For those who have been fostering connections between art and communities for years, the term Arts-Based Community Development is well known and, while not a perfect expression of the work, one that is immediately recognizable and understood in the field. It is a work for which I have nothing but admiration, regardless of what it's called. I'm a firm supporter of it. I would even go so far as to say that the work that arts organizations produce … [Read more...]
Library Lessons
A July article in the New York Times (Adding Classes and Content, Resurgent Libraries Turn a Whisper Into a Roar) told of the resurgence of libraries in New York City. Many readers might focus on the following paragraph: In the 2016 fiscal year [New York City] libraries received $360 million for operating costs, $33 million more than the year before — the largest increase in recent times. For the 2017 fiscal year, which began on Friday, city … [Read more...]
The Art of Relevance
I purchased my copy of Nina Simon’s The Art of Relevance on the first day it was available. I am only now posting comments about it because, frankly, I know more people are paying attention in September than are in July and August. Let me begin by saying that Ms. Simon is a gifted, compelling writer. She brings great passion and eloquence to bear on the need for far greater community awareness in the work of arts and cultural organizations. She … [Read more...]
Reflections on a Symposium
Last week I provided daily summaries of The Robert E. Gard Foundation's Our Communities: A Symposium on the Arts at The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread's conference center. Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 To be honest I have not had the courage to go back an re-read them as I am well aware of the fact that my listing of topics and key points was without synthesis and with very little context. With the advantage of a few days distance (and … [Read more...]
Gard Foundation Symposium–Our Communities: Day 3
Today was the final day of The Robert E. Gard Foundation's Our Communities: A Symposium on the Arts at The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread's conference center. New Ideas for a World in Transition: A Next Generation of Work Savannah Barrett, Tatiana Hernandez, and Laura Zabel explored elements of structure and operations from the perspective of the youngest generation of community arts workers. This was for many a highlight of the conference. … [Read more...]
Gard Foundation Symposium–Our Communities: Day 2
Yesterday I began my reporting from The Robert E. Gard Foundation's Our Communities: A Symposium on the Arts at The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread's conference center. Today was a full day presenting the history and current status of community/arts relationships and an introduction to thoughts about future directions. As you may well imagine, there is virtually no way to do justice to the presentations and discussion in a blog post or even a … [Read more...]
Gard Foundation Symposium–Our Communities: Day 1
Today marked the beginning of The Robert E. Gard Foundation's gathering at the The Johnson Center at Wingspread's conference center outside Milwaukee. Announced here earlier this year, Our Communities: A Symposium on the Arts is a reflection on the state of arts/community connections on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Robert Gard's The Arts in the Small Community. To begin, tonight featured introductory welcomes by … [Read more...]
Gard Foundation Symposium–Our Communities: Begins Today
Today marks the beginning of The Robert E. Gard Foundation's gathering at the The Johnson Center at Wingspread's conference center outside Milwaukee. Announced here earlier this year, Our Communities: A Symposium on the Arts is a reflection on the state of arts/community connections on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Robert Gard's The Arts in the Small Community. Since this is a by-invitation-only event, I have been … [Read more...]
Fifth Anniversary Highlights: Transformative Engagement
During the month of August, Engaging Matters is republishing some of the most widely read articles from the five years this blog has been in existence. In a post from last December (Transformative Engagement), I introduced a new stage in my thinking about engagement. Engagement is a funny word. Among other things, we have to consider who is engaging with whom toward what end. Ultimately, though, if the work does not lead to some change in the … [Read more...]
Fifth Anniversary Highlights: The “Pandering” Straw Man
During the month of August, Engaging Matters is republishing some of the most widely read articles from the five years this blog has been in existence. The criticism that community engagement is "just giving people what they want" is, in some circles, as pervasive as it is maddening. A February 2014 post, The "Pandering" Straw Man addressed that issue. This post is not part of a series, so it may seem a bit out of context. I’ve addressed the … [Read more...]