| News and Opportunities for the Cultural Nonprofits and Creative Businesses of Fairfield County, CT June 22, 2019 |
| | The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a nonprofit membership service organization that supports its members through unified marketing, capacity building, professional development, and advocacy services. This newsletter is sent to all who request it, but we ask that, if you are not a member, you explore membership benefits and consider joining. Find out more and sign up here. |
| | | | 2019 ACE AWARDS CELEBRATE THE PERSISTENT ARTISTIC SPIRIT
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| | All photographs © Barbara Loss
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Some 150 guests celebrated this year's ACE award winners at our fourth Arts & Culture Empowerment Awards Breakfast, at Norwalk's Shore & Country Club, June 5. TV producer and writer, Chris Ambrose (at left), shared the lessons he has learned as an artist in keeping the creative juices flowing, despite all setbacks, such as major re-writes, or having to go right back to the drawing board. For more than 20 years, Chris has been a writer of network television dramas. He is currently working on a new show for NBC, and shares his lifelong passion for writing as a mentor in Los Angeles and New York, helping young writers hone their skills and encouraging them to believe that anything is possible. The 2019 ACE Award recipients are:
Artist - Jane Dávila, printmaker, fiber and mixed media artist, textile designer, editor, author, and teacher, who also manages the NEST Arts Factory in Bridgeport. Citizen - Nick Visconti, a Westport-based philanthropist, serving on the Drew Friedman Community Arts Center Foundation board of directors. Corporate - Cohen & Wolf that serves leadership roles in more than 100 organizations, associations, commissions, and boards throughout the area. Educator - Gina Scarpa, Director of Education at Center Stage, Shelton, and founder of the Center Stage Education Center, serving more than 115 students. Nonprofit - INTEMPO, whose founder and executive director Angelica Durrell, is an Ecuadorian-born violinist, educator and social entrepreneur. |
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MAKE MUSIC DAY SCHEDULES + INTERVIEWS WITH ORGANIZERS |
| | MAKE MUSIC DAY took place around the globe on the summer solstice, June 21. See our special portal page HERE on FCBuzz Events for direct links to the schedules of all 8 towns in our region that organized programs for the day: Bridgeport, Fairfield, Greenwich, Milford, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Stamford, and Stratford. Then, click through to Soundcloud at http://bit.ly/SpotlightMMD2 to hear our WPKN conversation with the organizers of MAKE MUSIC DAY in those towns in our region. On our June edition of Spotlight on Arts & Culture, our monthly interview show on WPKN 89.5 FM, we interviewed 7 of the 8 organizers: Suzanne Kachmar from Bridgeport, Lou Heumann from Fairfield, Tatiana Mori from Greenwich, Paige Miglio from Milford, Jennifer DiLaura from Ridgefield, Annette Einhorn from Stamford, and Colin Healey from Stratford talking about why they were doing this and what some of the highlights of their programs will be. Listen to the conversation (count how many pianos you hear about) and enjoy the music clips that each guest brought with them. |
| | | | GALERIE 888
Creative Business Member Owner: Carole Sorokin
Galerie 888 in Greenwich was founded by Carole Sorokin, spurred by her fervor for design, influential art, and exceptional furniture. This unique retail setting features contemporary and vintage art, authentic mid-century furniture, antiques and decorative arts. Showcasing established and emerging artists via Galerie 888 is a one of Carole's primary objectives; she thrives on highlighting an array of national and international talent. Contemporary art, mid-century furniture, antiques...Carole has a penchant for all things artistic. Her interest was sparked, as a child in Michigan, frequenting estate sales and antique stores with her mother. This early passion led her to pursue studies that would help further those interest: she holds a B.S. in Marketing, with a concentration in Design and Photography, and is a graduate of Christie’s prestigious Fine and Decorative Arts Program in London. In Europe, she took exclusive tours of major country houses in England, attended private museum lectures, as well as educational excursions to Paris and Rome. Extensive international travel has given her newfound insight and a special knack for weaving design pieces into her gallery, making it both distinctive and inspiring. Visiting local markets encourages her to seek designs and color schemes representative of the times. The result is an exciting mix of art and collectables. Having lived in both London and New York, Carole has deepened her keen aesthetic. See Galerie 888's website, Facebook and Instagram feeds. |
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| | | HUE DESIGNS
Creative Business Member Owner: Bethany Armstrong
