Update 2011 by Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council

Update SPR I N G 2011

ANNUAL MEE TING

Inside this Issue

2  Annual Meeting Program 3  From the Directors 4  Walking the ARTDOG 5  Vibrant Projects 6  GPAC at a Glance 8  Work of Art Awards 8  Working for the Working Artist 9  Strengthening Pittsburgh Arts 9  Access New Audiences 10  Digging for Gold 11  What’s New in Public Art

Thank You

Alcoa Foundation Allegheny Regional Asset District BNY Mellon Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation FISA Foundation The Grable Foundation The Heinz Endowments Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield The Kresge Foundation Laurel Foundation National Endowment for the Arts Pennsylvania Council on the Arts The Pittsburgh Foundation Richard King Mellon Foundation ThoughtForm, Inc.

To discuss ways your company or organization can support the work of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council through sponsorships or partnerships, please contact Tiffany Wilhelm, Director of Development and Membership, at 412.391.2060 x222 or twilhelm@pittsburghartscouncil.org.

LET’S GET

CONNECTED

...To Where We’re Going, Dance Alloy, dancers Michael Walsh and Jasmine Hearn, Photo by Cassie Kay Rusnak

Greater Pittsburgh Art Council Board of Directors

Annual Meeting Program Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Bill Bodine, Chair Frick Art & Historical Center

August Wilson Center for African American Culture

John Camillus, Executive Vice Chair Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh

8:00–8:30 am Lobby

Coffee, Light Breakfast and Networking

Peggy Hynes, Vice Chair at Large Streamline Communications

8:30–10:15 am Theater

Opening Performance

Lisa Hoitsma, Vice Chair at Large Gateway to the Arts

Welcome

James Fawcett, Secretary and Chair-Elect Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Mitch Swain

Arts Loud and Clear

Deanna Conte Alpern Rosenthal

David Seals Rob Katowski Lisa Hoitsma Tiffany Wilhelm Maggie Johnson Jayne Adair Linda Dickerson Jeanne Pearlman Susan Haugh

Michele de la Reza Attack Theatre

Special Guest

André Kimo Stone Guess August Wilson Center for African American Culture

Arts Advocacy The Work of Art Awards

Andrew Masich Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center

J. Kevin McMahon The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

10:15–10:45 am Lobby

Networking Break

Victor Dozzi, CPA, Treasurer CrawfordEllenbogen LLC Jane Werner, Immediate Past Chair Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh Mitch Swain, CEO Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council

Charlie Humphrey Pittsburgh Filmmakers/ Pittsburgh Center for the Arts

David L. Pollack, Esq. Gefsky and Lehman, P.C. Kate E. H. Prescott Prescott & Associates Dr. Hilary Robinson Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts George Stark Cabot Oil & Gas John Sotirakis ThoughtForm, Inc. Michael A. Wessell, Esq. Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellot, LLC Jim Wilkinson Community Leader

First Lady Susan Corbett Mitch Swain James Fawcett Jane Werner Morton Brown Mayor Luke Ravenstahl Terrance Hayes

10:45–Noon Keynote Alan Brown Theater Beyond Excellence: Fulfilling the Promise of Civic Creative Vitality

press version

Janera Solomon Talkback Facilitator 12:00 –1:15 pm Dine Arounds Local Restaurants Sign up in the lobby 1:30 –3:00 pm Workshop Cultivation Room Alan Brown Invisible Diversity: Emerging Practices in Arts Consumer Segmentation (Registration required)

We are pleased to welcome to Pittsburgh Alan Brown, principal at WolfBrown. Alan is a leading researcher and management consultant in the arts and culture sector.

PittsburghArtsCouncil.org News, advocacy, membership, more ProArtsTickets.org Tickets to arts performances Alan S. Brown

PublicArtPittsburgh.org The Office of Public Art (OPA) PittsburghIsArt.org Grassroots arts community and events artsleaders.wordpress.com Emerging Arts Leaders Network

LEMUR: League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots

office version

Online Resources

PittsburghArtistRegistry.org Database of regional artists

Thanks to our sponsors !

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Alan’s work focuses on understanding consumer demand for cultural experiences and on helping cultural institutions, foundations, and agencies to see new opportunities, make informed decisions, and respond to changing conditions. His studies have introduced a new vocabulary to the lexicon of cultural participation and propelled the field towards a clearer view of the rapidlychanging cultural landscape. He speaks frequently at national and international conferences about audience behaviors, trends in cultural participation, and the value system surrounding arts programs.

From the Directors

C U R R E N T

Pittsburgh’s arts community works well together.

