January 2010 Archives

California Arts Advocates, of which I'm VP, begins a statewide visioning initiative with a first convening in Sacramento this week. We describe our goal this way:

This convening is not so much about finding new language to better describe or market what we do in the arts; this is about launching an unprecedented inquiry into what is needed for the arts to become an indispensable part of life to the diverse people and communities of California.

In California we are past the shock of having our state arts agency budget cut by 95%. This may be a new experience for you but it happened here years ago. We know the late 20th century days of multi-million dollar state general fund allocations to the arts are past. And I'm not convinced that the non-profit model is the only (or always the best) vehicle for investing in people's access to the arts.

We don't know where this visioning initiative will go. It is 100% dependent upon the willingness of participants this week and in the months ahead to imagine what the arts can be and can achieve in the lives, neighborhoods, and communities of our state. I'm convinced we have to transform our understanding of the relationship between art, people, and policy so we can add more models to the arts play book. One reference point we're using is the concept of Expressive Lives Bill Ivey introduces in this Demos publication.

We'll let you know how it goes. But don't wait to find out what happens here before you start having these same conversations in your state. Change is here and we have to keep pace with it or be left behind.