Arts Link – Fall/Winter 2020 by Americans for the Arts

DOUBLE ISSUE: New Haven’s Anti-Racism Pledge | ADA’s 30th Anniversary | Put Creative Workers to Work Arts Organizations at a Crossroads | Cultural New Deal | Paying Your Interns, An Equity Practice

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FALL/WINTER 2020

THE SOURCE FOR ARTS PROFESSIONALS IN THE KNOW

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AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS 2020/2021 CALENDAR

DECEMBER 7–8

Arts Link Mission Published three times a year for our Professional Members, Arts Link provides insight and expertise on the latest trends, resources, tools, and ideas in the field of local arts agencies and arts professionals. Written by Americans for the Arts staff and guest contributors, Arts Link brings together arts advocacy news, member profiles, and highlights of artists and arts organizations from across the country so that our members can continue to create a world where everyone has access to the arts and their transformative power.

National Arts Marketing Project Conference Many arts and culture organizations have been shifting and changing the ways they are delivering content, engaging communities, and inviting audiences to participate with them through different platforms. Who could have predicted the methods and strategies that have been activated in such a short and stressful time? And the only constant ahead is more change. The new virtual National Arts Marketing Project Conference will provide ideas and tactics, strategies and inspiration to set the groundwork for surviving and thriving in the next 18–24 months. Join us as we explore the road ahead for arts marketing in 2021 and beyond. Visit the National Arts Marketing Project Conference website for more information.

Arts Link Managing Editor Linda Lombardi Arts Link Editorial Committee Kelly Fey Bolender Angela Bowen Bossut Regina Burgher Lauren Cohen Ben Davidson Graham Dunstan Abigail Fisch Isaac Fitzsimons Heather Flanagan Morgan Furnari Nicole Goodman Peter Gordon Ruby Lopez Harper Danielle Iwata Jerelle Jenkins Nikki Kirk Pam Korza Clayton Lord Pauline Féo Pereira Christina Ritchie Marissa Shadburn Ami Scherson Jessica Stern Inga Vitols Patricia Walsh Ann Marie Watson

APRIL 5–16 National Arts Action Digital Summit Now Expanded Over Two Weeks! Designed to bring advocates the latest updates in federal arts policy, compelling up-to-the-minute data, and successful advocacy techniques, the National Arts Action Digital Summit is the best way to prepare yourself to make key asks of your federal elected officials and to learn how to be the best arts advocate you can be. Visit the National Arts Action Digital Summit website for more information.

Arts Link Design Studio e2 Tell Us What You Think We value the input of our readers and are always interested in hearing your comments about what you’ve read or topics you would like us to feature. Please email your ideas, recommendations, and remarks to ArtsLink@artsusa.org. We look forward to hearing from you. Advertising Opportunities For information about rates, schedules, and discounted advertising packages, please contact us at exhibits@artsusa.org. Copyright 2020, Americans for the Arts. Printed in the United States.

ON THE COVER: Soul Power dancers at Black Lives Matter street mural painting event. Photo by Kani Curtin, Kanisnapsphotos, courtesy City of New Haven.

FALL/WINTER 2020

contents

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

02 From the President

03 Working for You

The power of art to transform and restore against all odds

04 New Haven’s Anti-Racism Pledge Goes Beyond Solidarity Statements One city’s commitment to undoing racial systems that exist within their arts and cultural organizations

14 A rts Organizations at a Crossroads What staff and board need to know to make intentional and rational decisions about your organization’s future

10 Years of National Arts in Education Week, ArtsVote’s 2020 Election Work Recap

12 MemberCenter

You Belong Here

Americans with Disabilities Act’s 30th Anniversary, Member Profile: Kathy Hsieh

22 Leadership in Practice

Inspiring Leadership Through Example

Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design, Cultural New Deal, LA County Department of Arts and Culture’s New Cultural Policy

30 The Toolbox

24 P aying Your Interns, An Equity Practice

Americans for the Arts News

Information to Help You Succeed

No Recovery Without Creativity, COVID-19 Resource Center, Put Creative Workers to Work

Shifting values in arts administration internship programs to create field-wide change and cultural equity

AmericansForTheArts.org

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From the President

ver the course of this unique year, we have all faced extreme challenges. The coronavirus has forever changed the way we live, work, communicate, and create.

BEYOND THE WIDESPREAD HARDSHIP of COVID-19,

In this pivotal election year, our 501(c)(4)

we have seen the pandemic affect communities

Americans for the Arts Action Fund’s ArtsVote

and people of color in more significant ways. This

“Make Your Vote Count” pledge campaign

impact, exacerbated by a divisive election year,

harnessed the power of citizen activists via virtual

has required us to urgently seek change in our

events and artwork designed by Americans for

social, political, and economic environments.

the Arts Artists Committee member Shepard

And we have seen courage and resiliency with

Fairey. Customized Voter Info Factsheets for

hundreds of thousands of people standing up for

every state and U.S. territory provided registered

Black lives, whether through arts-focused initia-

voters details on all the election rules and

tives such as painting Black Lives Matter murals

deadlines. ArtsVote also spearheaded crucial

or taking to the streets in peaceful protests.

Get Out the Vote work, running ads online in 19

Artists and arts organizations across the country are being impacted in unprecedented ways. As of mid-November, nonprofit arts and cultural organizations have suffered financial losses of an estimated $14.1 billion. Approximately 95% of artists and creative workers have lost income

states, including ads in English and Spanish in Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Texas, and New Mexico. Overall, these ads garnered more than 2.7 million impressions from eligible voters. Through it all, our commitment to nonpartisan action has been as strong as our commitment to art and democracy.

and 63% are fully unemployed. Yet, the arts have

As we face the transition into a new administra-

been essential to our nation’s healing as we turn

tion, we need support for the arts to unify and

to music, dance, storytelling, streaming services,

heal our nation's communities and economy.

craft, and much more.

I am thankful to you, our members, partners, and

Arts advocates have galvanized around extending unemployment insurance, forgiveness of business loans, increased stimulus support, and food/ housing assistance. Like many others in the field, Americans for the Arts responded to adversities by creating useful resources and opportunities for the arts and culture field, particularly our COVID-19 Resource & Response Center and Cultural Equity Resource Center. Looking ahead, I am especially

funders, who work with us to continue innovating even in the most difficult times. Therein lies the true power of the arts—the power to transform and restore against all odds. Thank you for standing with Americans for the Arts throughout 2020 and for inspiring our mission in the years to come. We value your efforts, and are proud to be on this journey with you, using the arts to guide us through this time of vast change in our country.

encouraged by the impressive coalition of over 2,100 individuals and organizations who have endorsed the Putting Creative Workers to Work policy to rebuild and reimagine a post-pandemic way forward.

