Springblog for the Arts

2011-06-01T22:36:00.002-05:00

Springboard for the Arts Executive Director Laura Zabel's Guest Blog for Minnesota Playlist:

Open Letter to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback

Dear Governor Brownback:

I lived in Kansas for 20 years. From ages 2 to 22. I was educated in Kansas – both in the public schools and at the University of Kansas. I love the Midwest – its seasons, its open space, its practicality. I’m the kind of person it should be easy to get to stay there. So, why don’t I live in Kansas anymore?

I packed my truck to move to Minnesota the night I finished my last commitment at the University. In the last 13 years I can safely tell you that no one--not one single person--has ever asked why I left Kansas. Because my career is in the arts. The assumption is that, because I wanted to make a career and a living in the arts, I had to leave Kansas.

It’s not impossible to make a living in the arts in Kansas – I have many friends who are making a go of it—but the opportunities are scarce. And you’ve just made those opportunities even scarcer by eliminating support for the Kansas Arts Commission. The short-sightedness and recklessness of this decision have been well documented. A loss of over a million dollars in national and regional matching funds, loss of opportunities for children to participate in creative expression, loss of jobs – none of those things have swayed you. So I’m not optimistic that this story will either, but maybe it will make the reality of your action a little more tangible.

What is the consequence when one 22 year old with a theater degree from one of the best programs in the region decides they can’t stay in Kansas to make their life and their career? Who cares? Does that really have any impact on the state’s health or economy?

There’s a financial consequence: In the last 13 years, I’ve paid approximately $22,000 in state income taxes and $15,000 in state sales tax. I bought a car, a house, had a wedding – all in Minnesota. That money could have gone to the Sunflower State instead of the Gopher State.

Beyond that, since I moved to Minnesota, my entire family has moved here, too. They moved here, in part, because they also care about the arts. None of them work directly in the arts, but they see cultural opportunity as a necessary part of a community they want to live in. So, three adult children who grew up in Kansas, took advantage of its public education and other services and then chose to pay their taxes, make their livelihood, volunteer, vote and serve in another state. Plus, two retired parents who made their whole careers in Kansas, who then chose to spend their retirement years and income in another state.

Just for the 5 members of my immediate family who have relocated to Minnesota, I estimate that Kansas has given up about $100,000 in state and sales tax income so far (not to mention the numerous other ways that we contribute to the local economy.) By that calculation, your veto of the Arts Commission budget only has to convince a handful of young, energetic college graduates that they’d be better off somewhere else for Kansas to be worse off financially because of this decision.

And those are just the direct actions that I feel confident tying to the lack of opportunity and support for the arts in Kansas. But there are also ripple effects: my siblings and I have six young children who will grow up expecting and understanding the value of vibrant support for culture and who will have little incentive to locate their lives in Kansas. In short, Governor Brownback, I think you’ve lost this family for good.

And that makes me sad. Kansas is a wonderful place-a great place to raise children, with a beautiful landscape and a surprisingly diverse population. There are also really excellent cultural opportunities in Kansas. Just not enough of them to keep me there.

Your actions have taken away opportunities for young people to find their voice, for citizens to make their communities better, and for the cultural traditions of Kansas to be preserved. Your actions have taken away very real income opportunities and jobs for the state of Kansas. And you’ve made sure that no one ever will ask me why I left Kansas.

Sincerely,

Laura Zabel

2011-05-12T11:35:00.002-05:00

New Community Health Clinic on West 7th in St. Paul

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve driven down West Seventh Street in St. Paul. In high school, I spent two summers as an apprentice painting at the old Schmidt Brewery through COMPAS’ ArtsWork program. Heck, our ArtsWork group was even banned from the West 7^th McDonalds for re-using beverage cups (I know what you’re thinking, but I promise I was not the culprit.) Since then, I’m happy to say I’ve discovered some nicer restaurants and shared many wonderful meals with great company on that street.

Last week, I found myself taking that familiar drive to an unfamiliar location, United Family Medicine. Laura and I were invited to tour the community clinic, located in the new ‘Peter J. King Family Health Center’ on the corner of West 7^th and Randolph. I was surprised to find that this new destination evoked feelings of warmth and nostalgia; feelings that I’ve come to associate with this historic street (well, with the exception of McDonalds).

So, what creates this kind of welcoming environment? First, the clinic, whose history dates back to 1930, serves all people regardless of insurance status. As a federally qualified health center, uninsured and underinsured patients can apply for a sliding fee scale based on income and family size (this is determined easily via your last tax return). The clinic employs Patient Advocates to help you determine eligibility and apply for the sliding fee scale. For those with insurance, the clinic accepts more than 400 insurance carriers. As CEO Jeanne Bailey explained, the providers are there for you during all stages of your life. Just because you lose or change your insurance, you shouldn’t have to change doctors.

This same thought extends to the design of the new site. The clinic is light-filled and open, encompassing a whopping 31,000 square feet with forty exam and treatment rooms. The building is beautiful, yet unassuming, and easily accessible from a bus line. There’s also plenty of free parking via an attached ramp.

We're working to start up an Artists’ Access to Healthcare (AAH) pilot program with the clinic, offering $40 vouchers to use like a gift certificate towards primary, mental and even urgent care services (which can be oh-so-helpful for those pesky injuries like broken bones and cuts). United Family Medicine can also provide admittance to and care at United Hospital and Children’s Hospital in St. Paul (though the hospitals won’t be part of the voucher program.)

Those who have used the AAH voucher program know that we currently partner with three low-cost clinics, all located in Minneapolis. So I am especially thrilled that our neighbors here in St. Paul can connect to a more conveniently located option for high-quality care!

For more info about the United vouchers, please stay tuned to our e-newsletter in early June or click here to sign-up.

-Nikki

2011-03-12T10:12:00.001-06:00

The Future of the Resource Center (1968)

In this newly discovered clip, Springboard's Artist Resources Manager, Andy Sturdevant elaborates on the importance of the Artist Resource Center. It is our hope that more of these precious clips with be discovered and restored in the future.

(n.b. We established the date for this video based on the fact that Mr. Sturdevant appears to be wearing a Robert Kennedy presidential campaign button.)

2011-03-09T09:23:00.012-06:00

Bamboozled by the Healthcare System?

A couple weeks ago, the Kaiser Family Foundation released the results of a poll finding that nearly half of Americans don't know that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act- aka Healthcare Reform- is still the law. Despite a vote to repeal in the House (later rejected by the Senate), not only is it still the law, but a handful of important provisions are already in effect.

When I set out to write this post, I intended to share one of the law’s already-established benefits that artists with any kind of health insurance should be taking advantage of. I've since discovered that this new pathway to ‘Free Preventive Care’ is not as straightforward as one would hope. According to the law, those with any health insurance plan (even high-deductible health insurance) purchased on or after September 23, 2010, have the right to free preventive healthcare. That means no co-payment, co-insurance or deductible. The services and those they are recommended for can be found at http://www.healthcare.gov/law/about/provisio ns/services/lists.html

Sounds lovely, but read the legislation further and you’ll find some exceptions:

1) If your preventative service was the not the primary reason for your visit, co-insurance may apply.*

2) Your insurance company can require you to see a provider that is in your plan’s “network” in order for the service to be covered in full.

3) Many of the guidelines do not say how often you can receive a recommended preventative health service. In these instances, it’s up to the insurance company to determine how often they will cover the services.

