Creating Vibrant Communities Through the Arts Colloquium Inspired and Informed

The Indiana Arts Commission hosted its tri-state colloquium, Creating Vibrant Communities through the Arts, on June 6-7 at Hanover College in Hanover, Ind. The event sold out and hosted attendees from Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. The colloquium, in partnership with Ball State University's Building Better Communities program and with the support of the Ohio Arts Council and Kentucky Arts Council, focused on fostering growth and introducing innovation for arts organizations in order to better connect the arts and communities. Creating Vibrant Communities through the Arts included sessions with presenters from Indiana and across the country who used best practices, planning tools and examples of community and arts engagement. "[The arts can] raise an issue's visibility, foster relationship and create an understanding across cultural and social boundaries," CEO of Arts Engaged Doug Borwick said in his keynote address. "The arts are an underutilized resource in civic progress." Over the two days of the colloquium, attendees had the opportunity to attend three breakout sessions lead by various leaders of arts organizations, cultural districts and arts-related initiatives as well as speakers and planning sessions. "I learned a lot from the folks in the three sessions I lead," Tracy Taft, executive director of the International Sonoran Desert Alliance (ISDA), said. "I was really inspired by the few of the organizations I talked to and their projects." At the end of the colloquium, attendees had an opportunity to develop plans for the arts in their communities. To learn more about the colloquium, please visit:

Traditional Arts Indiana Director Receives Prestigious National Folklife Award

Jon Kay, director of Traditional Arts Indiana and a research scholar in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University, has been awarded an Archie Green Fellowship by the American Folklife Center. The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress awards the Green fellowships to stimulate research in occupational folklore. Only four fellowships were awarded for 2013. Green was a pioneering folklorist who championed the establishment of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. As a scholar, he documented and analyzed the culture and traditions of American workers and encouraged others to do the same. Kay will share the fellowship with Brent Bjorkman, who directs the Kentucky Folklife Program at Western Kentucky University. Together they work to document "Ranger Lore." In cooperation with state and national park personnel, they will conduct ethnomusicologic and oral history interviews documenting the occupational traditions and experiences of park rangers working in their neighboring states. Fieldwork will consist primarily of 70 long-form interviews with past and current park rangers and related personnel connected to this distinct occupational group. In addition to fostering cooperative regional research, this study is particularly timely since both the National Park Service and the Indiana State Parks and Reservoirs system will celebrate their centennials in 2016. Traditional Arts Indiana is a partnership established in 1998 between Indiana University Bloomington and the Indiana Arts Commission. It is dedicated to expanding public awareness of Indiana's traditional practices and nurturing a sense of pride among Indiana's traditional artists. Traditional Arts Indiana identifies, documents and seeks to understand more fully the many ways in which cultural values are embedded in daily life. (source: Indiana University News)

Sweetwater Founder Establishes Music Endowment

A Fort Wayne-based nonprofit has been awarded a $150,000 endowment from Sweetwater Sound founder Chuck Surack and his wife, Linda. Easter Seals Arc of Northeast Indiana will use a portion of the endowment to upgrade musical equipment used by 300 clients. In the past year, Easter Seals Arc created eight new programs for people who have disabilities, and all of the programs involve some level of music curriculum. "We are really lucky to have the Surack's to secure our music programs indefinitely through the permanently restricted endowment," said Easter Seals Arc President and CEO Donna Elbrecht. "We strive to provide different services which match the needs of our youth or adults. Music is just one of many new learning and growth opportunities that we offer." For more information about Eastern Seals Arc and their programs, contact Sue Christman, Consumer Development Specialist, at 260-456-4534 ext. 271. Sweetwater Sound was at 2009 recipient of a Governor's Arts Award for their many community service contributions related to music and education. (source: Easter Seals Arc press release)

