Arts and Civic Engagement
November 12-15, 2008 | Seattle, WA
see schedule-at-a-glance for a brief overview
Attending the conference? Download the agenda and know-before-you-go information.
Wednesday November 12
Opening Reception6:30 - 8:00 pm
Suyama Space
A wine and cheese reception at one of Seattle’s leading contemporary art galleries, featuring a new installation by MacDowell Colony resident artist Wade Kavanaugh.
Thursday November 13
Conference Welcome: Ann Brady, Chair, and Caitlin Strokosch, Executive Director, Alliance of Artists Communities9:00 - 9:30 am
Henry Art Gallery
Keynote Address: William Cleveland
9:30 - 10:30 am
Henry Art Gallery
William Cleveland is author of Art and Upheaval (New Village Press, 2008) and director of the Center for the Study of Art and Community. He previously led the Walker Art Center’s Education and Community Programs Department, California’s Arts-In-Corrections Program, and the California State Summer School for the Arts. His book Art in Other Places chronicles 22 model programs developed by artists and community development service providers in 17 American communities.
Workshop: Engaging Your Community
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Henry Art Gallery
Led by William Cleveland (see keynote above)
Panel: Music and Social Change
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Henry Art Gallery
Led by Paul Rucker, composer, cellist, jazz musician, and community arts liaison with Seattle’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs; with composers/musicians Amy Denio, Wayne Horvitz, James Whetzel, and Byron Au Yong.
12:15 - 2:00 pm
Henry Art Gallery
Join a lunch discussion on the Alliance’s upcoming plans and explore how the Alliance and its members can work together around common goals
Panel: Funding Artists and Creativity
2:00 - 3:30 pm
Henry Art Gallery
With Judy Clauson, Director of Development, Anderson Ranch Arts Center; Sue Coliton, Vice President, The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; and Debra Twersky, Funding Programs Manager, 4Culture; moderated by Anne Focke, Executive Director, Grantmakers in the Arts.
Panel: Art-Making and Ecology
2:00 - 3:30 pm
Henry Art Gallery
Panelists Eric Vines, Sitka Center for Art & Ecology; Brad Kik, Institute for Sustainable Living, Art and Natural Design; and John Grade, artist and alumnus of the Espy Foundation and The MacDowell Colony, will discuss environmental art-making, artists’ communities and sustainable practice, and balancing dual commitments to artists and the environment. Moderated by Ann Brady, Atlantic Center for the Arts.
Panel: The Arts in Rural Revitalization
3:45 - 5:00 pm
Henry Art Gallery
Led by Ed Marquand, founder of Mighty Tieton, with panelists Mark Anderson of Walla Walla Foundry (Walla Walla, Washington), and Stacey Lane of Penland School of Craft (Asheville, North Carolina).
Roundtable: Evolving Artists’ Communities
3:45 - 5:00 pm
Henry Art Gallery
Hunter O’Hanian, president of Anderson Ranch Arts Center, will lead a discussion on re-evaluating residencies, preparing for change, and making bold leaps forward. With speakers Regin Igloria of The Ragdale Foundation (Lake Forest, Illinois) and Bruce Rodgers of Hermitage Artist Retreat (Englewood, Florida).
Public Dialogue: Artists Residencies in Support of Social Change
5:30 - 7:00 pm
Hugo House
Join distinguished artists and activists for a dynamic public discussion of "What’s the single most important thing that artist residency programs can do to support arts for social change?" This discussion will be moderated by Amy Wheeler, Executive Director of Hedgebrook, the only no-cost retreat for women writers in the country.
This event will be held at Hugo House, Seattle’s innovative literary arts center. Join us for this exciting and timely discussion with panelists:
- Wendy Call – writer, teacher at Pacific Lutheran University, Hedgebrook alumna, and former writer-in-residence at Hugo House
- Valerie Curtis-Newton – faculty at the University of Washington; Artistic Associate at A Contemporary Theatre (ACT); and Artistic Director for The Hansberry Project, a new professional African American theatre lab
- Theaster Gates – artist and coordinator of Chicago’s South Side 4 Flat residency
- Rick Ingrasci – author, doctor, healer, social activist, and co-founder of Hollyhock, a learning center/retreat in British Columbia
Friday November 14
Keynote Address: Richard Andrews9:00 - 10:00 am
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
Richard Andrews served for 20 years as director of the Henry Art Gallery at University of Washington. Richard oversaw the Art in Public Places program for the Seattle Arts Commission and served for three years as director of the visual arts program at the National Endowment for the Arts. He is president of the Skystone Foundation, which manages James Turrell’s massive Roden Crater earthwork in Arizona.
