THE SOURCE FOR ARTS PROFESSIONALS IN THE KNOW

IN THIS ISSUE: Find Out More about Our 5oth Anniversary and Ways to Participate | Advocacy News Snapshot | Half-Century Summit | Member Case Study | Internet and E-Mail Communication Strategies

arts

LINK

SPRING 2010 Americans for the Arts

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS CALENDARParticipate in these events throughout our 50th anniversary year!

Arts Link Mission

Delivered quarterly to the professional mem-

bership of Americans for the Arts, Arts Link’s

mission is to help you meet your professional

goals and do your job better by bringing you the

latest trends, resources, tools, and ideas in the

field of local arts agencies and arts profession-

als. By sharing the aspirations, challenges, and

solutions of your peers and leaders in the field,

Arts Link aims to educate, inspire, and equip you

with the means to create a world in which the

arts can thrive.

Arts Link Staff

Kirsten Hilgeford, Editor

Elizabeth Van Fleet, Assistant Editor

Arts Link Editorial Committee, Spring 2010

Valerie Beaman

Ben Burdick

Kate Cushman

Graham Dunstan

Kirsten Gercke

Allison Gilden

Timarie Harrigan

Mitch Menchaca

Tim Mikulski

Emily Peck

Meredith Sachs

Anthony Stepter

Jaclyn Wood

Arts Link Design

Studio e2

Advertising Opportunities

Arts Link is now accepting advertising. For

information about rates, schedules, and dis-

counted advertising packages, please contact

Director of Marketing Graham Dunstan at

gdunstan@artsusa.org.

Tell Us What You Think

At Arts Link, we value the input of our read-

ers and are always interested in hearing your

comments about what you’ve read or topics you

would like us to feature. By telling us what you

think, you help us deliver a publication that bet-

ter meets your needs. Please e-mail your ideas,

recommendations, and remarks to ArtsLink@

artsusa.org. We look forward to hearing from you.

Copyright 2010, Americans for the Arts.

Printed in the United States.

arts

LINK

JUNE 25–27Americans for the Arts Half-Century Summit (our 50th anniversary convention)

Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel

Baltimore, MD

Including an Arts Education Preconference and a Public Art Preconference, June 24–25

convention.artsusa.org

OCTOBER National Arts and Humanities Month

www.AmericansForTheArts.org/NAHM

18National Arts Awards

Cipriani 42nd Street

New York City

www.AmericansForTheArts.org/go/naa

NOVEMBER 4THE BCA TEN: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America

The Boathouse in Central Park

New York City

www.AmericansForTheArts.org/go/BCA10

12–15National Arts Marketing Project ConferenceNew Tech. New Tools. New Times.

Fairmont San Jose

San Jose, CA

www.ArtsMarketing.org/Conference

ON THE COVER: Jaume Plensa (Spanish, born 1955), Nomade, 2007, painted stainless steel,

324 x 204 x 216 inches. Promised gift from John and Mary Pappajohn to the Des Moines Art Center,

Photography © Cameron Campbell. See page 15 for more about the Pappajohns’ new sculpture park.

FEATURES

04 MakingYourInternetGivingProgramShine

Rich Mintz of Blue State Digital pro-

vides insights and five simple steps

for improving your online fundraising

and engagement strategy.

10 DiscoveringtheArtsRippleEffect

Find out what the Fine Arts Fund of

Cincinnati discovered about public

perceptions of the arts and arts giving

as part of its recent research initiative.

DEPARTMENTS

03 WorkingforYou Americans for the Arts News

Arts Advocacy Day and our 50 States

in 50 Days initiative; National Arts

Index; Half-Century Summit

08 MemberCenter You Belong Here

Regional Arts & Culture Council of

Portland; an arts tour of Wichita;

What We’re Reading

14 LeadershipinPractice Inspiring Leadership through Example

KRIS Wine supports arts education;

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann;

the Pappajohns’ new sculpture park

16 TheToolbox Information to Help You Succeed

Research on women in the arts; an

unlikely funding source; e-mail market-

ing tips; running a better meeting

SPRING 2010

50TH ANNIVERSARY

Welcome2010 marks the 50th

anniversary of Ameri-

cans for the Arts! We’re

so pleased to be

bringing our members

this improved member

benefit—the redesigned

Arts Link—as part of our

yearlong celebration. To

find out more about our

planned 50th anniver-

sary activities, including

a video contest, please

visit www.AmericansFor

TheArts.org/go/50.

contents14 10

08

04

www.AmericansForTheArts.org SPRING2010 | ARTSLINK | 1

FromthePresident

H appy New Year to all of you! I have high hopes that 2010 will be a great

year for the arts, in part because we are celebrating some important milestones, including our 50th anniversary.

AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, 2010 marks not only the

50th anniversary of Americans for the Arts, it

also marks the anniversary of the arts support

infrastructure in America as we know it today and

affords us the opportunity to reflect on all that we

have accomplished together throughout the last

50 years. We have come a long way—and what a

difference 50 years of support for the arts makes!

Fifty years ago there was no National Endow-

ment for the Arts or the $5 billion in arts funding

it has since invested in the arts in America. In

1960, there were less than 7,000 nonprofit arts

organizations—compared to roughly 104,000

today. Five state arts agencies have blossomed

to 50, and 400 local arts agencies have ballooned

to 5,000. Despite these staggering accomplish-

ments, we know we have a long way to go.

I look forward to discussing the future of arts

support in the United States with you throughout

the coming year. We

will be paying partic-

ular attention to the

next 50 years and

beyond at our Half-

Century Summit in

Baltimore this June.

We will celebrate the

accomplishments

and advances of the

arts and convene

leaders from across

the United States

to learn, connect with each other, and discuss

strategies that will make the arts more relevant

and valuable in rapidly changing American com-

munities and the world. I look forward to working

together in 2010 and during the next half century

to ensure even more access to the arts and arts

education for every American.

This year not only brings changes to Ameri-

cans for the Arts, it also begins a new chapter for

one of our most popular publications, Arts Link.

About a year ago, Americans for the Arts asked a

cross section of our members to take part in a sur-

vey about the products and services we provide.

Your responses helped to shape the re-imagined

Arts Link you’re reading today. We hope you enjoy

it, and we look forward to your feedback.

I am so thrilled to be working with you all

again this year, and I hope to connect with many

of you at the Half-Century Summit in June. Thank

you for all of your support and dedication. I know

the road has not been easy, but our work is so

important and I truly appreciate all of your efforts.

Thanks,

Video Contest

Americans for the

Arts wants to know:

Why do the arts mat-

ter to you? We invite

you to celebrate the

arts in America on

the occasion of our

50th anniversary by

creating a video that

answers this very

question. Winning vid-

eos will be featured

on Americans for the

Arts’ websites and

YouTube channels. For

more information and

key contest dates,

visit www.Americans

ForTheArts.org/

go/50.

n

The first issue of Arts Link debuted in 1997.

2 | ARTSLINK | SPRING2010 Celebrating 50 Years of Advancing the Arts

NEWS SNAPSHOT

ADVOCACY

ON APRIL 12–13, AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS hosts the 23rd Annual Arts Advocacy

Day in Washington, DC. Coming off successful efforts to include the arts as

part of the federal stimulus funding last year, participants will once again be

trained on important arts-related issues to discuss during scheduled visits

with their members of Congress. If you are unable attend this year, please

visit www.capwiz.com/artsusa to send a message to your representatives on

April 13, and ensure your voice will be heard from your home state.

We also encourage you to start planning for participation in our new

program, 50 States in 50 Days. In conjunction with our 50th anniversary

and launching during the congressional recess this summer (August-early

September), 50 States in 50 Days is a way for us to bring our arts advocacy

efforts to members of Congress while they’re at home. Simply select one day

or occasion on which to invite a member of your congressional delegation to

a special arts and culture event in your home district or state. But you don’t

have to stop there! You can also plan town hall

meetings, forums, and visits to local congressio-

nal offices. Americans for the Arts will support

these efforts with a tool kit, online resources, and

research—and you’ll even be able to share your

plans with other advocates through our web-

site. You can find out more about this program

by attending a “50 States in 50 Days” session

at our Half-Century Summit in Baltimore or by

exploring www.ArtsActionFund.org following the

Summit in June.