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The Source for Arts Professionals in the Know

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS NEWS

WORKING FOR YOU

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF NATIONAL ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS celebrated the 10th anniversary of National Arts in Education Week, September 13–19. Passed by Congress in 2010, House Resolution 275 designates the week beginning with the second Sunday in

September as National Arts in Education Week to recognize the positive impact of the arts on students in schools and communities. Americans for the Arts’ Artist Committee members Josh Groban and Annette Bening joined an esteemed panel of artists and leaders, including opera singer Denyce Graves-Montgomery and her daughter Ella Thomas Montgomery, Congressional STEAM Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), and

ArtsVote’s 2020 Election Work Recap

National Art Educators Association incoming President, Dr. James Haywood Rolling Jr., for the virtual #BecauseOfArtsEd Chat on September 16. The panelists shared personal stories about the impact of arts education in their lives, as well as information about arts education policy and advocacy.

IN THE SUMMER ISSUE of Arts Link, we announced the launch of the Arts Action Fund’s ArtsVote “Make Your Vote Count”

New this year, arts education supporters signed the Arts Education Pledge

pledge campaign with artwork designed by

to signal their commitment to advocate for the cause in their local communi-

renowned contemporary artist and Ameri-

ties. Advocates can still sign the pledge to stay connected about future calls

cans for the Arts Artists Committee member

to action and receive information about how to create a personal advocacy

Shepard Fairey. In partnership with state arts

plan using resources from Americans for the Arts and our national arts

advocacy organizations, the Arts Action Fund

education partners.

produced customized Voter Info Factsheets for every state and U.S. territory, which provided the latest details and deadlines on vote-by-mail ballots, early voting, and in-person voting, offering registered voters info on all the 2020 election rules and deadlines created due to COVID-19. Since August, thousands of voters from across the country signed the pledge. In addition, the ArtsVote team hosted virtual panel discussions on the impact of COVID-19 on the arts community and policies for the future, featuring artists Ben Folds, Annette Bening, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Shepard Fairey; NEA Chair Mary Anne Carter; and Arts Midwest President & CEO Torrie Allen. ArtsVote image by Shepard Fairey/ Obey Giant exclusively for Americans for the Arts Action Fund.

AmericansForTheArts.org

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NEW HAVENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ANTI-RACISM PLEDGE

GOES BEYOND SOLIDARITY STATEMENTS by Adriane Jefferson; Director of Cultural Affairs; Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism; City of New Haven

Temple Street Black Lives Matter mural. Photo by Keith McDonald, courtesy City of New Haven.

started as Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of New Haven in early February, before COVID-19; before the world witnessed the brutal deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd; and before racial justice was in the forefront of every news publication, television network, and conversation. As a leader in the arts and social justice field, addressing cultural equity was always the goal. Mayor Justin Elickerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transition report showed cultural equity as one of the most significant needs and wants from our constituents, so the Cultural Equity Planâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s launch was highly anticipated.

NEW HAVENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ANTI-RACISM PLEDGE

Above and right: Community members paint the Black Lives Matter mural on Temple Street. Photos by Kani Curtin Kanisnapsphotos, courtesy City of New Haven.

New Haven is a culturally diverse city with 63.41% of residents being Black, Latinx, Asian, or another nonwhite race. Most of the major arts institutions are downtown where a majority white population convenes or resides. I knew that we would need to disrupt this and prioritize undoing inequities in the arts and inequities that exist in our city that prevent people from participating in arts and culture. We began the cultural equity planning as we would any strategic planningâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;framing timelines, raising

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funds, and discussing community engagement. My department was tasked with prioritizing and expanding cultural and racial equity in the arts; specifically increasing the role of artists to work closely with city government on policies, creating more paid opportunities for creatives, finding more equitable processes for dissemination of arts and culture information, and creating free or subsidized event spaces for low income artists. We knew these goals only scratched the surface of the cultural equity work we needed

The Source for Arts Professionals in the Know

to do in New Haven. What we didn’t know was that there would be a global awakening and the need for racial justice and anti-racism action would become a world-wide priority. This awakening prompted my department to create the Arts for Anti-Racism Pledge, which has served as a toolkit and road map for arts organizations and arts agencies ready to start their anti-racism work, look critically at their operations, and begin to undue racist policies and procedures. The arrival of COVID-19 stopped us in our tracks. Overnight the world as we knew it had changed. Two things became obvious very quickly: the creative sector would be devastated by the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and Black and Brown communities would suffer the most. As the coronavirus grew, cities needed to respond quickly to help mitigate the damage. In New Haven,

AmericansForTheArts.org

many departments halted normal operations to become all hands on deck with COVID-19 resiliency and recovery efforts. The Department of Cultural Affairs answered this call to action. Halting normal operations for us meant hitting pause on the Cultural Equity Plan—or so we thought. As we urgently searched for solutions for our residents and the creative sector, we observed that the struggles were not equal. Inequities that existed in marginalized Black and Brown communities pre-pandemic were exacerbated. Hot spots for COVID-19 were our most vulnerable populations. Why was this happening? Pre-existing environmental conditions are a lead factor, such as the impossibility to properly social distance in project housing units stacked up against each other QUICK LOOK

3 Reasons Black Communities Are Impacted by COVID-19 4

Marc Zarefsky, “Why African American

communities are being hit hard by COVID-19,” American Medical Association 1. Disproportionately high rate of preexisting conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity in the African American community. 2. Overrepresentation of communities of color holding essential jobs outside the health profession, including bus drivers, train operators, and custodians. 3. Structural inequities and social determinants of health that are influenced by implicit bias and racial discrimination.