Hue Designs LLC is an interior design firm, based in Wilton, dedicated to making the daunting process of interior design more accessible and less stressful. It takes its name from the most basic of design tools - the color wheel. A hue is a primary color in its purest form… the very foundation of color. Hue Designs believes every project begins with a solid foundation of design theory. Then, just as colors are shaded and toned to add nuance, your project is given personality and character by layering design touches on that foundation. A successful design plan is not a one-size-fits-all solution, but rather an evolving process that benefits from thoughtful preparation. Owner Bethany Armstrong graduated from Fairfield University with a degree in Interior Design and immediately set about her own business. She specializes in personally working along side each client, listening to their needs and formulating plans that bring their ideas and wish lists to life. Her goal is to infuse the clients' personalities into the project in various ways to add interest and unique charm. By introducing talented artisans and artists into her projects, each one will develop its own character and will never be a cookie-cutter result. Whether you are looking to refresh a single room or remodel your entire home, Bethany can help solve design dilemmas while making the process fun. Layer by layer, your house becomes a home. See the Hue Designs' website, Instagram and Twitter feeds, and Linked In and Facebook pages. |
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| ONE RIVER SCHOOL OF ART + DESIGN
Creative Business Member Director: Alyson Luck
One River School of Art + Design was founded in 2012 by former School of Rock CEO Mat Ross, who in 2011 had begun research into art programs across the U.S. He observed that while in metropolitan areas there was an abundance of art schools in the city centers there were usually none in the nearby suburbs. Ross chose Englewood, NJ, as a pilot school that would test the notion that cool art schools could thrive outside the city center - and it worked. He says: “we believe that people in suburbs across America want access to the same amazing creative experiences that exist in our cities”. Ross developed a new method for teaching art that created a compelling, fun recreational/art education experience. He says, “We created a cool, interactive experience that is focused on current concepts. It celebrates the most important artists and themes of the last 50 years and we purpose-built a curriculum that has enabled us to deliver an experience that is changing people’s lives.” Its innovative program teaches thousands of students in twelve schools across six states with more openings on the horizon. One River's 11th school opened in Westport in part of the former Bertucci’s restaurant, on the Post Road near the Sherwood Island connector. One River/Westport's director is Alyson Luck who grew up in Westport, graduated from the University of Michigan in art history, earned a Master's in Museum Education from Bank Street and worked for 10 years in New York at the Jewish Museum and Guggenheim Museum. Returning to Westport for her is a dream come true and she is relishing bringing together so much of her background and training into this exciting new venture. See Just Alyson's Luck, by Dan Woog, One River's website, Facebook and Instagram feeds. |
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| | ❦ – Latest List by Town of Organization and Creative Business Members: here
❦ – Latest List by Town of Artist Members: here
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| | | | ROUND-UP OF MEMBERS' NEWS |
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The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is planning a major collaborative interdisciplinary exhibition for the Fall with Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) and others: Weather Report. The show will feature a group of diverse international artists who reference weather in provocative ways through sculpture, drawing, painting, installation, and video. It promises to reveal the sky "as a site where the romantic, the political, the social, and the scientific co-exist and inform one other." It will include artists Bigert & Bergström, Barbara Bloom, Sarah Bouchard, Josh Callaghan, Violet Dennison, Nancy Graves, Ellen Harvey, Ayumi Ishii, Jitish Kallat, Kim Keever, Byron Kim, Damian Loeb, Colin McMullan, Hitoshi Nomura, Pat Pickett, Bryan Nash Gill, Andy Goldsworthy, Sean Salstrom, and Jennifer Steinkamp. It will include programming partnerships with regional and national meteorology and climate experts, and a one-day cross-disciplinary symposium will include radio meteorologist Craig Allen, The Aldrich’s Exhibitions Director, Richard Klein; forest management researcher at UCONN’s Stormwise program, Amanda Bunce; Todd Forrest, the New York Botanical Garden’s Arthur Ross Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections; and interdisciplinary artists Pat Pickett, Colin McMullan, and Kim Keever. This event has been organized in tandem by The Aldrich and WCSU’s Meteorology Department. Image: Nancy Graves, Untitled (Heat Density Measurement of a Cyclone), 1974.
