as the voices rise up, to the county and state levels, and then nationally, what a chorus we’ll be, then. Articulate, passionate, and effective.

And when our advocates appear in the doorways of our elected officials, their words, they’ll ring true—familiar, a melody those decision makers have heard before.

Julie Hawkins

Why advocate for public funding of the arts?

It’s a question I’ve never really asked myself, because it’s always been valuable to me.

I grew up in North Carolina during the height of the “Culture Wars.” The summer after my junior year of college I interned in the budget office of the National Endowment for the Arts. One of the highlights of the internship program was a meeting with your U.S. Senators.

Thus it was that in 1993, at the ripe old age of 21 and full of piss* and vinegar, I got to meet the Hon. Jesse Helms and his staff to make my case for government support of the arts. I learned a lot about government and the arts that summer, and some of that piss and vinegar still fuels my passion for arts advocacy today.

I know that answering the question of why we should advocate for public funding is not easy, though, because if it were we’d see many more people engaging in it every hour of every day.

And to be perfectly honest, though arts advocacy and public funding are deeply held values of mine, I’ve still encountered moments where I wonder if it’s working and if it’s worth it, particularly in a period of time when we’ve experienced some substantial reductions to public funding for the arts.  

I temper those thoughts by remembering lessons from “The Elusive Craft of Evaluating Advocacy” (Teles and Schmitt 2011), one of which suggests that the successful outcomes of advocacy shouldn’t be measured by direct effects alone (Did the bill pass? Was the funding increased?).

With that in mind, let’s consider why else we should advocate for public funding of the arts. The most common reasons I hear in this regard are two that you are no doubt quite familiar with. Maybe you’ve used them yourself:

1. Public funding is one of the few available sources of general operating support.

2. Public funding leverages other sources of support by functioning as a ‘seal of approval,’ demonstrating to others the value and excellence of our work.

While I think these statements are good ones, I don’t think they are why we should advocate for public funding of the arts. They take into account some benefits of public funding, but don’t recognize the broader impact of advocacy beyond financial support for any single organization or artist.

When we widen the perspective of what constitutes success, thinking about what successful advocacy means not just for single organizations or artists but for our field, our communities, and our country, other benefits that matter emerge, too.

It’s been suggested to me that a cost-benefit analysis of advocacy for public funding simply doesn’t work, because we invest far more time and energy in advocacy than we see returned in actual dollars and cents, given that public funding is such a small part of the current funding mix, at nearly 7% of an arts organization’s annual revenue (NEA 2012).

So why does it matter that we engage consistently and for the long haul in advocacy for public funding of the arts? Through my experiences I’ve come to recognize three reasons beyond the value of the dollar.

First, engaging in advocacy builds stronger organizations. I know frustrated arts employees whose supervisors don’t allow them to participate in advocacy during work hours, because it’s not a part of their job description and there are more immediate, pressing demands. I have even spoken with people who have to use vacation time to support their vocation.

Yet, we also know that the highest-performing nonprofits are those who engage in a dual role of advocacy and program delivery (Crutchfield and Grant 2007), because their work on the ground informs the policy changes needed to make that work more successful, and their advocacy enables those policy changes to occur.

If we don’t encourage—even require—our own workforce to participate in advocacy, then, we’re short-changing both the field and the communities in which we work by failing to create and leverage opportunities to change policy in ways that would enable our practices to further deepen their impact.

Engaging in advocacy for public funding isn’t just about balancing a budget. It’s about what a grant enables in terms of an organization’s impact in its community, and about what other policy changes we advocate for as a result of that work.

Second, those of us who already believe in the value of the arts are often frustrated by what we see as a lack of support for the arts among the general public. How can we change this attitude? The same way other issue groups do—through advocacy.

We should consider events like National Arts Advocacy Day to not only be an effort to increase NEA or other government funding, but to be a moment, once a year, that we all come together to change the broader public perception and understanding of the value and impact of the arts.

I don’t have room to share the whole story here, but I encourage you to check out the Artistic Rebuttal Project for a great example of this.

Third, other countries that previously enjoyed strong government support for the arts have in recent years been rocked by deep cuts to government arts funding, the Netherlands, England, and Portugal among them. In my former role at the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, we were approached by a group in England looking to us for models of how to make the case and advocate for restoring government funding. What kind of signal are we sending to our international peers if we don’t do everything we can to advance arts advocacy here in America?