FALL/WINTER 2020 | ARTS LINK | 7

NEW HAVEN’S ANTI-RACISM PLEDGE

and/or major barriers in disseminating accurate public health information to reach communities of color. This is where our work began. The Health Department reached out to us for help spreading a public health message to Black and Brown communities about wearing masks and staying safe. For the first time in the city, we had the opportunity to put young creatives of color on

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billboards and buses. We selected 10 local influencers who were willing to use their platform to tell people to “Mask Up” and launched a campaign that spread like wildfire and had an immediate impact. The Mask Up Campaign gave many Black and Brown people hope. Hope that the city had not forgotten the people who were being most harmed by this virus. Hope that we saw the inequities and were taking steps to address them. Hope that we would not stay silent about the disparities we were seeing and hope that we were trying to save the lives of our vulnerable populations. It also shone a light on the role and power that arts and culture can have in racial justice, social change, and activism. A role for art that would play out even further in the days to come. My department had just approved another round of artists’ creative relief funding when the video of George Floyd’s murder reached my phone. What I saw next on national news—a Black

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Opposite, top: New Haven "Mask Up" campaign featuring Tiffany Stewart of Aligning. Photo by Donnell Durden, Align With Us Media, courtesy City of New Haven. Opposite, bottom: Black Lives Matter New Haven Founders and Members at the Black Lives Matter street mural painting event in New Haven. Photo by Kani Curtin, Kanisnapsphotos, courtesy City of New Haven.

AmericansForTheArts.org

man slowly die from a white policeman’s knee on his neck—completely changed the trajectory and urgency of our work. There was an outrage and outcry of disbelief, inconsolable sadness, and rage. Led by young activists, people took to the streets in unprecedented numbers, protesting police brutality and that Black Lives Matter. And it wasn’t just Black and Brown people protesting racial injustice, but also white people showing up in mass numbers, standing unapologetically with their Black counterparts and demanding that systems begin to be dismantled. As history was being made in the streets, an uproar was happening in the creative sector. Racial injustice and antiwhite supremacy solidary statements from arts and culture institutions began to flood our emails and social media platforms. While it was great to see arts organizations want to begin to do this work, they had to be accountable to the commitments they were making. We could no longer afford empty promises. In response, we birthed the Arts for Anti-Racism Pledge. This would not be a pledge that people would take and walk away from, but one that would lay the foundation for a true undoing of racial systems that exist within the city’s arts and cultural organizations. The pledge is centered in amplifying Black and Brown voices, decolonizing the arts, addressing systems of inequity, and ridding ourselves of unjust policies and practices. To date, 30 organizations from across Connecticut—most from New Haven— have taken the pledge and committed to being anti-racist. Those who sign up become part of a learning cohort in

QUICK LOOK

7 Changes Organizations Must Strive for to Become Anti-Racist 4

Arts for Anti-Racism Pledge, Department of

Arts, Culture & Tourism; City of New Haven 1. Change arts institution’s internal culture to actively amplify BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) voices. 2. Dismantle policy and practices that are unjust and create barriers for BIPOC people. 3. Acknowledge and decolonize how art shows up in arts organizations. 4. Activate social justice through a lens that remedies inequities for Black and Brown people and other marginalized groups. 5. Shift programming to make it more accessible, affordable, and culturally relevant. 6. Change the mentality from white savior syndrome and from doing FOR the community to WITH the community. 7. Be aware of the historical context of racially offensive artwork and cultural appropriation and immediately take accountability and action to prevent this from showing up in arts and cultural institutions.

the fight to achieve racial justice. They receive a welcome email, a social media sticker to publicly display that they took the pledge, monthly newsletters, and free bi-monthly anti-racism trainings with guest speakers. A calendar of local and national anti-racism trainings is publicly accessible on our website along with a frequently updated list of

FALL/WINTER 2020 | ARTS LINK | 9

NEW HAVENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ANTI-RACISM PLEDGE

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The Source for Arts Professionals in the Know

Top: New Haven artists (l–r) Carlos Perez, Candyce “Marsh” John, and Jesse Wolf pose with their respective letters of the New Haven Black Lives Matter mural. Opposite: Community members paint the Black Lives Matter mural on Temple Street. Photos by Kani Curtin, Kanisnapsphotos, courtesy City of New Haven.

AmericansForTheArts.org

anti-racism books, documentaries, and other materials. All of this will culminate in New Haven’s firstever Racial Justice and Anti-Racism Conference in February 2021. Not all organizations are eager to sign the pledge, however. The most common reasons we hear from organizations who have not yet signed up is that their board of directors doesn’t agree with the need for the pledge, thinks that the Black Lives Matter movement is a political statement, or does not consider themselves a racist organization and therefore do not need to do anti-racism work. Many organizations struggle to understand that it is not enough to just do diversity work and that we must also do the work of justice, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. While these are frustrating challenges, we are moving forward and focusing our attention on organizations ready to do the work.

Cultural equity is less about a plan and more about action. Too often, organizations get caught up in planning and fail to act on important issues. Rather than waiting for the release of our strategic plan, checking all the boxes of things we’ll do in New Haven, we have focused on the essential boots-on-the-ground work by being responsive to the call for action and systemic change. The time has come for arts organizations to take a deep and truthful look in the mirror and see our role in complicity and blindness to racism. As we continue to pick ourselves up from the blow of the pandemic, we have an immense opportunity to not go back to being the same as before, but to do better. We will get through the pandemic eventually, but racial injustice in this country will continue to exist and it’s up to the arts to decide how we will help to eradicate it.

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YOU BELONG HERE

MEMBERCENTER 3ARTS Chicago-based arts organization 3Arts holistically supports and advocates for women artists, artists of color, and artists with disabilities. They assist individual artists in multiple ways, including fundraising support, training, connections to local and national networks, and more. Artist Residencies are a core program of 3Arts, including their partnership with University of Illinois at Chicago’s Bodies of Work and the Department of Disability and Human Development to provide fellowships for artists with disabilities. In this program, fellows are granted access to the many resources of the university, including space to create new work, access to training and professional development, teaching opportunities, and more.

THE ARTS AND ACCESSIBILITY:

30 Years of the Americans with Disabilities Act

GREATER PITTSBURGH ARTS COUNCIL (GPAC) The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s (GPAC) Accessibility Initiative works with the arts and culture sector in the greater Pittsburgh area to enhance their accessibility practices. GPAC offers trainings and resources for organizations and agencies on accessibility basics, ADA compliance, marketing, outreach, and more. To turn theory into action, GPAC has also developed the Access Microfund, a reimbursement program that arts and culture organizations in the area can apply to for providing

ON JUNE 26, 2020, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

accessible accommodations for audiences and artists for their

celebrated its 30th anniversary. The ADA continues to be

events and programs. Eligible expenses include ASL interpreta-

instrumental legislation, which prohibits the discrimination

tion for performances, audio descriptions for museum tours,

against individuals with disabilities. Since the enactment of

Braille programs, and more.

the ADA in 1990, the arts field has taken exceptional steps to increase access for people with disabilities in all aspects, including American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for live

These are just a few examples of how members of Americans

performances, sensory-friendly performances, touch-friendly

for the Arts have integrated accessibility into their programs

museums, grants for artists with disabilities, and more.

and initiatives. We look forward to seeing how our members

To celebrate the ADA’s 30th anniversary, here are some highlights from our members doing exceptional work with and for

and the field at large continue to make their spaces, events, and programs more accessible in the years to come!

people with disabilities.

THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS (NEA) The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Office of Accessibility (OA) is dedicated to making the arts accessible for all. This

office provides technical assistance to help ensure compliance with ADA regulations and new legislation, while also recommending creative and accessible solutions for the public. On the OA website you can find resources for best practices for arts administrators like Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook. The OA has also released new resources to provide guidance for virtual events, including virtual exhibitions, webinars, streamed performances, and more.

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Photo courtesy ADA National Network (adata.org).

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Member Profile: Kathy Hsieh

Some of the changes they’ve implemented to their grants process include: hiring a racially diverse grantmaking team and staff; creating more racially diverse panels and

AS THE CULTURAL Partnerships and Grants Manager for the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Kathy Hsieh oversees

investments, funding, and racial equity opportunities for the community. She has transformed the City of Seattle’s

in review panels; and requiring staff, facilitators, and panelists to take implicit bias and racial equity training as part of their orientation prior to reviewing applications.

arts funding program through a racial

When COVID-19 hit, the Seattle Office

equity lens and helped the agency

of Arts & Culture was one of the first

earn the Seattle Management Associa-

arts agencies to issue relief funds on

tion’s first Race and Social Justice

March 17. Since then, they have created

Management Award. In our ongoing

WPA-style public arts calls, funded

Member Profile series on ARTSblog,

webinars on creating greater ADA

Hsieh discusses her theater back-

accessibility in the virtual realm, and

ground, strategies to promote cultural

are working with the community to

and racial equity, and how the Seattle

address the public health crises of

Office of Arts & Culture is responding

both the pandemic and racism.

to COVID-19 and combatting racial Photo by John Ulman.

increasing panelists’ pay to participate

injustices highlighted by the Black

Read the full profile online.

Lives Matter movement.

Photo by John Ulman.

ARTS ORGANI

CROSSR

ZATIONS AT A

ROADS by Mollie Quinlan-Hayes, Arts Consultant and Steering Committee Member, National Coalition for Artsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Preparedness and Emergency Response

here we all were, out for a drive one fine day in March. Some of us were driving shiny sports cars, some big heavy Hummers, and a bunch of us were getting around in vehicles that were slightly banged-up but much beloved. We all had our own destination in mind, but none of us arrived. Instead, we all were suddenly detoured to the exact same crossroadsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;an intersection of a worldwide pandemic, surging activism for equity and social justice in America, and tremendous economic distress and uncertainty.

ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AT A CROSSROADS In the months since, we’ve all become exhausted trying to get back home, perhaps becoming frantic because the maps we have can’t direct us to where we want to go. We need to craft new road maps to navigate the current landscape. Much has been discussed, written, and implemented addressing programmatic shifts, new ways to deliver arts experiences, and dealing with painful but necessary decisions to reduce staff, cancel artist engagements, and shutter beloved programs. The conversations that aren’t being had, or are happening in hushed tones, are perhaps the most critical. Many arts and cultural organizations are facing existential crises in the time of COVID-19 but are too frightened or don’t have enough information to address them head-on. But there is existing guidance and wisdom to help us determine our direction. The natural life cycle of nonprofit organizations moves through startup, growth, stability, and regeneration, only occasionally resulting in termination. What we’re now experiencing is an unprecedented and unnatural disruption of that life cycle, leading to radical contractions and premature closures. The National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness and Emergency Response (NCAPER) ensures that artists, arts/cultural organizations, cultural funders, and arts businesses can respond to disasters and emergencies affecting the arts and culture sector. NCAPER Executive Director Jan Newcomb stated, “The Coalition also believes the arts sector is an essential collaboration in broader societal efforts for preparedness, emergency response, and recovery to ensure the resilience of the

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general community.” Arts Organizations at a Crossroads, an effort of NCAPER , provides legal and financial information so that staff and board members can make intentional and rational decisions about their organization’s future, rather than be cornered into a situation out of their control. Options include: Shared services/back-end collaborations Strategic alliances R adical restructuring Financing Suspension/hibernation/hiatus Mergers/acquisitions/consolidations Dissolutions/other exit strategies Bankruptcy/insolvency n

To assist arts and cultural organizations plan for a post-COVID-19 future, leading national arts service organization SMU DataArts, in their report In It for the Long Haul, offers “three propositions that any organization can develop and align in order to achieve success: its value proposition, revenue proposition, and people proposition…these steps have the potential to differentiate the organizations that not only weather the crisis but grow through it.” They recommend each organization consider four questions: 1. What might the next year look like? 2. W hat is the source of our strength? What do we do that is most meaningful and relevant to the community? 3. How will we manage our people and revenue propositions to confront the new reality? 4. W hen our doors reopen, whom will we gather?

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“ ”

We must approach this work with humility, this is bigger than ourselves. Look at the community, it’s bigger. —Sally Dix, Bravo Greater Des Moines

EQUITY

COVID-19 and racial justice are entwined, and in this moment, there is opportunity and responsibility to break apart old structures and systems of power. How can your organization activate greater equity as you look to the future? “We cannot rebuild the system we had before, we have to build it back better and in a more equitable way… as a nonprofit organization, I would

think about how my mission ties in with that narrative,” said Allison Grayson of Independent Sector. Gail Boyd, president of North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA), concurs: “Restructuring and financial decisions are moral decisions and reflect equity choices.” Deborah Gilpin, president and CEO of the Madison [WI] Children’s Museum, is doing just that. On March 13, she made the difficult strategic decision to close the facility until July and lay off 82% of staff (the Museum was able to recall a pool of staffers for a time through PPP support). In June, the reopening date moved to “not before September,” and most recently, “not until the new year.” Gilpin also recognized that young employees and employees of color were hardest hit

Photo courtesy Madison Children’s Museum.

