Art, Value and Fundraising

So, we had a bit of blog hiatus (blogiatus?)

We had a big event. It was super fun and a big success for us. And I'm really proud of how it reflected who we are and what our mission is. We spent a lot of time figuring out how to:
a) show who Springboard serves;
b) honor the artists we work with; and
c) have a viable fundraiser.

Here's what we came up with:

The event included a show of 5 performing groups and a show and sale of 6 visual artists. We scrimped and scratched to get printing, venue, food, booze and media donated*…but we paid the artists. The performers all got paid, with the exception of the headliner - who got to pick a piece of art from the sale (for which we paid the visual artist.) The visual art was juried (in order to provide the artists a group show for their resume) and we split the sale proceeds 50/50 with the exhibiting artists.

So, the artists did provide a lot for this event - they made significant contributions of time and talent and energy - but they also got paid.

And, perhaps most importantly, everyone attending the event knew that half the money they spent at the sale was going to the artists. Which communicates something to them about how we value art and artists. 75% of the expenses for the event were paid to the artists. I can't think of a better way to spend money. Could we have asked visual artists to donate work and performers to donate their performances? Sure. But what would that have said to the attendees about our mission? That we are an organization founded on the belief that artists can make a living, just not at our event?

The perennial topic of how and if artists get paid seems to be making the rounds again - a lot of great writing out there that highlights new issues with a lot more depth than my still event-exhausted brain can do right now. But it does make me wonder if a lot of it isn't just that we should stop and think about these types of events and how they fit with our mission before we do them. Maybe a silent auction of donated work isn't the only way to have an event.

-laura

*Thank you to all those great sponsors!

In Defense of the Funny

So, the NEA just released the preliminary results of the 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts

The survey is done in partnership with the US Census and has been done 5 times since 1982. This time the results show a decline in arts participation in general, and perhaps most notably a decline among older, educated adults. The full results will be released this fall, but the handwringing has already begun about what this means for arts participation in America. Is the internet ruining art? Are more people considering the arts a luxury in a bad economy? Valid questions, to be sure, and ones we should be taking quite seriously.

But I would also add the question - is our definition of art out of date? You can look at the survey instrument here. Here's some questions I think are missing:

Have you attended a comedy club in the last 12 months?
Have you attended a sketch comedy or improv show in the last 12 months?
Have you attended a live rock or hip-hop concert or festival in the last 12 months?
Have you purchased local fashion or attended a show by local designers in the last 12 months?
Have you attended a spoken word event in the last 12 months?

Certainly there is value in comparable data over time - on the other hand, we need to make sure that we are expanding our definition of art experiences as audiences change and grow. One of the places I've seen the elusive "under 25" demographic consistently is at comedy and improv. This article on MPR last week reported that live music is thriving in the Twin Cities, despite the economic conditions.

It behooves us in the arts community to make "the arts" a big tent, so that those who attend comedy, or popular music, or fashion consider themselves arts supporters. Part of the problem the arts community is facing right now is that fewer people identify themselves as participating in the arts and by asking questions only about traditional art forms, we reinforce that idea. Instead we should be helping people see all the art in their lives.

-laura

Local Artists, Local Business, Local Economies
Here at Springboard we love artists.  We especially love our LOCAL artists.  Lately, I’ve heard a lot about stimulating local economies by supporting local businesses.  Anna Lee of MN Fashion alerted me to the 3/50 project, encouraging us all to spend $50 with three of our favorite local business owners. I’ve also learned recently about BALLE a national chapter organization that supports local livable economies and, closer to home, the Metro IBA - a member organization made up of some of my favorite home-grown and locally-owned businesses. Inspiring stuff.  
 
As you probably know, Springboard is all about getting down to the business of art.  That said, consider this your friendly reminder that your favorite artist IS a local business.   Buy tickets to local shows, buy local albums, fill your home and dress yourself with locally handmade beauty - you’ll strengthen the local economy and enrich the local culture.  Plus you get to look cool and feel connected.  

Those of you who own local independent creative businesses, we’ve uncovered another resource for you: The Freelancers Union. Based in New York, they provide retirement plans, health, dental and disability insurance and do advocacy work for the rights of the independently employed.  Currently, they offer health insurance in NY and CT only, but dental and disability in the upper Midwest.  Check it out!
 
Finally, thanks to Ian David Moss at Createquity for spreading the word about Springblog. We’re  excited to be more active in the national dialogue on cultural policy and proud to represent the voice of the independent artist in the upper Midwest.  

-Betsy

Midwest Models

It's been a busy few weeks around here! I've done some Upper Midwest traveling for Springboard and I'm always so appreciative of the opportunity to learn about new organizations and new ways of working:

In May, I participated in a professional development retreat as part of our administrative partnership with the Bush Foundation's Dakota Creative Connections grant program. The retreat was in Washburn, ND at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. The Interpretive Center is a beautiful facility overlooking the North Dakota Prairie and near Fort Mandan, where Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1804. The center houses a really nice display of artifacts and stories from the expedition, as well as a large collection of Karl Bodmer watercolors. But the thing I love about this place? It's also a highway rest stop. I think this is such a creative idea and way to draw visitors to this great resource in a very small community. Imagine if all rest stops were also museums? That sounds a lot more fun than most of the rest stops I've experienced!

Last weekend, I was in Bemidji for an ArtsLab retreat. It was great to meet and share ideas with the organizations in the NW Minnesota cohort. And, of course, to hear about the cool and innovative work they are doing. It was especially interesting to hear about how the Great River Arts Association was able to access federal stimulus funds to support their arts education programs.

And, finally, last Friday, I attended the annual meeting and merger celebration of COMPAS and Young Audiences of Minnesota. This was truly a model merger. Two organizations with similar programs and compatible missions (they've even been based in the same building) who came together and spent nearly a year doing the hard work of merging boards, staff, programs, and audiences. I'm sure there were hard conversations, tough decisions and long meetings. And, now that they've figured it all out - they had a big party! They used this lovely award-ceremony luncheon (to which all of their male staff members wore tuxedos) to let their constituents in on the process and introduce the newly combined board. The COMPAS board thanked the Young Audiences board, the Young Audiences board thanked the COMPAS board, they all thanked the staff, they thanked the artists, the funders, the teachers. There was lots of thanking. Which was a great way to spend an afternoon with arts colleagues - thanking and celebrating a newly created organization that has emerged* stronger, healthier and more able to deliver on its mission.

-laura

*sorry, couldn't resist.