ArtsEngaged in Illinois ArtsEngaged is coming to Illinois! I will be presenting my workshop Mainstreaming Engagement for the Illinois Arts Council, the Illinois Arts Alliance, and Illinois’ Local Arts Network on Thursday, November 15 (Oak Park, IL) and Friday, November 16 (Peoria). Thursday, November 15, 2012 9:30 am - noon Oak Park Public Library 834 Lake Street in Oak Park, Illinois Register Friday, November 16, 2012 9:30 am - … [Read more...]
Humilité
When I was a kid, I adored Camelot. There, I've said it out loud. (Well, to be more accurate, publicly.) There were many moments I loved. I'm only going to mention one here. When Lancelot is introduced he goes on at great length about how perfect he is for the Round Table. A knight of the Table Round should be invincible,/Succeed where a less fantastic man would fail./Climb a wall no one else can climb,/Cleave a dragon in record time,/Swim a … [Read more...]
100 Grants
During my one week home in October I had two grant review gigs to complete. One was for the Connecticut Office of the Arts, the other for the Cuyahoga (think Cleveland) Arts Council. My job was to review a bit over 100 grant applications. My role was to represent an "arts and community engagement" point of view. It was a learning experience. First, it's heartening that arts funding agencies are taking the public seriously. In Connecticut, … [Read more...]
How to Engage
I have been spending time of late trying to figure out the best path to engagement on the part of arts organizations. I am a firm believer that systemic engagement (mainstreamed engagement) is at heart the only way that will bear much fruit. Add-on activities won't get done. Seriously, where are the resources to do more? Or they will be marginalized internally and externally. Internal stakeholders will not see it as important; the community will … [Read more...]
Lessons from a Pirate: II
When last we met, I had begun talking about lessons in community engagement from, you remember, Jimmy Buffett. To refresh your memory, here are the last two paragraphs from that post: First and foremost, Jimmy Buffett appears to care deeply about his audience. He seems to genuinely like them. Now, I’m sure that’s not true every minute of every day of every fan, but on the whole he seems to enjoy singing for them–even when he’s singing … [Read more...]
Lessons from a Pirate: I
Yes, you're right. I'm writing a post (two, actually) about the arts and community engagement based on observations about Jimmy Buffett. (Really?!) Here goes: Can it be a guilty pleasure if I’m claiming it in a way that is visible to everyone with Internet access? And can it be a guilty pleasure if I don’t feel guilty about it? I’ll let you be the judge. I raise the issue because there may be some who think I should feel guilty. Through the … [Read more...]
Community Understanding through Theater
EM's List Member Community Understanding through Theater [This post is by EM's List Editor/Curator, Stephanie Moore] Cornerstone Theater Cornerstone Theater, a Los Angeles based theater company, collaborates with rural and urban communities to tell community stories through theater. Since its inception in 1986 the core artistic ensemble has worked side-by-side with local communities to write or adapt, direct and produce plays related to … [Read more...]
The Porgy Problem
Many of you, on the basis of the title alone, could write this post yourself. Porgy and Bess is an iconic masterwork of the arts in the U.S. It is justifiably performed countless times by opera companies everywhere. And it sometimes provides a textbook example of the myopia with which arts organizations often conduct themselves in communities. On numerous occasions, when I am discussing engagement and the necessity of developing and being in … [Read more...]
Shifting the Center
You are now privy to the reason I became a musician rather than a visual artist. (Or at least one reason.) I deeply appreciate good graphic design but my capacity for creation is, shall we say, limited. What you see here is the best I can do. Honestly! Yet as crude as this is, I think it gets the point across. I have attempted to articulate the thought that the picture expresses on a number of occasions and I discover that the adage about … [Read more...]
Engagement Demands Change
I've recently returned from presenting two workshops dealing with the arts and community engagement. Both in Grand Rapids, MI, one was part of the Midwest Arts Conference sponsored by ArtsMidwest and the Mid-American Arts Alliance. The other was at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University. As always happens, the experience opened up new insights for me in several different categories. One helped clarify for me the … [Read more...]