In sum, I believe we should take the bigger picture into account when considering why we advocate for public funding of the arts. When we do, it becomes clear that doing so enables us to advance important efforts like building higher-impact organizations, changing public perception of the value of the arts, and supporting international efforts to advance the arts.

Do any of these reasons strike a chord for you? I’d love to know, and to learn about other benefits you see resulting from advocacy for public funding of the arts, too. Leave a note below, or better yet, come see me if you’re in D.C. for Arts Advocacy Day.

(*pun intended)

Sources:

Crutchfield, Leslie and Heather McLeod Grant. “Advocate and Serve.” Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits. Jossey-Bass (2007). Chapter 2: 30-54.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). How the United States Funds the Arts. Third Edition, November 2012.

Teles, Stephen and Mark Schmitt. The Elusive Craft of Evaluating Advocacy.Stanford Social Innovation Review. (May 2011)

Tim Mikulski

As Congress returns to work in Washington, DC, this week they will face more than just angry tourists who came to see the not-quite-in-bloom cherry blossoms.

Today, advocates are receiving training from experts and tomorrow 500 arts advocates from across the country (and even Japan!) will take to the Hill on behalf of their local arts and arts education programs.

The good news is that you don’t have to be here to participate (although we’d love you to come next year!). In fact, you can pick and choose your ways to support the arts over the next two days.

1. Send a letter to your member of Congress! Head over to our Action Center and send an email stating your case for funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, arts education programs at the U.S. Department of Education, and encouraging their participation in the House Arts and STEAM Caucuses.

2. Watch the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts & Public Policy live online! At 6:30 p.m. EDT join us live as we stream Yo-Yo Ma’s lecture and performance tonight via our YouTube channel. You won’t want to miss his inspiring story!  

3. Check out our revised Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2013! Our data guru, Randy Cohen, has authored a new list of reasons to support the arts. You can even download a PDF copy to bring to your next advocacy meeting.

4. Join a Google Hangout with Yo-Yo Ma, Matt Sorum, Damien Woetzel, and Lisa Phillips! Tomorrow morning (April 9) at 10:30 a.m. EDT join our own President & CEO Robert Lynch for a moderated discussion about arts and arts education. You can participate via Google+ or YouTube!

5. Read our Arts Education Navigator: Facts & Figures and Arts Education Field Guide resources! These two documents provide the reader with statistics supporting the need for arts education in schools and the ecosystem of players, partners, and policymakers involved in arts education.

Be sure to return to ARTSblog periodically over the next several days as more content about Arts Advocacy Day 2013 is published!

Raynel Frazier

It used to be that the success of arts marketers was dependent on how well they could predict the future and then pray for success. But those days are over.

Today, arts marketers can rely on data analysis and market research to make well-thought-out strategic decisions.

I, for one, am glad that marketers no longer have to rely on future telling because marketing is an essential part of the arts experience. As a jazz trombonist, I had to learn how to market myself to land gigs and then market my gigs so that people would come to them. Arts organizations have to do the same. But they must market their organization as well as individual performances.

Several years ago Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) ran an institutional marketing campaign with the theme “BAM and then it hits you.” The message they conveyed was that the experience at BAM lingered long after you left. This campaign excited people about BAM as an entire organization, as opposed to a singular performance.

There are countless other examples of successful marketing campaigns in the arts. As emerging arts leaders I think it is essential we pay attention to trends in marketing. What are the latest trends in arts marketing? How do arts marketers use data analysis and market research to make strategic decisions? What type of programming is becoming most difficult to market? There is an endless amount of questions we can ask. 

This Sunday (April 7) the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium at American University will feature a panel discussion to answer these marketing questions and more.

What questions do you have about arts marketing today? Ask away in the comments below and we’ll see if we can get answers from the panel!

The panelists for the Marketing Trends panel include:

Jennifer Buzzell is the Vice President for Marketing and Communications at Strathmore, a multi-disciplinary arts center in North Bethesda, MD. Accomplishments at Strathmore include leading the efforts to be the first arts organization in the D.C. area to allow patrons to select their exact seats online; starting an innovative grass-roots and guerilla marketing program that reaches out to sell tickets and raise awareness through non-traditional means; spearheading the efforts with the Strathmore staff to have Strathmore branded as a leader in customer service for the arts in the D.C. area by not charging customers separately for parking and ticketing fees and allowing all patrons to exchange concert tickets; and moving from a subscription-based sales model to a single ticket/membership based sales model (Strathmore Stars).

