California Community Foundation is changing the artistic face of Los Angeles

For a winning example of how a community foundation supports individual artists, look to L.A.  Since 1988 the California Community Foundation has awarded nearly $1 million to 157 emerging and midcareer artists through its Fellowships for Visual Artists.

Fellowships allow artists to continue their creative work when the realities of bills and financial responsibilities compete with their artistic focus. As a group, the fellows are changing access to art—and the shape of communities—throughout Los Angeles County.

Meet the 2009 fellows

A new catalog showcases the 14 artists who were awarded fellowships in 2009. Although they work in diverse media—including photography, digital installations, ceramic and moss, acrylic ink, and performance art—the fellows are united in using their art to engage the public and contribute to change within the vibrant cultural mosaic of Los Angeles.

The role of art within a community is expressed by multimedia artist and 2009 fellow Juan Capistran: “Art, by itself, cannot solve all our problems. It can, though, spark a flame, create a space for dialogue, and give voice to [those] overlooked.”

Visit an online gallery showcasing the work of the fellows.

About the fellowships

The Fellowships for Visual Artists program provides one-year fellowships in an effort to:

• Acknowledge the contributions of outstanding midcareer artists in Los Angeles by enhancing, encouraging and nurturing artistic accomplishments
• Encourage and foster promising and emerging artists in Los Angeles by supporting early stages of individual development
• Increase access to artistic support among the diverse communities of Los Angeles
• Support and develop artistic or cultural talent of special merit that reflects Los Angeles’ diverse population

Rather than investing in a particular art project, the Fellowships for Visual Artists provide a $15,000 to $20,000 investment in each artist’s career. By granting the money without restrictions on how it is spent, the fellowship allows an artist to meet his or her area of greatest need.

The catalog provides insight on how fellows use the award.  More than 40 percent is spent on the purchase of art supplies; 36 percent is spent on the development of new projects; and 15 percent on personal expenses. It’s encouraging to note that so much money given to support the arts goes directly into new art projects.

Fellows gain additional career help by attending a two-day Business of Art retreat that strengthens business skills and supports their sustainability.

The catalog is part of a strategy for advancing the California Community Foundation’s goal to “ensure that all residents in Los Angeles County have access to the arts in their communities.” Copies are available upon request by emailing the foundation at info@ccf-la.org.

Since 2000, the community foundation has distributed more than $3.7 million to support the arts. Read more about this community foundation’s Arts & Culture Fund.

The California Community Foundation is a participant in Communities Advancing the Arts, a major funding initiative of  The James Irvine Foundation.

Scan sheds light on scale and trends in arts grantmaking

The best local arts strategies are informed by knowledge of the larger arts funding landscape. That’s the premise of a project initiated by and for the nine community foundations engaged in Irvine’s Communities Advancing the Arts initiative.

These community foundations are developing new sources of funding while investing in programs supporting local arts. As these catalysts build plans for the new year, they have keen interest in understanding the broader picture of current arts funding in California. In particular, group members are hungry to know what major funders of California arts are doing, so they can in turn examine opportunities to complement existing efforts or address unmet needs.

Timely research

In fall 2010, Helicon Collaborative was commissioned to undertake a rapid research scan to support the interests of these community foundations.

Helicon went right to work — interviewing a cross-section of 11 national and local funders that support the arts in California, and combining these findings with results of a national study the firm completed in September 2010 for Grantmakers in the Arts. In addition, Helicon analyzed Foundation Center data on giving to the arts nationally and in California specifically, and reviewed recent data on public funding for the arts provided by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.