Cultural Organizations

We raise money together. The recent Pittsburgh is Art Day of Giving raised nearly $1.9 million from over 3,800 contributors and foundations benefitting 147 organizations and artists. We seek ways to operate more efficiently together. Several organizations are currently in the midst of courageous discussions that could affect their mission, identity, and future sustainability. There are many success stories of past mergers and collaborations. Most recently, Bach Choir of Pittsburgh, Chatham Baroque, Pittsburgh Camerata, Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society, and Renaissance & Baroque Pittsburgh Music Alliance formed the Pittsburgh Music Alliance to expand their collective audience. We learn together. Many organizations participated in our Strengthening Pittsburgh Arts program for the opportunity to work with expert consultants, gain insights from experienced leaders, learn from peers, and obtain feedback on strategic or financial plans that will greatly benefit their organizations. We share valuable data that challenges “old school” practice. We combine mailing lists and customer data to help one another uncover our best prospects. Several organizations contributed time and data to a collaborative marketing program to gain deeper knowledge of their customers. Others benefited from collaborative direct marketing projects that resulted in ticket sales and helped us understand how to promote the arts community more broadly. We meet together to build personal connections. Emerging leaders meet quarterly to hear speakers and build their personal networks. Quarterly arts leaders meetings began this year and we established a new Pittsburgh Arts Research Committee of funders, artists, and organizations. We contribute greatly to the region’s quality of life. The arts are consistently cited as Pittsburgh racks up annual awards for being a “most livable city” and featured atop lists of locations for families and businesses to relocate. Arts and culture dominate the area’s “must see” attraction lists. The local business community is taking notice, through community partnerships, financial support, and sponsorships of festivals, performances, and exhibitions. We face the continuing challenge of decreased state funding. Grants to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts have been reduced by 43% since 2009 and museum assistance grants through the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commissions no longer exist. Recentlyproposed cuts represent an additional 70% reduction. This doesn’t make any sense, especially when you know that state support for the arts is support for a growth industry. When you add all spending associated with the arts, the nonprofit arts industry in PA supports 62,000 jobs, generates $283 million in tax revenues, and nearly $2 billion in economic activity. And, nearly all nonprofit arts organizations provide educational activities for students and teachers. We have faced an economic challenge this past year and found ways to survive. In fact, many of our arts and culture institutions and neighborhood-based organizations are enjoying record attendances figures. “WE” may be a small word, but it’s a large and powerful concept. Being a member of GPAC is important because WE collectively can do more together than any of us can as individuals. The value of membership isn’t just about what you get; it’s about what WE all get. This meeting, like the recent success of the Pittsburgh is Art Day of Giving, is a shining example of how GPAC brings the arts community together. The Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council drives political, financial and professional support for the entire Pittsburgh arts community. Thanks for being a part of it.

Bill Bodine Chair

James Fawcett Chair-elect

Mitch Swain CEO

M E M B E R S

404 Strand Actors Civic Theater AFTRA Pittsburgh AIGA Pittsburgh Allegheny Brass Band American Jewish Museum Art All Night Lawrenceville Art Industry Law Artist & Craftsman Supply Artists and Craftsmens Guild, Inc. Arts Education Collaborative ArtUp (Artists Upstairs) Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Attack Theatre August Wilson Center for African American Culture Autumn House Press Bach Choir Pittsburgh Baldwin-Whitehall Friends of the Theater Arts Balmoral School of Piping Bodiography Contemporary Ballet Boyd Community Center Bricolage Bulgarian Macedonian National Education & Cultural Center Butler Arts Council Calliope: The Pittsburgh Folk Music Society Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Foundation Center Carnegie Mellon University - College of Fine Arts Carnegie Museum of Art Carnegie Museum of Natural History The Center for Theater Arts Chatham Baroque Chhandayan, Inc. Children’s Festival Chorus Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh City of Asylum/Pittsburgh City Theatre Company Dance Alloy Theater Dreams of Hope Dress for Success Pittsburgh Dynasty Arts Edgewood Symphony Orchestra Enjoy Bellevue Father Ryan Arts Center of Focus on Renewal Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh, Inc. Frick Art & Historical Center GalleriE CHIZ Gateway to the Arts Gemini Theater Company Guiding Star Dance Foundation The Harmony Singers of Pittsburgh The Heritage Players, Bethel Park Community Theatre Hill Dance Academy Theatre (HDAT) Hillman Center for Performing Arts - Shady Side Academy Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts I Made It! Market Institute of International Art & Languages International Alliance of Stage Employees, Local 3 (IATSE) Jazz Workshop Incorporated Kelly Custom Furniture & Cabinetry Kelly-Strayhorn Theater Kente Arts Alliance Latin American Literary Review Press

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C U R R E N T

M E M B E R S

Cultural Organizations, continued Lawrenceville Historical Society The Legacy Arts Project LEMUR: League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild (MCG Arts) Marilyn Coleman Consulting Mary Miller Dance Company Mattress Factory McKeesport Symphony Pops Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh Michael Berger Gallery The Microscopic Opera Company Mid-Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Company ModernFormations Gallery & Performance Space Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery Nandanik Dance Troupe Nego Gato, Inc. Neighborhood Youth Outreach New Hazlett Theater Oakland Girls Choir Off the Wall Productions Opera Theater of Pittsburgh Phase 3 Productions Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens The Pillow Project PITT ARTS Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Pittsburgh Banjo Club Pittsburgh Camerata Pittsburgh Center for the Arts Pittsburgh Chamber Music Society Pittsburgh CLO Pittsburgh Community Television Pittsburgh Concert Chorale Pittsburgh Concert Society Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Pittsburgh Filmmakers Pittsburgh Folk Festival Pittsburgh Glass Center Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre Pittsburgh Jewish-Israeli Film Festival Pittsburgh Music Academy The Pittsburgh Music Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Musical Theater Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble Pittsburgh New Works Festival