JoAnn LaBrecque-French is currently Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for The Washington Ballet. Her extensive background in performing arts includes working as the Director of Marketing and Communications for Washington National Opera; Director of Marketing and Communications for Houston Grand Opera; and Public Relations Manager of Los Angeles Opera. Her expertise encompasses traditional and nontraditional marketing, communications, and advertising with an emphasis in branding, positioning, media and community partnerships, website development, and incorporating electronic and social media and community outreach into comprehensive and multidimensional external institutional campaigns.

Khady Kamara joined the Arena Stage in 2001 and has been an integral member of the communications team through her work as the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications. Under her leadership, Arena’s sales team repeatedly broke box office sales records for a number of shows, including South Pacific, Sophisticated Ladies, Oklahoma!, and Red. During Ms. Kamara’s tenure, group sales revenue has more than doubled in scope and range of audiences reached. She also pioneered unprecedented efforts to maximize donations with single ticket purchases.

Jack Rasmussen (Moderator) is the Director and Curator of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. He previously held Executive Director positions at di Rosa Preserve: Art & Nature, Maryland Art Place, and Rockville Arts Place. He was the owner and director of Jack Rasmussen Gallery in Washington, DC. More information can be found on his blog.

Please join us at the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium, coming up on April 7 in Washington, DC (just before Arts Advocacy Day)! Spend a whole day with other amazing arts managers—hear from great speakers, share your knowledge, and learn something new. Also, be sure to like and follow EALS on Facebook and Twitter for new announcements and symposium news.

Yo-Yo Ma (Photo by Todd Rosenberg)

Have you ever chatted with someone about the importance of the arts in our schools? Would you like the chance to discuss it with Yo-Yo Ma?

Yo-Yo Ma will deliver the 26th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy on April 8 at 6:30 p.m. EDT and, for the first time, Americans for the Arts will stream the event live from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (courtesy of Google), so you can watch regardless of whether or not you made it to National Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC.

Drawing on his training as a musician and what he has learned traveling the world for more than 30 years as a touring performer, Ma will discuss where in nature, society, and human interactions we can find the greatest creativity, and what we can all do to help students grow up to be contributing and committed citizens.

And, if you have a burning question that arises during the lecture, you can ask Yo-Yo the next day. On April 9, Yo-Yo will take a break from his Arts Advocacy Day visits with members of Congress to participate in a Google Hangout video chat about arts education with Matt Sorum (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame drummer for Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, Co-Founder of Adopt the Arts in California); Damian Woetzel (Former Principal Dancer at New York City Ballet and the director of the Aspen Institute Arts Program); Lisa Phillips (Author of The Artistic Edge and CEO of Canada’s Academy of Stage and Studio Arts); and, Bob Lynch (President & CEO of Americans for the Arts).

We’ll be collecting questions before the Hangout via Twitter and email. You can either tweet using #AskYoYo or send an email to artseducation@artsusa.org with #AskYoYo in the subject line and your question in the body. We’ll take questions anytime from now until the Hangout. 

During the Hangout, our panelists will discuss why they believe arts education is important and Bob Lynch will ask questions collected via Twitter and email for our panelists. To watch just visit our YouTube page on April 9 at 10:30 a.m. EDT.

And just in case you weren’t aware that Yo-Yo Ma’s arts education chops are just as fierce as his bowing skills, here are a few highlights of his work in arts education:

• He formed the Silk Road Project with other musicians from around the world, and the project’s education programs are affiliated with Harvard University, exploring connections between the arts and academics.

• He was appointed by President Obama to serve on the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, where he is actively involved in the Turnaround Arts initiative. Turnaround Arts provides a number of resources and strategies to enhance arts education in eight schools from across the country over a two-year period.

So bring on the arts education questions with #AskYoYo!

You can also participate in Arts Advocacy Day from home on April 8 & 9 by using #AAD2013 in your tweets. Feel free to cheer on arts advocates descending on Capitol Hill or tweet at your members of Congress to support the arts!

Shannon Musgrave

Washington, DC is full of young, ambitious, up and coming leaders—politicos, entrepreneurs, engineers, and of course, those of us in the arts. We live in an exciting time and as we prepare to dive into the working world, we are faced with some unique challenges. But we are young and energetic and up to the task.

One universal challenge emerging leaders face in every field is the evolution of the ever expanding “work day.” Gone are the days of a typical 9 to 5. (Though, did they ever really exist in the arts?)