*For examples, check out Part 147 of the Affordable Care Act by clicking here

Still, what I find most confusing to us as consumers is something that is completely left out of the provision: What qualifies a service as ‘preventive’ in the first place? According to the guidelines that both healthcare and health insurance providers use for medical coding and reporting (developed by two agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services):

Preventive "screening" is the testing for disease or disease precursors in seemingly well individuals so that early detection and treatment can be provided for those who test positive for the disease. 

The testing of a person to rule out or confirm a suspected diagnosis because the patient has some sign or symptom is a diagnostic examination, not a screening. In these cases, the sign or symptom is used to explain the reason for the test. (Examples: rectal bleeding, unexplained iron deficiency anemia, unexplained weight loss.)

So, generally speaking, if you have no symptoms and no reason to suspect you may have the ailment they’re testing for, the service must be billed as ‘preventive’ and must be free under the Affordable Care Act. However, it seems that there are a number of things that influence your service to be considered a ‘diagnostic examination’ and, therefore, ineligible to be covered under the Affordable Care Act. They may include a previous diagnosis, symptoms, or family history of the ailment you’re being screened. I’ve even read that your 'preventive' screening may change to ‘diagnostic’ if treatment is required during the procedure (for example, polyps removed during a colonoscopy).

This won’t be the case with all providers and the last thing I want to do is discourage anyone from seeking the preventative healthcare they need. But, to prevent any surprise charges, I encourage you to check with your insurance company and healthcare provider prior to making an appointment to understand your benefits and what steps to take to make sure the screening is billed as ‘preventive’ (such as what type of appointment to request). And get it in writing while you’re at it.

Obviously, it’s reasons like this that Springboard created its Artists’ Access to Healthcare (AAH) voucher program, Free Screening Days and Free Flu Shot Clinics. There’s no fine print. If you’re an artist or arts administrator and are uninsured or underinsured, you qualify. However, just because we keep things straightforward with our own programs, doesn’t mean there isn’t value in knowing how the healthcare system works. If you’d like to learn more, check out healthcare.gov, The Kaiser Family Foundation and other resources in our Guides to Healthcare for Artists. You certainly may not like everything you discover, but keep in mind that knowing the system means knowing how to best use it to your advantage.

- Nikki

2011-02-14T14:21:00.003-06:00

11 Ways To Love The Arts Everyday

1. Locate the nearest artist. Give that artist a hug. (not one of those awkward half-hugs, but a really good one)

2. Buy some art from an artist whose work you enjoy. It feels really great, trust me.

3. Make some art. Paint, draw, make up a little dance to your favorite song, write a song, make a mini puppet show with your kids, write a poem, take 20 pictures of something that fascinates you, tell someone a really good story, make a sculpture out of something - anything, do an impromptu performance art piece for a friend or loved one by pretending to be 5 different inanimate objects in 5 minutes, do anything you desire that expresses your talents to yourself and/or the world.

4. Give someone else a work of art. Maybe it's the piece you bought, maybe it's the art you made.

5. Urge Members of Congress to Support the National Endowment for the Arts.

6. Support your nearest arts advocacy group/organization. For Minnesotan's register and attend Arts Advocacy Day on March 8, 2011. Show your support by telling your political representatives that the arts are essential. Bonus; there will be about a thousand other arts supporters and artists there as well.

7. Make a donation to one of your favorite arts organizations or artists.

8. Share a story of an arts experience that was meaningful to you or someone you know.

9. Declare your love and support for the arts through your social media (Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc.) For example, get the full size version of "I Heart Art because..." Print it out, fill it out, snap a picture, and post it.

10. Make a point, everyday, to recognize how the arts make your life and community richer and then share your unique passion and perspective with others.

11. Share this list. Add to this list. Make your own list.

2011-02-07T10:13:00.002-06:00

Why I'm impatient with #supplydemand...or how a long Minnesota winter can make you beg for faster change.

A couple weeks ago at the new play convening at Arena Stage, NEA chairman Rocco Landesman said, “You can either increase demand or decrease supply. Demand is not going to increase, so it is time to think about decreasing supply.“ His follow up blog was a call for conversation. And he got it…a lot of conversation. Some of it very thoughtful, well researched and insightful.

But to what end? I can’t help feeling like none of this discussion really includes any practical solutions or ideas for action. We seem to mostly be debating the semantics of the argument – “what does oversupply really mean?”, “Demand by what definition?”

It’s hard to have this conversation in any real way without pointing to organizations we think are part of the problem—which no one, understandably, is willing to do. But I really wonder if the issue of supply and demand isn’t a red herring? In my experience, organizations that have drifted off their mission or whose impact is lagging, do get less support and often struggle and sometimes close. And, while there is usually sadness and hand wringing when that happens, in a short amount of time other groups pick up the pieces and new projects are started that fill those needs, if indeed the need still exists.

I’m much more interested in Chairman Landesman’s idea that we should support the “survival of the most creative and most dynamic.”

Since I’m dangerously close to contributing more talking to this topic, let me see if I can put on the table two suggestions for practical things we can do to avoid being one of those faltering organizations and, instead, be part of the “creative and most dynamic.”

1. Create a culture of innovation and change. Organizations need to create cultures that allow new ideas to sprout and grow quickly. We need to be able to see new audiences or new delivery mechanisms and try new things quickly. Instead of using big business as a model for how we create infrastructure--where mergers, take-overs, growth and consolidation are the goals, why don’t we look to the artistic process as a model instead? I believe that organizations that can work like artists are the ones that will be successful – organizations that place a high value on experimentation, constructive failure and rapid learning.

2. Reach outside of the sector. Let’s look at models from local food, urban agriculture, community organizing, and social entrepreneurship for help and partnership. We can’t talk about these seismic cultural changes with only ourselves and expect to have a big impact. To remain relevant we have to lift our heads up from our own work long enough to see what’s happening in the rest of the world and figure out how we connect to it.

Neither of these are revolutionary or new ideas - we've talked about them a lot. But there seems to be a gap between talk and action.

I think the solution to the #supplydemand question is simple:

Innovate. Collaborate. Be relevant. Now.

It’s the work to do those things that is hard. So maybe we should get to it?

2011-01-31T21:08:00.001-06:00

It takes a village to make it to 20 years.

2011 is Springboard for the Arts’ 20^th year.

I have mixed feelings about celebrating anniversaries for organizations. On the one hand, merely surviving doesn’t seem to really be cause for celebration – 20 years is only meaningful if you actually did something with all the time, resources and people that have to exist for an organization to hit such a milestone. On the other hand, we really like celebrating. And on the third hand, there are some amazing people and resources that have contributed to those 20 years and all of the things we’ve been able to accomplish during them. So this anniversary seems like a good opportunity to reflect a bit on all that Springboard has accomplished over the last two decades and all of the important conditions and people who have made that possible.

Springboard is one of the oldest professional development organizations for artists in the country and is considered a national leader in the field of artist economic development. And I think that’s because this community has such a long history of valuing and supporting its artists. A non-Minnesotan said to me once that people in their community don’t understand that “art comes from artists.” It made me realize that, for the most part, we do understand that in Minnesota and in the Upper Midwest. We understand that you need healthy vibrant artists to have a culture of creativity and a quality of life that make people want to live in a place where it’s possible to get two feet of snow in 12 hours.

