Art for August … August Forever

At the August Wilson Center, more than 50 musicians and dancers from around the world performed at Drum Talk during October 15-18, providing an eclectic mix of lively concerts emphasizing rhythm traditions from Africa, Japan, Middle East, Latin America as well as U.S. jazz roots. Drum Talk was organized by Pittsburgh-based Afrika Yetu, and audiences – adults and kids alike – were clearly struck in seeing how drums and percussion have been so instrumental (despite differences in the availability of native materials) in cultural development across the continents.

In keeping with the festival theme - Many Rhythms, One Heart - Afrika Yetu members remind us that perhaps the human heart, the rhythm of the heartbeat itself, might be the source of this fascination and celebration of drums throughout history in building this sense of community and celebration of the human spirit. Perhaps we all have music inside us, which also innately connects us. Rhythm that makes us know we are alive.

With such diverse performances and engaged audiences at Drum Talk, Afrika Yetu also remarked that the event itself could be viewed as its own G20 onstage. Comments like that made me smile, and while nearly a month has passed since the G20 Summit, at least we still have the fun “Pittsburgh is Art” t-shirts campaign as a reminder. Arts bringing people together – a simple message throughout the ages as well as today.

Sure, 2009 has been some year for Pittsburgh, with many favorable articles (e.g., The Economist) and media outlets touting the region’s strengths. Of course, the G20 Summit provided unprecedented global exposure that over time may help further stimulate the region in attracting new people and companies that might seek to re-locate here with considerable economic benefits.

While the summer of 2009 went by entirely too fast, Pittsburgh did land some prestigious national and international conferences as well as interesting events, including the world’s richest professional bass tournament, the Forrest Wood Cup, attracting fishing enthusiasts from across the country. It is pretty incredible considering the large number of visitors coming to Pittsburgh for the very first time. And just as significant, what they experience first-hand once they arrive as compared to what they might have expected as far as scenery and the environment given the region’s heavy industrial past. This nexus of cleaner air, cleaner watersheds, brownfield development, river trails, and others successes in boosting recreational opportunities while Pittsburgh emerges as a leader in high tech and green technologies has certainly enhanced Pittsburgh’s image with its impressive skyline and unique mix of historic and modern architecture in many neighborhoods. The region has certainly made huge strides in becoming recognized as a desirable place to live, work, and play.

Pittsburgh celebrates some important cultural milestones in 2009, including the 50th Anniversary of the Three Rivers Arts Festival, the 40th Season of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre now underway, and 25th Anniversary of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust which has helped lead the remarkable re-vitalization of downtown.

But perhaps the most visible and longlasting milestone of 2009 is the opening of the August Wilson Center. The feeling of heartfelt pride and excitement was so evident back on the May 30 AWC Open House where over 10,000 people gathered on a beautiful Saturday afternoon full of festivities. And since that time, with incredible evenings such as the AWC Grand Opening Gala (perhaps the best party of the year) and other performances, including Lalah Hathaway, modern dance company Philadanco, the return of the Pittsburgh Jazz Orchestra (led by Sean Jones), Multicultural Arts Initiative, and last weekend’s Drum Talk.

The AWC has also been the site of some unique fundraisers, including the First Annual Women ROCK! on October 2 where over 35 artists and performers gathered for an evening of poetry, dance, theatre, jazz, and rock, as well as an inspirational “I Am Your Sister” photojournalistic tribute to women that have overcome adversity through Dress for Success Pittsburgh programs that have collectively helped over 3,000 women obtain professional clothing, prepare for job interviews, and support to meaningful new careers -- ultimately achieving economic independence for themselves and their families.

I’m not African-American. And I’m not from Pittsburgh. But one of my most memorable experiences were two trips to South Africa where I spent over 4 weeks, much of which were in the townships of Kutlwanong, Qalabotjha, and Soweto for a project to support the introduction of energy-efficient housing and capacity building aimed at eliminating the use of high-polluting residential cookstoves inside shacks, where we often found levels of dangerous carbon monoxide and other pollutants that are especially so harmful to the vulnerable elderly and small children most susceptible to respiratory disease. Air pollution in these townships can be 4-10+ times higher than World Health Organization standards while many township residents spend 40% or more of their income on high-polluting coal, paraffin, and other fuels. Thus, finding practical affordable ways to reduce these high-polluting fuels can dramatically improve public health while helping break the cycle of poverty.

I had some amazing experiences in South Africa, and can recall being the only white person inside township establishments called shebeens (many of which began during apartheid), where many people would come up and thank me knowing I was from the USA. I met many unforgettable people on those projects, including a Soweto health official who once told us that while many South Africans may be very poor, they can still afford a smile. Now that’s culture.