Individual Giving: Walking the “ARTDOG” by Carin Hill and Maggie Johnson

In 2010, GPAC, collaborating with a research team from CMU, published the Individual Giving to the Arts in the Pittsburgh Region report comparing individual giving to nonprofits in 11 metro areas in the United States. Pittsburgh ranked 10th, coming ahead of only Milwaukee for lowest individual giving to nonprofits per capita. Our response was to initiate the Pittsburgh is Art Day of Giving (nicknamed “ARTDOG”) with The Heinz Endowments and the help of The Pittsburgh Foundation. Combining our ideas with the support of local foundations, we began the process of enlisting arts and culture organizations. For the Day of Giving in October 2010, 99 arts and culture organizations participated. By March 28, we had a total of 147 cultural organizations in Pittsburgh and the surrounding counties on board with their own PittsburghGives.org portraits. Our next step was to support those organizations as they began their own marketing and development efforts. We compiled marketing ideas, PittsburghGives.org donation instructions, and case studies from organizations that had been successful in the past. At a workshop on April 14, over 70 people from various organizations got advice from fundraising experts. Working with local firm Landesberg Design, we created postcards, flyers, stickers, buttons, and posters to share with organizations and spread around the city.

Dreams of Hope: A Case Study in Success Mission: Through the arts, Dreams of Hope develops lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied youth leaders who promote social change by educating audiences. ARTDOG Goal: $12,000 Total Raised: $21,385 from 102 donors New Donors: About 50% How Funds Will Help: Contribute to creating a new Managing Director position Tactics: • Two weeks prior to the event, sent Spring Donor campaign highlighting opportunity to give on May 11; used Susan’s birthday (May 4) as attention-getter • Four e-blasts, including two on May 11 • Posted information on Facebook, and asked board members, performers, and friends to share • Hosted three Crazy Mocha laptop stations on May 11 “I’d heard the process was grueling, so if GPAC and The Pittsburgh Foundation hadn’t nudged me, I wouldn’t have done it. But it wasn’t grueling for me, because all the help and tech support I needed was right there. The $15 minimum donation was fantastic and the 34% match is unbelievable.” —Susan Haugh, Artistic Director

We began our marketing campaign with the help of Judith Kelly + Associates. News releases went to media all over the region. We created a supplement to the Pittsburgh Business Times, and billboards around the city broadcast our bright blue message. Our friends at Dollar Bank donated several billboards and increased our marketing budget by about 40%. As Pittsburgh is Art Day of Giving approached, GPAC and many organizations took to social media, and blogged, posted, and tweeted. CEO Mitch Swain made appearances on local news shows.

THANK YOU We extend our deepest appreciation for the generous support of these local foundations that contributed nearly $500,000 towards the matching fund pool on May 11. The Heinz Endowments The Pittsburgh Foundation Hillman Foundation Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation The Buhl Foundation The Grable Foundation We also thank Dollar Bank for their generous support of our marketing efforts for this campaign.

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On May 11, Crazy Mocha stores around the city allowed artists and organizations to set up laptop stations to spread the word about ARTDOG and help people donate at PittsburghGives.org. Several arts organizations opened their doors to guide donors through the giving process. By the end of the day, our 147 organizations raised over $1.4 million from 3,800 donors! Combined with the matching pool from six generous foundations, the total came to nearly $1.9 million. It is hard to identify exactly what this success will mean for arts and culture in Pittsburgh long term. Ironically, on that same Wednesday, the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee passed a budget that included a 70% cut to the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. However, the Pittsburgh is Art Day of Giving should make one thing clear to our community and our legislators: the people of southwestern Pennsylvania agree that a vibrant arts and culture community is essential to our region.

C U R R E N T

Gist Street Reading Series. Photo by Renee Rosensteel

Vibrant Projects: The Best Argument for Arts Funding By David Seals

In an increasingly polarized political climate, it’s easy to let the battle over arts funding become trench warfare. As buzzwords fly back and forth, we lose an important dialogue: What do we want our communities to look like? I propose that vibrant communities require an investment in the arts, but that the artists and organizations that are entrusted with those dollars bear the responsibility of relevance to their communities. As an example, consider the Gist Street Reading Series. Artistic Director Sherrie Flick did the unthinkable: with a team of six friends, she got more than 85 people to attend a sold-out reading series once a month for ten straight years. Situated at James Simon’s sculpture studio in Uptown, the Gist Street Reading Series became a staple Pittsburgh literary offering. Bringing two national authors each month into an environment of pot-luck food, impromptu raffle prizes, and chickens running around the yard, the series became one of the most-loved places to read in the United States. According to Sherrie, “We decided we wanted to break the stereotypical mold…we wanted our series to be for the people…a reflection of the world we live and work in here in Pittsburgh.” In the last six years, Sherrie received a modest $2,200 average annual award from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, distributed through GPAC. This funding enabled her to provide a small stipend and travel expenses for visiting writers and expand the Series’ impact. In its last years, Gist Street took its particular brand of literature-for-the-people on the road, doing readings with the nearby Deaf Club Association and with UnSmoke Systems arts space in Braddock. According to Sherrie, state arts funding filled a gap that would otherwise remain empty. “Since we are a community organization and not a nonprofit, this grant stream is one of the only available sources of grant income for Gist Street projects.” This modest investment of nearly $13,000 over six years brought a meaningful experience to thousands of people, drew attention to neighborhoods in need of investment, and garnered national attention for Pittsburgh. In the words of one attendee, “Standing there [at the poetry reading] I really had the sense that I lived in a real city.” Gist Street tackled a problem: how to make good art relevant to lots of people. Alan Brown notes that many organizations are so focused on their own ideas of artistic excellence that they reject creative ways of engaging new audiences. “While administrators debate the finer details of enrichment activities for existing audiences, no one is talking about mounting a new series of programs, say, in a warehouse starting at midnight, for a completely different audience.” What Gist Street was providing on a grassroots level could be a lesson even for larger organizations seeking relevance to new audiences around the region. The argument for arts funding is multi-pronged: the arts improve quality of life, attract talent to the region, generate tax dollars, create jobs, encourage creativity, and much more. But at the end of the day, perhaps there is no better argument for the value of Pennsylvania arts funding than arts projects that are relevant and valuable to people across Pennsylvania.