In addition to the general community and the way we value art, there are some specific individuals and organizations that can take a lot of credit for our last 20 years. There have been over 100 volunteers who have served Springboard as board members since 1991, contributing thousands of hours of time and other resources to make sure that this organization was serving artists and the community in the best way possible. There have been amazing individual and institutional supporters, especially the Jerome Foundation and the McKnight Foundation who have been with Springboard almost from the beginning and have contributed much more than financial support to our success. There have been hundreds of important partners who have helped us create and find the resources that artists need. There is ArtSpace who has provided a sustainable, affordable home for us in a neighborhood that feeds our mission every day. There have been incredible staff members, including Barbara Davis, Joan Wells, and our beloved Chris Osgood, whose leadership and commitment to artists helped develop the unique way that we serve our community. And there have been nearly 100,000 artists who have used our services, trusted us with their healthcare, legal and other challenges, contributed their ideas and experiences to our teaching and served as a constant reminder of the reason we do this work. Thank you.

I’m thrilled and daunted (in the best possible way) to look ahead to the next 20 years and eager for each of you to be a part of that journey.

2010-12-19T23:32:00.003-06:00

Sentimentality, Arts Education and Bad Haircuts

Dear Tulsa Ballet,

Over 25 years ago you gave me an incredible gift. Your touring company came to my small Kansas town and I got to be in your Nutcracker production. I was actually in the production twice – once in 1983 and again in 1985.

In 1983, I was 8 years old and I played an angel. I loved the beautiful costume. I remember a woman on the costume crew pricked her finger on a pin while she was helping me and I remember the bright blood on the beautiful white gown. She saw my horrified look, laughed, told me that “spit always gets out blood,” and sure enough, it came right out.

But it’s really the second time, when I was 10, that I remember most vividly. I played a little boy at Clara’s party (an upside of a really unfortunate haircut.) I remember the audition, how nervous I was. I remember the day my mom called to find out if I had gotten a part. And how she told me that the roles of the children were the “best” parts – because I had to learn a real dance, not just “look cute in a mouse costume.” In retrospect, she was probably, wisely, trying to head off any second thoughts I had about playing a boy in a show full of beautiful dresses.

But she didn't need to worry, I loved my part and I took it very seriously. I remember the rehearsals in the big dance studio at the university, how professional it felt. I remember my brown corduroy suit and my black ballet shoes. I remember how tough the teachers were, how we had to sit with one leg crossed underneath and one knee up – at attention – while we were waiting for our turn to dance. I remember mastering the hand-over-hand grapevine. I remember the day of the first show and that my Gramps sent me a "break a leg" telegram (yes, a telegram!) I remember waiting backstage and being in awe of the professional dancers – real ballerinas. I remember how hard they worked. I remember the hush of the audience, the music, the smell and the aliveness of being on stage.

I learned so much from those experiences – about art, about hard work and discipline, about confidence and pride, and about theater magic. Those things have informed my whole life and certainly my chosen profession.

I’m not sure I realized how important those experiences were to me, until this year, watching a beautiful production of the Nutcracker in Minneapolis, with my 4-year old daughter sitting on my lap. Afterwards I told her, “you know, Mama was in the Nutcracker when she was a little girl” “Oh,” she breathed, “I want to do that.”

Thank you for all of that.

Laura

2010-12-01T14:45:00.005-06:00

Quick Tips for Archiving Clips: Automate. Save. Organize.

Behold, the coveted press clip, feature article, mention, quotation, whatever you might call it, it's all press and if it's about you, you want to know about it and collect it. Your collection of press is a body of proof points and ammunition for your marketing, PR and branding. So, how do you keep up on all your press and organize it? Below are three simple tips on keeping tabs. It's not the only way but it is one way to help you get in the practice of archiving your press.

1. Automate: Set up Google Alerts. Chances are you probably don't have time to be Googling yourself everyday and clicking through 15 pages of results looking for anything related to you or your art. Google Alerts will do this for you and, better than a ringing in your ears, they'll send an email straight to your inbox with a link.

2. Save: In a perfect digital world, all webpages and their content would live forever. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Organizations, websites, publications, articles, posts, all of it can come and go. In order to preserve your precious links we recommend three options.

First, bookmark the content. In terms of workflow it might be fastest to bookmark them through your browser but later upload your folder to the cloud using Delicious or Diigo. Social bookmarking allows the advantage of tagging, sharing and organizing web content. Most importantly, in the event that your personal computer decides to go the way of Chernobyl, all your press clip links are safely waiting for you to access from anywhere.

Second, save the page as a Web Archive (usually thru the Save As... menu item in your browser). This will duplicate the site content to your hard drive, then you can back-up the information in another location. Web Archives allow you to load the page as it looked in the browser, even if you're working off-line.

Third, you might want to print the pages to .pdf. The downside here is that URL's get truncated, and links are lost. The upside is that you have a frozen slice of time that you can then keep locally on your computer, plus back-up offsite, should Rollingstone shutter its doors and your glowing review of your debut album be lost.

In some instances you might find what you're looking for using the WayBack Machine but it's not comprehensive archive.

3. Organize: The nice thing about organizing is that it's all about creating a system that work for you. Often times we look to other people for systems that work and then mimic those. The main point is that whether you think best chronologically, categorically, or autobiographically it's all about how you can most readily find past information in the future. When the curator of the Whitney calls and interrupts your Sunday morning to request that pull quote from Thomas Pynchon, you want to be able to send that off and be back before your tea gets cold. As I mentioned above, social bookmarking sites use tagging systems to organize materials by topics that you choose. They also operate chronologically and allow you to add notes, in case you want to included specific details about the article for yourself or others.

And there you have it; Automate. Save. Organize. Three simple steps to put you on the road to being on top of your press.

2010-11-19T14:08:00.004-06:00

Give to the Max 2010: Recap

First and foremost; Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone that contributed to Springboard for the Arts on November 16^th for Give to the Max Day! No matter how hard Springboard’s eight staff members work, we couldn’t possibly accomplish all we do without the generous support of you, our donors, patrons, funders, clients, supporters, friends, and families.

Now that we’ve all had a tiny breather in which to recharge, step back and assess, here’s a little light-hearted recap of some highlights from our fantastic 24 hour fundraising campaign.

Springboard for the Arts finished #8 in the Twin Cities based on number of donations and raised a total of $22,698 for our work and our fiscally sponsored artist projects. We were featured on Kare11 news with Jeff Olsen and some of our staff members also managed to produce a very convincing set of “promotional” videos that featured some of Springboard’s other talents; namely, our ability to rock and blue rubber ball, a miniature baseball bat and an iPhone. (who knew?!)

Here are some of the video clips from the day. Enjoy! And look for more great Springboard resources and events in the future, thanks to your support!

KARE 11 Covers Give to the Max at Springboard's St. Paul Office

Springboard's own Andy Sturdevant and Noah Keesecker;

Giving everything they've got

2010 Minnesota Non-Profit Excellence Award - Springboard for the Arts

2010-10-14T09:47:00.000-05:00

Last week, Springboard for the Arts was awarded the 2010 Nonprofit Excellence Award from Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and MAP for Nonprofits. Laura Zabel, Betsy Altheimer and board president Penny Snipper were at the MN Council of Nonprofits annual conference in Duluth to accept the award. The Minnesota Nonprofit Excellence Awards recognize excellent Minnesota nonprofit organizations as defined by the MCN Principles and Practices for Nonprofit Excellence. Recipients are reviewed and selected by a blue ribbon panel of nonprofit leaders.