In this iPhone, iPad, Blackberry world, we are continually and constantly connected. Emails are sent and expected to be read at any and all hours. Tweets and Facebook comments don’t take the night off. We are embarking on a career world that never stops and rarely sleeps.

And how does one break into this world?

Ah yes. The internship.

Internships have the potential to be great career launchers. They also have the potential to become traps. All work and no pay makes Jane a tired intern.

The New York Times recently published an article detailing the struggles of many 20-somethings—“a population historically exploitable as cheap labor”—as they learn that “long hours and low pay go hand in hand with the creative class.” 

But the good news is, it feeds us (although it may be just ramen noodles at first). We in the arts get the extra perk of our work feeding our souls. It’s why we do it. And it’s an exciting time to dive in.

The Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium at American University on April 7 will feature a panel discussion on career beginnings and advancement. Come get in on the discussion!

Panelists include:

Jojo Ruf – National New Play Network: Jojo Ruf is the General Manager of the National New Play Network, an alliance of 47 nonprofit theaters across the U.S. that champions the development, production and continued life of new plays.  Jojo is also the Coordinating Producer for the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics at Georgetown University, an Associate Producer for the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival, a freelance writer for theatreWashington, and works as a Teaching Artist for Ford’s Theatre.

Christopher K. Morgan – Christopher K. Morgan & Artists: Christopher K. Morgan is Artistic Director of Washington DC area contemporary dance company Christopher K. Morgan & Artists, the Artist in Residence in the Dance Program at American University and the Director of the Dance Omi International Dance Collective, an annual residency for choreographers in New York.  All of his work stems from a belief in the urgency of live performance in an increasingly isolating, commercial, and digital world.

Allison Peck – Freer-Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian Institution: Allison Peck is the Head of Public Affairs and Marketing for the Freer|Sackler, the Smithsonian’s museums of Asian art in Washington, D.C., where she oversees all strategic marketing, public communications, media relations and advertising for the museums’ exhibitions and programs.  She has a professional background in project management, and has worked in communications for a variety of non-profits, including museums, art dealers, and social service providers.

Moderator:

Anne L’Ecuyer – American University: Anne L’Ecuyer is a writer and a consultant who stays closely connected to an international network of city leaders, cultural professionals, and individual artists. She is an expert in creative industries and cultural tourism, as well as the contributions of the arts toward educational, social, and environmental goals in communities throughout the United States. Anne previously served as Associate Vice President for Field Services at Americans for the Arts and is the author of Public Funding for the Arts at the Local Level. She owns and operates the Washington Writer’s Retreat, a private writing and research residency in the nation’s capital.

Please join us at the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium, coming up on April 7 in Washington, DC (just before Arts Advocacy Day)! Spend a whole day with other amazing arts managers—hear from great speakers, share your knowledge, and learn something new. Also, be sure to like and follow EALS on Facebook and Twitter for new announcements and symposium news.

Steven Dawson

What happens when an arts organization’s business model no longer works?

Well, as with the metaphor of the shark, it must continue to move forward or it will die.

For decades, the arts organization model has remained largely unchallenged, because there was no reason to challenge it. It almost served as a microcosm of “The American Dream.”

Everyone wanted to start their own organization, and the great entrepreneurial spirit in the United States created a thriving environment for this mindset. Margo Jones, one of the regional theatre pioneers in the 1950s, supported the idea, saying “What our country needs today, theatrically speaking, is a resident professional theatre in every city with a population over one hundred thousand.”

However, as Rocco Landesman so famously said, audiences have begun to dwindle while the number of organizations continues to rise, and there should be fewer arts organizations. I am in no way saying that some organizations should just close up shop so that another can benefit. But this is definitely something to think about.

There are only so many contributed dollars out there for the arts. This trend of continued marketplace crowding will eventually lead to organizations relying quite heavily on earned income to meet budget. And as I mentioned a few weeks ago, many organizations must keep prices low (affordable) in order to fulfill their missions. Put those two factors together, and it doesn’t add up to success. 

But some organizations are creating their own remedy for the situation. Program partnerships between organizations with similar missions are sprouting up all over, and outright mergers are becoming less and less surprising.

Noted thought leader in organization business models, Andrew Taylor, also preaches that not every great idea warrants its own non-profit organization. (Check out his fantastic presentation on the topic on the Fractured Atlas Blog.)

On top of that, Marilyn Struthers notes that foundations and other funders are no longer interested in funding “stability” and are now interested in funding “flexibility” in arts organizations. My own experience writing grant proposals in the past year supports this. Every proposal instruction packet specifically asked how the organization could handle changes.