M E M B E R S

Pittsburgh Opera Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company Pittsburgh Public Theater Pittsburgh Society of Artists Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Pittsburgh Technology Council Pittsburgh Youth Ballet Company Pittsburgh Youth Pops Orchestra Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra Polish Cultural Council Prime Stage Theatre Quantum Theatre The Rage of the Stage Players Renaissance & Baroque Society Renaissance City Wind Music Society River City Artists Management River City Brass Band Sembène - The Film and Arts Festival Senator John Heinz History Center Shakespeare in the Parks Silk Screen - Asian American Festival Silver Eye Center for Photography SLB Radio Productions, Inc. Society for Contemporary Craft Sounds of Pittsburgh Chorus South Hills Chorale South Park Theatre Stage 62 Stage Right! Steel Valley Arts Council Steeltown Entertainment Project Steinway Society of Western PA StorySwap Sweetwater Center for the Arts Terra Nova Theatre Group Three Rivers Ringers Three Rivers Theatre Company Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras Throughline Theatre Company, Inc. TolinFX ToonSeum Touchtone Center for Crafts Tuesday Musical Club UMOJA African Arts Ensemble Unity Through Creativity University of Pittsburgh Theatre Arts Department Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival Westmoreland Museum of American Art Women in Film and Media Young Men & Women’s African Heritage Association

Individual Artists Barbara Antel Patrick Philip Becker Sam Boese Kyle Bostian Sally Ann Bozzuto Norman Brown Rick Byerly Brian Carney Sheila Cuellar-Shaffer Christiane D Nancy Dalverny Cornelia Davis

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GPAC at a glance Our Goals Goal 1:

Goal 2:

Increase visibility and support of the arts.

Enhance the capacity, efficiency, and effectiveness of the arts and culture community.

Our Services Advocacy, Cultural Policy, and Research

Marketing, Ticketing, and Audience Development

Office of Public Art

Ongoing Activities

• Lead eﬀorts to protect support for arts and culture, particularly during the PA budget process • Share information about local, state, and national arts and culture policies, issues, and legislation

• Enhance the ProArtsTickets consortium ticketing service to meet the box oﬃce needs of small and medium arts organizations • Administer STAR Shared Marketing Database

• Strengthen a regional arts advocacy network

• Maintain Pittsburgh Is Art web calendar and email listings

• Continue to build and update a list of facts and ﬁgures related to the impact of the creative sector at state, local, and national levels

• Conduct marketing and public relations for GPAC programs and activities including social media outreach

• Public art lectures, workshops, panels, and networking opportunities • PittsburghArtistRegistry.org • Artist Opportunity Listserv • Technical assistance for organizations, businesses, developers, government agencies, and individuals (services such as assisting with artist selection, contracts, design development, project management, and conservation)

• Convene the new Pittsburgh Arts Research Committee quarterly

Recent Highlights

• Research brief on the state of individual giving to the arts

• The Pittsburgh is Art Day of Giving that raised nearly $1.9 million for arts and culture

• The PA Voter Power Analysis in partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

• A redesigned GPAC website • Two multi-organization collaborative marketing campaigns

• The 2010 Southwestern Pennsylvania Culture Count

What’s Coming • Release of the Local Arts Index • Release of Arts and Economic Prosperity IV • A follow-up Fiscal Snapshot Survey to gauge the ongoing eﬀects of the recession on arts and culture • Advocacy for improved structure and system for state arts and culture funding

• With Borough of Wilkinsburg, established the Community Art and Civic Design Commission • Currently working with Point Park University and Riverlife on a project connecting Wood Street to Mon Warf Landing park

What’s Coming

• Launch of a subsidized Customer Relationship Management sytem (ticketing, fundraising, marketing, etc.) for arts and culture organizations • A new STAR shared database/list co-op open to the entire arts and culture community

Impact

• With Parks Conservancy, commissioned artist Janet Zweig for the Walled Garden in Mellon Park

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• Service on the Advisory Committee for ARTPGH, a component of the City of Pittsburgh’s comprehensive plan • Carin Mincemoyer’s sculpture on Market Street to be installed in July 2011 • Relocation of the Romare Bearden mural in the Gateway Center T station and educational materials at the site

Increased public involvement in and support of arts and culture.

Learn more at PittsburghArtsCouncil.org

Goal 3:

Goal 4:

Create an environment and opportunities that are supportive of individual artists.

Grants, Consulting, and Capacity Building Ongoing Activities • PA Partners in the Arts Grants • Artist Opportunity Grants • Free legal and business advice through Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and Business Volunteers for the Arts • The Increasing Accessibility in Pittsburgh Arts and Culture program • Regular arts leaders meetings

Serve as a model organization that incorporates best practices, increases efficiency, and ensures sustainability.