AmericansForTheArts.org

FALL/WINTER 2020 | ARTS LINK | 17

ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AT A CROSSROADS as front-line workers. By evaluating reopening dates using a longer, quarterly horizon, Gilpin is providing time to reimagine an organizational structure and define practices to launch a restart founded in greater equity, including paying a living wage for all roles and increasing empowerment at all levels of decision-making. BUYING TIME

Managing your cash flow may buy you a bit of time, “space to breathe” as arts leader Ted Berger describes it, so that you can assess your situation and options. Meanwhile, “Resist Magical Thinking, and shorten the time horizons for your decision-making. Delays, particularly when you have no margin for error (and are burning through cash) can be fatal,” according to SeaChange. Candid and regular conversations with your board members are more important now than ever—as is recognizing that many board members are involved in more QUICK LOOK difficult decisions than usual. The New York State Council on the Arts has developed the video 4 The vast majority of funders are Guiding Board Members local. Community foundations are one of the largest local funders in and Continuing Your many areas, and if you don’t already Mission During COVID have a relationship or alliance with and Beyond to help you your local community foundation, this structure productive is another example where reaching board conversations, outside can be productive—if it is done for the right reason. Not for and BoardSource funding to shore up or support your recognizes the current own operations, but to explore which need for exceptional of their donor-advised funds may have board governance. goals for community service that your organization can help them realize. Clarify your cash flow situation:

Look Locally

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The Wallace Foundation and Fiscal Management Associates offer cash flow projection tools and templates for revenue scenario planning. “Scenarios take the wind out of the chaos uncertain times can cause and give organizations a chance to be thoughtful about big decisions that need to be made quickly and under pressure,” according to the Nonprofit Finance Fund. Reduce emotions in decision-making. SeaChange suggests that boards “precommit to difficult actions if certain events come to pass. For example, an organization could pass a resolution now that if cash falls to a certain level, then they will stop paying the rent or will discontinue a certain program.” Using pre-determined, objective benchmarks may alleviate emotional distress. The Wallace Foundation offers a new scenario planning toolkit to help organizations think through how to respond to various future conditions. Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, active in about 25 states, can assist with landlord/tenant disputes, lease renegotiation, stopping collections, etc., as well as steps for more significant organizational shifts. A number of structural options— legal, financial, and governance—are available for the leadership of arts organizations to consider. They range widely, as described here. Please look at these as a continuum, with room to maneuver between these possibilities, including combinations that may make the most sense for your situation. (This information is provided for general guidance only; any legal or financial information should be discussed with a professional.)

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S hared services/back-end collaborations. This

QUICK LOOK

includes your administrative services such as finance, human resources, and purchasing, as well as your marketing/ communications, graphic design, and IT.

Creating Your New Roadmap

S trategic alliances. Commonality of

4 Resources

mission is key for a successful strategic alliance. Community foundations are often the largest local funder and may be potential candidates for counsel and funding. n

AmericansForTheArts.org

and Nonprofits: Start with

Finance Fund, 2020) n

R adical restructuring. What do you need

Merger

and Alliance Toolkit (La Piana

Consulting, 2020) n

Navigating

Uncertain Times: A Scenario

Planning Toolkit for the Arts and Culture Sector (The Wallace Foundation, 2020) n

Nonprofit

Lifestages and Why They Matter

(Alliance of Artists Communities, 2007) n

Think

Outside the Box: How Stakeholders

Can Help Nonprofits Face the Challenge of COVID-19 (SeaChange, 2020)

F inancing. Consider shifting the use

Tough Times

Call for Tough Action: A Decision

Framework for Nonprofit Leaders & Boards (SeaChange, 2020) n

Closing

Down the Right Way

(Blue Avocado, 2008) n

Steps to Closing Your Nonprofit Organiza-

tion (The Balance Small Business, 2019)

S uspension/hibernation/hiatus. Small

organizations with annual revenue of <$50,000 can generally conduct minimum activity for a time but must file the annual IRS e-postcard. Some are choosing to hibernate, not accept any new funds, and plan to ‘come back to life’ when conditions allow. This may involve identifying a fiscal sponsor or other entity that will accept your organization’s structure and assets in such a way that when possible, you can re-start, rather than dissolve or close.

COVID-19

These Self-Assessment Steps (Nonprofit

of existing internal resources such as strategic reserves. Changes to the use of purpose- or time-restricted grants or funds will require approval by the funding source. Look into bridge loans/ lines of credit and seek donations/ grants for your re-starting expenses. n

Organizations at a Crossroads, Resource

List for Organizations (NCAPER, 2020)

to change, and how can you do it in a determined and self-aware manner? Discard for the moment existing job descriptions and responsibilities. What skills and talents do your staff and volunteers have that aren’t being used in their typical job responsibilities? n

Arts

M ergers/acquisitions/consolidations.

These take time even in a normal environment (generally 6–18 months) and are legally complex. It may be simpler for one organization to close and move their assets and some board members/staff to the other. n

D issolutions/other exit strategies. Work

with legal and financial professionals to come to an ethical dissolution plan to wrap up business responsibly and disperse any remaining assets. Explore

FALL/WINTER 2020 | ARTS LINK | 19

ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AT A CROSSROADS

opportunities to hand off projects or programs to another organization. Communicate termination plans to internal and external stakeholders, and make referrals, all leading to a graceful, dignified exit.

James Hafferman of CERF+/The Artists Safety Net at the National Coalition for Arts' Preparedness and Emergency Response’s 2020 annual meeting. Photo courtesy NCAPER. n

B ankruptcy/insolvency. These are not

interchangeable, as SeaChange explains. “‘Insolvent’ describes a financial condition—unable to pay bills when due or liabilities exceeding assets—

20 | ARTS LINK | FALL/WINTER 2020

while ‘in bankruptcy’ is a legal status.” Chapter 7 provides for the dissolution of the organization while Chapter 11 allows the organization to re-organize with the goal of becoming a solvent organization and staying in business. PRESERVING YOUR LEGACY

While visual arts and other collecting institutions commonly plan for the conservation and preservation of the

The Source for Arts Professionals in the Know

physical objects in their care, performing arts and other disciplines also are stewards of valuable assets such as music libraries, instruments, specialized equipment, costume/set/property inventories, and technology which should be documented, protected, and re-housed if necessary. Business papers, records of your organizational and programmatic history such as press coverage, performance programs, audio/visual materials, season histories, and board and contributor lists should be located and organized, particularly important if the organization may be closing or changing hands. Know the legal requirements for retention of certain documents and records. Your legacy includes intangibles as well—your history, reputation, and goodwill, which may be demonstrated through interviews and stories. The Performing Arts Readiness project offers the recorded webinar Protecting Your Assets: Managing Legacy Materials. Explore and start relationships with organizations that may wish to accept and preserve your materials. LYRASIS/NCAPER may be able to match arts organizations with potential archive hosts. As examples, the Rutgers University Libraries includes the Institute for Jazz Studies, which houses archives, and musicians and music organizations are currently working with Texas State University in San Marcos, which has a popular culture and arts center within their library. More thoughts on responsible and ethical transitions of cultural artifacts are shared in the article “When a History Museum Closes” from the American Association of State and Local History.