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| | The Center for Contemporary Printmaking (CCP) has announced its three visiting artists-in-residence for the summer. Since the program started in 2003, some 150 artists have completed residencies at CCP from across the globe. Artists stay and work in the Helen Frankenthaler Printmaking Cottage, a well-equipped studio with onsite living accommodations. Each artist will give a talk open to the public, about their work. The artists are: April Bey (June 17 - 28), who grew up in the Caribbean, now resides and works in Los Angeles as a contemporary visual artist and art educator, and will give a talk June 26, 1-2pm; Sinclair Ashman (July 20 - August 2), a practicing graphic designer from Lincolnshire, England, who plans to produce a small series of prints that have a direct link to the people and places surrounding CCP and that regularly visit it, will give talks on July 23, 10-11am, and Aug. 1, 1-2pm; and Giulia Leonelli (Aug. 28 - Sept. 12), who is an artist with a PhD in Visual Arts from the Sorbonne, where she teaches as a printmaking instructor, and will give a talk Sept 10, 1-2pm. Image: April Bey, COMPLY (Borg Feminism) (2017, oil, acrylic, epoxy resin and hand-sewn Ghanaian Hitarget Chinese fabric, 24x30). More...
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| | Fairfield Museum and History Center is the recipient of an Award of Excellence from The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) for its exhibition An American Story: Finding Home in Fairfield County. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards, now in its 74th year, is the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. A series of photographic portraits and biographical narratives, An American Story honored the centennial of the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants. The exhibition shared how eight refugees and immigrants from Cambodia, Congo, Cuba, Hungary, India, Rwanda, and Syria rebuilt their lives in Fairfield County and created a sense of home. Originally displayed from February 8 to June 23, 2018, An American Story will make an October 2020 appearance at the Greenwich Historical Society’s Museum Galleries. |
| | The Fairfield University Art Museum is pleased to announce they have recently been awarded grants from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the Robert Lehman Foundation. The Samuel H. Kress Foundation awarded the museum $19,750 for Driving Engagement with the Kress Collection: Publication and Outreach Project, which will develop a series of educational initiatives designed to increase academic and public engagement with the works of art in the museum’s Kress Collection. The Robert Lehman Foundation awarded the museum $6,000 in renewal of their support of the Edwin L. Weisl, Jr. Lectureships in Art History for the upcoming academic year. Scholars from around the country will deliver lectures on the sculptor Auguste Rodin, Japanese lacquerware, and the Cuban artist Manuel Mendive, among other subjects. |
| | The Flinn Gallery is now closed for Summer Hiatus. The Greenwich Library begins construction for its "REIMAGINE: rebuild to the future" in October, and The Flinn will be closed for the summer, due to the construction. The Gallery will re-open in October for Rediscover: The Landscape Paintings, an exhibition of seldom seen historic landscape paintings from the Greenwich Library's own collection. |
| | The Klein is celebrating the performance of 13-year-old Flash Pointe Dance student Brynn Fleisig in raising $1,045 in one month for the Klein Dance Company tap shoe fund. On Brynn's GoFundMe page she wrote: "For my Bat Mitzvah project, I am collecting tap shoes for students attending the Klein Dance company at The Klein Memorial Auditorium. There are 20 students, ranging anywhere from 7th to 12th grade, both girls and boys. They are very interested in tap and have not been able to learn it because they do not have shoes. We need sizes 5 and up-male and female. In addition to a collection box at Flashpointe Dance Studio, I am aiming to raise $500, so that the Klein Dance Company can purchase any sizes that have not been donated for the students." The Klein Theatre Arts summer 2019 semester includes Acting, Dance, and new Personal Development and Video Production courses (July 15th to August 8th). |
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New Paradigm Theatre (NPT), has chosen nonprofit community partner, The Frank C. Godfrey American Legion Post in Norwalk for its August production of Bye Bye Birdie. Each summer NPT partners with another non-profit organization, that reflects the theme of the summer production, to raise money and awareness for issues and organizations surrounding the community. The American Legion is celebrating 100 years since its inception. As a patriotic Veterans organization devoted to mutual helpfulness, and with the resonating themes of military service and Americanism, it is truly fitting to be partnered with New Paradigm Theatre Company for their production of Bye Bye Birdie. The play is inspired by the phenomenon of Elvis Presley, one of America’s most significant icons in rock and roll history, as he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1957. The American Legion family includes the American Legion Auxiliary and the Sons of the American Legion; organizations comprised of descendants of Legion eligible Veterans. Nonpartisan and not-for-profit The American Legion's sole mission is to foster and strengthen local communities and Veteran relationships through the Legion’s four pillars: Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, Children and Youth, Americanism, and National Security. “We are honored and grateful to NPT for this opportunity and along with them we wish to thank all our Veterans for their service to this great nation,” said a spokesperson for the American Legion. |
