Conferencepalooza

I’m in Seattle early this week at the Grantmakers in the Arts conference…lots of foundations and program officers trying to make sense of a down economy. The upshot is that I’ll likely be patchy in my posts this week, but that I’ll also emerge with some new links and fresh thoughts (okay, perhaps not fresh, but at least freshened by the Pacific Northwest air). A first volley: after arriving in Seattle I visited the Pike Place Market, famous for the fish throwing and old farmer’s market charm. I noticed that the floor tiles had become naming opportunities for lots of individual supporters…much like the floortiles or commemorative bricks of a new performing arts center or public piazza. So, at some point, this central marketplace became unsustainable as a market but necessary as a cultural institution (for tourists and local flavor). Odds are that they’re already planning an endowment campaign and starting a fish-throwing school to ensure the future of this cultural icon…perhaps there will be a conference. #