AmericansForTheArts.org

GRIEF, LOSS, AND CELEBRATION

The emotional investment we make in our organizations is substantial and powerful, and the prospect of losing what we have built can trigger a profound sense of loss and grief. Working through the stages of grief with your colleagues should include a recognition of what you have built and nurtured so you can celebrate your organization’s life. Blue Avocado and The Balance Small Business offer thoughts on marking this difficult transition. Plan a virtual event to allow your organization’s ‘circle’ to connect, process, and celebrate. Invite current and previous staff and board members, artists, volunteers, contributors, and community partners. Organize a way for them to share their stories—in writing, on a blog, or by video. If your founder(s) is still active, provide them an opportunity to come full-circle and participate in your celebratory event. Collect your physical history and find a home— another nonprofit, a library/archive, or historical society. Craft a statement for the community which has supported you through the years. DRIVING WITHOUT MAPS

In the months to come, without maps to guide us, we need to broaden our perspective. As we return to the road at different times, leaving this Pandemic Rest Stop, we will be much better off after having studied a more detailed map, which offers other options, routes, and directions on how to get to our new destinations.

pecial thanks to Maya Epstein, Jan Newcomb, Ryan Viz, S and Eva Wang for their assistance on this article.

FALL/WINTER 2020 | ARTS LINK | 21

INSPIRING LEADERSHIP THROUGH EXAMPLE

LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE to more equitably acknowledge the people and projects that improve communities through public art. We will continue to celebrate outstanding public art projects, but also do more to recognize the diverse array of individuals in the field who are bringing public art to communities. In service of this goal, Americans for the Arts—with generous support from The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation—launched the new Jorge and Darlene Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design program, which aims to celebrate and highlight the work of individuals who support, develop, and manage the incorporation of art into the design of places and spaces across the country. The program Darlene Boytell-Pérez and Jorge M. Pérez. Photo courtesy Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation. Right: Photo courtesy Vinnie Bagwell.

is designed to empower all stakeholders in the public art process and to create a powerful platform to develop greater national visibility and appreciation of the unique role that the arts play in shaping our experience of the built environment. This new program, which bears the names of internationally recognized philanthropists Jorge M. Pérez and his wife Darlene Boytell-Pérez, includes an annual prize that will be awarded on a rotating basis to an artist, public art administrator, or representative from the civic design field.

INTRODUCING THE PÉREZ PRIZE IN PUBLIC ART & CIVIC DESIGN

“Art has the unique ability to change spaces, and the people within them, for the better,” said Pérez. “As such, it was important for us as a family to assist those individuals who’ve dedicated their lives to injecting arts and culture into communities around the nation. We are proud to support such a worthy cause.” We are excited to announce Vinnie Bagwell as the inaugural recipient of the Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design. An untutored artist, Bagwell began sculpting in 1993 and conceives her work “to provoke critical thinking, spark the imagination, and facilitate the unlearning of hate by giving humanity to the

THE CENTRALITY OF PUBLIC ART to civic design and community

stories of marginalized people.”

building has been a fundamental part of our work at Americans

In celebration of Bagwell and in commemoration of the

for the Arts even before 2020—a year in which we have grappled not only with the onslaught of a pandemic, but horrific instances of racial injustice. Throughout it all, the public art world has remained “at the heart of discourse,” as Public Art Network Advisory Council Member Julia Muney Moore says.

accomplishments of PAN’s 20-year history, Americans for the Arts will host a special virtual panel discussion on December 3, featuring Bagwell and other field experts and moderated by Public Art & Civic Design Senior Program Manager Patricia Walsh. The panel will discuss how public art has changed over

Reflecting on what it means to be at that heart was a key

the past 20 years and the roles it plays during times of social

question that drove our conversations about how best to

and cultural change.

mark another milestone of 2020—the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Public Art Network (PAN) and the PAN Year in

Public art is an integral component of every community.

Review recognition program. With respect for PAN’s past and

Americans for the Arts is honored to continue our work to

an eye to the future, we have explored along with the field how

support those who make public art happen.

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The Source for Arts Professionals in the Know

A Cultural New Deal for a More Just, Shared Future AS THE FIELD CONTINUES ITS WORK towards equity, the Cultural New Deal provides a deep and clear framework to guide efforts and processes. The Cultural New Deal states that, “The main question that we all confront now is whether we will emerge from this era choosing to maintain the same systems and beliefs that support the current culture of division and death or if we will instead move forward toward a more just, shared future, guided by worldviews that foster collaboration and mutuality.” In this view, several areas are further outlined with specific calls to action for organizations to take, such as calling

Trailblazing Cultural Policy

on “historically white-led and white-serving organizations to recognize that, in order to transform themselves, they should be learners of cultural equity from leaders of BIPOC communities.” Positioned as a call to action to be adopted and adapted to specific contexts, this text invites us to hold ourselves “responsible, accountable, and transparent in achieving equity and justice.”

THIS PAST JUNE, the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture announced the adoption of the Countywide Cultural Policy. This trailblazing policy—the first of

Originated by organizations that are leaders in justice work in the arts, the

its kind in the nation—provides direction

Call was spearheaded by ArtChangeUS, the Center for Cultural Power, First

and guidelines for how Los Angeles County

Peoples Fund, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, Race

and its departments will ensure that every

Forward, and Sipp Culture. It was written by Michele Kumi Baer, Jeff Chang,

resident of LA County has meaningful

María López De León, Tara Dorabji, Kassandra Khalil, Lori Pourier, Favianna

access to arts and culture. Together with the

Rodriguez, Nayantara Sen, Carlton Turner, Roberta Uno, and Elizabeth

County’s commissions, agencies, authorities,

Webb, in consultation with Ananya Chatterjea, Ananya Dance Theatre; Sonya

municipalities, and private sector partners,

Childress, Perspective Fund; Pamela J. Peters; Randy Reinholz, Native Voices;

the Policy fosters organizational culture

Lula and Erwin Washington and Tamica Washington-Miller, Lula Washington

that values and celebrates arts, culture, and

Dance Theatre; Dyani White Hawk; and Carrie Mae Weems. It was translated by

creativity; strengthens cultural equity and

Yahaira Carrillo Rosales. The Call was distributed for early review and endorse-

inclusion; and integrates arts and culture into

ment and continues to be circulated with additional signatories being added

LA County strategies to achieve the highest

to the website to show growing support and solidarity. To date, individuals and

potential of constituents and their communi-

organizations from all 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico have signed on.

ties across all aspects of civic life.