NEWS SNAPSHOT

Research & Information

RELEASED IN CONJUNCTION with our 50th anni-

versary, the National Arts Index is an annual

measure of the health and vitality of arts in

the United States that you can use to garner

support for arts and culture in your commu-

nity. In addition to maintaining the data set

over time, Americans for the Arts will be adapt-

ing the data for local use, creating tools that

community arts leaders can use to make lon-

gitudinal measures of arts and culture activity

in their regions and states. You can read the

full report and access an informational, on-

demand archive of our related webinar at

www.AmericansForTheArts.org/go/ArtsIndex.

NEWS SNAPSHOT

Professional Development

TAKE YOUR PLACE among more than 1,500

local, state, and national arts leaders and

partners during the Americans for the Arts

Half-Century Summit in culturally vibrant and

eclectic Baltimore. This milestone convention

and celebration of our 50th anniversary begins

with public art and arts education preconfer-

ences, June 24–25, and continues with the

Summit, June 25–27, where together we will be

charting the future of the arts in America. While

this convention will feature the professional

development training you’ve come to expect

from 50 years of service from Americans for

the Arts, it also aims to have a profound effect

on the arts in our country and the health and

vibrancy of our communities, as well as your

organization. The future of the arts needs

your voice. Take a closer look at the back cover

of this Arts Link to find out ways to start par-

ticipating in the conversation now. Visit

convention.artsusa.org for more details.

AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS NEWS

WORKING FOR YOU

A LOOK BACK

Did you know?Arts Advocacy Day

has been bring-

ing arts leaders to

Capitol Hill annually

since 1988. In the

mid-1990s, actor

Christopher Reeve

was one of our

star advocates.

Photo from the Americans for the Arts achives.

www.AmericansForTheArts.org SPRING2010 | ARTSLINK | 3

MAKING YOUR INTERNET GIVING PROGRAM

SHINEFive Things You Can Do Today

By Rich Mintz, Vice President, Strategy, Blue State Digital, New York CIty

If you’re concerned that your Internet giving program isn’t performing as effectively as it might, well, you’re

probably right. Getting started online is easy, but fine-tuning your program to deliver the results you want takes time. Fortunately, there are five simple things you can do—starting today—that will help move you in the right direction. We’ll present them here, from the sim-plest to the most complicated.

NUMBER ONE: MAKE SURE IT’S EASY TO SIGN UP AND GIVE MONEY ONLINEGiving money is scary and painful, so you should make it as easy as possible. And signing up as a supporter should be ridiculously easy. (If it takes more than one click or more than 10 sec-onds, it’s probably too complicated. I’m not kidding!)

When someone decides they’re ready to hand over their e-mail address, the sign-up form should be easy to find and easy to complete. If it isn’t, then some people simply won’t bother to do it.

In almost all our large programs (includ-ing Obama for America, which had seen 13 million e-mail sign-ups by the time Election Day rolled around), we try to put a simple e-mail sign-up or registra-tion panel somewhere obvious near the top of every page. This way, no matter when or where the mood strikes to sign up, an opportunity to take action is right in front of your audience. And for those who are ready to make a gift, the dona-tion form should be easy to find, no more than one page long, and ask for only the information you absolutely need to process the gift. Again, if someone has to click more than once to finish the trans-action, there are too many steps.

NUMBER TWO: GIVE NEW REGISTRANTS AN EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCEReally, every supporter deserves an experience that exceeds their expecta-tions, but this goes double for people who have just committed their e-mail address to your cause. So strike while the iron is hot! Provide some sort of >>

What distinguishes a good online fundraising and engagement program from an ineffective one? It amounts to respect—for your supporters and their time and money, and for the implied promises you make them. Learn more from these five steps any organization can take today to improve its Internet program.

www.AmericansForTheArts.org SPRING2010 | ARTSLINK | 5

acknowledgment as quickly as you can (even if it’s automated), and follow up within 24 hours with a message of substantive value—perhaps explaining how to take advantage of benefits of membership, or making them aware of upcoming discounts or special perfor-mance opportunities. If your program sees enough sign-ups to make it worth the extra effort, consider developing a recurring “welcome” e-mail series. This is a series of three, four, or more messages spaced a few days apart that every new registrant goes through (on a weekly or bimonthly cycle) before being added to the main e-mail list. This special treat-ment of new sign-ups usually pays off later when you ask people to give money or to support you in other ways.