NEA and Blue Star Families Announce 2013 Launch of Blue Star Museums

Joan Shigekawa, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) acting chairman, and Blue Star Families Chief Executive Officer Kathy Roth-Douquet recently announced the fourth annual launch of Blue Star Museums, a collaboration among the NEA, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defence, and a record-braking 2,000 museums across America to offer free admission to the nation's active duty military personnel including National Guard and Reserve and their families. The program began Memorial Day weekend and will continue through Labor Day 2013. The program provides families an opportunity to enjoy the nation's cultural heritage and learn more about their new communities after completing a military move. The complete list of participating museums can be found at www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums. "Blue Star is a collaboration between the arts and military communities," Shigekawa said. "Our work with Blue Star Families and with more than 2,000 museums across the country ensures that we can reach out to military families and thank them for their service and sacrifice." All summer long, Blue Star Museums will feature stories through social media. Follow Blue Star Museums on Twitter (hashtag #BlueStarMuse), on Facebook, or read the Blue Star Blog for profiles of participating museums, stories about military families, and tips on getting the most out of your visit. (source: NEA press release)

NEA Releases New Research Tool on Working Artists

(Washington, D.C.) What do we know about the 2.1 million artists in the United States' labor force? To help answer that question, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) this month released "Equal Opportunity Data Mining: National Statistics about Working Artists." This new online research tool offers 70 searchable tables with figures on working artists by state and metropolitan area, by demographic information (including race and ethnicity, age, gender, and disability status), and by residence and workplace. The public is welcome to investigate the tables, a map of state-level rankings, and links to original sources. "Artists represent just 1.4 percent of the labor force, but they have an outsized role as entrepreneurs and innovators who contribute to the vitality of the communities where they live and work," said NEA Acting Chairman Joan Shigekawa. "These data add further detail and nuance to our understanding of the profile of American artists." This new research gives statistical profiles of Americans who reported an artist occupation as their primary job, whether full-time, part-time, or self-employed. The datasets look at artists in 11 distinct occupations, including actors; announcers; architects; art directors, fine artists, and animators; dancers and choreographers; designers; entertainers and performers; musicians; photographers; producers and directors; and writers and authors. Some of the interesting data tables report: One-fourth of all U.S. architects are women. In Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, and Wyoming they number nearly 1/3 Nationally, nearly 4% of all artists have a disability In Oregon, 40% of working actors are African-American, Native-American or Pacific Islander, while these groups make up only 20% of the total Oregon work force One-fourth of musicians working in Nashville commute from outside the Tennessee city "Equal Opportunity Data Mining" is the first installment of a series of Arts Data Profile web pages that the NEA will release over the next several months. Future NEA Arts Data Profiles will introduce public data about arts participation and arts organizations, and additional data on artists in the workforce. (source: NEA press release)

News Around the State

Several Leading Indianapolis Arts Managers Announce Career Moves
Steven Stolen, managing director of the Indiana Repertory Theatre since 2006, recently announced his resignation to accept a position at Rocketship Education, which plans to open eight charter schools in Indianapolis between 2015 and 2020. Stolen's departure was the third announced in recent weeks. John Pickett recently announced his resignation as executive director of the Indianapolis Opera to accept a consulting role with the organization, and Kirk Trevor, music director and principal conductor of the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra for the past 25 years announced his departure. Trevor lives in Columbia, Missouri and commutes about 10 times a year for concerts, rehearsals, and planning meetings. (source: Indiana Economic Digest)

Harrison Center Wins National Grant
ArtPlace America has announced the award of a $100,000 grant to the Harrison Center for the Arts for the City Gallery. City Gallery was chosen from over 1,200 applications as an exceptional example of creative placemaking. The City Gallery, an initiative of the Harrison Center for the Arts, connects people to culture, community and place to strengthen core neighborhoods. ArtPlace America funding will allow the City Gallery and the Harrison Center to combine resources to focus on creative placemaking in the Indianapolis near northside neighborhoods under the King Park Area Development Corporation. ArtPlace America is a collaboration of leading national and regional foundations, banks and federal agencies committed to accelerating creative placemaking - putting art at the heart of a portfolio of strategies designed to revitalize communities. This is the third round of ArtPlace grants which has so far awarded a total of $42.1 million in 134 grants to 124 projects in 79 communities across the U.S. (source: Harrison Center for the Arts)

IU Southeast Receives Arts Donation
Two Indiana University Southeast alumni have donated more than $655,000 to the school. The university says the gift from Millicent and Norman Stiefler will support cultural and educational programs at the Paul W. Ogle Cultural and Community Center. The gift helps IU Southeast in its goal of raising $1 million toward the Ogle Center Endowment. If the university reaches its goal, the Paul Ogle Foundation had pledged to contribute an additional $250,000.  (source: Inside Indiana Business)