As part of the award, we were honored to receive a glass piece by artist, Robinson Scott and a video produced by Dawn Mikkelson of Emergence Pictures, featuring Springboard artists Natalie Bogira and Ta-coumba Aiken. Watch the video here:

Following are Executive Director, Laura Zabel's, remarks from the award ceremony:

Thank you so much to the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits and MAP for Nonprofits for this incredible honor. I am so inspired to be among all of these other wonderful organizations. When Judy called me to tell me we had received this award, she told me a great story about how years ago, they used Springboard to find an artist to make these awards. Such a great example of how connected and supportive this community is in Minnesota.

This award is particularly meaningful because, to me, it is a statement about the value of art and artists in our culture and our communities.

More than anything, Springboard is an organization made up of people and there are so many people who have shaped and contributed to our success. I want to take this opportunity to thank just a few of those people: The 2005 board of directors, particularly Kate Barr who believed in Springboard and saw it through a tough time with the kind of dedication and integrity that I wish I could bottle for all of you. Our current board, particularly Penny Snipper, our board president, who are willing to push hard, ask questions and still take risks to make sure we are always moving forward on our mission. Our amazing supporters and partners who trust us with their resources and their time. The amazing staff: Betsy, Kathleen, Noah, Nikki, Caly, Andy and Zaraawar – 8 of the hardest working, funniest, and most creative people I have ever met. And on a personal note, my parents, who taught me that making change can be your career.

This has been a truly incredible year for Springboard – we’ve accomplished so much and received some really amazing recognition for our work - and, admittedly, sometimes the pace is overwhelming. We have a phrase at Springboard that we use to describe this feeling – “thrilled and daunted”

On days when the needle is pointing towards thrilled, I am energized by all the amazing artists we work with, excited by the possibilities of working together with organizations and people to provide new services, and gratified that the things we know about the power and value of artists in their community are taking hold in the public consciousness. And on days when the needle points to daunted, I feel overwhelmed by the number of people who want something from us, nervous about how to articulate what we do, and worry that maybe the comments on the StarTribune website really do reflect majority opinion.

But the exciting stuff happens when thrilled and daunted are in balance. When we take on an issue or a problem that is daunting (like healthcare) and we find the people, organizations and resources that thrill us – that’s when something awesome happens.

So that’s my challenge to all of you – see if you can find that place in your work, where thrilled and daunted meet.

Thank you.

2010-08-05T14:11:00.004-05:00

How'd You Get That Job? The Story of a Thirtysomething Executive Director

Laura Zabel's guest post for Rosetta Thurman's blog. Four great tips on how to get your foot in the door and then take a seat... at the head of the table. Previously Laura appeared on Rosetta's radio show for a special episode, A Day in the Life of a Young Nonprofit Executive Director.

-Noah

When I present at conferences or meet with people who are interested in nonprofit careers, there is always at least someone who asks me, “So, how’d you get that job?” When I first started 5 years ago, this question stung a bit (in the same category as “Wow, you’re younger than I expected.”) But now, as I’ve proved to myself that I can do this job, I see that people are just genuinely curious about my career path and how, after holding positions as an executive assistant and then a development manager at mid-size organizations, I came to be the executive director of a 20 year old organization at 30. So, I’ve tried to pull some useful tips from my experience for other emerging leaders hoping to make the transition to an executive director role:

1. Apply for it. That’s my flip answer, but it’s also true. I think sometimes, emerging leaders spend a lot of time pointing out how few younger executive directors there are in the field and assuming that no one would hire them for those positions without actually going for it and throwing their hat in the ring. I remember very clearly reading the job description for my position to my husband and telling him, “That’s like my dream job in 10 years.” and he said, “Well, then maybe you should apply for it.” Oh, right. It’s very hard to get a job you didn’t apply for.

2. Passion for the mission. It wasn’t (and still isn’t) my dream to be an executive director, it was my dream to change my community and to help and advocate for artists. I know that I probably wouldn’t have had an interview for an ED position at a different organization, but a real, authentic passion for the mission is hard to ignore. I was a constituent of the organization and invested in the community that the organization serves. When I hire new staff now, this is my number one criteria.

3. Figure out how to add up all your experiences to equal something more than the parts. In my previous jobs I’d taken on a lot of new projects and tasks that weren’t originally part of my job (who doesn’t do this at small orgs, right?) and I was able to show the hiring committee that having all those experiences made me familiar with a lot of different facets of running an organization. I served on the board of a tiny organization. I’d also started and run one major side project that showed that I could, in fact, be in charge of things like budgets and people (even if they were all volunteers!)

4. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, to find organizations that might be willing to take a risk on you, you’re going to have to take a risk on them. The fact is, the job I have now, wasn’t the job I applied for 5 years ago. There were some pretty big issues facing the organization – financially, strategically, and brand-wise. It was a job that people with a lot more experience than me probably didn’t want or couldn’t afford to take. But the organization also had a strong history, and a really engaged staff and board, who were committed to the mission and willing to do the work to set a new vision. They took a big risk on me and they were also willing to continue to support and mentor me, which made me feel comfortable taking a risk on them.

-Laura

2010-08-02T16:08:00.003-05:00

Fringe Festival and National Poetry Slam!

The Minnesota Fringe Festival is fast approaching! Did you know that the MN Fringe is the "largest nonjuried, uncensored Fringe in the United States"? We're big fans of the nonjuried here at Springboard.

As usual, this year a whole passel of our fiscal sponsorship & incubator program clients have shows in the Fringe (click through to see more information about these great shows):

Partizan Theater
The Princeton Seventh

Dead Composers Society
Trouble in Tahiti

Harmony Theatre Company and School
The Little Prince

Opera Buffet
Inside the Kaleidoscope

Alan Berks and Company
#Ringtone

Mad Munchkin Productions
Eat My Zombie Shorts!

Ben McGinley
CSI: Ben McGinley

Black Dirt Theater
Paul Bunyan: An Unlikely Beginning to a Tall Tale

Rogue's Gallery Arts
Couch Aliens vs. the False World

Plus, our own Laura Zabel will be making guest appearances, along with other Twin Cities comedy luminaries, in Match Game Minnesota!

AND, if all that wasn't enough, the National Poetry Slam (another fiscal sponsor/incubator program client) starts tomorrow in St. Paul. We are proud to be a sponsor of NPS 2010 and excited that this big event is coming to St. Paul!

2010-07-27T12:46:00.046-05:00

A Little Summertime Planning

Starting this Friday, July 30, AAH vouchers for Doctor Sam are going on hiatus. Vouchers will still be available for the NIP Community Clinic and, coming very soon, The Cedar Riverside People’s Center!

It’s been one year since Doctor Sam’s office opened and this hiatus will allow him to work with a wonderful team of collaborators to improve upon what is working about his office and to develop solutions for those areas which require them. It is difficult to put a timeline on this work, but please stay tuned to Springboard and Dr. Sam's e-newsletters. To sign up, e-mail us at info@doctorsam.us and nikki@springboardforthearts.org with the word ‘newsletter’ in the subject of the email. We are so proud of what Sam has accomplished in this past year (check out this awesome article by Minnesota Medicine: Face to Face: The Artist as Physician) and look forward to working with him to continue the clinic's development.

Here at Springboard, we’re also in “reflective, planning mode." At the end of every fiscal year, we like to get out of the office and ask ourselves these questions:

In the past year:

What have I accomplished?

What didn’t I accomplish that I hoped to?

What should I let go of (stop doing)?

What new things do I want to accomplish?

In today’s fast-paced working environment, most of us are guilty of continuing less-effective practices because we don’t have time to take a step back, reflect, and do things differently. I encourage you all to find time to take a breather and ask yourself these questions. Sure, you may have to confront some holes in your artistic business, but you also get to reflect on how awesome you are. If you take a time-out now, I promise you’ll end up saving time later.