These values must lead the work to be done now and as we move into the

The Policy affirms that the ability to participate

future together. Sign the Call by visiting CulturalNewDeal.com.

in the cultural life of a community is a basic human right and defines this right as “participating and enjoying the benefits of arts and

Photo courtesy Cultural New Deal.

cultural activities; learning about, maintaining, and developing one’s cultural expression and heritage; and sharing in the cultural expression and heritage of others.” The policy also addresses the systemic inequities present within arts and culture and acknowledges the disinvestment visible within communities as well as the lack of equal access to cultural resources, representation, and public sector investments. Read the full policy online here.

AmericansForTheArts.org

FALL/WINTER 2020 | ARTS LINK | 23

2018 Diversity in Arts Leadership interns during their opening ceremony in New York City. Photo by Danielle Iwata, courtesy Americans for the Arts.

PAYING YOUR INTERNS, by Nikki Kirk, Equity in Arts Leadership Program Manager, and Ami Scherson, Equity in Arts Leadership Program Associate, Americans for the Arts

he conversation on pay equity in arts administration internships is one that informs the whole of field development and affects the make-up of sector leadership. Internships have been an important way for individuals to gain hands-on experience, technical knowledge, and develop networks within the field. Hiring practices, even for entry level positions, often require applicants to have some professional experience to showcase their skillset. Carlos Vera, executive director and co-founder of Pay Our Interns, a nonprofit focused on advocacy for paid internships across sectors, notes that many people of color do not have the privilege of working without pay, so when unpaid internships are created, “they will not apply…then they graduate college and do not have…the same networks and cannot find a job because they do not have ‘prior experience.’ So, you are basically building this barrier for people of color.” This cycle perpetuates and maintains the status quo, allowing for an overrepresentation of privileged peoples in arts leadership.

AN EQUITY PRACTICE

Twelve Literary Arts Interns, before Cleveland-based artist Dakarai Akil’s portrait of poet, essayist, and activist, June Jordan. Photo courtesy Stephen Bivens.

Most internship practices uphold organizational power, impact access to professional opportunities, and create a precedent for pay inequity. According to the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP, 2014), there has been an increase of both paid and unpaid internship opportunities over the past 30 years. Their data shows that out of almost 70% of recent arts graduates who have completed an internship; those completing paid internships are more likely to find jobs, have higher income than their unpaid counterparts, and have overall job satisfaction. In addition, individuals at a historical economic disadvantage (people of

26 | ARTS LINK | FALL/WINTER 2020

color, first-generation college students, and women), disproportionately have completed unpaid internships, which provide fewer benefits than paid opportunities. Ultimately, pay equity is about organizational values. Many organizations have expressed commitments to equity, but the field needs to examine what that looks like in practice. The benefits of paid internship experiences are plenty, however many organizations often justify by saying ‘we just don’t have the budget to pay our interns.’ This notion must be challenged. There are many ways to create paid opportunities within an organization.

The Source for Arts Professionals in the Know

“”

You can see interns as a burden, or as an opportunity for future talent for your organizations. —Carlos Vera, Pay Our Interns

Photo courtesy

Pay Our Interns.

AmericansForTheArts.org

To start, we must shift to being more intentional in how we prioritize internships. We often differentiate budgeting for interns as separate from staff costs. Vera explains that, “Intentionality is… important, when your leadership team comes together to look at next year’s budget…add additional funding for your interns so when you are fundraising you are already thinking [with] that in mind.” One way to do this is by writing internship costs into your grant proposals. Some organizations have committed to inputting internships directly into their budgets for grants. Victoria Petro-Eschler, executive director of Salty Cricket Composers Collective in Salt Lake City, Utah, writes in the hourly rate of her interns as personnel costs in her organization’s grants. If interns are meant to support specific projects or if your organization has general operating support, add internship expenses into those line items. Internship matching programs provide an alternative that can reduce the cost of paid internships on individual organizations through providing low or no cost partnerships. The DIAL Internship (Diversity in Arts Leadership) program, hosted by Americans for the Arts, matches undergraduate interns with arts organizations in New York City and

nationally. Interns are paid through a cost sharing model split between the host organization and Americans for the Arts. The values of this program center on cultural equity, part of which hinges on interns being well compensated for their work. Programs like DIAL allow undergraduate students an opportunity to live and intern in cities like New York, which are difficult to reside in without income. For London Carlisle, a DIAL alum from Linesville, Alabama, now working full-time in Manhattan, having this paid internship opportunity in the arts allowed him to create connections and grow as an administrator and actor. He expresses that “to learn not only about myself but the professional world, it was a godsend. It moved [my career] farther than just about anything… QUICK LOOK

DIAL Virtual Internship 4

Find out more about how DIAL shifted

to a virtual program in 2020. Read “Reflecting on Virtual Internships During COVID-19” on ArtsBlog.

FALL/WINTER 2020 | ARTS LINK | 27

PAYING YOUR INTERNS, AN EQUITY PRACTICE explains, “I was always interested in arts admin, but I didn’t want to fully commit to a full-time job and realize ‘this isn’t for me,’ so having this work study internship for 8–9 months really allowed me to get the big picture of being a program supervisor or understanding how events run in general… After I graduated, I 100% realized I wanted to be in the field and I’m fortunate to have had that opportunity to grow and do something I love.” Collaborating with universities for funding

London Carlisle working at his

QUICK LOOK

internship site,

Equity in Recruitment

FreeArts NYC in 2018, courtesy London Carlisle.

Internships should strive to place value

on continually expanding equitable practices. For example, using university partnership intern programs or recruiting solely from elite colleges can limit the diversity of your applicant pool. Consider focusing recruitment strategy on a broad array of demographic areas such as race, gender, socio-economic status, geographic location, and school type.