Skelton Museum Receives Financial Boost
The Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy at Vincennes University has received more support as it approaches a July 18 opening. The Old National Bank Foundation has given the project another $65,000. Museum officials say Old National's support for the museum is now $100,000, giving the Evansville-based organization naming rights to one of the exhibits. Phase one of the construction is scheduled to be completed in time for the July 18 opening, a date that marks the 100th anniversary of Skelton's birth in a home near the museum. Tours of the new museum will begin following the 5:30 p.m. (EDT) ribbon cutting ceremony (source: Inside Indiana Business)

Mellencamp Mural Has Mixed Support
Indiana rocker John Mellencamp may sing about the small town where he grew up, but not everyone in Seymour, Indiana is convinced the performer's likeness belongs on a building. Artist Kay Fox has proposed creating the mural depicting several images of Mellencamp, and installing the work on a building that houses This Old Guitar music store. The proposal requires permission from Mellencamp as well as from the city review board established to help preserve buildings in the Downtown Historic District. The city's building commissioner also must approve any changes or work to the exterior of a building in the district. The board's vice president, who happens to own the building in question, is intrigued by the proposal, but the board chairman says he isn't sure the mural should be a permanent fixture. The city's building commissioner has also expressed reservations about the work. Fox, who teaches at the Southern Indiana Center for the Arts, said it is important to honor Mellencamp for his contributions. He owns the home and grounds where the art center is housed and leases it to the center for $1 a year (source: Seymour Tribune)

Large Mural Will Depict Life Along the Wabash
Artists have started painting a mural depicting life along the Wabash River that will cover a two-story wall of a downtown Terre Haute business. Husband and wife artists Mike Neary and Amy MacLennan are leading work on the 96-foot wide mural on a law firm's building. The mural will show a bridge crossing the Wabash with scenes from three eras included in its panels. Neary told the Terre Haute Tribune-Star that the concept comes from the city's Year of the River celebration but that they also wanted to encourage people to think about the river's importance. (source: WISH-TV online)

Funding Lifts Effort to Honor State Song Writer
A Terre Haute-based nonprofit has provided a financial boost for a proposed statue of the writer of Indiana's official song. 100+ Women Who Care of Vigo County had awarded a more than $20,000 grant to the project that will honor composer Paul Dresser. Art Spaces plans to erect a sculpture "A Song for Indiana" as the newest addition to Terre Haute's Cultural Trail which was started in 2010 with the installation of the "Max Ehrmann at the Crossroads" sculpture. Terre Haute native Paul Dresser's song, "On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away," became the second best-selling song, in terms of sheet music, during the 19th century. The song became the official state song of Indiana in 1913. (source: Inside Indiana Business)

National News

Bank Forecloses on Nashville Symphony Center
Foreclosure proceedings have been initiated against the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, and an auction of its landmark Schermerhorn Symphony Center was scheduled for the end of this month. Formal notice of the foreclosure was issued by Bank of America, the lead lender on the $82.3 million still owed on the concert hall. The notice stated that the concert hall would be sold "to the highest bidder for cash, at public outcry." The Symphony could forestall a sale by filing for bankruptcy protection. The notice came in the same week that auditors for the Nashville Symphony Association had questioned whether the organization can continue as a "going concern," citing the orchestra's failure to make payments on its $102 million bond issue. (source: The Tennessean.com)

Michigan Legislature Won't Act on Bill to Protect Detroit Institute of Art Collection
While the state Senate in Michigan is fast-tracking a bill that would protect the Detroit Institute of Art's collection from sale in a bankruptcy proceeding, the state's House of Representatives has no plan to take up the bill before members leave for a two-month summer break later this month. The rejection comes after Senate Minority Leader Randy Richardville (R-Monroe) introduced a bill that would codify the ethical standards adopted by the American Alliance of Museums, which bars museums from selling artwork for purposes other than enhancement of the museum's collection. Governor Rick Snyder said he would review the bill, if it reaches his desk, but made no commitment to signing it. At question is how the state law would stack up in federal bankruptcy court if the city of Detroit files for bankruptcy. The city's emergency manager earlier this month stirred controversy when he said all of the city's "jewels" would be considered of value when determining how to pull the city out of its financial crisis. (source: freep.com)