Highlights

The study, titled “Arts Funding in California: Where Do We Stand?,” helped define the size and nature of arts funding in California, using the most recent data available. For example:

• State funding for the arts has declined 13% during the recession, and is down more than 30% compared to its high in 2001; local public funding has also declined by more than 10% since 2008.
• Foundations provided $375 million to California arts, culture and media organizations in 2008. California-based foundations provided $287 million of this amount, and foundations outside California provided the remaining $88 million. Three community foundations (in Silicon Valley, San Francisco and Marin) alone contributed $33 million.
• Of the $375 million total, $125 million (33%) was awarded to museums; $89 million (23%) to performing arts organizations; $59 million (16%) to media and communications; $58 million (15%) to multi-purpose arts organizations; $18 million (5%) to humanities; and $26 million (8%) was divided between historic preservation; policy, management and information; and other.

Distribution of $375M in foundation funding to California arts organizations

The study also illuminated broad trends. For example, nationally, arts funders are increasing general operating support and decreasing funding for facilities and capital projects. About one-third of foundation arts funders have increased levels of funding, about one-third have maintained previous levels and about one-third have diminished their support. While few foundations indicate a change in their strategic direction as a result of the recession, an increasing number of national, corporate and community foundations are integrating their arts funding with work in other sectors such as community development, education or youth development.

In addition, this research surfaced important perceptions of California held by arts funders:

• Given the number and quality of arts organizations in California, reductions in funding at national and local levels have powerful and disproportionate impacts relative to other states.
• Significant numbers of artists and arts organizations in California are pioneering socially responsible, cross-sector partnerships, linking the arts to pressing social issues such as health care, immigration, education, civil rights and equity issues.
• The cultural sector in California has a history of innovation — many field-wide models and cross-sector partnerships have begun here.
• California’s technology and entertainment industries attract and employ diverse artists and provide opportunities for innovative collaboration.
• Despite the recession, there is enormous personal wealth in California and potential for expanded philanthropic activity.

Implications for community foundations

Helicon described three specific areas where the state’s community foundations can generate greater impact:

• California’s leading-edge demographic change provides unique opportunities for community foundations to exert leadership in recognizing and supporting art forms, programs and audiences that herald the future for the nation as a whole.
• Cuts to state education budgets make the role of cultural institutions and artists in arts education and youth development more important than ever.
• Technology can be harnessed to make diverse cultural resources more visible and accessible, and connect artists and arts organizations to community needs.

The Helicon study makes the case that community foundations are well positioned to achieve a lasting difference in the arts sector today. “California community foundations are master collaborators,” according to Marcelle Hinand Cady, the Helicon research leader for this project. She adds, “They work with diverse people across multiple sectors; they are skilled at building partnerships and organizing disparate interests around a common cause. Community foundations can bring their broad networks and credibility to the work of building coalitions and inspiring donors to advance the arts in service of stronger communities.”

Download the report.

Communities Advancing the Arts is a major funding initiative of The James Irvine Foundation.

ArtPrize supports culture, education and economics in Grand Rapids

One “little art experiment” has turned into a prime example of how philanthropy and arts can have seemingly limitless positive effects on a community – drawing praise from school children and senior citizens, from business and government leaders, and from individual artists as well as major arts institutions.  This big success, not yet two years old, is already being replicated in Chicago, and is drawing interest from community arts leaders around the world.

It’s happening in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where for two-and-a-half weeks each fall hotels are filled to capacity, hundreds of thousands of people flood the streets, restaurants are sapped of food and drink, and the chatter is contagious.

And it’s all about art

Rick DeVos said he started ArtPrize because he wanted to see what would happen when a city became a gallery, when artists engaged directly with the public, and when the public gained an empowered voice in response to art.

Billed as a “radically open art competition,” the aptly-named ArtPrize carries the largest grand prize ever for a non-invitational art contest—$250,000. The top ten artists each year divvy up total prize money of $449,000.

If ArtPrize was a rock band, it would be the Beatles: A smash from the first note, a big-time crowd pleaser and an enduring cultural phenomenon.  There is music, plus sculpture, painting, video and performance art—all created by more than 1,700 artists whose entries are spread across 192 venues in Michigan’s second-largest city.