NUMBER THREE: TREAT EVERY DONOR LIKE THEIR GIFT HELPS KEEP THE DOORS OPENEnsure your donors are recognized. Your $25-donors may not deserve a steak dinner with your board of directors, but your messaging shouldn’t trivialize them either. Small donors can turn into big donors, and more importantly, if stewarded properly, they can turn into recurring donors who have significant worth over time. So think of concrete ways to explain the value of every gift,

even a $25 gift: perhaps a thousand donors’ $25-gifts pay the cost of a new ticket booth, or $25 covers five school-children’s admissions, or $25 keeps the lights on in the gallery for one day.

NUMBER FOUR: GIVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS THINGS TO DO Build variety into your online program. A good online fundraising and engage-ment program doesn’t just ask for money; it gratifies your supporters’ desire to feel needed by inviting and rewarding their participation and feed-back. Here are some ways to get your constituents even more involved:

n Tell supporters of your film festival to write a few lines about their most meaningful festival memory from past years, then post them on a digital memory wall on your website as well as in the front window of your venue.

n Ask your members to refer their friends to your sign-up page (and, if you can, give them the tools to do it in an automated way). Then, 10 days later, announce back to the group how many new friends joined thanks to their efforts, explain how much money that’s likely to mean for your organization during the next year, and challenge the group to refer even more people.

n Invite people to submit a digital photo of something that symbolizes the arts in your city. Urge participants to be creative and interpret the contest in their own way. Then invite the public to vote online to pick the winners, take the winners out to dinner with a dozen prominent local artists, and publish their photos in the newspaper.

MAKING YOUR INTERNET PROGRAM SHINE

”“Small donors can turn into big donors, and more importantly, if stewarded properly, they can turn into recurring donors who have significant worth over time.

6 | ARTSLINK | SPRING2010 Celebrating 50 Years of Advancing the Arts

None of these tactics is expensive or complicated. What they have in common is that they harness your constituents’ latent enthusiasm and pride in the service of your organizational goals. And anyone can participate, even people who can’t afford to give money and don’t have time to show up at your events.

NUMBER FIVE: SHOW YOUR CONSTITUENTS WHAT’S BEHIND THE CURTAINEverybody wants to be an insider, so convert outsiders into insiders. Fortu-nately, a Flip video camera now costs less than $100, and anyone can operate one. Buy half a dozen of them and put them in staff members’ hands to document what life is like inside your institution.

We have worked with a lot of arts organizations that are determined to put fancy audio and video recordings of their performances online. But spon-taneous backstage/front lobby content is even more important: short interviews with your performers; blog entries in which your staff talk in their own words about why they love their jobs; candid video shots out on the sidewalk as your

audiences are gathering for a perfor-mance; short clips of schoolchildren talking about the paintings they’ve just seen; and other evidence that your institution is a living, breathing mass of spontaneous human experience (not to mention good humor). Experiencing a good performance builds supporters; but watching online video of young people who have just left their first con-cert, quivering with excitement, creates fanatics who will give you money every year. So strive for more of that magic—It’s gold!

4 Blue State Digital (BSD) is the online agency behind Obama for America’s unprecedented online success in the 2008 presidential campaign. Today, BSD serves hundreds of clients, including dozens of arts and cultural institutions, NGOs, and issue advocacy organizations. Mintz has helped to shape many of BSD’s arts and cultural programs, including those for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, and the University of Florida Foundation. For more information about BSD, visit www.bluestatedigital.com.

QUICK TIPS

Internet SecretsGet started improving your online giving and

engagement program today by discussing these

five simple Internet secrets with your marketing

and development staff:

1 Make it easy to give money and

sign up online.

2 Reward people who have just signed up

with useful e-mail content.

3 Communicate how much donations matter

(even small ones).

4 Create online participation opportunities,

don’t just ask for money.