Arts Funding Bill Falters in California
A bill that could have erased California's longstanding and dubious distinction as the lowest funded state in the nation has failed, at least for now, in the state legislature. The bill would have secured $75 million in guaranteed annual funding for the California Arts Council, but was frozen last month without a vote. Advocates hope to persuade legislators and Governor Jerry Brown to give the agency at least a modest increase as they determine the state budget for the coming fiscal year. The arts council's budget, now $5.5 million, peaked at $32 million in mid-2000. It was cut nearly in half over the next two years, then all but eliminated in 2003 as the economy fell into recession. Since then the arts council has received $1 million a year from the state's general fund. The cuts a decade ago gave California a lock on 50th place in the nation in per capita funding for its state arts agency. It briefly moved up to 49th in 2011, when Kansas temporarily eliminated all arts funding. The $75 million bill aimed to lift California's arts funding to about $2 per capita, a level currently shared by 10 other states. Like previous efforts to boost arts funding, the bill was not voted down but rather pushed aside or placed "on suspense," meaning that it can't be acted upon for the rest of the session. A spokesman for Californians for the Arts said there could be a brief window of opportunity early next year to try and revive the bill. For now, California's arts advocates hope they can have some success this session in allocating some additional funding to the agency, even if far from the $75 million level. (source: latimes.com)

Senate Democrats Introduce Education Reform Bill
Senate Democrats have introduced legislation reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESEA was enacted in 1965 and is the primary source of federal funding for K-12 public education. The law was most recently reauthorized as part of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002. Although the legislation expired in 2007, the law is still in effect, and schools that receive federal aid must adhere to its requirements. The bill introduced this month, the Strengthening America's Schools Act of 2013, marks Congress's first serious effort to reauthorize the law in two years. While much of the bill deals with sensitive issues such as teacher evaluation and tenure, a number of provisions that the arts community supported during the last ESEA reform attempt are still included in the latest version. These include listing the arts as a core academic subject and naming the arts and music as enrichment activities. The bill also amends ESEA to require states to develop core standards for key subjects such as math, reading and "creative arts" for students in kindergarten through third grade. These standards are intended to bring early education programs into "alignment" with existing standards for grades 4-12, which already include the arts as key subjects. The bill is expected to receive "mark up" review by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee before mid-month, and the author, Sen.Tom Harkin (D-IA), hopes to have the final bill ready for full Senate vote before the August recess. (source: National Assembly of State Arts Agencies)

Ben Tucker, 82, Popular Jazz Bassist, Killed in Traffic Accident
Musician Ben Tucker performed with stars from Quincy Jones to Peggy Lee before he settled in the 1970s in Savannah, where he became one of the Georgia city's best-known working musicians. He was killed June 4, 2013 in a traffic accident at the age of 82. Savannah-Chatham County Police said Tucker was driving a golf cart across a road on Hutchinson Island when a car slammed into the golf cart at a high rate of speed. Tucker was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The driver of the car was cited for vehicular homicide and other criminal charges. (source: Chicago Sun Times.com)

Opportunities

Operations & Marketing Manager, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis, IN
The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir seeks an Operations & Marketing Manager. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week; which includes occasional evenings/weekends). Commensurate compensation includes medical benefits and retirement contributions. The ideal candidate melds detail-mindedness with a commitment to the choral art form and strong relationship-focused communications gifts. The ideal candidate will have excellent organizational, interpersonal communication and project management skills; will be collaborative and team oriented; be detail oriented and comfortable with patron interaction and relationships. A Bachelor's degree in Arts Management or Music Performance and one to three years experience is preferred. Candidates should offer a fresh voice for social media and emerging marketing tools; have comprehensive knowledge of Microsoft Office suite: basic comfort with HTML editing; possess engaging written/verbal communications prowess that builds involvement and ownership; and have strong project management skills and comfort with establishing and managing deadlines. To apply, send PDF cover letter and resume via email to: employment@indychoir.org. All applications are acknowledged with an email upon submission. 