These artists come from 44 states and 21 countries, including Croatia, Israel, Peru and Iran.

Here’s what brings the crowds to life

ArtPrize is judged not by established art critics, but by anyone who cares to express an opinion. Voting is done via the web or text, so it is open to people of all ages and interests—from those with a passing fancy to those with a lifelong devotion to the arts.

The event builds, and permeates, the community. Homeless men and business men stand together and debate the value of a two-story quilt of flowers that spruces up a building exterior. Strangers strike up café discussions and swap opinions on entries not to be missed.

At ArtPrize 2010, more than 38,500 people voted; together they cast more than 465,000 votes.

Walk the streets during ArtPrize and you’ll see throngs of people, including busloads of visitors, every day and every night. Researchers at nearby Grand Valley State University cite a $6 million economic boon for the local economy as a result of the event.

A boon for artists too

The 2010 winner is “Cavalry”, a 300-square-foot pencil drawing of a 1921 Army regiment. It is the work of Grand Rapids resident Chris LaPorte. It joins the inaugural prize winner, a massive photo-realistic oil-on-canvas painting of the sea by Brooklynite Ran Ortner.

Ortner is candid about the benefits of public appreciation and a monetary windfall. Before the big win, he was an artist concerned with paying the phone bill. With the grand prize in hand, he sold the winning entry (for an undisclosed amount of money), and now faces a glut of requests for his time and talent. His career is sailing.

So too is the optimism of community leaders who want Grand Rapids to be as much about dance and sculpture and painting as it is about manufacturing and health care and tourism.

A growing phenomenon

“We had no idea what to expect last year,” DeVos told the Detroit Free Press when discussing the first year of the experiment. “We were stunned at the extent to which people were willing to take a leap with us.”

Much of the funding for the prize, and for the management of the competition, comes from the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Foundation, but the list of partners and sponsors is deep and includes local governments, foundations, businesses and individuals.

The Grand Rapids Community Foundation is a long-time leader in local arts, and an active participant in ArtPrize.  The community foundation was a venue in the event’s inaugural year, and one side of its building now houses a stunning mural created for ArtPrize by Daan Hoekstra of Sonora, Mexico. His work presents “Humanity at the Crossroads” via a 100-foot long, 40-foot high expression.

“The community has become more energized because of ArtPrize,” according to Diana Sieger, President of the Community Foundation. “This excitement has translated into more business for our entertainment venues and world-class restaurants. However, the big plus has been increasing a keen interest in art of various forms. It’s an introduction if you will for people who may not have been exposed to the myriad projects and ideas that literally explode when ArtPrize opens up to the community.

“To take advantage of this energy, the area foundations are pumping in enthusiasm, dollars and influence to assure that all forms of art grow and prosper,” Sieger said. “We are all looking to long-term sustainable support for the arts.”

Barely eighteen months after the birth of ArtPrize, this daring competition serves as a leading example of what arts can do for a community. Dates for ArtPrize 2011 have been announced—and who knows how far this event may go. Visit the ArtPrize website to see more.

The economy is at a 40-year low. Safety net issues are on the rise at an alarming rate. So why sustain a commitment to the arts?

Jim Canales, president and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation, answers this question in the following op-ed appearing in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Why the arts matter
James E. Canales
Tuesday, February 3, 2009

The arts are in trouble. Many of the institutions that make the Bay Area’s cultural scene so compelling are facing financial difficulties. Some are severely cutting programs; others are on the verge of closing. The arts are particularly vulnerable because they rely upon ticket sales and memberships, which are often among the first to be cut from consumer spending during an economic crisis. At the same time, the philanthropic revenues that arts organizations rely on – from government sources, foundations, corporations and individual contributions – all stand at risk today, given shrinking endowments and discretionary income.