5 Give people a sense of what’s going on

backstage—and in your back office.

Putting candid

video of backstage

activity as well as

video of perfor-

mances online can

help build engage-

ment. Thanks

to the Kansas

Repertory Theatre

for this photo of

its Copaken Stage.

Photo by Don Ipock.

n

www.AmericansForTheArts.org SPRING2010 | ARTSLINK | 7

YOU BELONG HERE

MEMBERCENTER

MEMBERCENTER

A Sustainable Fast Food Chain Also Sustains the ArtsMember: Regional Arts & Culture Council of Portland, OR

THE REGIONAL ARTS & CULTURE COUNCIL

of Portland’s workplace giving program,

the Work for Art campaign, supports

more than 80 vital arts and culture

organizations in the city of Portland and

Clackamas, Multnomah, and Wash-

ington counties every year. With only

six fortune 500 companies in Oregon

and few large corporations in the area,

Kathryn Jackson, Work for Art’s man-

ager, approaches businesses both large

and small to support workplace giving

campaigns that benefit the diverse arts

organizations in the tricounty area.

And Jackson’s approach has paid off,

literally. The comparatively small num-

ber of big businesses in the Portland

region, combined with the area’s high

unemployment rate, may lead one to

think that Work for Art’s annual cam-

paign would be in decline. Not so. In

2008–2009 the campaign actually

saw an increase.

One of the business long shots

Jackson took was Burgerville, a sustain-

able fast food chain established in the

1960s. Burgerville has restaurants in

Oregon and Washington and a total of

1,150 employees, most of whom work

at the 34 (of 39) outlets in the Portland

area. In 2008, the restaurant opened

its workplace giving campaign to Work

for Art and Earth Share to unite in a

combined campaign. Although many of

Burgerville’s employees are part-time,

minimum wage earners, a total of

133 employees donated $8,891 to the

Work for Art campaign in 2008. For the

2009 campaign, Work for Art brought

in artists from LiveWire! Radio for an

“Artists in the Workplace” presentation,

during which they spoke with the restau-

rant’s senior executives and managers

about the role that arts and culture

play in a vibrant community like the

Portland metropolitan region. The result

was a whopping 80 percent increase in

donations and a 61 percent increase in

donors. In total, 214 employees across

34 different locations raised $15,963

to make Burgerville one of the top five

donors of Work for Art’s campaign!

About a month later, Jackson met

with management from the Oregon

Symphony, one of the core organizations

it supports, and shared the Burgerville

story. The symphony receives unre-

stricted operating support from Work

for Art and was so moved by the story

that it wanted to extend its appreciation

to the Burgerville workers on behalf of

the entire arts community. The sym-

phony made free tickets available to

Burgerville employees for the sym-

phony’s holiday concert in December.

In all, nearly 120 employees and family

members enjoyed the performance, and

the symphony made a point of acknowl-

edging its special guests from the stage.

Many of the attendees from Burgerville

had never attended a symphony concert

before, but based on the enthusiasm

that night the symphony surely has a few

more fans now than it did before!

If you’re looking for arts funding,

don’t overlook small businesses. They

often have more invested in a commu-

nity than a larger corporation. As Work

for Art notes, Burgerville is only one of

many minimum wage organizations that

supports the Portland region through

Work for Art.

Photo courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council of Portland.

8 | ARTSLINK | SPRING2010 Celebrating 50 Years of Advancing the Arts

MEMBERCENTER

WELCOME: WICHITAAMERICANS FOR THE ARTS WELCOMES JOHN D’ANGELO to his new position as

president of the United States Urban Arts Federation (USUAF). As head of the

City of Wichita’s Arts and Cultural Services Division, we knew D’Angelo was just

the right person introduce us to Wichita’s vibrant arts community.

n The Wichita Art Museum is the largest art museum in the state of Kansas,

and it’s in the midst of a yearlong 75th anniversary celebration that recognizes

its role in stimulating Wichita’s creative life. The museum’s collection spans

three centuries of painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts.

n Wichita’s performing arts community offers

world-class experiences, the heart of which is

the Century II Performing Arts & Convention

Center, managed by the City of Wichita. At

any given time, Century II is host to touring

Broadway musicals and theatrical produc-

tions, and it is proud to be home to the

Wichita Symphony, Music Theatre of Wichita,

and Wichita Grand Opera.

n Heritage and history are recurring themes

throughout Wichita’s arts and culture land-

scape. The Old Cowtown Museum, Mid-America

All-Indian Center, and Wichita-Sedgwick County

Historical Museum serve Wichita citizens of any

age by preserving history, promoting diversity,

and expanding viewpoints.