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The City of Norwalk's Arts Commission and the Norwalk Public Library announced that Norwalk's second Poet Laureate is William (Bill) P. Hayden. He succeeds Laurel Peterson, Norwalk's first Poet Laureate, who held the position for three years. Hayden has expressed his interest in following Peterson's goals of connecting poetry with visual arts, dance, and music: "I hope to bring poetry to the community by organizing writing, reading, and performing workshops for children, teens and young adults, and recruiting volunteer teachers and workshop leaders from among my fellow poets," Hayden said. He plans to accomplish his goals by organizing field trips to hear spoken word performances at nearby colleges and festivals, presenting open mic opportunities for youth to share their work with a broader audience, and coaching young people in effectively reading works aloud. Hayden and his wife Brandi have run the Good Folk Coffeehouse at the Rowayton United Methodist Church for the past twenty-seven years, presenting live music and poetry to the community. He has been a regular at Curley's Poets in Stamford, the Poetry Salon at the Fairfield Public Library, and Monday Expressions East at the Never Ending Bookstore in New Haven. His published poetry has appeared in Oysterville (Woodhall Press, 2018), the digital recording and chapbook organized by Peterson, Anthology of Norwalk Poets Tuesday Night Live (Turn of River Press, 2018) and Anthology of Curley's Poets, Little Apple Literary Magazine (1970s). |
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The 4th Annual NICE Festival is all set to go on Sat. July 6, in Norwalk's Oyster Shell Park. Honoring its commitment to increasing awareness of the diversity of people from around the world through arts and culture, Norwalk International Cultural Exchange has assembled an amazing line-up of multi-cultural performers for this celebration of world cultures. Its theme is A Multi-cultural Celebration of American Diversity and will include Bluegrass & Country by Pluck & Rail, Blues from Eddie Turner & Trouble, a Hip Hop dance performance from the Klein Theater Arts youth group, and Reggae with New Kingston, from Brooklyn. Other performances include Radio KLEZ, an Eastern European Klezmer band, The Mulkerin School of Irish Dance, Norwalk Pontian Society, Marinera Peruvian Dance Academy, ReM Capoeira of Norwalk, Indian Bhangra and Gatka from the Sikhs of Connecticut, Mariachi, and back by popular demand Belly Dancing by Tava and the Orquesta Afkinke Cuban Salsa band. The main stage will also feature Norwalk’s Poet Laureate Bill Hayden with a Spoken Word and Poetry dance interpretation, performed by Yvonne-Marie Sain and Montana Sholars. |
| | We are extremely saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Jennifer Crosby Cargill in Southport, on June 9, 2019. We knew her as sister-in-law to Sissy Cargill Biggers, with whom she was a partner in Southport Galleries. Jennifer curated many exhibits and hosted many lively gatherings, which made the gallery an important cultural center of the village. As her obituary put it, "her creativity and demure elegance was always present." Read more... |
| | Thrown Stone Theatre Company just began rehearsals for its third season with a new mission: To engage our region with new and reimagined theatre in intimate settings, creating a body of work that moves, connects, and challenges all who join the conversation. "It's our rallying cry for new work and the essential role of our audience as a partner," says Co-Artistic Director Jonathan Winn. The Ridgefield company’s new mission was the result of a six-month strategic planning process, but a key insight also came from a distant connection: noted Chicago theatremaker J.R. Sullivan. Through the wild providence of theatrical life, Sullivan's Thrown Stone connection became much closer when he booked a leading role in their East Coast Premiere of Birds of North America, opening July 19th. Read the whole backstory here. |
| | The Westport Arts Center has announced the confirmation of three new board members. John Vaccaro, initially a theatrical producer for the NY Shakespeare Festival, shifted his career in 1986 to found Westport Resources, a financial services provider. Involved with the Arts Center since 1983, he has worked with leadership to develop strategic plans and support capital campaigns, and currently manages the organization’s investment portfolio. Bonnie Edelman came from a long line of architects, but did not discover her artistic side until later in life. Her modern abstract photographs have garnered the attention of renowned designers and are held in private and public collections. She has been a long-time contributor to the Gordon Parks Foundation and to Design Industries Foundation Fighting Aids. Architect Lucien Vita has worked at the firms of Nicholas Petschek Architect in New York and Granoff Architects in Greenwich. In 2006 he founded Lucien Vita Design, rebranded in 2014 as Vita Design Group. The company has won six distinguished Home Building Industry Awards and is a four-time Best of Houzz winner. Lucien is passionate about contributing to the beauty of Westport and its identity as an artistic community.