We must be open to changing our thinking about the arts business model in order to continue the success of arts organizations in the United States.

The New/Innovative Organization Models panel at the 6th annual Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium at American University on April 7 is a fantastic opportunity to discuss what’s next for the arts business model. You can join some of the greatest leaders in the topic for an intimate conversation. Those panelists include:

Thaddeus Squire – Culture Works Greater Philadelphia: Squire has been hailed as a “visionary” voice in the contemporary arts by David Patrick Stearns of The Philadelphia Inquirer, and in 2011 was named one of Philadelphia’s top 76 “Creative Connectors” by Leadership Philadelphia. He has also received Philadelphia City Paper’s “Big Vision Issue Choice Awards ‘09” for his work as originator and producer of Hidden City Philadelphia. He is a curator, consultant, writer, and producer. In 2005, he founded Peregrine Arts, which served the fine and performing arts, and history/heritage fields with integrated creative, management, and audience engagement services. In early 2010, Mr. Squire retired the Peregrine brand to create two new organizations: Hidden City Philadelphia and CultureWorks Greater Philadelphia, the latter of which will continue Peregrine’s consulting and management work.

Rachel Grossman – dog&pony DC: Grossman is a performing artist, administrator, and producer working in non-profit arts, education, and community program management in the Washington, DC area. Rachel spent two years at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company launching their “connectivity” innovation and serving as the company’s first Connectivity Director. She spent four seasons as the Director of Education & Outreach at Round House Theatre and prior to that she managed programming in the education and community programs departments at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, Arena Stage, and CENTERSTAGE (Baltimore, MD). She was an Associate Producer for the 2010 Source Festival, focusing on Literary Management and Casting, and also spent a few years producing with eXtreme eXchange. Rachel is a former member of Referendum: Political Arts Collective, performed with DC Playback Theatre, and adjudicated with the Helen Hayes Awards. Rachel served on the Interactivity Foundation’s Arts & Society panel, exploring the arts and public policy.

Margaret Boozer – Red Dirt Studio: Boozer lives and works in the Washington, DC metro area. Her work is included in the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Museum of the City of New York, The US Department of State, The Wilson Building Public Art collection and in many private collections. Boozer taught for ten years at the Corcoran College of Art and Design before founding Red Dirt Studio in Mt. Rainier, MD where she directs a ceramics and sculpture seminar. Her Red Dirt Seminar is a graduate school with no grades. It’s a sculpture studio with a taste for ceramics. It’s a collective work environment with shared resources. It’s a critique group.  It’s a business-of-art incubator.  It’s an exhibition space, a workspace for visiting artists, and on random Friday afternoons, the site of spirited art discussions with interesting visitors.  At its core, Red Dirt is about what can happen with the coming-together of talented, smart and curious people, working toward greater accomplishment in their professional practice.  It’s about drawing on the resources of artistic community, and at the same time giving back.

Moderator – Andrew Taylor: E. Andrew Taylor is an Assistant Professor in the Arts Management Program at American University, exploring the intersection of arts, culture, and business. An author, lecturer, and researcher on a broad range of arts management issues, Andrew has also served as a consultant to arts organizations and cultural initiatives throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Overture Center for the Arts, American Ballet Theatre, Create Austin, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, among others. Prior to joining the AU faculty, Andrew served as Director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration in the Wisconsin School of Business for over a decade. Andrew is past president of the Association of Arts Administration Educators, and is a consulting editor both for The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society and for Artivate, a journal for arts entrepreneurship. Since July 2003, he has written a popular weblog on the business of arts and culture, “The Artful Manager,” hosted by ArtsJournal.com.

Please join us at the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium, coming up on April 7 in Washington, DC (just before Arts Advocacy Day)! Spend a whole day with other amazing arts managers—hear from great speakers, share your knowledge, and learn something new. Also, be sure to like and follow EALS on Facebook and Twitter for new announcements and symposium news.

Even the staunchest supporters of a tight fiscal policy believe in the value of arts education. In this new video, Senior Director of Federal Affairs and Arts Education Narric Rome provides a quick snapshot of the importance of federal arts education advocacy:

Arts Advocacy Day will take place April 8—9 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park and the Cannon House Office Building on Capital Hill.

In addition, the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy will be an inspiring speech and performance by Grammy Award®-winning musician Yo-Yo Ma at The Kennedy Center at 6:30 p.m. on April 8. Tickets are included for Arts Advocacy Day participants and are still available to the public.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to add your voice to the chorus of those asking Congress to support the arts and arts education!

