Artists’ Communities Make Case for Public Worth
In May 2005, the Board of Selectmen in Peterborough, New Hampshire, said they had doubts about The MacDowell Colony’s eligibility for the charitable property tax exemption defined by state law, beginning a two-year legal battle that resulted in a court decision in March 2007 in favor of the Colony. While the case began as an issue of property tax exemption, the lawsuit raised much larger questions: What public good is served by residencies, both for society at large and for local communities? And how can a retreat-style residency -- one that provides visiting artists with seclusion from the public -- demonstrate its value to the community?
The Convergence of Art & Science
An increasing view of artists and scientists as equal partners, where neither discipline is compromised, is an exciting development in the residency field. It is this search for balance that has drawn so many to the convergence of science and art. “This growing and global movement has…taken on an increasingly collaborative eco-activist agenda as well as a visually stunning and celebratory one…. Addressing the world’s problems will require creative and inspiring collaborations between people, places and creatures.”
Dual Citizenship: Artists Residencies in the US and Abroad
As if running a nonprofit organization and an artists’ residency program weren’t challenging enough, several organizations have set up shop in both the US and abroad, programming across borders, languages and cultures, as a sort of dual citizenship for artists’ communities. For these organizations, managing a double identity in the US and abroad reflects their commitment to celebrating and understanding both the intersections and divergences between cultures, through the art, artists, and local communities that form the fabric of each organization.
The Case for Public Art
This article, from Seattle's 4Culture, makes the case for public art, dispelling the myths that public funds for art take away from other "more necessary" services, and that public art is only for a small, elite minority.
Field at a Glance: Artists Residencies in the US
A report on the field of artists' communities and residency programs in the US, conducted July-September 2008. This summary compiles responses from 131 residency programs in the US to offer a snapshot of the field and trends.
Economic Turmoil and Change
How are arts grantmakers and their arts partners and grantees managing the impact of the recession? What are foundations and other funders doing? How is funding being affected now, and how is it apt to be affected in the next 12-24 months? Since many believe that economic turmoil and a change in federal leadership offers the opportunity for substantive change, what role can arts and culture play in that change?
Tips for Applying to the NEA
This article was developed by the Alliance to assist applicants to the National Endowment for the Arts in strengthening their proposal and their relationship with the agency.
Artist Collectives and the Changing Landscape of Residencies
In the last several decades, trends toward collective practices in art have merged with a long history of collective organizing in social, political and economic realms. Many artists now choose to center their artistic practice around relationship-building and political organizing rather than object-making. Perhaps as a counter to the individualism and competition of our current culture, there seems to be a growing interest in collectivism today.
Artist Workspaces: Creativity in Collective
The exchange of ideas is at the heart of any artists’ community. Artist workspaces are one model of residency: they offer shared studio space that encourages engagement between artists and often emphasize a particular art form and its associated facilities, equipment, materials, and technical assistance. Artist workspace residencies can be a practical response to the logistical needs specific to an art form, such as sculpture, printmaking, glass arts, and digital media. Like all residencies, they support artists in the creation of new work in a variety of ways, which may include financial support, room and board, professional development, production assistance, exhibition, and more.
A Conversation on Diversity
Four Alliance members—Malcolm Christian from Caversham Centre in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Mark Masuoka from the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, NE, Ce Scott from the McColl Center for Visual Art in Charlotte, NC, and Pamela Winfrey from the Exploratorium in San Francisco—engaged in a discussion on how their organizations approach diversity.