Membership

Governance, Management, & Development

Ongoing Activities

• Connect existing and prospective members to Arts Council programs and services that fit their needs • Additional resources and benefits for members through our partnership with Fractured Atlas • Offer member discounts to arts events and services • Conduct an annual survey of the arts and culture community to gauge changing needs

• Networking events through the Pittsburgh Emerging Arts Leaders

• Provide information and resources by web and email

• In-depth ﬁnancial training for six organizations through the Nonproﬁt Finance Fund Financial Leadership Clinic • 16 organizations received “Ask the Expert” one-on-one consultations • Two solo artist exhibitions • Expanded service area for Partners in the Arts Grants

What’s Coming • More professional development workshops • Increased funding for Artist Opportunity Grants • Grants for facility audits and accessibility improvements • Completion of three Peer 360° capacity building consultancies

Sustainable organizations and artists that produce high-quality, diverse arts.

• Recruit new board members • Seek funding that provides for sustained programs and services • Continue a commitment to diversity

• Art on the Walls–exhibition opportunities in GPAC’s office space

Recent Highlights

• Update strategic plan

Recent Highlights

• Expand and deepen connections to professionals in the business community

Recent Highlights

• Opened our oﬃces as a downtown meeting space for members • Continued our valuable partnership with Fractured Atlas to provide insurance options for artists and organizations • Sold over 13 pieces of artwork valued at over $2,500 local artists as part of Art on the Walls program

What’s Coming

• Received funding for Pittsburgh is Art Day of Giving, Increasing Accessibility in Arts and Culture, and the Artist Opportunity Fund • Awarded National Endowment for the Arts support two years in a row

What’s Coming

• More opportunities to get together with member peer groups to exchange ideas and share “best practices”

• Achieve greater operational efficiency with the implementation of a Customer Relationship Management system

• Streamlined join/renew processes

• Increase business participation and artist representation on the GPAC board • New board president Jim Fawcett from Highmark

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C U R R E N T

M E M B E R S

Individual Artists, continued Ron Desmett Megan Dooley Myra Falisz Carlos Feliciano Annette Ferrieri Gerry Florida Toby Atticus Fraley Ryan Freytag Paula Garrick Klein Memphis George Linnea Glick Marjorie Greenberger Barbara Grossman Timothy Gyves Judy Hopson Karen Howell Billy Jackson Amy Kerlin Lee Kim Randy Kovitz Lazae LaSpina Bovey Lee Chaz Letzkus Jules Levine Berthran McCoy Samantha McDonough Anna Mikolay Carin Mincemoyer David Montano David Motak Kathleen Mulcahy John Peña Bridgette Perdue Thomas Petterson Josienne Piller Erin Remaley Gabrielle “Gab Cody” Reznek Larry Rippel Renee Rosensteel Nina Samelle Shawntaye Scott Brian Sesack Carol Skinger Susan Sparks Dirk VandenBerg R. Weis

The Work of Art Award for Leadership in the Arts goes to an individual or organization whose outstanding contributions have made a significant impact on the region’s cultural landscape. Recipient is selected by the Chair and Board of Directors of GPAC. The Mayor’s Work of Art Award for Public Art recognizes an individual’s or organization’s efforts in the development of high-quality public art that contributes to the economic development of a Pittsburgh neighborhood. The award was established by Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl to acknowledge the power of public art to benefit the city economically, socially, and aesthetically, and to celebrate those who are most committed to supporting this important element of our arts community. The Work of Art Award for Artistic Vibrancy goes to an individual or organization that demonstrates a fresh approach to developing both its art and its audience. The recipient shows a commitment to artistic ideals within a context of audience engagement, and reflects a culture of innovation that leads to evolving, relevant programs.

Working for the Working Artist by David Seals

Artists examine culture and respond to it, reshaping it along the way. A region is vital if its artists can work unhindered by obstacles and live poised for opportunities. In the past year, your Arts Council has been working to make our region that kind of place.

Growing Artist Funding There is a heartbreaking moment in many grant panels, when it’s down to the very best applications, and yet limited funding forces panelists to make still deeper cuts. In March, we watched as an unprecedented 51 artists applied to the Artist Opportunity Grant (AOG) program. With $5,000 to distribute, it became clear that 47 Pittsburgh artists would have to leave an amazing career opportunity unrealized for lack of funding. We began seeking a solution. Through our partners at The Heinz Endowments, GPAC was able to place an additional $10,000 into the AOG fund, enabling us to fund fourteen artists instead of four. The Heinz Endowments has committed $90,000 to the AOG fund for the next three years, creating a 300% increase!

Growing Artist Visibility Imagine getting an unexpected call from an arts consultant to purchase one of your paintings for a bank office in Manhattan. Imagine that same corporation commissioning you to do 22 original paintings, and then purchasing every piece of work you have available. That’s exactly what happened to artist Rob Katkowski. In 2007, Katkowski set up a free profile on the Pittsburgh Artist Registry, an online directory created by the Office of Public Art. Little did he know that art consultant Rhonda Goodall would discover him via the Registry and purchase his work for PNC Bank and the Fairmont Hotel over the next three years.