Joshua Midgett

The expansion of marketplaces from local to global is rapid. As technology continues to evolve and the world ‘shrinks’, cross-cultural exchange and appreciation are vital to the success of an individual in any field. It is especially significant in the field of the arts, where so often culture finds its voice.

In a field where planning is already a difficult task, it is significant to discuss this expansion of perspective. The international aspects of audience, cooperation, cultural differences, and philanthropy add an extra piece or pieces to the organizational puzzle. This new challenge has not gone unnoticed by the arts management community.

Here at American University, a new Certificate in International Arts Management has been recently unveiled. Nearby, the Kennedy Center has been working with and training international arts managers since 2008.

Programs across the country are beginning take notice, and if entire degrees aren’t dedicated to the topic, many classes will be. While this field is as young as the technology that is accelerating its development, there is little doubt that it will soon be an integral part of any arts management training. 

The growth of audience and competition along with the decline of government support in many areas only cements the necessity of strong foreign relationships and understandings, which can be utilized as precious resources moving forward.

Questions in this arena often include:

How are organizations abroad approaching challenges differently?

Where and how are they succeeding?

What can we learn from one another?

How do we represent our cultural interests while present the ideas of others? Are there projects that might benefit from international exchange?

There is an opportunity to join a panel of experts in discussing answers to these questions and more while sharing experiences in this increasingly important field on April 7 at the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium in Washington, DC.

The panelists include:

• Todd Dellinger – Rider University: Dellinger is Coordinator of the Arts Administration Center at Rider University, near Princeton, where he also is Assistant Professor of Arts Administration for Rider’s rapidly growing undergraduate program, the curriculum for which he has recently revised.  His scholarship while at Rider has focused largely on a multi-year study of “Arts In Transition” in various global regions of dramatic socio-political and/or economic change. His first (current) phase of exploration is the former Eastern Bloc, most recently in the Czech Republic. Prior, Mr Dellinger served as Executive Director of the historic Martha Graham Dance Company and School, also establishing the Martha Graham Trust and Foundation out of the Martha Graham estate while revitalizing the company’s European and American Touring and, in 1998, returning it to the New York stage following a five-year absence.
• Stacy White – U.S. Department of State: Stacy White is the Cultural Programs Division Chief in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) at the U.S. Department of State.  Her division develops, coordinates and directs the implementation of cultural exchange programs in the arts and humanities worldwide in support of U.S. foreign policy objectives. Stacy joined U.S. government diplomatic service in 1988. During her twenty-four year diplomatic career she has served in a variety of cultural, press and public affairs positions at U.S. embassies in Canada, Finland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and Panama.  Past assignments in Washington include a stint at the State Department’s Foreign Service Training Institute training fellow officers in public affairs work and two years in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs supporting U.S. Missions in Mexico and Canada with their public diplomacy activities.
• Gail Humphries-Mardirosian – American University: Gail Mardirosian spent the 2008-09 AY as a Fulbright Senior Scholar in Prague, CZ, at the Academy of Performing Arts and writing book entitled Exceptional Teaching, Exceptional Learning: Using the Arts as a Pathway to Success in Learning, K-16. Current research areas include the arts and globalization as well as arts education. Recent and past awards include the University Award for Outstanding Service, the Alpha Chi Omega Award and College of Arts and Science Award for Outstanding teaching. Directing includes 106 productions to date including dramas, musicals, children’s theatre, new works and the classics.
• Moderator – Ximena Varela – American University: Ximena Varela is a researcher, educator, and consultant with more than 20 years of experience in international cultural policy, management practice, marketing strategy, arts management research, and sustainable development. She has worked with and advised international organizations, national and regional governments, city agencies, as well as private and nonprofit organizations in arts funding and arts policy. Currently, she chairs the Research Council of the Association of Arts Administration Educators, and has been a board member of the Latin American Institute of Museums since 2000.

Please join us at the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium, coming up on April 7 in Washington, DC (just before Arts Advocacy Day)! Spend a whole day with other amazing arts managers—hear from great speakers, share your knowledge, and learn something new. Also, be sure to like and follow EALS on Facebook and Twitter for new announcements and symposium news.

Gladstone Payton

As you have no doubt been following in the headlines, specific parts of the federal budget, including that of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), have been impacted by a budgetary control called “sequestration” beginning last Friday.