Note: Last year, Springboard staff ventured to the Lake Minnetonka Visitor Center to have this discussion. I just had to revive the Marshmallows in the Park video that Noah created during the retreat. It goes to show that this conversation doesn't have to be painful:

So go out, buy yourself a drink and hang out on your favorite patio. Or, spend the morning on the beach. Whatever clears your head. And please let us know how we can help you move forward! Beginning September 14, we've lined up guest presenters to teach a variety of professional development topics for artists at our first-ever Extension School. So, if it's not a topic we cover in our Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists workshops, don't fret! We can find the experts. If you have a suggestion for a workshop topic, please let me know by emailing nikki@springboardforthearts.org or by replying to this post.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more info about our Extension School and partnership with Cedar Riverside People's Center. Thanks everyone and remember to breathe! : )

-Nikki

2010-07-21T16:49:00.005-05:00

Kickstarter: Funding Creativity in a New (Old) Way
By Nina Simon

NOTE: While Nina Simon was in Minneapolis this past June as a guest speaker for the launch of the Walker's Open Field and her new book, The Participatory Museum, I had the pleasure of chatting with her about some of her ideas and share some of Springboard's. In anticipation of our second pick-up event for the CSA program, Nina generously gave us permission to repost her blog post about Kickstarter. A wonderful breakdown and analysis. enjoy! - Noah

Let's say you want to make a documentary about the World Cup. Or sail around the world. Or produce an art exhibit with elementary school students. Or build an open-source PCR machine for copying DNA. How would you fund it?

Kickstarter is a website for creative folks to find funding for their dream projects. The site doesn't link them with foundations or grant applications; instead, it makes it easy to reach out to regular people for donations of as little as $1. Currently, the site supports US-based projects only. A Kickstarter project has three parts:

Project description. This is typically a video plus text, although some projects just use a simple image instead of a video. Project creators can also write updates (a kind of project-specific blog) to share either privately with backers or openly with all.

Funding goal. Kickstarter is an "all or nothing" funding scheme. If you make or exceed your goal in the timeframe you set, you get the money. If not, the backers' credit cards are not charged. Kickstarter makes money by taking a percentage on projects that succeed.

Pledge levels. While backers can fund you at whatever level between $1 and $10,000 they desire, most Kickstarter projects offer rewards at discrete pledge levels to motivate people to give specific amounts.

For the most part, Kickstarter projects are managed by young, creative individuals with small projects (and smallish funding goals) in mind. When I first started exploring the site, I assumed it was mostly a place for charismatic hipsters and a few star artists with enough social media savvy and clever video production capabilities to produce enticing pitches. But then I started finding more humble projects related to broader issues, and I began to see Kickstarter as a potentially fascinating space for museums and cultural institutions.

Why should cultural and arts organizations care about Kickstarter?

Kickstarter is a symptom of changes in donor culture. They are tapping into a large audience of people who don't care whether their donations are tax-deductible or not. Kickstarter backers aren't investing in companies or projects. They are making donations--in most cases, to entities that are not non-profits. These backers are excited by specific, near-term projects and want to support them directly. These are people who like to have a personal connection to a specific project and may be less interested in museum-style donor levels that are more about general (and vague) support for the institution.

Kickstarter backers are mostly young adults with money who are broadly interested in supporting the arts and creative practice. While arts professionals moan about the erosion of support and the disinterest of younger potential donors, Kickstarter is a fertile ground for research into the kinds of projects, presentation styles, and pledge gifts that appeal to this much-desired demographic. (For example, check out the charming way this comic book artist personalizes his relationship with potential backers in this video, minute 2.)

Kickstarter may be a good place to fund small experiments or to jump start campaigns. The all-or-nothing funding approach makes many project creators conservative about their ambitions. A documentary film crew might use Kickstarter to pay for travel costs, or a dance troupe to pay for recorded music so they don't have to hire musicians for their live performances. While Kickstarter is not likely to be the best solution for a huge fundraising project, it could be the perfect way to fund a discrete part of a capital project with high public appeal or a small wacky experiment that doesn't fit into the budget.

Success on Kickstarter: A Tale of Two Projects

To illustrate some of the key elements of a successful project on Kickstarter, I want to compare two projects that look very different on the surface: Jim Babb's Socks Inc. game and the Neversink Valley Museum's capital campaign launch materials. Please take a look at their pages and then come back.

In their presentation, these projects appear completely different. Jim's is a fun game involving sock puppets. He has a very catchy video pitch and pledge gifts that include things like a "sock clone" of you ($200, three backers so far). The museum's page is much simpler. There's no video, just a picture of the planned new community cultural center. The pledge levels include membership to the museum and traditional donor gifts--books, tickets to a party, naming opportunities.

At first glance, I assumed that a project had to be hip like Jim's to succeed on Kickstarter. But both these projects made their funding goals ($11,000 for the museum, $6,000 for the socks), and in the case of the museum, director Seth Goldman told me they raised an additional $7,000 for their campaign from less web-savvy people who preferred to write checks instead of donating online through the Kickstarter site.

So what do these projects have in common?

They picked sensible funding goals. Seth needed $25,000 for the capital campaign materials, but he felt that $10,000 was more reasonable in terms of what he could drum up online. After researching the fees and determining the true costs of all the gifts, he set the amount at $11,000 so they could net $10,000 for the campaign. Similarly, Jim focused on what he actually needed (and it looks like he will far exceed his goal in the time allotted). Not all projects are successful--I recommend this blog post for a sobering look at what happens when a project doesn't quite make it.

They developed pledge levels that were scalable and supported the project appropriately. Some projects on Kickstarter offer such fabulous thank you gifts that it's unclear how the creator will actually recoup any money for the project. Jim and Seth were very smart with their gifts and pledge levels. Jim noted to me that $25 is "the sweet spot" for donations, so that's the level at which he offered his first physical item (a patch featuring one of the socks from the game). Seth made the same decision--at $25 you get a book as well as a museum membership. Both of these projects offer gifts at levels below $25, but they're "free" for the project (membership in the museum's case, digital thank you's and behind the scenes blog access for the socks). Jim also told me that "the most important gifts to think about are between $25 to $250, since people donating amounts higher than that are contributing because they really want to support the project." In the museum's case, Seth capitalized on this by inviting funders at the $200 to a party hosted by a board member on the capital committee. As Seth noted, "we reversed the party concept. Instead of saying there's an admission fee for the fundraising party, we'll make it if you give $200 on Kickstarter the reward will be an invite to the party."

They were willing to aggressively "beat the drums" to promote their projects. Both Jim and Seth made it clear that you have to do the work marketing your project to be successful. For Seth, that meant emails and frequent Facebook updates out to museum members, whereas for Jim it involved a Twitter campaign and some guerrilla marketing to players of his past games. Jim noted that only 20% of his backers were people outside of his professional and personal networks, so it's essential to focus on people you know and not on "going viral." Jim told me "people are much more likely to check out a project and donate to it if a personal friend encourages them to pledge, so start there and encourage people to share in their communities." In Seth's case, this paid real dividends as the adult children of some museum members began donating and spreading the word. In one case, a man in Texas donated $1,000 to the campaign. Seth contacted him to thank him and express his incredulity that a stranger from far away would make such a gift, but then the man explained that his mother was a museum member and that she loved the museum and he wanted to do this as a gift for her. She had forwarded the link from the museum newsletter to her son, and he had taken it from there.