Thankfully, arts leaders are applying their creative powers to these economic challenges, thus finding new ways to cut costs or raise revenues. For example, the Magic Theatre recently announced that it will be able to complete its season, thanks to an emergency fundraising campaign that brought in $455,000 from 1,100 donors. And the San Francisco Opera, in announcing its 2009-2010 season, was able to reduce its costs without compromising on artistic quality.

These organizations and their leaders deserve credit for doing whatever it takes to stay afloat. But all the creative ideas to keep the doors open won’t be enough if we don’t fundamentally change our collective understanding of why the arts matter.

When times get tough and choices must be made, it is often the arts that lose. Why is this so? When compared to health or human service needs, the arts are often viewed as less important and therefore more discretionary in nature. But this line of thinking misses the point about why the arts are so important. Until we fully recognize how essential the arts are to the vitality of our communities and our quality of life, our cultural infrastructure will continue to be given short shrift. There are countless reasons why we should renew our commitment to the arts. Consider the following:

• In the Bay Area, the arts create more than 31,000 jobs and generate $1.2 billion in economic activity every year.
• The arts produce $105 million in local and state tax revenue for the Bay Area (far more than the government spends on the arts).
• Surveys report that 93 percent of parents believe that the arts are essential to a well-rounded education.
• Ten million new jobs in the next decade will be in the “creative class,” according to economist Richard Florida. These are jobs that involve imagination and ingenuity which are best developed by experiencing the arts.

But the importance of the arts extends well beyond economics and education. The arts expand our horizons, unleash creativity and build social bonds. During this period of unsettling change, the arts can provide us with pleasure and comfort, while also challenging us to see the world in new ways.

Two recent examples come to mind of the arts’ power to build community and create a sense of common experience. First was the inauguration ceremony of President Obama. Where did we turn to put this historic moment in perspective, to build a common sense of pride and hope for the nation’s future? We turned to the arts, of course, in the form of poetry, classical music and song, including performances by San Francisco’s own Boys Chorus and Girls Chorus.

Locally, the power and appeal of the arts was in evidence on a recent Sunday when dozens of museums and other cultural institutions opened their doors for free. Thousands of kids explored Asian culture at the Asian Art Museum, walked through a rainforest at the California Academy of Sciences, and explored world class art collections at the de Young Museum and SFMOMA. On this one day, people could experience the rich diversity of San Francisco’s arts organizations, regardless of economic circumstance. But, for the rest of the year, maintaining our rich cultural landscape is anything but free.

So, as your resources permit, attend a performance, buy a membership, and consider a contribution of any size. But also talk to your friends and neighbors about the transformative power of the arts and encourage them to support and advocate for the arts. The arts institutions that have created our cultural riches have done so much to help the Bay Area thrive. It’s time for us to return the favor.

James E. Canales is president and chief executive officer of the James Irvine Foundation, a private foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Irvine Foundation is one of the largest private funders of the arts in California, with annual arts grant-making of approximately $20 million.

This article appeared on page A – 13 of the San Francisco Chronicle

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/03/EDQP15LUJN.DTL

A middle-schooler streams YouTube videos. A family shares its heritage through a holiday skit. A baby boomer starts a garage band. Today, many forms of cultural engagement take place off the radar of traditional nonprofit arts organizations.

How can community foundations help arts organizations better support the broad range of cultural engagement in diverse and changing communities? In particular, how can this support be provided more effectively and equitably? These questions are at the center of Cultural Engagement in California’s Inland Regions, research that explores patterns of cultural engagement in two rapidly growing, ethnically diverse areas: the San Joaquin Valley and the Inland Empire.