This sequester, totaling $85 billion, will reduce funding to almost all areas of domestic social programs by about 5 percent, which would mean about $7.3 million at the NEA.

This cut has been expected ever since the congressional “supercommittee” of 2011 failed to find agreement on how to achieve $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years, either through spending cuts, raising revenue, or by a combination of both.

Since the possibility of the sequester was triggered, the White House’s Office of Management & Budget has alerted impacted federal agencies to prepare for it by withholding grant competitions, utilizing employee furloughs, reduced service, and other budget cutting actions.

Because the sequester is an “across-the-board” cut to federal agencies, it reaches indiscriminately into every identified program and activity.

The NEA, the U.S. Department of Education (which administers the federal Arts in Education program) and many other cultural agencies such as the Smithsonian, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and others were forced to order these cuts by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 1. 

As detailed in this document, the 5 percent cuts (rounded to the nearest million) amounted to $7 million for the NEA and National Endowment for the Humanities; $12 million for IMLS; $22 million for CPB; and $51 million for the Smithsonian.

This is just another step in a series of spending showdowns. Looking ahead to the rest of the month, Congress will need to address the unfinished business of FY 2013 which is set to expire on March 27. At the time of this posting, the House was preparing a measure that would provide funding for the rest of the fiscal year.

As details about implementation of these cuts or alternatives to reduce the sequester’s impact on future budget negotiations become available, we will be sure to share this information.

This year, national Arts Advocacy Day (April 8-9) will take place during a very critical time frame. It is imperative that arts supporters participate as it will be the largest arts advocacy convening of the year. Register now to ensure that your voice will be heard on Capitol Hill!

Steven Dawson

Regardless of the organizations mission, values, programs, etc., what is the ONE common factor that is needed to execute an organization’s purpose?

Money!

As much as we dislike connecting our important work to the dollar, the simple fact is that without it, we cannot pay our staffs, purchase materials, and pay the electric bills…and thus provide our services.

So there we have it, we must have funds to fulfill our missions. However, unless you are the lucky few, earned income doesn’t even come close to covering your budget. So to take the statement even further; we must have CONTRIBUTED funds to fulfill our missions.

Now with the sequestration set to go into effect, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) budget will be cut by 5%, or $7.3 million, and grants will decrease. (But let’s be honest, NEA funds have really just become a stamp of approval…and important stamp, that is…rather than actual difference-making funds).

Foundations are changing the focus of how and what they fund. And corporate philanthropy, while rebounding, will not cover the balance. So, lets take that earlier statement even deeper. We must have INDIVIDUAL contributed funds to fulfill our missions.

This can be a problem, though, because this all important aspect of nonprofit management is most likely the most uncomfortable aspect of nonprofit management. It is just human nature to avoid asking for money, even from people you know. 

But proper cultivation, care for the mission, and honest inclusion in the organization (letters, tours, meetings, asking for advice, etc.) makes the potential donor WANT to give to the organization.

This is all a team effort, though. It should include multiple levels of staff and board members. (I won’t get into the role of the board in fundraising…that is a whole other topic for another post. But I do encourage you to check out the nine things a board can do in fundraising.)

On April 7, you have an amazing opportunity to discuss this all important topic with leaders in the field. The Fundraising and Development panel at the 6th Annual Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium will provide the chance to ask your questions and pick their minds.

The Fundraising and Development panel will include:

Russell Willis Taylor – National Arts Strategies: Russell Willis Taylor, President and CEO of National Arts Strategies since January 2001, has extensive senior experience in strategic business planning, financial analysis and planning, and all areas of operational management. Educated in England and America, she served as director of development for the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art before returning to England in 1984 at the invitation of the English National Opera (ENO) to establish the Company’s first fund-raising department.

Barbara Ciconte – Donor Strategies, Inc.: For thirty years, Barbara L. Ciconte, CFRE, has helped nonprofits think strategically and work smarter.  She has experience in all facets of nonprofit management and resource development. Barbara has worked with local, regional, and national organizations in strategic planning and assisted them in building more effective resource development programs in annual, capital and endowment giving, major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, chapter/affiliate relations and special events.

Pete Miller – DC area arts donor: Pete became an enthusiastic playgoer after a high school class brought him to the Folger Library to see a production of Love’s Labours Lost. He continued to see a lot of DC theater while working for KPMG for four years, during which time he moved into the District. He worked for AOL for eleven years, mostly in network operations, at the same time working his way up within Woolly Mammoth from volunteer usher to board member.  With his long time partner Sara, he co-chaired the Breaking New Ground capital campaign. Pete averages around 100 evenings of theater per year. In addition to volunteering for Woolly, Pete also works on a volunteer and occasionally paid basis with a number of other DC area arts organizations.

