National Service Organizations to Recognize Joan Mitchell Foundation With Creative Leadership Award
The Alliance of Artists Communities and the Craft Emergency Relief Fund
(CERF) will co-present a Creative Leadership Award to The Joan Mitchell
Foundation on Saturday, November 14, 2009, in New Orleans.
The Foundation is being recognized for its grantmaking leadership,
including a dedication to understanding its recipients and the
communities in which they reside, making informed decisions of support
based on mutual understanding and shared goals, establishing ongoing
relationships with individuals and organizations for long-term impact,
and being an outspoken advocate for individual artists in order to
serve as a catalyst for other support. While this approach is
indicative of the work of the Foundation across the country, the award
will highlight the Foundation’s work in, where both the immediate and
ongoing support, the interest in being responsive and reflective to the
community’s needs, and the personal involvement in seeing that the
Foundation can be an agent in the community, is truly exceptional.
Following Hurricane Katrina, The Joan Mitchell Foundation provided
emergency grants to individual artists, totalling $500,000 over the
first few years. The Foundation has also focused on long-term impact
within the visual arts community, investing in infrastructure,
opportunities for artists to exhibit their work, collaborative arts
initiatives that have the ability to shape the arts community as it
continues to redefine itself. Among the Foundation’s most visible
projects is Art in Public Places, a partnership with the Arts Council
of New Orleans. The $750,000 public art project showcases 19 newly
commissioned works placed throughout the city. The Foundation has also
supported the Art Council’s professional development workshops, the
Contemporary Arts Center’s Children’s Sculpture Project, Louisiana
ArtWorks’ Art Sessions, Contemporary Visual Arts Network New Orleans,
AORTA projects, FindArtNOLA.com and CALL (Creating a Lasting Legacy).
The Creative Leadership Award will be presented to Carolyn Somers,
Executive Director of The Joan Mitchell Foundation, by New Orleans
artist Michel Varisco, Alliance of Artists Communities Executive
Director Caitlin Strokosch, and CERF Executive Director Cornelia Carey.
The award artwork was created by New Orleans ceramics artist Andrea
Christie, and was commissioned by CERF for this occasion.
“We are thrilled to partner with CERF in presenting this award, and to
recognize the extraordinary work of The Joan Mitchell Foundation,” says
Strokosch. “Carolyn Somers has been a strong force in shaping this work
and forging relationships with the Foundation’s recipients. We also
recognize that her investment of time, energy, and resources would not
be possible without the support of the Foundation’s Board of Directors,
and we extend our recognition and admiration for their leadership as
well.”
The award will be presented as part of the closing night reception of
the Alliance’s annual conference – Saturday, November 14, 2009,
7:00-10:00pm, at the Preservation Resource Center in New Orleans (925
Tchoupitoulas). Tickets to the dinner and awards party are $35. The
conference will be attended by more than 150 directors, trustees, and
funders of artists’ communities around the world, policy-makers,
artists, as well as other distinguished guests.
About The Joan Mitchell Foundation
Established in 1993, The Joan Mitchell Foundation sustains and
celebrates Joan Mitchell's unique legacy as a leading American Abstract
Expressionist painter, and honors her commitment to the support of art
and artists. The Foundation assists in the development, growth, and
continued maturation of contemporary visual artists by providing
support for painters and sculptors throughout all stages of their
careers. The Foundation’s work includes direct awards to painters and
sculptors; support for the documentation of the work of older artists
to ensure the preservation of their individual legacies; a
comprehensive program of free art education for New York City youth
through after-school, Saturday, and summer classes; professional
development programming, exhibitions, and residencies. www.joanmitchellfoundation.org
About the Alliance of Artists Communities
The Alliance of Artists Communities is the association of artists’
communities, colonies, and residency programs, representing more than
1,000 sites worldwide that provide artists of any discipline with time
and space for the development of new work. The Alliance gives a
collective voice on behalf of the field that leverages support for the
artists communities; promotes successful practices in the field; and
advocates for creative environments that support the work of today’s
artists. Believing that the cultivation of new art and ideas is
essential to human progress, the Alliance’s mission is to advocate for
and support artists’ communities, in order to advance the endeavors of
artists. The Alliance is one of the few national organizations
representing programs that support artists in all disciplines,
believing that collaboration and exchange that cross traditional
boundaries furthers our culture’s progress. www.artistcommunities.org
About Craft Emergency Relief Fund
Craft Emergency Relief Fund is committed to supporting the careers of
craft artists throughout the United States. CERF helps professional
craft artists strengthen and sustain their careers so that they can
thrive and, thus, contribute to the quality of life in our communities.
CERF accomplishes its mission through direct financial and educational
assistance to craft artists, including emergency relief assistance,
business development support, and resources and referrals on topics
such as health, safety, and insurance. CERF also advocates, engages in
research, and backs policy that supports craft artists’ careers. CERF
is a bridge before more significant assistance, such as insurance
payments, are made available; a connection and guide to other sources
for support; a charitable response by a community for its community;
and a first responder for professional craft artists. www.craftemergency.org
For more information, contact Caitlin Strokosch, cstrokosch@artistcommunities.org or 401-486-0976.