Opportunity...

This is from Jerold Panas at the Institute for Charitable Giving, and offers a simple idea in difficult times:

In Chinese, the word "opportunity" is formed by combining characters from two other words: "risk" plus "challenge."

This is what it looks like:

These are indeed difficult times. But take a clue from the Chinese. It is a time of risk and challenge.

Changes in D.C.: New NEA Chair, Arts in the White House

President Obama is expected to nominate Rocco Landesman, Broadway producer, to head the National Endowment for the Arts today. Landesman, if approved by Congress, will succeed Dana Gioia as Chairman of the agency. Gioia was known for his diplomacy at a time when the Endowment was still struggling to make its case. With a new administration and an NEA budget at its highest in 15 years, Landesman comes to the Endowment as an entrepreneur who is known for his energy and candor. more >>

Apply Now for the 2010 Visions from the New California Award

Visions from the New California recognizes outstanding, under-recognized, visual artists from California. Six artists are selected each year, and are awarded a one-month residency at one of six California artists' residency programs, and a $4,000 stipend. Application deadline is June 1, 2009. For more information, see www.visionsfromthenewcalifornia.org more >>

The Calling: My Residency Experience Begins at The Sitka Center

Oregon, December 2008: I brought all this paper. Crazy. But this residency was such a precious time, I wanted to do it all. When I arrived at the Sitka Center on the Oregon coast, it took me hours to unload and arrange the bushels of writing drafts, reference books, computer equipment, and office detritus I had brought with me for a two-month residency. My plan was to complete my novel, finally-and put together a poetry manuscript-and make progress on a book of essays. I dithered with my stuff. Where to begin? more >>

Acting Chair at NEA Named by Obama Administration

The Obama administration named today Patrice Walker Powell as acting chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. Ms. Powell was appointed Deputy Chairman for States, Regions, and Local Arts Agencies at the NEA in February 2008 and has been a staff member at the NEA since 1991.

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New Environmental Art Residency

I-Park will host an international environmental art program on the grounds of its 450-acre artists' community in rural East Haddam, Connecticut (USA). The program will consist of two, two-week focused residency sessions comprised of environmental artists, landscape/garden designers, and other visual, music, and performance-based artists whose work engages the natural landscape. Artists will be awarded a grant of $1,200 plus up to an additional $1,000 for reimbursement of travel costs and/or materials. The application deadline is February 23, 2009. more >>

Creative Capital Awards Alliance Grantees and Others

The Creative Capital Foundation announced today the recipients of its 2009 awards, including two artists who have received grants from the Alliance: Victor Cartagena, who received the Alliance's Visions from the New California award in 2004; and Robert Farid Karimi, who received a Midwestern Voices and Visions award in 2007. more >>

Why having a collective voice matters

I’ve seen a lot of funding appeals in the last few months talking about how dire things are and how desperately your support is needed. This is not one of those appeals.

What I’ve also seen a lot of lately is abundance – an abundance of personal involvement in civic life; a wealth of understanding about what artists of all kinds add to our world; a rich desire to participate in creativity and art-making; an investment in those things that offer meaning and relevance in chaotic, consumer-saturated lives. more >>

NEA to Give $470,000 in Grants to Alliance Members

The National Endowment for the Arts announced its first round of funding for fiscal year 2009, awarding $23,215,500 in funding to support 1,951 projects by nonprofit national, regional, state, and local organizations nationwide, as well as to 42 poets.

Among the grantees for the first round of funding for 2009 are 20 Alliance members, to receive $470,000 in grants from the NEA. more >>

New NEA Funding Category for Artists Communities!

Last week the National Endowment for the Arts created a new funding category for artists' communities -- those organizations whose primary purpose is providing artists' residencies! As the national association for artists' communities, I was thrilled to be able to announce this at the Alliance's annual conference last week. This change is in part a result of the Alliance's advocacy work to the NEA, and we are so grateful to NEA Chairman Dana Gioia for his tremendous vision to provide greater recognition and resources to artists' communities. more >>