Kendall Ladd – Sitar Arts Center: Kendall Ladd currently serves as the Donor Relations Manager at Sitar Arts Center and works on individual giving & stewardship, events, and grant programs. Sitar Arts Center provides needed arts education opportunities for disadvantaged children & youth in the District. In addition, Kendall has served as a consultant with the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative. She holds an MA in Arts Management from American University and a BA in Studio Art from Columbia College.

Andrew Taylor – American University: E. Andrew Taylor is an Assistant Professor in the Arts Management Program, exploring the intersection of arts, culture, and business. An author, lecturer, and researcher on a broad range of arts management issues, Andrew has also served as a consultant to arts organizations and cultural initiatives throughout the U.S. and Canada, including Overture Center for the Arts, American Ballet Theatre, Create Austin, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, among others. Prior to joining the AU faculty, Andrew served as Director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration in the Wisconsin School of Business for over a decade. Andrew is past president of the Association of Arts Administration Educators, and is a consulting editor both for The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society and for Artivate, a journal for arts entrepreneurship. Since July 2003, he has written a popular weblog on the business of arts and culture, “The Artful Manager,” hosted by ArtsJournal.com (www.artfulmanager.com).

Please join us at the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium, coming up on April 7 in Washington, DC (just before Arts Advocacy Day)! Spend a whole day with other amazing arts managers—hear from great speakers, share your knowledge, and learn something new. Also, be sure to like and follow EALS on Facebook and Twitter for new announcements and symposium news.

Ron Jones

In a few weeks, many of us will descend upon Washington, D.C. as part of Arts Advocacy Day.

The agenda is simple and powerful; first, everyone learns the talking points, the compelling arguments, and statistics, and then practices on legislators and/or their staff. We return home knowing we’ve made a positive impression upon those who make decisions that can have significant and long-lasting impact upon the arts in America.

For some of us, that’s it! That’s our contribution to the future of the arts. We return home and pick up our work where we left off, seeing little connection to our day-to-day activities, managing our budgets, developing programs, expanding audiences, and raising money.

Realistically, I suspect most of us would say that we think of our national effort and our local effort as mutually exclusive events with the consequence of each seeing little, if any, relevance to the other.

The fact is that “advocacy” in its broadest sense, is the same as branding. Through whatever efforts and means we select, the goals are the same—to cause others to hold views and find values that are in line with our views and values.

Arts Advocacy Day is only one point along a continuum of efforts that will culminate in moving others toward our view of the world, and the strategies recommended should serve as a blueprint for what we do locally.

Consider, for instance, why Americans for the Arts provides certain facts and not others. Why some arguments and stories are recommended and others are not. The answer is not found in the validity of the research, or the power of data, or even the in the manner in which we present ourselves to others. Rather, the answer is found in our effectiveness to “read” the values of those we are trying to persuade, in our ability to shape an argument, select the right story that will resonate with the needs and values of those to whom we are directing our efforts.

The “real” success of our efforts is based upon how we and our arguments and presentations are received by others. Americans for the Arts has crafted strategies designed to “play” to legislator’s interests and support their values and aspirations. Obviously, the extent to which our values fit and contribute to the realization of their values is the extent to which we are successful.

Put simply, and just like marketing in general, our message has to be strategic and customized to our target audience.

We all know politics are local. We’ve heard that all of our lives and we know it is true. So why is a trip to D.C. and Arts Advocacy Day of value?

My view is it serves one very powerful role and that is to impress upon our individual legislators and their staff the fact that there is a national dimension and voice for what is (or should be) the local valuing of the arts. Left at that, however, is to fall short of our goal.

We must return to our communities and identify those local circles of influence to which our legislators respond. We must create strategies to influence the local “influencers.” We must make it clear that the national force felt on Arts Advocacy Day is, in fact, also a local force that is valued by those circles of influence. We must demonstrate daily that we hold a set of values consistent with what we advocate and impress upon everyone the integrity of what we do and the special values the arts reinforce.

Arts Advocacy Day is only a first step in a process that requires each of us to establish a brand that compels others to embrace our noble efforts. And that requires more than a trip to the Capitol’s steps, more than a local news release; it requires that we recognize that advocacy is a 365-day opportunity for us to make a difference.