{"id":6532,"date":"2021-11-17T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-17T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/?p=6532"},"modified":"2021-11-15T14:05:39","modified_gmt":"2021-11-15T19:05:39","slug":"getting-it-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/11\/getting-it-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Getting It Right"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"320\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6421\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10-300x188.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\"><em>As part of Engaging Matters&#8217; 10th Anniversary, we are highlighting important and\/or popular posts from the past. In reviewing such posts it became clear that many were grouped thematically. As a result, this Anniversary series will, for the most part, present the theme with links to relevant posts rather than simply re-posting individual items.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\">Early this year, looking\/hoping for a light at the end of the COVID tunnel, I wrote a series of posts addressing the need to take the opportunity for a strategic re-set in the arts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2020\/10\/viability\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/01\/getting-the-questions-right\/\"><u>Getting the Question(s) Right<\/u><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/01\/connect\/\"><u>Connect<\/u><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/01\/matter\/\"><u>Matter<\/u><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/02\/build-back-better\/\"><u>Build Back Better<\/u><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\">The Delta variant moved the light a good deal further down the tunnel but someday . . . . The lessons about getting things right will still apply whenever we are able to reconnect with the public in sustainable ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some highlights from the posts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/01\/getting-the-questions-right\/\">Getting the Question(s) Right<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><meta charset=\"utf-8\">&#8220;[O]ur question should not be \u201cHow will post-pandemic life impact us and our work?\u201d Our questions should be, first, &#8216;What are our communities feeling\/ experiencing?&#8217; and second, How can we help them?&#8217;\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/01\/connect\/\">Connect<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&#8220;Connecting with new communities begins with a sincere desire to do so. . . . &#8220;<\/li><li>&#8220;[W]e all should be heavily invested in connecting more and more people with the art we love.&#8221;<\/li><li>&#8220;<strong>People are not, today, predisposed to give the aloof artist or arts organization much benefit of the doubt.<\/strong> In a time when expanding reach is critical, the first tool that needs to be mastered is the skill of relationship building, and a vital ingredient for success in that is humility.&#8221;<meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/01\/matter\/\">Matter<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&#8220;The mindset that &#8216;We matter because we present great art.&#8217; does not cut it. It is only things that people see as important to their lives that fill this bill.&#8221;<\/li><li>&#8220;[<strong>W]ill arts organizations emerge in a post-pandemic environment seen in a positive light by enough people to be sustainable for the long term? Unless we significantly alter our relationships with the new communities that are vital for our survival, we may not be seen at all.<\/strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/02\/build-back-better\/\">Build Back Better<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&#8220;<strong>Commit to Community<\/strong>: We need new habits of mind that see our organizations as providers of resources that can and should address community interests.&#8221;<\/li><li>&#8220;<strong>Commit to Equity: <\/strong>The national mood is such that if we are not seen as actively supporting the furtherance of justice we\u2019ll be overwhelmed by a cultural tsunami.&#8221;<\/li><li>&#8220;<strong>Commit to Participation: <\/strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">find ways to get people <em>doing<\/em> the arts<\/span>. <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">This will build solid relationships between them and the organizations<\/span> that provide the opportunities. In some cases i<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">t may also<\/span>, as I\u2019ve seen people suggesting recently, <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">provide<\/span> (not insignificant) <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">new revenue streams<\/span>.&#8221;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\">It is still difficult for me to believe that <em>Engaging Matters<\/em> is over ten years old. Much has changed in that time and, I hope, the prospects for substantive community engagement in the nonprofit arts industry have improved at least a bit. This will be the final post reflecting on that journey. I hope there have been things here that have clarified matters or raised important questions for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\">The Holiday Season is upon us. There may be another post or two before year end . . . or there may not. Regardless, in the meantime, be safe, be healthy, and be good to yourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Engage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Doug<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/licensebuttons.net\/l\/by\/3.0\/88x31.png\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\">Some rights reserved<\/a>&nbsp;by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/andrepax\/\">Andrepax<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thoughts on becoming valued by our communities in a post-pandemic world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Getting It Right: Thoughts on becoming valued by our communities in a post-pandemic world.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[109,10],"tags":[12,13,39],"class_list":{"0":"post-6532","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-10th-anniversary","8":"category-the-practice-of-engagement","9":"tag-arts","10":"tag-community-engagement","11":"tag-relationships","12":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1G6h9-1Hm","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6442,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/09\/terminology-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":6532,"position":0},"title":"Differentiation","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"September 29, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Differentiating between seemingly related terms is important to understanding them. This post looks at outreach and education in relationship to community engagement.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;10th Anniversary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"10th Anniversary","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/10th-anniversary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6436,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/09\/terminology\/","url_meta":{"origin":6532,"position":1},"title":"Terminology","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"September 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"A critical element in effective community engagement is understanding exactly what it is . . . and what it is not.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;10th Anniversary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"10th Anniversary","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/10th-anniversary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6476,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/10\/slow-simple\/","url_meta":{"origin":6532,"position":2},"title":"Slow &#038; Simple","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"October 20, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Engaging new communities is an existential imperative. We don\u2019t get a choice about the fact that it takes time. Fortunately, it is best to begin slowly and simply.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;10th Anniversary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"10th Anniversary","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/10th-anniversary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6503,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/11\/slow-simple-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":6532,"position":3},"title":"Doing Art","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"November 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Arts participation is a patently obvious foundation upon which to build broad support for the arts. Most arts organizations should seriously consider emphasizing this as a core function.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;10th Anniversary&quot;","block_context":{"text":"10th Anniversary","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/10th-anniversary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6419,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2021\/07\/ten-years\/","url_meta":{"origin":6532,"position":4},"title":"Ten Years","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"July 28, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Engaging Matters is ten years old. Some has been accomplished, much more waits to be done in moving arts organizations to community-oriented perspectives.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Overview&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Overview","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/overview\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/10.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4631,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/2016\/08\/fifth-anniversary-highlights-transformative-engagement\/","url_meta":{"origin":6532,"position":5},"title":"Fifth Anniversary Highlights: Transformative Engagement","author":"Doug Borwick","date":"August 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"If an organization is not doing anything differently as a result of its engagement efforts, it\u2019s not focused on the community. It\u2019s focused on itself.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Principles&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Principles","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/category\/principles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/FiveCandles.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6532"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6532\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6537,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6532\/revisions\/6537"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/engage\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}