Study highlights

The study, conducted by WolfBrown, prompts new discussion of ways community foundations, donors, and nonprofits can support arts and culture. Key findings are:

• A broad, inclusive definition is important to understanding total cultural engagement—old definitions leave too much out
• Personal participation levels are high—many people are engaged in activities such as photography, painting or drawing, singing or playing an instrument, and social dancing
• Much cultural engagement occurs in non-arts spaces—for example, the home, places of worship and parks are among the prominent places in the cultural life of communities
• Heritage-based and social forms of cultural engagement attract racially diverse participants—many cultural activities are deeply embedded in religious, political and social contexts that vary by community
• The emergence of “curatorial” arts activities is changing the landscape of cultural engagement—many youth and a growing number of adults are selecting, organizing and editing the art in their lives
• Significant interest in arts learning activities goes unmet—for example, a significant number of respondents indicate they would like to take dance or music lessons, or learn more about photography
• Role models are key players in the cultural ecosystem—respondents who could identify a person who inspired or supported their creative expressions were much more likely to engage in participatory cultural activities and attend arts programs
• Certain types of programming may increase broad-based cultural vitality in communities and across cultural groups—examples include helping adults and children chronicle their lives and tell their stories; and helping identify and stimulate use of community venues, such as public schools, parks and outdoor settings, retail establishments and churches as programmable arts spaces

This executive briefing suggests additional program approaches for increasing cultural vitality, and contains questions for consideration by service providers and funders who are looking to broaden the intersection of arts and community.

This research was commissioned by The James Irvine Foundation.

Invest in what works. So goes the saying—as well as The James Irvine Foundation’s interest in advancing community arts. Irvine announced nearly $3.2 million in new grants to a group of California community foundations. It’s the second phase of Communities Advancing the Arts, an initiative that placed $4.75 million in 13 community foundations between 2004 and 2007. Irvine’s initial $4.75 million investment generated a solid return. It helped participating community foundations mobilize $59 million in assets for the arts over three years (a 48 percent increase in assets dedicated to the arts), as well as create 181 new funds dedicated to the arts at participating community foundations.

The timing couldn’t be better

Public funding for the arts has reached new lows in recent years. The California Arts Council, which traditionally funded local arts programs throughout the state, has seen its budget slashed from $31 million in 2000 to just $5 million in 2007. Private donations have also dipped over the past 15 years, leaving many arts organizations struggling for survival. Communities Advancing the Arts is intended to foster grantmaking and spur individual donations to arts organizations in targeted communities.

Phase two participants are:

California Community Foundation
East Bay Community Foundation
Community Foundation for Monterey County
Orange County Community Foundation
Sacramento Region Community Foundation
The San Diego Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation
Community Foundation Sonoma County
Ventura County Community Foundation

Full press release

A new study helps answer the old question: What do arts bring to communities? It documents the economic impact of the nonprofit arts and culture industry, and covers 156 communities and regions representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The study was conducted by Americans for the Arts. It includes diverse communities, both rural and urban, ranging from four thousand to three million people.

The attached study focuses solely on nonprofit arts and culture organizations and their audiences and excludes spending by individual artists and the for-profit arts and entertainment sector. The two largest U.S. cities, New York and Los Angeles, each with more than $1 billion in organizational expenditures, were excluded from this study to avoid inflating the national estimates.

Arts are big business…with big benefits

America’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year—$63.1 billion in spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by audiences. The national impact of this activity is significant, supporting 5.7 million jobs and generating $29.6 billion in government revenue.

The impact of spending by nonprofit arts and culture organizations is far reaching; they pay their employees, purchase supplies, and acquire assets within the local community. Additionally, unlike most industries, nonprofit arts and culture leverage significant event-related spending by their audience. Whether serving the local community or out-of-town visitors, a vibrant arts and culture industry helps local businesses thrive.

Everybody wants to know more and do less, right? The James Irvine Foundation and 30 arts grantmakers are launching the California Cultural Data Project. It’s a statewide collaboration standardizing the information funders collect from grant seekers. The idea is to simplify grant applications, improve grant tracking and get the most from analysis of arts programs and unmet needs. The goal is to build the sector’s collective knowledge and impact. Many community foundations are participating. Additional info at Irvine website. Read more.