People who pledge have the opportunity for ongoing engagement with the project. The thank you gifts are invitations for deeper involvement over time. For Jim and the sock puppets, backers have the opportunity to test the game and eventually develop new levels and missions for other players. At the Neversink Valley Museum, every backer at the $15 level or higher received a museum membership. As Seth commented, "I can give you a better answer next year for how fabulous this is. A lot of people who wanted to come to the party got all the benefits below $200… so now they’re all members of the museum. So we’ll see how connected they are to the institution, will they renew their memberships, and will they donate above basic membership when it comes time to renew." The hope is that Kickstarter is the beginning not just of a project but of new relationships that can support the organization over time.

Could you imagine using Kickstarter at your institution? What do you see on the site that helps you think about how your organization raises money or communicates with audiences?

2010-07-19T09:28:00.004-05:00

In Case You Were At the Cabin

I've been on vacation for the last two weeks (actually a lovely two-week at home vacation, which I highly recommend) but not completely unplugged. I saw a lot of interesting Minnesota arts news cross my blog reader and twitter feed over the last couple of weeks. Who says summer is slow?

So, in case you've been in and out of touch the last few weeks like the rest of Minnesota, here's some things you might have missed:

Euan Kerr of Minnesota Public Radio did a two-part series on the state of Minnesota's Arts Economy:

Arts Economy in the Twin Cities on Uneven Ground (part 1)

Business Not As Usual in Minnesota's Arts Economy (part 2)

Camille LeFevre for The Line Mag (The Line is a new online publication that "tells the story of the new economy in The Twin Cities -- a narrative of creative people and businesses, new development, cool places to live, and the best places to work and play.")
From locavore to art-avore: the local-food movement inspires tasty new forms of art support

A lovely article in Minnesota Medicine about Doctor Sam:
More than Pretty Pictures

This Newsweek article with local connections made the rounds last week:
The Creativity Crisis

4 Minnesota performing arts groups (including 3 Springboard fiscal sponsorship and incubator program clients) take home MAP Fund Awards this year! And Doris Duke continues a second year of providing additional operating funds as part of this program:
Annual MAP FUND Awards Total $1,000,000 to Support Groundbreaking Live Performance

Great press for Springboard's Lowertown neighborhood and our good friend, Joe Spencer, from Politics in Minnesota:
City art czar aiming for new downtown vibe

And heartbreaking news for our friends and fellow artslabbies Bedlam Theater:
Bedlam to Leave it's West Bank Social Hub

Bedlam Theater Loses Space to Mosque

But we know they will move on to bigger and even brighter things ahead...
Bedlam Theatre's West Bank story: The next chapter

And, Matthew Everett writes an eloquent defense of the unjuried for Arts Orbit:
What's Wrong with a Lottery System?

Whew!

-laura

2010-06-23T16:59:00.007-05:00

Springboard for the Arts Wins Prestigious Social Entrepreneur’s Cup

June 22, 2010 (Saint Paul, MN) Springboard for the Arts recently took home the top prize at The Social Entrepreneur’s Cup, an award that seeks out, celebrates, and promotes Minnesota’s most innovative and effective social entrepreneurs and their solutions to society’s most pressing social problems. Springboard’s Artists Access to Healthcare program and partnership with Dr. Sam Willis’ clinic was the focus of the award.

Springboard for the Arts was one of four finalists out of 54 applicants who were asked to compete as part of the 2010 Engaged Philanthropy Conference hosted by Social Venture Partners Minnesota. The Social Entrepreneur’s Cup is a program of Social Venture Partners, The Minneapolis Foundation, and the Minnesota Cup.

Each of the finalists (Springboard, Bright New Ideas, Acara Institute and Mind Body Solutions) made live presentations before the judges and 400 conference attendees, vying for cash grants and consulting assistance. Laura Zabel, Springboard’s Executive Director, told the story of the need of the artist community for access to high quality health care (artists in Minnesota are twice as likely to lack health insurance as the rest of the population) and Springboard’s approach to providing simple, replicable programs with a focus on health care, not health insurance.

As winner of the competition, Springboard receives $20,000 as a general operating grant and 40 hours of consulting services from the experienced entrepreneurs and managers of Social Venture Partners. Springboard will also be given the opportunity to partake in the next Nerdery Overnight Website Challenge, where volunteer web pros work pro bono to overhaul the websites of 12 nonprofit organizations in 24 hours.

“We are thrilled with this honor and recognition for our Artists Access to Healthcare program, “ said Laura Zabel, Springboard Executive Director, “I think it is particularly meaningful that the Social Entrepreneurs Cup honored an arts organization this year and I am proud to represent the way in which artists can engage in social change and important community issues, like health care.”

A highlight of the event was Majora Carter's inspiring keynote address about her work to build a green economy and addressing environmental poverty.

Springboard now goes on to compete against five other for-profit Minnesota Cup division winners for the Minnesota Cup grand prize in September 2010. The grand prize includes an additional $20,000 in seed capital and advice from the state’s leaders in finance, accounting, legal and management support services.

Springboard will celebrate its award this Friday, June 25, with the BOUNCE Bash celebration, featuring live performances by hip-hop and spoken word artist Guante, musician Greg Herriges, poet and comedian Brian Beatty, veena player and vocalists Nirmala and Shruthi Rajesekar, as well as food and drinks and a visual art sale with work by Calpurnia Peach, Amber Jensen, Maren Kloppmann, Lacey Prpic Hedtke and Amy Rice from the Community Supported Art (CSA) program, a partnership with mnartists.org. More information and tickets can be found online at www.springboardforthearts.org or by calling 651-292-4381. Proceeds benefit Springboard for the Arts and its Artists’ Access to Healthcare (AAH) program, a creative solution to help artists get the health care they need.

Springboard for the Arts is an economic development organization for artists. Its mission is to cultivate a vibrant community by connecting artists with the skills, information and services they need to make a living and life. For more than 20 years, Springboard for the Arts has been providing affordable professional development services to artists and their organizations. Springboard's programs include one-on-one consulting, workshops, the Artist Loan Fund, Emergency Relief Fund, Artists' Access to Healthcare and online Job Book and Resource Guide. For more information on our services see our website at www.springboardforthearts.org

2010-06-11T09:00:00.003-05:00

We heart Bob Malos!

Springboard for the Arts is pleased to announce the winner of its first-ever Osgood Do-good Award for Transformational Community Leadership in the Arts: Theater Artist/Actor Bob Malos. The award, which will be given annually to an artist who has shown tremendous leadership helping other artists make a living and a life, will be presented at Springboard for the Arts' BOUNCE Bash at the McNally Smith College of Music Café in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Friday, June 25, 2010.

In 2001, Bob Malos approached Springboard for the Arts to create a program to give back to the arts community. Springboard for the Arts turned Mr. Malos' vision, personal research and a $10,000 endowment gift into the Emergency Relief Fund, a program that exists to meet the emergency needs of artists living in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa. The Fund supplies as much as five hundred dollars to cover an unexpected expense due to loss from fire, theft, a health emergency, or other catastrophic, career-threatening event. Since the inception of the Emergency Relief Fund in August of 2001, Springboard for the Arts has allocated over 40,000 dollars in funds to help 114 artists expedite recovery and get back to work.

The Osgood Do-good Award honors the pioneering work of Chris Osgood, longtime Springboard for the Arts Program Director and passionate champion of artists everywhere. Mr. Osgood describes Bob as "the kind of creative "communitarian" that I aspire to be- He is devoted to the theater and his personal artwork, but also to the region's creative community and what we artists can do for each other. It is fitting and proper that Bob Malos- one of my personal heroes- would be the first recipient of Springboard s Osgood Do-good Award for transformational leadership in the arts. Bob has truly changed our community for the better, one artist at a time."

