Find more information at http://serve.artsusa.org.

Success, of course, depends on each partner’s willingness and ability to live up to its part of the bargain.

Public Art In Detroit Benefits Community and High School Students
A dozen or so west side high school students created a mural on a three-story-high exterior wall of a vacant building in Detroit’s Brightmoor neighborhood. The project, Detroit Neighborhood Arts Corps, provides high school-aged artists with the opportunity to give back to their communities through the creation of public art. The College of Creative Studies (CCS) project was funded by the Skillman Foundation. This project probably solves two problems, it brings arts education to public schools which may have cut art programs and it brings public art to an under-served community.

Evening Museum Series Keeps Budget ”In Check” with IKEA Partnership
Here at the Heard Museum, our third Friday evening series NU (Native+You) has partnered with likely organizations, such as the Arizona Humanities Council and the Phoenix Arts & Business Council to promote the event and recruit speakers. However the series and the museum have also partnered with IKEA, who generously provided much needed furniture for an outdoor lounge for patrons enjoying the cash bar and on campus public art. IKEA was pleased to have their product in front of a coveted museum audience, and the series kept its budget “in check,” and each month is able to pay local artists to perform or speak at the museum. In addition the series regularly books both Native and non-Native performers and bands to bring in younger members of the community to the museum and create a forum where cross-cultural dialogue can take place. http://www.heard.org/NU.

My Arts Community Concept Developed by Community Business Leaders & Arts Organizations
Myartscommunity.org is a concept developed by two Phoenix businessmen of the Kur Carr group, who were concerned about the impact of the economy on our arts and cultural organizations. The across-the-board agreement that the campaign put together created tremendous awareness for arts and culture in the Phoenix metropolitan area; a collaborative spirit among the organizations; and a unanimous agreement to find a way to keep the effort moving forward.

I also remember that Opera Carolina once partnered with NASCAR, (?) which is also pretty creative. I couldn’t find out more information, but it had to be mentioned. This Wallace Foundation report also gives some helpful hints.

Are there nontraditional partnerships in your communities?

Fortunately for my cat, I quickly became captivated by the seriousness of the message, and the profoundness of the moment. It seemed important to forget that it was five o’clock in the morning and the coffee hadn’t kicked in yet, to listen to a speech that was premised on seeking a “…new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect…” No small task.

To demonstrate that respect, the President made a point of acknowledging the contributions of Islam to history and to the development of civilization today. He of course talked about Islam’s contributions to science, technology, mathematics and medicine. But in the next breath, he also talked about how Islamic culture has “…given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation…”—all sentiments that received wild applause from those gathered that day at Cairo University.

What struck me at that moment was how natural it was to acknowledge the rightful place of the arts in that context, among the fields of science, technology, economies, and religion. Odd that in matters of public policy, we still struggle to make those connections effectively here at home.

It is not difficult to understand why the arts are powerful contributors to public and cultural diplomacy. By engaging individuals on a personal level, the arts can transcend political, social and racial barriers. They offer universal “languages” by which commonalities among peoples are revealed. They often are the only safe gathering ground where stories can be shared and long term understandings forged.

President Obama’s platform for the arts included a strong position on the inclusion of the arts in federal policies on public diplomacy. It is not unrealistic to assume that discussions of meaningful investment and reform in how the United States participates as a global citizen of the world will include the arts. It is unrealistic however, to assume that making change will come easy.

The challenges that have impeded the role of the arts in public diplomacy still exist. If anything, they have become more extreme by the impacts of 9/11 and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as by the recession. Meaningful change will only come about by harnessing the creative energy, innovative thinking and sheer collective will of public and private sector leaders and citizens.

The time is right for re-committing to the role of the arts and culture in helping to build global community and understanding through effective engagement at all levels. In order to understand the possibilities that exist for doing this now, it is important to understand what has come before.

Fortunately, a new resource for building this understanding has now been released.

To help arts advocates better understand and navigate the current policy environment, the first of several new tools for making the case for the value of U.S.-based cultural diplomacy and cultural exchange is now available on the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation New Initiative-International Cultural Engagement website. The Robert Sterling Clark Foundation has commissioned ground-breaking research on public and private support for cultural exchange after 9/11, which also examines the challenges, successes, smart practices and trends of engagement by participating arts and cultural organizations.

The first of these tools is the Timeline of U.S. Public and Cultural Diplomacy 1999-2009. The timeline provides a fascinating journey through the historical milestones in U.S. cultural diplomacy—the highs and the lows. Organized by year and providing information in several categories including Appointments and Political Events, U.S. Government Initiatives, Legislation and Policy, Institutions, Investments and Partnerships, Resources, Reports and Conferences, it includes links to websites and reports, which collectively provide a comprehensive overview of America’s recent investments in international cultural diplomacy pre- and post-9/11.

Building upon the numerous dialogues, research and convenings that are taking place on this issue, Americans for the Arts in partnership with the Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve will be discussing the role of the arts in building the 21st century global community at the annual National Arts Policy Roundtable, September 24 – 26. Now in its fourth year, the Roundtable provides a forum of informed discussion where high level public and private sector leaders come together to address an issue critical to advancing American arts and culture, and recommend public sector policies, private sector practices, and research necessary to move from thought to action.

Members of the arts community are invited to help shape this dialogue by letting us know how your work is impacting the global community:
- What programs are you supporting or engaging in?
- What factors are impeding and/or enhancing your work?
- What is the one thing you would change in the current policy environment that would truly help the arts achieve their full potential as a catalyst for building bridges of understanding among the peoples of the world?

 I still am not fond of getting woken up at 4 a.m., but I’m willing to concede that the cat did me a favor. We are entering a whole new era for redefining the role of the United States on the world stage—and the full script has yet to be written. To expand a bit on the President’s message to the students and people at Cairo University, I am excited about the prospect of our country intentionally forging new beginnings between the United States and peoples around the world, based on “mutual interest and mutual respect”. I for one can think of no finer messengers than our artists and arts groups, nor as effective a message as one that is delivered through dance, music, theatre, poetry, visual art, architecture, media or design. It is time to re-engage our public officials and private sector supporters in valuing the arts not only as the cultural pillars of the past, but as the building blocks for global communities of the future.

In Lauderdale County, the Community Foundation of East Mississippi is trying to help fill the arts education gap by providing refurbished instruments to schools.

It loosely follows the VH1 Save the Music model, donating instruments to schools and districts.VH1’s instruments are new, often purchased locally, and only offered to schools without music programs.

The clever hook that VH1 uses, however, is that schools must employ certified music teachers in order to retain their instruments. This measure is in place, of course, to incentivize long-term commitments to a robust music education program in schools.

Even without this particular strategy, the Foundation’s work is a comendable moment of true leadership benefitting the community’s children.

NB: VH1 has a beautiful and useful new website, replete with info to help any visitor make a difference for arts education in his or her community.

What are some ways you’ve used technology to save or make money for the arts during the economic downturn?

Stay tuned for updates from Americans for the Arts at serve.artsusa.org, but in the meantime, what are some ways you think you could volunteer for the arts in your community?

Fellows will receive stipends of $3,000 to support their attendance at the 2009 National Arts Marketing Project Conference, Arts Advocacy Day 2010, and the 2010 Americans for the Arts Convention. In addition, fellows will have special opportunities to meet field leaders, work alongside mentors, and receive individualized career coaching. An additional 5 fellows will be selected in 2010.

Download application materials and eligibility information here, or for more information contact Stephanie Evans at leadership@artsusa.org or by phone at 202-371-2830