As an engineer who loves the arts, I’m sometimes asked about experiences that have helped transform me along the way from once being an occasional theatre person living in the suburbs to the more avid arts patron today. Cultural experiences abroad certainly broaden one’s perspective, and sometimes friends laugh when I mention ‘Living Like a Tourist in Your Own City’ and how lucky we are to have such a vibrant cultural scene. And awe-inspiring events like the Million Ripples Gala when Archbishop Desmond Tutu came to Pittsburgh during October, 2007.

As I reflect on this article, I’m reminded of other experiences, like once being a volunteer stationed at 707 Gallery on Penn Avenue on a Gallery Crawl night in February 2006 for an exhibit called “Art for August” featuring beautiful artists like Leslie Ansley and Monique Luck along with many others whose art had been inspired by August Wilson. It was very cold, but still over 1,300 people came through that gallery in one night.

Soon, the August Wilson Center will become a treasure not just for Pittsburgh, but for the nation. I hope many Pittsburghers will experience its stunning design and many performance events coming up. I’m particularly looking forward to the Aunt Ester Cycle being planned in November to showcase four of August Wilson’s remarkable plays. In a society where there seems to be so much division, arts is something we can all feel passionate about. Many rhythms, one heart. Arts bringing people together. August forever.

Pittsburgh is ART

In case you've been under a rock recently, the message is out: "Pittsburgh is ART" and we want the whole world to know.

A collaboration of Arts Council members and other local arts organizations have gathered to develop a collective voice to share our story with visitors of the Pittsburgh Summit and beyond. It's the "Pittsburgh is ART" initiative and basically, the message breaks down like this:

• Art transforms Pittsburgh



• Art employs Pittsburgh



• Art "greens" Pittsburgh



• Art inspires Pittsburgh

Those are the basics, but you can read even more detail over at the Community E-Forum, hosted by our friends at the Pittsburgh Foundation who have outlined it on their blog quite well.

Visit http://www.pittsburghisart.org/ to learn about the bounty of arts events taking place in and around Pittsburgh through the G20 Summit and beyond. Also check out http://www.myg20.org/, an excellent "crowd-sourced" site to the best of Pittsburgh.

Want to get your arts organization directly involved in the "Pittsburgh is ART" initiative? Contact Maggie at mjohnson@pittsburghartscouncil.org for an invite.

Arts Funding in SERIOUS Jeopardy

The situation is dire!

All reports are that Senate Bill 850 (which eliminates state funding for arts and culture and the Educational Imporvement Tax Credit (EITC) program) is back in consideration plus another $1.7 billion in cuts to other remaining appropriations. This proposal would abandon the Governor's recommendation for an increase in the personal income tax. The strongest possible message of support for state funding for arts and culture must be sent to your elected officials without delay.

- Attend the Rally in Harrisburg on Tuesday, July 14th. If at all possible, you need to come. The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council has chartered a bus and some seats still remain. Reserve your seat at http://www.proartstickets.org/events/view/369. If you plan on driving to Harrisburg on your own, please let us know so that we can provide you with all of the information about the rally and the legislative visits that will follow.

- Sign the petition to save the arts in Pennsylvania, if you have not done so already.

-Contact your legislators and let them know that you would like the state to include funding for arts and culture in the budget at http://www.capwiz.com/artsusa/pa/state/main/?state=PA

- Heed the calls to action that you receive from us in the coming weeks.

If the budget in Senate Bill 850 is passed in the House we will lose the PCA, grants to arts and cultural institutions, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program and much of the outstanding arts and culture that they bring to residents of Pennsylvania. As a result, we will lose jobs, tax revenue, tourism dollars, and a whole lot more.

For more information or ideas on ways that you can assist in efforts to save funding for arts and culture visit out website or contact rfreytag@pittsburghartscouncil.org.

Temporary Art Exhibition: Showcase G‐20, Pittsburgh International Airport

Announcing a Request for Proposals for a Temporary Art Exhibition: Showcase G‐20 at the Pittsburgh International Airport.

The Pittsburgh International Airport is committed to promoting the rich culture and arts of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Region. The Airport is seeking proposals from regional museums, cultural institutions, galleries, and others to develop one temporary art exhibition in the terminal to welcome guests to the G‐20 Summit.

This Request for Proposals is open to organizations, groups and individuals engaged in the arts and culture of the Pittsburgh region who are interested in developing a temporary exhibition for the Temporary Art Exhibition: Showcase G‐20. Pittsburgh International Airport is the front door to our region, and The Allegheny County Airport Authority wishes to make the facility welcoming to world leaders, international guests, and news media. Submissions for Temporary Art Exhibition: Showcase G‐20 should address this audience in a creative and welcoming manner.

For the complete RFP click this link:

http://www.pittsburghartscouncil.org/pdf_files/Pittsburgh_International_Airport_RFP_Showcase_G-20.pdf.

Contact opa@pittsburghartscouncil.org with any questions.