Graphic Designer, Delta Upsilon Fraternity, Indianapolis, IN
Delta Upsilon Fraternity has an exciting opportunity for a graphic designer, reporting to the Associate Director, the graphic designer will work on a three person communications team and manage the layout and design of all printed and electronic communications. A bachelor's degree in a related field is required; minimum two-years experience is preferred. Experience with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign required. For a complete job description and qualifications, and to apply for this job, please click here.

Development Office Assistant, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN
The Indianapolis Art Center has a temporary part-time position available for a Development Office Assistant. The position will support the three other members of the Development Team and report to the Interim Director of Development. This is a temporary position, expected to last approximately 2-3 months for 15-20 hours per week. Candidates should have at least one year of work or internship experience with a non-profit and/or development office. Raiser's Edge competency preferred. For more information about this job, and to apply, click here.

Assistant Director Admissions, Jordan College of the Arts, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN
Butler University is seeking an experienced individual to serve as the liaison between the Jordan College of the Arts (JCA) and the Admission and Financial Aid Offices. This position is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the admission and audition process, procedures, schedules, etc,; identifying appropriate programs; and initiating contact and/or serving as JCA's arts representative with targeted prospective students. This is a full-time, 12-month position. A minimum Bachelor's degree is required. Excellent writing, interpersonal, communications, and organizational skills are required. It is necessary to work with constituents across campus and within JCA. Some travel and weekend work required. Proficiency with Microsoft desktop applications and experience with admissions software and database management required. Knowledge of the arts and comfort with social media platforms desired. To see the full list of duties, and to apply for this position, please click here.

Director of Arts Education, Montana Arts Council, Helena, MT
The Montana Arts Council seeks a Director of Arts Education to lead one of the finest arts education programs of all state arts agencies in the country. The Director of Arts Education concentrates efforts first and foremost to work with the Executive Director of the agency to accomplish the overarching mission of the Montana Arts Council, to serve the Montana public and to promote the arts. The position is responsible for overseeing the direction of the Montana Arts Council's arts education efforts. The position has an opportunity for regional and national exposure, as well as the pleasure of working with great arts educators, artists and education leaders throughout the state. A master's degree in education, arts education or the arts is required, in addition to five years of working in the classroom as a teacher or a teaching artists or in the field of curriculum development. Comparable experience may be considered. To see a complete job description, job duties, and how to apply, please click here. Application closing date is July 8, 2013.

Kindergarten Program Manager, Art With a Heart, Indianapolis, IN
Art With a Heart seeks a full-time Kindergarten Program Manager. Salary range $32,000 - $36,000 depending on experience and skills. Salary review after one year. Under the direction of the Program Director, the Kindergarten Program Manager performs the following: subject matter expert for the Kindergarten curriculum, facilitator of the community of practice for teachers in the program, maintain all resources dedicated to the Kindergarten program, champion for excellence in the development and delivery of the program. The successful candidate must demonstrate proficiency in Microsoft Office applications Word and Outlook; coordinate multiple sites, multiple clients and multiple variations on program implementation respecting the needs of each group and maintaining constructive support to all; utilize wide degree of creativity and latitude to accomplish responsibilities; effectively respond to office workflow; demonstrate appropriate judgement of needs for support services; demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills; prioritize and complete multiple tasks and high volume of work on deadline; create lesson plans; and manage teachers and volunteers. To view a complete list of the job requirements, candidate qualifications, and to apply, please click here.

Chief Financial Officer, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) seeks a full-time Chief Financial Officer (CFO) who will be responsible for providing vision, leadership supervision and monitoring of the fiscal integrity of the IMA in order to realize the Board of Governors' and Director's mission of ensuring the immediate and long-term viability of the IMA. The CFO serves as strategic advisor to the Director/CEO and other leadership of the IMA. The CFO is responsible for short, medium and long-term fiscal oversight, both internal and external. The successful candidate should have a B.A. and M.B.A. degrees (CPA preferred), minimum eight years related experience and/or training; of equivalent combination of education and experience. Exceptional leadership, organizational, analytical and managerial skills required, as well as solid experience in financial planning and fund accounting. Excellent computer skills and familiarity with Outlook and Financial Edge software a plus. To see a full job description and to apply for this position, please click here.