Learn more about Wichita’s arts scene at

http://Wichita.gov/CityOffices/Culture.

MEMBERCENTER

What We’re Reading

WE ASKED SOME OF OUR MEMBERS to tell us

about which books are capturing their

attention right now.

I’m reading What People Want:

A Manager’s Guide to Building

Relationships that Work by Terry

Bacon. I heard this book men-

tioned several times recently, so I

thought I should give it a read. In

this very stressful era of layoffs and

great political change, this book

has some very basic reminders of

how to be a more humane leader

and strengthen team morale.

—Michael Killoren, Director, City of Seattle,

Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs

I’m working my way through The

Nine: Inside the Secret World of the

Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin.

He’s a good writer and researcher,

bringing to life a very important

component in our nation’s balance

of law and politics.

—Nancy Boskoff, Executive Director,

Salt Lake City Arts Council

Photos left to right: A performance of Aida by Music Theatre of Wichita.Historical recreation at Wichita’s Old Cowtown Museum. Photos courtesy of the City of Wichita, Arts and Cultural Services Division.

A LOOK BACK

1961“ While civic pride is

important as a reason

for community support

of the arts, it is not all.

In the whole picture,

the most important

element is this indi-

vidual effort—the

recognition of the

creative needs of man.”

George M. Irwin,

President, Community Arts

Councils, Inc.Do you have something to say? We want to

hear it. E-mail ArtsLink@artsusa.org with

your comments and story ideas.

www.AmericansForTheArts.org SPRING2010 | ARTSLINK | 9

Many of us in the arts community have spent years searching for the strongest possible message and

the best case on which to build support for the arts. Yet the messages we have used, and successfully integrated into the national arts dialogue, have not yielded the broad support of the arts that we seek. While most people feel positively toward the arts, at the Fine Arts Fund of Cincinnati we recognized the need to change the conversation in order to moti-vate action by the public for the arts.

In late 2008, leaders of the Fine Arts Fund embarked on a research initia-tive designed to increase our knowledge about the public’s views and assumptions regarding arts and culture. With this research, we could craft a new communi-cations strategy—one built on a deeper understanding of the best ways to com-municate with the public about the arts. This communications approach could lead to increased shared responsibility and actually motivate the public action in support of the arts we’ve been seeking.

In order to create a more construc-tive public dialog, it is necessary to explore the dynamics in the current public conversation—in the media, for

instance—as well as in the thinking of the majority of people who do not focus on the arts in their daily lives. Understanding attitudes and beliefs more deeply is a key to negotiating them more successfully in future efforts. A new argument, or lens, on the issue is useful to the extent that it can move people to shared action. When legis-lators, business leaders, community leaders, and so forth all take in the same core message seen through the same lens—and in turn repeat this message to their own constituencies—the resulting echo chamber can begin to transform the accepted common sense on the issue.

WHAT PEOPLE REALLY THINK ABOUT THE ARTSAfter a year of investigation and inter-views with hundreds of people in the Cincinnati region and surround-ing states, this research—conducted with the Topos Partnership, a national communications framing organization—found that public responsibility for the arts is undermined by deeply entrenched perceptions. Members of the public typi-cally have positive feelings toward the arts, some quite strong. But how they think about the arts is shaped by >>

Participants in

the Spontaneous

Dance in Cincin-

nati’s Fountain

Square, August

2009. Photo by

Scott Beseler for

the Fine Arts Fund

of Cincinnati.

n

DISCOVERING THE ARTS RIPPLE EFFECT: A Research-Based Strategy to Build Shared Responsibility for the Arts

By Margy Waller, Vice President, Arts & Culture Partnership, Fine Arts Fund, Cincinnati

10 | ARTSLINK | SPRING2010 Celebrating 50 Years of Advancing the Arts

The Fine Arts Fund of Cincinnati embarked on a research initiative designed to develop a communications strategy that would yield a broad sense of shared responsibility for support of the arts. Find out what they discovered.

a number of common default patterns of thinking that ultimately obscure a sense of public responsibility in this area.