NOW is the Time

Please watch and pass along this video produced by Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts.

Arts and Citizenship from Pittsburgh Filmmakers on Vimeo.

From Ryan Freytag, Manager of Cultural Policy and Research:

The Pennsylvania FY09-10 budget process is in full swing and state funding for arts and culture is in real jeopardy. I urge you, as a leader in the local cultural community, to take action. As you know, on Wednesday, May 6, 2009 the State Senate passed their version of the budget bill (SB 850) which eliminated funding for arts and culture. The House is still considering their version of the budget bill (HB 1416) which does include funding for both the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).

The budget process is far from over. Revenue projections are down and the economic crisis still looms over us. As arts and culture advocates, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to insure a place for the PCA and PHMC in the FY09-10 budget. This is what you can do to help:

1) Contact your state legislators today. If you’ve already sent them a fax or email in the last few weeks, send them another one and follow it up with a phone call. Even though the State Senate has already passed their version of the budget bill, they can still assist us in the fight for arts and culture funding when the two budget bills are discussed in conference committee (likely in June).

2) Rally others to action. Ask your staff, board of directors, donors, funders and others associated with your organization to take immediate action on this issue. Distribute the call to action through your email lists, web site and social networking ventures. Engage your audiences through curtain speeches, program inserts, gallery cards and other means. Harrisburg needs to hear from more than just the employees of arts and cultural organizations.

3) Submit written testimony to the House Committee on Appropriations public hearing on Senate Bill 850. Testimony will be accepted through Tuesday, May 26, 2009. (learn more)

For facts and figures about the economic impact of the arts, samples of letters and testimony, tips for communicating with legislators and other information visit the Save Arts and Culture in Pennsylvania! page of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council website.

THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW. Unless we keep up the pressure on the legislature, we may lose the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Please alert the Arts Council about any action you decide to take by sending an email to rfreytag@pittsburghartscouncil.org.

What does ART mean to you?

Check out this preview of Chris Ivey's video for the 2009 Work of Art Awards, June 1. Get your tickets now! ProArtsTickets.org, keyword: awards

Social Media Guidelines: The Good, the Bad, but not the Ugly

At the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, we struggle sometimes with the question "To Post or Not to Post." We each have different voices and individual passions; this is what makes blogging interesting and adds a personal touch to the organizational persona (which tends to be clean, dry and sometimes starched).

But we also have immediate reactions that should clearly be caught in our "professional arts manager" filter, whether they are a bit outrageous (reflecting too much rage?) or too accurately reveal our individual vernacular. Take for instance the following repost of an entry by Scarlett Swerdlow for the Americans for the Arts' blog:

All you have to do is google “FedEx Twitter” to understand why some organizations are freaked out about social media.

For those who don’t know, an ad agency rep was on his way to FedEx HQ to discuss social media with the corporation’s worldwide communications division. (FedEx was already a client of this ad agency.) Upon the rep’s arrival in Memphis, Tennessee, he tweeted:

True confession but I'm in one of those towns where I scratch my head and say "I would die if I had to live here!"

A viral poop-storm quickly erupted on the Web.

All this goes to show a lot of organizations are (rightfully) concerned that staff, volunteers, or other representatives will make the organization look like a fool by misrepresenting the brand or sharing too much information.

Recently, Intel released its guidelines for “Intel employees or contractors creating or contributing to blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds, or any other kind of social media both on and off intel.com.” I love them, and I encourage nonprofits considering social media, but afraid to take the plunge to read them.

My personal favorite:

If it gives you pause, pause. If you’re about to publish something that makes you even the slightest bit uncomfortable, don’t shrug it off and hit ’send.’ Take a minute to review these guidelines and try to figure out what’s bothering you, then fix it. If you’re still unsure, you might want to discuss it with your manager or legal representative. Ultimately, the decision about what you publish is yours—as is the responsibility. So be sure.

Swerdlow ends her post with the question: "Does your organization use social media? If so, do you have guidelines governing their use? What are they? Please let me know what you think."

We also want to know what you think. We all face the social-media-in-the-context-of-professional-communication conundrum. Whether it paralyzes us or inadvertantly encourages us to spill our metaphorical guts depends on how deliberately we enter the blurry new world of the permeable personal/professional membrane.

s. blackman

Senate Votes to Eliminate Arts & Culture Funding

Yesterday afternoon the Pennsylvania Senate passed its version of the FY 2010 state budget (SB 850) with a 30-20 vote. The bill, introduced on May 4, eliminates all arts and culture grants in the state through the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). While this is an unfortunate occurrence, the budget process isn’t complete yet. The Senate bill now goes with the House of Representatives' proposal into what will likely be a contentious conference committee before its final passage in the General Assembly. The House Bill (HB1416) includes funding for both the PCA and the PHMC, so it is important for anyone who cares about arts and culture to continue to communicate with their legislators about this issue.