Over the years, such artists have expressed their gratitude for the Emergency Relief Fund:

"Springboard provided me with relief funds to help pay the medical bills associated with the broken wrist / surgery. For someone who relies on both of his hands to earn a living, the assistance of Springboard has been like a life preserver."

"Thank you for granting me this help during a very difficult time. My mind is more at ease now and that aids in my recovery, both mentally and physically."

On June 25 at the BOUNCE Bash, Springboard for the Arts will give Mr. Malos the public recognition he merits. In addition to an award presentation, the celebration features live performances by hip-hop and spoken word artist Guante, musician Greg Herriges, poet and comedian Brian Beatty, veena player and vocalists Nirmala and Shruthi Rajesekar, as well as food and drinks and a visual art sale with work by Calpurnia Peach, Amber Jensen, Maren Kloppmann, Lacey Prpic Hedtke and Amy Rice from the Community Supported Art (CSA) program, a partnership with mnartists.org. More information and tickets can be found online at http://www.springboardforthearts.org or by calling 651-292-4381. Proceeds benefit Springboard for the Arts and its Artists' Access to Healthcare (AAH) program, a creative solution to help artists get the healthcare they need.

2010-06-01T15:43:00.002-05:00

Earlier this year, in preparation for our 20th anniversary, we put out a call to all Springboard artists to tell us a little bit about what you do, why you do it, and the ways in which Springboard has been a part of it. We entered all of the stories we received into a drawing to win $500, and pulled one lucky winner at random.

That winner happened to be Kristin Rafferty, a painter here in St. Paul. We all sat around a table here at Springboard HQ reading her answers aloud, and found them so thoughtful, touching and spirited we thought we’d repost them here for your enjoyment. As we noted in the original call, when we think about the past twenty years, there is no better way to commemorate the collective value of Springboard than to hear from artists themselves. So with that, here’s Kristin!

1.What is your connection to Springboard and how has it changed your life/work? (i.e. what's your Springboard story?)

Springboard is a lifesaver for artists! Not only have I received valuable business of art training, but Springboard helped me out at a time when no one else would. Springboard very generously gave me an Emergency Relief Fund grant and all that was asked was that I proved I am an artist. Not only that, but the help was provided within a couple of days. Springboard's generosity brought me to tears. You have no idea how much that meant to me at a time when everyone was saying “no” to me. Thank you! Someday, Springboard is FIRST on my list I will donate to (and animal rights groups!) And if I God forbid croaked, I would want people to donate to Springboard in my honor and if I won the Powerball, I'd give a big chunk to Springboard as they actually use their money to help artists instead of waste it on red tape.

2. What other events/people/resources/inspiration etc. have been invaluable to you as an artist?

Again, aside from their very generous help that brought me to tears from gratitude...the workshops on how to market myself and be a more successful artist. These skills unfortunately are not taught at most art schools.

3. Where is your current inspiration/drive coming from?

I suppose many things. My painting process is a very intuitive thing. I explain more about on my website which is www.kristinrafferty.com. As for photography, I am inspired by city life, the expressions and body language of everyday people, and so on. For videos and installations, I am very conceptual and sometimes political.

4. Finish this sentence: “I am an artist because…

…I have no choice! It's both a gift and a disease. It makes no sense to be an artist, but I can't stand not to do art. It's a madness. It drives me. It's what gets me up in the morning. It's the only thing that's helped me in my most depressing moments in life. Art never leaves me or lets me down. Art is as close to God as anything, other than maybe my beloved pets.

5. What's your favorite word (or what word do you think is awesome)?

“Wellstone.”

2010-04-21T20:21:00.002-05:00

Midwest Model
third in an ongoing series of posts that share cool ideas from the across the region

About a month ago I was at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts for a meeting of LOCALS—a great professional development group that the Metro Regional Arts Council provides for local art centers. I’ve been to the Minnetonka Center for the Arts before, it’s beautiful and has a great shop. It’s always a plus in my book when I can combine shopping and work. And speaking of shopping (see how I did that?!) the Minnetonka Center for the Arts has a really cool new program at Ridgedale Mall. They’ve taken over a retail spot in the mall and have programming for all ages, including some inspired drop-in classes for kids. I asked the Center’s Executive Director, Roxanne Heaton about this unique partnership and how it came about, here’s what she said:

“This is the perfect example of a win/win partnership. Initially, General Growth (Ridgedale owner) was motivated by a need to make the gathering spaces they created as part of a major renovation more attractive. We were obviously interested in the marketing and awareness building aspects. Over time, we've added banners created by our outreach partners to the center court and paintings created by on-site series class students to empty walls in front of unoccupied storefronts - lots of nice eye candy for mall goers and, again, a great awareness boost for us. The drop-in classes that just started in our storefront were viewed by them as a tremendous service to provide their patrons and a way to differentiate the shopping experience at the Ridgedale center.”

I think this is such a good example of the ways that we can create partnerships--nonprofit and for-profit; education and commerce; art center and mall. I went to the mall last weekend to check out the space and it looks great (it’s right by Sears on the upper level.) I’m looking forward to bringing my daughter there for a Saturday morning class…but right now she has ballet on Saturday mornings…darn you, Twin Cities, and your plethora of arts opportunities!

-laura

2010-04-15T15:35:00.005-05:00

Going beyond the buzz words

By Kate Barr, Executive Director, Nonprofits Assistance Fund

There are some recurring terms that I’ve been hearing over and over in meetings, conferences, and articles intended to help nonprofits, including arts organizations, respond to the serious challenges created by the recession. From what I hear we all need to be resilient, learn to innovate, and adapt to a new normal. It sounds good, but is there some substance that we can use behind these words?

Resilience: Frankly, the people who lead and work for arts organizations have always been about as resilient as you could be, if resilience means the ability to improvise with what’s at hand and bounce back.

Innovation: How about innovation? The arts shine as innovators in creating art, but much less so on the organizational side. Most nonprofit arts organizations are structured using a management and financial model that’s been around for a long time. More and more questions have been raised about the model that will eventually lead to some more options. On his great blog The Artful Manager Andrew Taylor frequently writes about these questions including here and here. There are other interesting developments in helping arts organizations to innovate for long term structural change. The James Irvine Foundation states that “we define innovation as instances of organizational change that stem from a shift in underlying assumptions and provide new ways to fulfill the mission.” Incremental change isn’t enough for arts organizations to confront their long term challenges.

Adapting to the new normal: I’m not so sure that we ever had an “old normal”, or that change is a new dynamic. Regardless of the current terminology, though, arts organizations are facing deep and sustained changes to their funding sources, audiences, and role in the community. There is a lot to learn about becoming more adept at identifying the questions and leading the necessary changes. The article Leadership in a (Permanent) Crisis describes adaptive leadership as the capacity to sort out and balance the short and long term issues. Facing immediate problems, many managers will hunker down and nibble around the edges of problems.

People who practice what we call adaptive leadership do not make this mistake. Instead of hunkering down they seize the opportunity of moments like this one to hit the organizational reset button. They use the turbulence of the present to build on and bring closure to the past. In the process, they change key rules of the game, reshape parts of the organization, and redefine the work the people do.

The time is critical for many arts organizations to understand their current situation, envision the extent of changes, and learn to truly and continually adapt.