Twilight by Rob Katkowski

AR TS ALLY MEMBERS Arts Ambassadors Nancy Bernstein & Robert Schoen Bill Bodine Dr. John Camillus N. David & Janet Campbell Marilyn Coleman CrawfordEllenbogen LLC Vic Dozzi James L. Fawcett Jr. Jane Harrison, J.L. Harrison & Associates

The Work of Art Awards 2011

According to Katkowski, “This was a dream commission! I mean, I sell a good bit of work on my own, but to not have a single available painting [to sell or show] at this time was surreal.” Although not typical, the story is indicative. What started as a simple online database is growing into a tool where more than 1,200 artists can reach a broader audience. GPAC launched its Art on the Walls program in 2010, providing two local artists each year the opportunity to display and sell their work in public areas of our new office space. Chosen through a juried selection panel, artists David Montano and Brian Sesack became the first artists to display their work to the hundreds of workshop attendees, Gallery Crawl patrons, and others who pass through our office. To date, $2,400 of their work has been sold.

Growing Artist Support To guide us toward effective programs that meet the needs of visual and performing artists, we’re pleased to welcome two artists to our Board of Directors: Jeffrey Carpenter and Kathleen Mulcahy. Also this year, GPAC advised on Flight School, a professional development program for artists housed at Pittsburgh Center for the Arts/Pittsburgh Filmmakers. We were pleased to watch fifteen artists grow their skills as part of this nine-week course.

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Strengthening Pittsburgh Arts

AR TS ALLY MEMBERS

by Pam Quatchak and Tiffany Wilhelm

Arts Ambassadors, continued

68 arts managers, representing 40 arts and culture organizations, participated in GPAC’s Strengthening Pittsburgh Arts Kickoff Event. 24 more arts managers from 16 organizations subsequently benefitted from one-on-one “Ask the Expert” sessions with consultants from the Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) and Marilyn Coleman Consulting. Board and staff leadership of 6 organizations received in-depth financial management training at NFF’s two-day Financial Leadership Clinic (FLC). 3 organizations are learning from Peer Advisors traveling to Pittsburgh from some of the United States’ leading arts institutions during Peer 360° Consultancies, facilitated by Marilyn Coleman.

Elsie H. Hillman Foundation Charlie Humphrey Margaret Hynes J. Kevin McMahon Kate E. H. Prescott, Prescott & Associates Dr. Hilary Robinson George Stark Mitch & Tracey Swain Jane Werner Mike Wessell Jim and Margaret Wilkes James Wilkinson

These are the numbers, but they don’t tell the entire story. Large group events, in-depth work with consultants and networking opportunities, and Strengthening Pittsburgh Arts (made possible through generous support from The Kresge Foundation in Troy, Michigan) are helping arts and culture organizations in the region to emerge from the recession stronger, with greater capacity and closer connections to arts colleagues. Several organizations that forged relationships through the FLC are meeting monthly. One organization established a Strategic Planning Committee and plans to begin soliciting donations as a direct result of recommendations from Marilyn. Another FLC attendee stated, “The seminar served as a catalyst for a broader discussion about our organization’s financial health and strategic plan. It has already brought more focus on the financial impact of individual programs and helped develop analytical support for some changes in programming.” Marilyn also connected a fledgling community arts and employment training organization with a new national website. Participants in the “Ask the NFF Experts” sessions are evaluating programs for mission-fit and profitability, implementing strategies to grow individual giving, and improving their financial reporting.

Arts Champions Rick Byerly John and Deanna Conte Marc Graham Andrew E. Masich Sam Newbury & Jan Myers Newbury David Pollack Mark R. Power The Donald & Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation Janet Sarbaugh & Bill McAllister

Arts Goers

June 23

Workshop: Accessible Exhibitions and Tours

June 30

July 14

Workshop: Accessible Programming

August 25

Workshop: Creating Accessible Marketing Materials

2 Anonymous Supporters Al Bowers & Susan Krouse Suzy & Jim Broadhurst Carol R. Brown David & Susan Brownlee Donald and Marlene Buflo Michele de la Reza & Peter Kope Peggy Domer Lisa Hoitsma Favorini Rick & Jessica Galardini Irving & Aaronel deRoy Gruber Charitable Foundation Constance F. Horton, MSW Pittsburgh Concert Society Mr. & Mrs. Patrick O’Donnell Sandy and Gene O’Sullivan Patricia Passeltiner C. Alicia Perez Fran Quinlan Robert A. Reed Nancy Reese Mark & Jennifer Remaley Robert & Sharon Sclabassi Brian Sesack John Sotirakis Norman D. Nunley Jr./C. Springer The Weiner Family Foundation Arlene and Robert Weiner Regis and Mary Louise Wessell Alison Babusci, Germaine Williams, and Oskar Kat

September 15

Workshop: Reaching and Engaging People with Disabilities

Arts Buffs

October 12

Workshop: Presenting Artists with Disabilities

October 15

GIMP, a Heidi Latsky dance production, at the August Wilson Center

4 Anonymous Supporters Deborah L. Acklin Elizabeth Albright Charles Alcorn Gwen Allan Madalon Amenta

Access New Audiences by Pam Quatchak

The Americans with Disabilities Act celebrated its 20th anniversary on July 26, 2010. People with disabilities represent the fastest-growing audience for arts organizations and museums. Ensuring that arts and culture facilities and programming are welcoming and accommodate all people is not only the right thing to do, it is smart business. For many arts and culture institutions, however, accessibility remains both a practical and financial challenge. With generous support from the FISA Foundation, GPAC has launched Increasing Accessibility in Pittsburgh Arts and Culture Organizations, a one-year program aimed at helping organizations effectively serve people with disabilities. This initiative comprises a six-month lunch & learn workshop series from May through October, networking opportunities, on-line resources, and the AccessWorks! program©, which will provide up to 15 organizations with subsidized facility audits to assist them in identifying and remedying structural barriers in facilities.