If it was unpaid, I wouldn’t be able to do it.” Unpaid experiences can limit entryways for rising arts leaders from underrepresented backgrounds in the field, as many of these leaders do not have the privilege of engaging in unpaid work. Paid internships present a pathway to explore the arts administration field that may not have otherwise been possible. Yoon-Joo Moh, a former Ohio University work study intern at Arts West in Athens, Ohio, secured a paid opportunity through her school. She

28 | ARTS LINK | FALL/WINTER 2020

is another instance of partnerships reducing internship expenses. Organizations can apply for internship positions through certain universities that provide their students with stipends, which can eliminate the cost burden from the organization’s budget. These partnerships can create invaluable opportunities for interns like Moh to solidify their commitment to the field— a chance they may not have considered had the experience not been paid. The field of arts administration must challenge the concept of unpaid labor for the sake of experience. Internships are an opportunity to invest in future arts leaders, and to develop a sector that benefits all stakeholders. Pay equity at the intern level works to expand opportunities to rising leaders, allowing those underrepresented in arts leadership access to enter the sector and acknowledging that the work they put into an organization is valued. Daniel Gray-Kontar, executive director of Twelve Literary Arts in Cleveland, Ohio, sees internships as a way to invite youth into the organizational ecosystem as they progress from program participants

The Source for Arts Professionals in the Know

Pay Our Interns Co-Founders Guillermo Creamer Jr. and Carlos Vera (l–r). Photo courtesy Graeme Sloan.

AmericansForTheArts.org

to paid interns to teaching artists to arts administrators. Gray-Kontar explains, “The ecosystem isn’t necessarily designed to keep them at Twelve [Literary Arts] forever, of course. It is designed to provide them with financial support and professional development so that they can become future teachers and arts leaders who will also spread this concept of ecosystem development.” The field of arts administration needs to shift its values to focus on leadership development for long-term field progress and institutional investment. Through DIAL, we have seen paid internships positively impact interns, local arts communities, and sector development. Though an arduous process, the

prioritization of and investment in well-compensated opportunities allows organizations to commit to the field-wide change needed to advance cultural equity.

QUICK LOOK

The Burden of Academic Credit 4

Consider: University partnerships often

involve academic credit, a component that does not include intern stipends. Students typically must pay their universities for those credit hours, making an unpaid internship costly and burdensome.

FALL/WINTER 2020 | ARTS LINK | 29

INFORMATION TO HELP YOU SUCCEED

THE TOOLBOX

Policy + Put Creative Workers to Work In Septem-

THERE CAN BE NO RECOVERY WITHOUT CREATIVITY Policy, Research, Resources, Tools, and Communities to Help You Navigate the Ongoing Crisis

ber, Americans for the Arts, in collaboration with over 100 other cultural organizations and creative workers, developed a 15-point policy proposal to encourage the next Presidential Administration; Congress; and local, state, and tribal leaders to integrate the creative economy and creative workers strongly into their recovery, reimagination, and rebuilding initiatives. At the time of this publication, the proposal had received over 2,100 endorsements from organizations and creative workers. While drafted to address federal issues, this proposal is

AS WE CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE the pandemic, and all of the associated economic uncertainty, closures, disruptions, losses, and trauma that have come with it, Americans for the Arts is committed to providing a set of wrap-around resources, tools, communities of practice, and policy efforts to help you, your organizations, and your communities. We are working with our partners at the local, state, regional, tribal, and national levels to support and drive efforts that aid not only relief and recovery, but also the important work of reimagining and building anew both the creative economy and our communities overall.

highly applicable at the local and state level. These 15 policy proposals are grouped into five main areas: (1) engage in and drive direct employment of creative workers; (2) drive local, state, and private sector activation of creative workers; (3) adjust existing policies to recognize creative workers as workers; (4) integrate creative interventions into response, recovery, and resilience programs; and

Because of the urgency of the situation and the full impact on the field, we

(5) support access to arts, culture, and

are dedicating the entire Toolbox section to COVID-19 materials. Unless

arts education for all.

noted, these resources, tools, and engagement opportunities are available

We encourage you to review and

to anyone who needs them regardless of membership status with Ameri-

consider endorsing the full proposal

cans for the Arts, so please share them widely.

online here. There is also a social media toolkit, press release template, and imagery available here. + National Arts Action Summit Policy Positions In April 2021, the field will convene

(virtually) to advocate to the new Congress and Presidential administration about arts, culture, creative economy, and arts education. In these unprecedented times, you likely arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t surprised to learn that the policy platforms that make up the National Arts Action Digital Summit will include policy asks targeted around relief, recovery, reimagination, and rebuilding of the various components of the creative economy. To register for the National Arts Action Digital Summit and build your advocacy plan for both national and local action, visit AmericansForTheArts.org/NAAS.

30 | ARTS LINK | FALL/WINTER 2020

The Source for Arts Professionals in the Know

Research

Resources + Tools

Community

+ The COVID-19 Impact Survey for

+ COVID-19 Resource and Response

+ Get Creative Workers Working Coalition

Artists and Creative Workers This survey,

Center This centralized online resource

Americans for the Arts is part of a

which is for individual creative workers

hub provides up-to-date news and

growing group of organizations and

within the U.S. creative economy, has

resources for the arts and culture field

individuals called the Get Creative Work-

been completed by over 30,000 people.

on all aspects of the pandemic. The

ers Working Coalition, with whom we

In October, it was overhauled to more

Center includes field tools and research,

co-developed the Put Creative Workers

specifically home in on pre-conditions

resources on equity and mental

to Work policy platform. This group,

that made creative workers more vulner-

health, information on reopening and

which meets once a month, is designed

able to the economic and social impact

sunsetting, and resource prospects.

as a community of practice and shar-

of the pandemic, as well as how policy

The following resources and tools can

ing, as well as a collaborative space for

and practice can shift to address those

be found in the Center online, unless

encouraging united action and advocacy.

conditions. You can take the survey

otherwise noted.

All are welcome to join. Please email

online. A set of reports on this research,

co-developed in partnership with Artist Relief, with phase one funding from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and phase two funding from the Ford Foundation, will be released in early 2021.

+ Arts Agency Action Kit This online

toolkit is designed to help local and state arts agency leaders in need of swift action to preserve and protect

visibility, mobilize advocates, create messaging, and implement strategies

is focused on the impact of COVID-

for saving your agency.

groups. It only takes 5–10 minutes to complete, and we encourage organizations to revisit it periodically to provide new impact numbers. You can take the survey on behalf of your organization

aggregates tools and resources for arts education advocates as they ready themselves to defend arts education and arts educators during local school system budget cuts. + Cultural Equity Resource Center