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| | | | Westport Writers Workshop (WWW) bids a sad farewell to Executive Director, Michelle Bradley. Michelle will be moving to Chicago soon to join her husband, who has relocated for his job. Michelle has been an integral part of WWW for the past 4 years as a writer, Board Member, and ultimately Executive Director. The Workshop will miss her very much when she leaves in August. |
| | | | BUILDING STRONGER COMMUNITIES THROUGH MEDIA PROJECTS |
| In Building Stronger Communities Through Media: Innovations in local journalism, public media, and storytelling, Wyncote Foundation's new report, innovative local and regional media projects are highlighted for making a difference in local communities with local support, as one of the report's authors, Sarah Lutman, writes in Medium. The report explains that grantmakers across the U.S. are investing in new ways to connect citizens through media across a range of topics and to serve their communities’ needs for information, shared stories, and expression. The projects highlighted in the report illustrate different forms this work is taking and are intended to broaden the pool of examples that grantmakers can draw upon to inform their own program strategies. One of the organizations profiled, for example, showcases "what happens when storytelling and art are used to give voice to communities and perspectives absent from mainstream media?" Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mizna is a nonprofit cultural organization that celebrates Arab-American culture through literature, art, film, and dialogues. The Wyncote report, according to Lutman, adds "fodder to the emerging dialogue among place-based foundations about ways local media can animate and advance local funders’ diverse program priorities and grantmaking agendas." |
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| GENTRIFICATION AND CREATIVE PLACEMAKING
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| | | | NEA ART WORKS II JULY 11
Art Works is the National Endowment for the Arts’ principal grants program. Through project-based funding, the NEA supports public engagement with, and access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation, the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, learning in the arts at all stages of life, and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life. Projects may be large or small, existing or new, and may take place in any part of the nation’s 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. We encourage applications for artistically excellent projects that address any of the following activities below: ● Honor the 2020 centennial of women’s voting rights in the United States (aka the Women’s Suffrage Centennial). ● Engage with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); Hispanic or Latino organizations; or the Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian arts. ● Celebrate America’s creativity and cultural heritage. ● Invite a dialogue that fosters a mutual respect for the diverse beliefs and values of all persons and groups. ● Enrich our humanity by broadening our understanding of ourselves as individuals and as a society. Matching grants generally range from $10,000 to $100,000. No grants will be made below $10,000. In the past few years, well over half of the agency's grants have been for amounts less than $25,000. Art Works II, with a deadline of July, is open to these disciplines. Click for these guidelines: |
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| STAMFORD CAPP GRANT AUGUST 1
Formed in 2002, the Stamford Community Arts Partnership Program (CAPP) Grant has provided funding to support Stamford's arts and cultural institutions and enable them to pursue engaging projects and programming within the city that is open and accessible to the public. Since 2018, the grant has been managed by the Stamford Arts & Culture Commission and is fully funded by the City of Stamford. Eligible Applicants: all applicants MUST be based within the City of Stamford; all applicants must be not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organizations; religious organizations may apply for projects that are not for religious intent; individual artists that are partnering with a Stamford-based 501(c)(3) organization can also apply. Those ineligible to apply include: organizations that are eligible for the Stamford Youth Music Grant Program; organizations that are eligible for the Stamford Neighborhood Grant Program; organizations that receive direct funding from the City of Stamford capital or operating budgets; for-profit entities. Funding: Funding allocations are made based on the proposed budget. The maximum award is $15,000; proposals seeking funds greater than this will not be considered. Projects are not to be fully funded by CAPP but must demonstrate other sources of funding as well. Funds will be dispersed as a one-time payment in August 2019. Required Documentation: Fully completed typed application (download Application Form here /descarga aquí); appended materials, including work samples, resumes, and list of board members; most recent 990, 990-N, or 990-EZ form, Deadline: on or before 11:59 pm, August 1, 2019. All applications must be typed in Word, digitally signed, and fully completed before submitting. Any incomplete, handwritten, mailed, or late submissions WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. All applications MUST be submitted to jvaramo@stamfordct.gov. |