Dates to Remember: Mark Your Calendar!

Proceeds benefit a fund for accessibility projects

The AccessWorks! program© is a proprietary and confidential copyright of Accessibility Development Associates, Inc., ADA, Inc.

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AR TS ALLY MEMBERS Arts Buffs, continued Stephanie Armbruster Jennifer Atwood Christopher Beck Kim Beck Christine Bethea Tiffany Wilhelm and Kyle Bostian Lauren Bracey Connie Cantor Cheryl Capezutti Margaret Cavigga Courtney Centner Carol Cohen Ms. Eliese S. Cutler Cornelia Davis Tirzah DeCaria Bob & Gene Dickman Tami Dixon and Jeffrey Carpenter Matthew Dooley Marian Edwards Cynthia Ference-Kelly Mary Lou Ferri Jamee Ferri Dr. & Mrs. Robert Fidoten Edith H. Fisher Sherrie Flick, Gist Street Reading Series Barbara and Henry Folb Lucine Folgueras James B. Freytag Heidi Freytag Amisha Gadani Ruth Garfunkel E. Jeanne Gleason Pamela Golden Allen Grabowski Jeanine Hall Matt Hannigan Phyllis Hartman Ms. Jane Haskell Lori Hepner Ben Hernstrom/Ambulantic Videoworks Herman J. Hittner Dek Ingraham and J.R. Shaw Charles D. Jacobs Janet Jai Susan Jasko Maggie Johnson Maury D Katz Terri Agan Kavel Judith Kelly Jasdeep Khaira Beth Klebacha Elizabeth E. Krisher Rick & Ann Landesberg Bovey Lee Claire & Lawrence Levine Cristina Liberti Jim and Carol Logan Anne-Marie Lubenau Marcia Luek Kathleen Mahoney Gertrude Mallet Mike and Bard Mammone Mr. Robert C. McCartney

The Balafon West African Dance Ensemble at the Southside Crazy Mocha on May 11. Photo courtesy: Kya Conner

Digging for Gold by Maggie Johnson

Barnum and Bailey. Abbott and Costello. Peanut Butter and Jelly. A good collaboration takes time, creativity, and oftentimes, a lot of bread. The Strategic Targeting for the Arts (STAR) Shared Marketing Database has been the most intensive collaborative marketing project we have pursued since ProArtsTickets. STAR is a program that allows participating organizations to combine their existing patron data with as many as 40 other local arts organizations, and to gain in-depth understanding of their patron buying behavior. This includes how those patrons interact with every other organization in the database. A lofty endeavor, and this year we’ve seen STAR hit milestones while at the same time facing its greatest challenge. Since we began building two years ago, we’ve learned a lot. It’s clear that the benefit to each individual organization varies depending on how heavily each relies on direct mail marketing, whether a sophisticated database is available internally, and budgetary or staff constraints. As a result, each organization has gained a deeper understanding of their relationship with current customers, and has more power to make effective use of marketing budgets. One milestone for us was sponsoring two collaborative campaigns, featuring nine organizations whose overlapping patron data and programming allowed for a useful test of these theories on a larger scale. Results from the first collaborative campaign (in the fall of 2010) produced some interesting findings: • 17.5% of the total revenue for all programming in the campaign can be attributed to this promotion. • Overall ROI was positive, but actual sales for each organization varied widely. • Follow up emails (three) to random test sample did not increase response. Not surprisingly, one of the most challenging aspects of this type of program is the high expense of staff time and dollars. As we saw our primary funder drop out, some hard decisions had to be made. We have heard from members that providing this intensive, collaborative marketing support and research has high value. Determined to keep it going, we consulted our arts service organization peers around the country and have potentially landed on a similar, but much more sustainable, model that uses a national economy of scale to provide its service at a lower expense. If all goes well, we’ll be recruiting members to this project later this year. We are also on track to make radical changes to the ProArtsTickets shared ticketing program, including providing organizations with direct access to sophisticated CRM technology. We are excited to see our collaborative marketing services expanding to meet the evolving needs of our members.

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What’s New at the Office of Public Art

AR TS ALLY MEMBERS

by Renee Piechocki

Arts Buffs, continued

Many of Pittsburgh’s historic buildings and contemporary spaces showcase art in public places. In addition to the aesthetic benefit of having works of art in public places, when artists are part of civic decision making, they can inspire creativity and cross-disciplinary collaboration. To foster public art activity and best practices, the Office of Public Art (OPA) was initiated in 2005 as a resource for technical assistance and educational programs in the Pittsburgh region. OPA is a unique public-private partnership between the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) funded by The Heinz Endowments.