What if?: Last week I was sad to read that the Harlem School of the Arts closed its doors. The school was an institution in the neighborhood for over 40 years. The news report paints a case story of their failure to adapt – years of financial, management and governance problems and attempts to address them with short term cuts, emergency fundraising efforts, and fingerpointing. If we don’t want to see this happen elsewhere we need to learn some new approaches.

Yes, they’re the buzz words of the day, but I can’t argue with the importance of resilience, innovation and adaptive leadership.

2010-04-02T16:45:00.005-05:00

Community Supported ART! Artists Announced

Shares Go On Sale Monday, April 5th!

Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy seasonal food directly from local farms. With the same buy-local spirit in mind, mnartists.org and Springboard for the Arts are joining forces for a similar endeavor to support local art, artists and collectors. Last week, the project assembled a panel of local food and culture taste-makers who reviewed over 150 artist applications and selected the9 Featured CSA artists that will be creating fresh works to fill the "farm boxes".

Want to know whose work will be in your box? Check out the selected artists.

Calpurnia Peach: (textile/fashion)
Jennifer Davis/ Burlesque design: (painting/printmaking)
Andy Ducett: (drawing/printmaking)
Sam Hoolihan/Switzerlind (musician/photographer)
Amber Jensen: (book arts)
Maren Kloppmann: (ceramics)
Lacey Prpic Hedtke: (photography)
Amy Rice: (painting)
Karl Unnasch: (stained glass/sculpture)

HOW IT WORKS

The selected artists will receive a commission to create 50 "shares" for the program. Interested consumers/collectors will purchase a share from Springboard for the Arts and in return receive 3 "farm boxes" of locally produced artwork at intervals this summer. Featured works could include items such as: an edition of vinyl 7", a run of screen-prints, series of small tea cups, run of photographs, tickets to an upcoming performance or event, letterpress editions of a poem or short story, or even 50 small original paintings. Each member share will include one piece from each of the 9 CSA featured artist works over the summer and will also include "bumper crop" of additional artwork and arts opportunities. The pick-up evenings will be at local art sites and will be events in themselves. (More on this later!)

Member shares cost $300 for the three-month season and go on sale Monday, April 5. Purchase a share by contacting Andy Sturdevant at 651-292-4381 or info@springboardforthearts.org

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2010-03-26T12:29:00.001-05:00

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2010-03-26T08:02:00.006-05:00

Healthcare Reform Bill: What to Expect

On Sunday, the House passed the Health Care reform bill and the bill is headed in direction of becoming a law. So, what changes are likely to happen and when? Here’s a good breakdown and Q&A about the new law:

from Kaiser Health News

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/March/22/consumers-guide-health-reform.aspx

from reuters.com:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1914020220100319

It is important to note that the healthcare reform bill is NOT a law yet. Also, we are NOT health insurers, doctors, politicians or lawyers. We are artists. (my theater degree came with surprisingly little coursework on healthcare policy.) So, with all of those caveats firmly in place, here are some things that, we think, are of particular interest for artists and other self-employed people:

Soon:

Young people will be able to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. So, artists who are finishing high school and/or college, will be able to continue on their parents insurance while they get their career up and running (we know this will make a lot of parents sleep easier at night!)

Health insurers will not be able to exclude children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions

There will be a tax credit for some small businesses and nonprofits to help provide health insurance for their employees. The basic guidelines for nonprofits are that you have under 25 employees and have an average salary of under $50,000.

In 4 years:

State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals will open.

Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don't. Healthcare tax credits become available to help people with low incomes. Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange.

If you want to see how the reform will affect your particular situation, try this tool:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/what-health-bill-means-for-you/

As you can see, much of the far-reaching measures, such as a clause that insurance companies can no longer deny adults with pre-existing conditions (although there are some stopgap measures for adults with pre-existing conditions), will not take effect for another four years.

While we can’t fix health insurance, Springboard for the Arts healthcare programs can help get you to the doctor today. The Artists’ Access to Healthcare (AAH) program gives uninsured or underinsured artists vouchers that can be used, like a gift certificate, to cover the costs of medical visits. The program currently exists at the N.I.P. Community Clinic in Minneapolis, but will soon include Doctor Sam’s clinic in Northeast Minneapolis. Our Guide to Healthcare for Minnesota Artists helps connect you to state healthcare programs, insurance providers and low-cost clinics and programs. This year, we will present a free Health Fair, free flu shots clinics and a free screening day for artists. And, if you have an unexpected medical bill, we may be able to help pay for some of it via Springboard’s Emergency Relief Fund.

For the most current info about our healthcare programs, please stay tuned to our e-newsletter, or subscribe by clicking here. If you can’t find what you are looking for, please let us know how we can help!

-laura

2010-03-16T18:00:00.002-05:00

Minnesota’s Native Artists: Raising their visibility and earnings

by Ann Markusen and Marcie Rendon

Ever wonder why Minnesota doesn’t celebrate our Ojibwe and Dakota artists the way the southwest does its Pueblo, Apache and Navajo artists? That's one of the questions Marcie Rendon asked in our three-year study of how the state’s Ojibwe artists do their work and make a living. You can download it free from our website: http://www.hhh.umn.edu/projects/prie

We found Native artists all over the state making beautiful work, sharing it with their communities and beyond. Yet they struggle to build careers. They are more apt to be self-employed than artists in general and less likely to have found formal employment. A few teach in tribal or state colleges or work in staff jobs in cultural centers or as graphic artists for their tribes. Some run their own enterprises, such as Marcie McIntire’s beautiful gallery in Grand Portage, Louise Erdrich’s Birchbark Books in Minneapolis, or Richard Schulman’s North Star Coffee Bar in Cass Lake that provides space for young musicians to rehearse, perform and get feedback.

But most make and market their own creations. Like many artists, they face stiff materials and equipment costs, lack space to work and think, and are baffled by how art markets work. Some find outlets in their own communities, like the gift shop at Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen that displays and sells one-of-a-kind work by White Earth artists. Or opportunities to perform at tribal casinos. Commissions and sales of visual art for tribal community and social services complexes. Some score with non-Native organizations: a public art project, such as Steve Premo’s outdoor mural for Hinckley and Robert DesJarlait’s mosaic for the Minneapolis Franklin Library. Or land a book contract with a commercial or non-profit press.

We discovered many ways that Springboard and other artist-friendly organizations, including funders and educators, can nurture Native artists’ careers. A prerequisite involves understanding how Native artists work and how they bridge traditional culture with contemporary urban or reservation life. Recognizing, too, issues surrounding sacred practices and access to materials from nature, and the Native ethic of sharing and giving away work. Rather than teaching, funding and providing services structured by Euro-American notions of the artist as an autonomous creative individual, those with resources and space to share could begin by listening to Native artists.

Some gatekeepers, as we call the folks with resources, have pioneered in creating space for Native artists to present their work, share it with their communities, and get paid for it. Juanita Espinosa has done this for years at Two Rivers Gallery in the Minneapolis, while encouraging generations of young Native artists through her Native Arts Circle network. Phil Norrgard, the Director of Fond du Lac’s Min No Aya Win Clinic, invests tribal funds in contemporary Ojibwe artist work that hangs on health care center walls, generates income for artists while emphasizing the role of art as healing. Fargo’s The Plains Museum, UMD’s Tweed Museum and the U’s Weisman exhibit and sometimes purchase Native work. Minnesota funders have helped the American Composer’s Forum, based in St. Paul, run its First Nation’s Composers Initiative.

Photographer links:
Cheryl Walsh Bellville
Travis Novitsky