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| | | NEA: OUR TOWN AUGUST 8
Our Town is the National Endowment for the Arts’ creative placemaking grants program. Through project-based funding, the NEA supports projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Successful Our Town projects ultimately lay the groundwork for systemic changes that sustain the integration of arts, culture, and design into local strategies for strengthening communities. These projects require a partnership between a local government entity and nonprofit organization, one of which must be a cultural organization; and should engage in partnership with other sectors (such as agriculture and food, economic development, education and youth, environment and energy, health, housing, public safety, transportation, and workforce development). Matching grants range from $25,000 to $200,000, with a minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount. FY 2020 marks the 10 year anniversary of the Our Town program. The NEA is looking for projects that reflect a new and catalytic way of working, and demonstrate the potential for sustained support and recognition for arts, design, and cultural strategies as integral to every phase of community development. The NEA plans to support a variety of projects across the country in urban, rural, and tribal communities of all sizes. Our Town projects must integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Projects may include activities such as: ● Arts Engagement: artist residency; arts festivals; community co-creation of art; performances; public art ● Cultural Planning: cultural planning; cultural district planning; creative asset mapping; public art planning. ● Design: artist/designer-facilitated community planning; design of artist space; design of cultural facilities; public space design. ● Artist and Creative Industry Support: creative business development; professional artist development. |
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| CT OFFICE OF THE ARTS ARTS LEARNING PRESENTATION GRANTS AUGUST 20
The CT Office of the Arts (COA) has announced its Arts Learning Presentation Grants to encourage opportunities for learners of all ages. Through these grants, COA seeks to connect Pre-K through Grade 12 schools and citizens with Connecticut arts experiences. The grants may support presenters in providing arts access/ exposure experiences for CT citizens - particularly those who might not otherwise be able to enjoy them. Grant requests must be $500-$1,000 and can support a broad spectrum of arts experiences of artistic quality in CT, appropriate to a defined group of learners. Experiences may include, but are not limited to: field trips (within CT), school or classroom visits, performances, informances, lecture demonstrations, etc., by artists or artist groups, experts, or arts providers. Applicants can apply only once in a funding year but can request support for more than one experience (e.g. 1 fall and 1 winter) as long as the total request does not exceed $1,000. Eligible applicants are "presenters" who, without fee or compensation, provide or support arts experiences for a specific audience. For the purpose of this grant, "presenters" are non-arts organizations, schools, libraries, PTOs, veteran groups, community centers, etc., who pay an arts provider such as an artist, group, or arts organization (e.g. theater, museum, ballet, symphony, etc.) so that a specific group of learners may enjoy the arts experience without fee or compensation to the presenter. This program is open to a wide array of applicants that includes: pre-K through grade 12 schools; parent-teacher organizations; libraries; community centers; municipalities and municipal departments; other non-profit, non-arts groups/ organizations such as fairs, festivals, parades, etc. that provide arts experiences at no cost to the audience. Applications must be received before 3pm, Tues. Aug. 20, 2019. Funding/Performance Period is Oct. 1, 2019-Sept. 30, 2020. Guidelines are available here. All applicants must complete and upload this budget form during the on-line application process. Applications must be submitted on-line using SurveyMonkey. |
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| | | | AASLH WEBINAR GET READY TO PLAN STRATEGICALLY JUNE 25
Strategic planning can be a daunting task for many organizations. Lack of time or resources are frequently cited barriers to planning, yet having no mission-driven direction tied to performance measures is risky. This 90-minute webinar offered by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) will cut through the mystery and (perceived) misery of planning to introduce participants to the process and language of strategic planning. In “Get Ready to Plan Strategically!” guest speaker Anne Ackerson will discuss the important preparations necessary for meaningful and productive strategic planning. Anne is co-author with Joan H. Baldwin of the publications Women in the Museum: Lessons from the Workplace and Leadership Matters: Conversations with History Museum Leaders. Ackerson is also a co-founder of