The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council would like to thank everyone who took the time to contact their legislators over the last few days. Your efforts did not go unnoticed. We would also like to thank everyone who assisted us in disseminating the call-to-action through their listservs, personal contacts, and other means. We urge you to keep up the pressure. If you have already sent a fax, send an email. If you have already sent an email follow it up with a phone call. We hope that we can count on all of you to respond in a similar fashion to future calls-to-action.

If you have yet to contact your legislators about ensuring that funding for arts and culture is included in the FY09-10 Pennsylvania State budget, we urge you to do so today, before it is too late. To locate your legislators please visit the Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania website.

We have shown our local legislators that the arts and culture sector are a force to be reckoned with, but advocacy is about more than contacting your legislators’ offices when there is a crisis. It is about building a relationship through personal contacts, regular updates on you or your organizations success and letting them know not only that you exist, but that you are watching what they are doing. Be sure to thanks them when the vote favorably for issues that are of importance to you. At the same time, it is equally important to let them know when they vote in a manner that is not representative of your views.

While many of our local Senators voted against SB 850, Senators Pippy and Orie voted for the bill. If you reside in either of their districts I encourage you to call their offices. In addition to expressing your disappointment in their vote, ask them why they voted the way that they did. See how your State Senator voted on SB 850.

The battle for arts and culture funding in the FY09-10 Pennsylvania State Budget is far from over. If you or your organization would like to assist the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council in future advocacy efforts on this or other issues, please contact Ryan Freytag, Manager of Cultural Policy and Research, at rfreytag@pittsburghartscouncil.org.

Save PA Arts & Culture Funding

The Pennsylvania Senate is calling for ZERO funding for arts and culture in the FY 09-10 state budget. If the Senate version of the budget (SB 850) prevails, there will be no arts and culture grants in the state of Pennsylvania starting on July 1 of this year (Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC)). The Pennsylvania House version of the budget (HB 1416) includes funding for both.

Background: In February, Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell presented his proposed budget. The allocation for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts' Grants for the Arts (the line item that includes familiar programs such as AOAP, Preserving Diverse Cultures, Program Stream, and Project Stream) has been proposed at an 8% cut for fiscal year 2009-2010. That would bring the funding level from $15.225 million to $14 million.

Unfortunately, this proposal has been met with rising financial challenges. When the Governor proposed the budget, he anticipated a revenue shortfall of $2.3 billion for the current fiscal year. Over the past 3 months, that anticipated shortfall has grown more than $700 million. What does that mean? It means that both the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives are looking for things to cut in order to close the shortfall gap.

Action: Please write your representatives and senators today. If you have taken action recently, send a follow-up letter using the form, or give your legislators a call. Our message is simple: restore funding for PCA and PHMC. As always, be sure to add your own stories. How does your organization's work impact the community? How have you been impacted by a performance or cultural organization? Would your organization be forced to close without this funding?

Take action today! You can find out contact information for your senator by visiting the Citizens for the Arts Legislative Action Center at http://capwiz.com/artsusa/pa/state/main/?state=PA. Type your zip code in the box at the top of the page and you will be taken to a page with information for all of your elected officials.

Please let the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council know that you have made contacts by CC’ing us on your email to legislators or by sending a separate email notification about your phone calls to rfreytag@pittsburghartscouncil.org.

(Thanks to the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance for their clear and concise background and action information above.)

Cultivating Demand for the Arts

Once again, Bill O'Driscoll showed up, thought critically, and responded intelligently to our recent public forum based on a RAND corporation report entitled Cultivating Demand for the Arts. Through her research, author Laura Zakaras developed a model that looks at two forces ultimately impacting our relationship to arts and culture: Supply (e.g. the works of art) and Demand (e.g. the audience). Together, they create the "aesthetic experience" through Access. Her research brief shows the relationship graphically.

Zakaras pointed out that the most reliable indicator of adult participation in the arts is based on the arts education that we receive as children and students, which allows us to develop:

• the ability to see, hear, and feel what works of art have to offer;
• the ability to create within an art form;
• historical and cultural knowledge that enriches the understanding of works of art; and
• the ability to draw meaning from works of art through reflection and discussion with others.

A community can develop, create and support a great array of artistic supply, and the Greater Pittsburgh region has certainly done that. But without a citizenry that possesses the abilities above and a deep sense that "learning" is not something we do just because it is good for us (and happens primarily in our student years), we will come less and less often to the richness of the aesthetic experience.

We all recognize the greying or our audiences--but do we really understand that they are the people who consistently had arts education in their schools, or, like me, religiolusly watched Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts on Saturday morning TV?

The solution will not be an easy one, and will involve the leadership of funders, policymakers, educators, and arts organizations.