Karen Merritt Margaret Myers Gloria and Ralph Nicassio Carol B. O’Donnell Ann Ostergaard H. Sheldon Parker & Sara L. Parker Alix and Michael Paul Joyce & Ernest Pearl Joanne R. Phillips and R.P. Phillips Renee Piechocki Emily Pinkerton Jeffrey L. Pollock Yvonne Hudson Emil M. and Pam Quatchak Gelman & Reisman Stephanie Riso Stephen G. Robinson Kathryn Roecklein Megan & Yoka Rooney Renee Rosensteel Andy Salo and Monica Mehan Audrey Santel Kevin G. Scott Kelly Shepherd Andrea Shockling Barbara M. Steinberg Astria Suparak Beth Vucic Joan Wagman & Saul Shiffman Jacqueline Walker Marvin & Dot Wedeen Rudolph H. Weingartner Lynne Williams Florence & Harvey Zeve

The OPA works with a diverse group of stakeholders in the public and private realm. We provide technical assistance on everything from artist selection and project management to policy development. Our educational programs include walking tours, panels, and lectures for the community at large. We also produce tools for artists including the Pittsburgh Artist Registry (PittsburghArtistRegistry.org), Artist Opportunities Listserv, and Public Art 101.

Highlights from the Past Year: Carin Mincemoyer’s ‘Diamond Diamonds’ on Market Street: Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership worked with the Office of Public Art to commission artist Carin Mincemoyer to create art for Market Street. Her project Diamond Diamonds consists of two sculptures in the shape of diamond molecules that are adorned with LED lights in the shape of diamonds. The theme refers back to a time when Market Square was known as Diamond Square. The sculptures are perched upon two City-standard light posts on Market Street, acting as a beacon between Market Square and the Cultural District. The sculpture will be installed by July 2011. Connecting Wood Street to Mon Wharf Landing: The Office of Public Art has been hired by Point Park University to commission an artist to serve on a design team with La Quatra Bonci landscape architects to develop a series of three conceptual designs that will connect pedestrians on Wood Street to the newly renovated Mon Wharf Landing. A selection committee reviewed qualifications and interviewed finalists, choosing artist Nobuho Nagasawa for the commission. Conceptual designs will be presented in October 2011. ARTPGH and DESIGNPGH: The Office of Public Art has been working with their colleagues at the Department of City Planning on these two interconnected layers of the City of Pittsburgh’s comprehensive plan. These plans will outline public art policies and procedures for the City, identify strategies for collections management, and develop strategies to integrate artists into civic design projects. For more information about the comprehensive plan, visit www.planpgh.com. Janet Zweig’s commission for the Walled Garden in Mellon Park: On June 12, 2010 more than 300 people celebrated the opening of the newly renovated walled garden in Mellon Park in Shadyside. Artist Janet Zweig collaborated with La Quatra Bonci landscape architects and lighting designer Hal Hilbish to create a magical public art project in the lawn. The garden was renovated in honor of Ann Katharine Seamans.

This list includes Arts Ally members who have joined since February 2010. Every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Please contact us with any changes to your recognition and thank you for your support! To be an Arts Ally, please see the enclosed insert or contact Tiffany Wilhelm, Director of Membership & Development, at 412.391.2060 x222, or twilhelm@pittsburghartscouncil.org

The Pittsburgh Artist Registry is a resource for promoting visual, literary, performing, and multi-disciplinary artists living in southwestern Pennsylvania.

7:11AM 11.20.1979 79° 55’W 40° 27’N by Janet Zweig. Photo courtesy: Joe Seamans

The registry, a project of The Office of Public Art, is the only free, online artist database in the region. It provides a platform on which artists can expand their audience and publicize their work. It connects artists to opportunities by presenting their work in a searchable form for organizations, curators, architects, and others looking for local artists from around the region. For more information, contact Kate Hansen at opa@pittsburghartscouncil.org or visit the Pittsburgh Artist Registry online at PittsburghArtistRegistry.org.

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Arts Council Staff Mitch Swain, CEO mswain@pittsburghartscouncil.org Christiane Leach, Executive Assistant cleach@pittsburghartscouncil.org Sue Mencher, Internal Systems Administrator smencher@pittsburghartscouncil.org David Seals, Arts Programs Manager dseals@pittsburghartscouncil.org Alicia White, Grants Coordinator grants@pittsburghartscouncil.org

810 Penn Avenue, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222

Maggie Johnson, Director of Marketing & Audience Development mjohnson@pittsburghartscouncil.org Andie Markijohn, Box Office Manager for ProArtsTickets amarkijohn@pittsburghartscouncil.org Carin Hill, Marketing Project Assistant chill@pittsburghartscouncil.org Stanil Stanilov ProArtsTickets Representative Tiffany Wilhelm, Director of Development & Membership twilhelm@pittsburghartscouncil.org Dek Ingraham, Membership Services Coordinator ringraham@pittsburghartscouncil.org Ryan Freytag, Manager of Cultural Policy & Research rfreytag@pittsburghartscouncil.org Renee Piechocki, Director, Office of Public Art publicart@pittsburghartscouncil.org Kate Hansen, Program Assistant, Office of Public Art opa@pittsburghartscouncil.org

They are neighbors and friends. Families and individuals. People ready and willing to come together and make a difference. To make the places we call home, better places for all. At Highmark we salute this spirit of giving back and are proud that the ideals of community service, philanthropy and volunteerism are so deeply woven into the fabric of our company and our employees.

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