the Gender Equity in Museums Movement (GEMM). She will also present models for strategic plan formats, address community input and visioning. After taking part in this webinar, participants will: ● Understand the difference between strategic and long range planning; ● Learn other planning definitions like vision, goals, objectives, and tasks and understand the importance of being unified and consistent in the terms your planning group will use; ● Learn what needs to be done before board, staff, and others gather for the first strategic planning session; ● Understand that there are a variety of strategic plan formats and your organization should choose one that meets its needs, and ● Be inspired to trust in the strategic planning process, see it through to the completion of the plan, and use it! This AASLH webinar is part of the Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations (StEPs) Lab webinar series offered to both StEPs participants and all others interested in the topic of strategic planning. Applying what you learn in a StEPs Lab to your policies and practices helps your organization make meaningful progress. Learn more about StEPs, AASLH’s self-study, self-paced assessment program designed specifically for small- to mid-sized history organizations, including volunteer-run institutions. Details: June 25, 2019, 3-4pm. Cost: $40 AASLH Members; $65 Nonmembers; $15 discount for StEPs participants with promo code found on StEPs Community website. Register here. |
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| USING OUTCOMES TO GUIDE YOUR NONPROFIT TO SUCCESS
In a recent GuideSTar blog post, Using Outcomes to Guide Your Nonprofit to Success, Julieta Mendez talks about the importance of differentiating between outputs and outcomes. Funders especially speak of the importance of defining what the outcomes of a given project should be. But in her work with GuideStar’s nonprofit profiles, Julieta finds "that everyone has a very different interpretation of what an outcome is. For example, it’s very common for organizations to confuse outcomes with outputs and activities. What do I mean by that? An example of an activity would be “to offer mentorship services to high school girls.” An output from this activity would be “50 girls served through the mentorship program.” But what is the outcome? Simply stated, an outcome is the change in attitudes, knowledge, behavior, and/or condition that results from the services that you provide. When thinking about your program’s outcomes, you have to think about the change you want to see. In the example above, you have to think about why you’re offering the mentorship program to this specific group of young girls. What is the change that you want to see in them? Julieta admits though that it's not always that simple: "many nonprofit programs are far more complex than that. Identifying your outcomes requires time, research, and data to get a sense of where you’re starting from and where you want to go." She points out that Candid (formerly The Foundation Center) offers some tools and resources to help, including some courses that can help think in terms of impact, identify outcome targets, and figure out how to measure them. She recommends Candid's Outcomes Thinking & Management course, and the Measuring Your Organization’s Impact self-paced eLearning course. Afterwards, visit IssueLab to check out Candid's free collection on outcomes. This collection and set of companion tools is a place for foundations and nonprofits to share funded evaluations and to access the lessons of their peers and colleagues. Afterwards - update your Nonprofit Profile on GuideStar by explaining explain how you are measuring your results. By sharing this information, you are also positioning yourself to earn a Platinum Seal of Transparency! |
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| | | Professional Development Events Coming Up… |
| | | | ONE RIVER SCHOOL OF ART + DESIGN DIRECTOR OF ART EDUCATION
One River School of Art + Design is on an ambitious plan to "transform art education" across America and we are seeking compelling art educators to join our company and grow with us. Our company is growing rapidly, we now operate 12 locations across the country and we are expanding across the tri state area. We now seek a Director of Art Education for Westport. One River has developed a new method for teaching art that makes it fun to learn while also producing compelling outcomes. Our studios are state of the art and teaching at One River is a completely different experience than any other art program in the country. We are an aspirational company that delivers innovative art experiences to students of all ages, seeking people who want to learn and grow with us, fun and fast paced place to work where we work hard, collaborate and strive for excellence. The Director of Art Education in Westport is the lead teacher and is responsible for ensuring the highest quality of student experiences at One River School. The Director of Education leads the effort by building a staff of world-class instructors to make sure the culture of the school is on brand and the quality of the outcomes are truly dynamic. Responsibilities: Teach up to 20 hours of classes weekly in art/digital education; recruit, onboard and train new teachers; provide