Panel: Public Art + Civic Engagement
10:15 - 11:15 am
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
Led by Richard Andrews (see keynote above), with artists Perri Lynch (Seattle), Barbara Goldstein (San Jose, CA), and Carolyn Law (Seattle).
Panel: Poetry for Civic Engagement
10:15 - 11:15 am
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
Led by Elizabeth Austen, Literary Producer at KUOW-FM public radio, Hedgebrook alumna, poet, performer, and teacher; with Jared Leising, poet and fiction writer, and board member for 826 Seattle; Bob Redmond, One Reel literary director; and poet/activist Jourdan Keith, founder of the Urban Wilderness Project.
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
Fidelma McGinn, director of ArtistTrust, will lead panelists Michelle Bufano of Pratt Fine Arts Center, Thatcher Bailey of Centrum, and Tim Detweiler of the James & Janie Washington Foundation in a discussion on support for today’s artists and how space dictates how organizations and artists connect with their communities.
Panel: Social Justice in Your Community
11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
Join a discussion on how artist-centered organizations are addressing social justice in their local communities. Speakers will include Jabu Mtheku of Caversham Centre (Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa), Ce Scott of McColl Center for Visual Art (Charlotte, North Carolina), and Dr. Charles Johnston of the Espy Foundation (Oysterville, Washington); moderated by Jason Kalajainen, Ox-Bow.
12:45 - 6:00 pm
Lunch + Arts Tour 2 | Seattle Artists’ Lofts + Galleries
12:45 - 6:00 pm
6:30 - 8:30 pm
Grey Gallery & Lounge
The Patrons Reception is hosted by Ultimacy Retreat / Stephanie Stokes Oliver and Reginald Oliver
Saturday November 15
Keynote Workshop: Creatives as Civic Leaders9:00 - 10:30 am
Henry Art Gallery
Led by Thomas Tresser, this workshop will explore how individuals and communities can leverage and amplify their creative assets in order to solve problems, create economic value, and trigger civic engagement. Tresser is the author of America Needs You! Why You Should Become a Creativity Champion, and is an acclaimed consultant, producer, educator, and trainer on creativity and civic engagement.
*PUBLIC SESSION* Creatives as Civic Leaders is open to the public; registration is $30 (free for conference attendees). Register for the workshop
Panel: Engaging Public Policy
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Henry Art Gallery
Engaging the public sector is not about entitlement – it’s about aligning missions in a two-way exchange, influencing public policy through partnerships, and sharing ownership. Join this conversation with panelists Lynne McCormack, Director of the Department of Arts, Culture + Tourism for the City of Providence; Umberto Crenca, Artistic Director of AS220; and Heather Dwyer, Program Coordinator at 4Culture; moderated by Caitlin Strokosch, Alliance of Artists Communities.
10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Henry Art Gallery
Explore the specific challenges and opportunities of urban artist-centered organizations. Panelists include Joy Glidden, Executive Director, Louisiana ArtWorks (New Orleans); Joan Rabinowitz, Executive Director, Jack Straw (Seattle); Anna Shapiro, founder and director, Firehouse 13 (Providence, Rhode Island); and Rise Wilson, Ford Foundation, and founder, The Laundromat Project (Brooklyn).
Closing Address
12:00 - 12:30 pm
Henry Art Gallery
Lunch + Arts Tour 1 | Tacoma: Art + Urban Renewal
12:45 - 6:00 pm
Lunch + Arts Tour 2 | Seattle Public Art
12:45 - 4:30 pm
7:00 - 10:00 pm
Western Bridge
Celebrate the conclusion of our 18th annual conference with a dinner reception at Western Bridge, a Seattle contemporary arts space featuring exciting work from the collection of Bill and Ruth True. Renowned musician and interdisciplinary artist Paul Rucker and his trio will perform. In addition to composing music for solo cello and large and small ensembles, Paul is involved in the visual arts community with installations throughout the city and recently received the 2007 Washington State Arts Commission Music Fellowship.
The Alliance is grateful to Hedgebrook, celebrating its 20th anniversary, for hosting the 2008 Conference through staff and logistical support. The 2008 Conference is supported in part by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and The Ford Foundation.