ongoing coaching and guidance to instructors to ensure that our execution is consistent and achieves our goals; implement curriculum for the school across all classes; track project results and document student success/student artwork; create new methods for generating quality experiences that are aligned with the company's educational philosophy; ensure student and member satisfaction; develop new strategies to prolong retention of students; develop one to one relationships with the student body and the parents of our K-12 students; create strategies to enhance the experience for all students and to resolve issues with students who are not having a satisfactory experience; identify and partner with local organizations to exhibit student artwork and promote our brand. Qualifications: 3+ years prior teaching experience in a public/private school or alternative art education program required; Bachelor's Degree from an accredited, four-year college or university required; MFA or MA in Art Education preferred; strong leadership skills; ability to set clear expectations and give/receive feedback; a passion for the One River School brand and concept; able to work a non-traditional schedule, Saturdays required. For details, and to apply now, click here. |
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| ARTSPACE NEW HAVEN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Artspace, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit contemporary art gallery and community arts organization in New Haven, seeks a dynamic leader with a passion for art and a commit-ment to its civic role to serve as our new Executive Director. Strategic vision, superb public and private communication skills, and a mastery of managerial execution are essential. For 33 years, Artspace has championed artists and built an expanding audience for contemporary art in New Haven’s diverse and culturally rich community. Our exhibitions, commissioning, and educational programs, offered in the gallery and throughout the city, encourage experimentation, discovery, and lively civic discourse, by advancing the vital role artists play in improving a community. The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors and works strategically with the Board and Curator/Gallery Director to fulfill the organization’s vision and outcomes. Responsibilities include: oversee all programs, services, and operations of Artspace, ensuring they contribute to its mission and priorities; develop a compre-hensive program to develop new revenue streams in order to progressively grow the financial resources of Artspace; conceive, lead, and implement fundraising and donor cultivation efforts in order to: retain and grow commitments from current base of foundation, corporate, government, and individual donors; expand local, regional and national support; and meet or exceed the fundraising goals established by the Board of Directors. Develop, implement, and accomplish the annual operating plan and annual budget of the organization as approved by the Board of Directors; evaluate the impact, efficacy, and sustainability of current programs; establish priorities, processes, and resources for new program development; work together with the Curator/Gallery Director to develop and refine the vision for Artspace’s programs and exhibitions to reflect a commitment to challenging and meaningful art that is accessible to broader, more diverse and underrepresented audiences; and more. The Executive Director helms a team of 7 professional staff (2 FT, 2 PT, 3 Seasonal) operating with a budget of $650K.
Qualifications: success in directing revenue growth, and demonstrated success in fundraising; demonstrated ability to effectively manage budgets, resources, and multiple complex projects; enthusiastic and open approach to envisioning the future of Artspace and considering the potential of the next phase in the organization’s lifecycle; and more. MFA or MBA preferred. Applicants from underserved or minority communities including women, immigrants, people of color, and LGBTQ+ identifying people are encouraged to apply. Submit cover letter, outlining qualifications in response to the listed responsibilities, current resume, and names and contact information of three individuals who will serve as references, to jobs@artspacenh.org, with subject line Executive Director Search. No phone calls please. Deadline to apply Sept. 15, 2019. Complete job description here.
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| | | | FOR JOBS, FOR SALE, FOR RENT, VOLUNTEERS, AND CALLS FOR ARTISTS - CONSULT AND POST IN OUR CLASSIFIEDS |
| | | | | JUNE
JULY July 11: NEA: Art Works II. Second deadline this year. See discipline-specific guidelines
AUGUST Aug. c1: Stamford Arts & Culture Commission: CAPP Grant Application Deadline
SEPTEMBER Sept. 18: CT Office of the Arts: Arte-Accesible Grants Application Deadline. OCTOBER ROLLING
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| | | The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a 501(c)(3) cultural nonprofit membership organization. We are grateful to our members and our donors whose support enables us to do our work. Donations are always very welcome and may be made here. In particular, we are grateful for support from: |
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