For example, it is natural and com-mon for people who are not insiders to think of the arts in terms of entertain-ment. Problematically, entertainment is a matter of personal taste, not public responsibility, and perceived as an extra, not a necessity. We found several preva-lent assumptions about the arts work against the objective of positioning the arts as a public good:

n The arts are a private matter. Arts are about individual tastes, experiences, and enrichment and individual expression by artists.

n The arts are a good to be purchased. There-fore, most assume that the arts should succeed or fail, as any product does in the marketplace, based on what people want to purchase.

n People expect to be passive, not active. People expect to have a mostly passive, con-sumer relationship with the arts. The arts will be offered to them, and therefore do not need to be created or supported by them.

n The arts are a low priority. Even when people value art, it is rarely high on their list of priorities.

Perceptions like these lead to conclu-sions that government aid, for instance, is frivolous or inappropriate. Even chari-table giving can be undermined by these default perceptions.

RECONSTRUCTING THE ARTS MESSAGE The existing landscape of public under-standing about the arts, in the end, is

not conducive to a broadly held sense of shared responsibility for the arts. To achieve this objective, we need to change the landscape by employing a message strategy that:

n Positions arts and culture as a public good—a communal interest in which all have a stake;

n Provides a clearer picture of the kinds of events, activities, and institutions we are talking about;

n Conveys the importance of a proactive stance; and

n Incorporates all people in a region, not just those in urban centers.

Holding typical arts messages up to these standards clarifies why some messages, even emotionally powerful messages, fail to inspire a sense of collec-tive responsibility. Art as a transcendent experience, important to well-being, a universal human need, etc., all speak to private, individual concerns, not public, communal concerns. While many people like these messages, the messages do not help them think of art as a public good, and therefore do not inspire action.

Messages that are more communal in nature, such as the commonly used economic investment message, or a mes-sage about creating a great city, fail for other reasons. For instance, traditional economic messages often compete with other (usually more compelling) ideas about how to bolster an economy.

Of the many communications approaches explored in our testing, one stood out as having the most potential to shift thinking and conver-sations in a constructive direction.

QUICK LOOK

FactsTell your own

story about

the surprising

benefits of the

arts using this

checklist. Ask

yourself, does

my example:

n Offer people a

clear picture

of how one

thing leads

to another—

how did the

benefit(s)

happen?

n Include

examples of

vibrancy/vitality

or bringing peo-

ple together?

n Point out poten-

tial benefits to

everyone—even

people who are

not participating

in a particular

event?

n Focus on ben-

efits created by

organizations,

not individual

leaders?

n Illustrate the

way organi-

zations of

different size

provide benefits

(e.g., the art

museum and a

neighborhood

art center)?

DISCOVERING THE ARTS RIPPLE EFFECT

12 | ARTSLINK | SPRING2010 Celebrating 50 Years of Advancing the Arts

This approach emphasizes one key organizing idea: A thriving arts sec-tor creates “ripple effects” of benefits throughout our community.

We learned that the following two ripple effects are especially helpful and compelling messages to convey about the arts:

n A vibrant, thriving economy: Neighborhoods are more lively, communities are revitalized, tourists and residents are attracted to the area. Note that this goes well beyond the usual dollars-and-cents argument and becomes about creating an environment where people want to live, work, play, and stay.

n A more connected population: Diverse groups share common experiences, hear new perspectives, understand each other better.

This ripple effect approach has proven clear and compelling to many Cincinna-tians. They are able to repeat the gist of the point, and they find it a compelling argument for widely shared responsibil-ity for the arts.

While the focus of this project is specific to the Cincinnati area, it is fair to assume that at least some of the default patterns of thinking, as well as responses to new messages, reflect patterns that would be repeated elsewhere. While we cannot assume that this strategy is identical in other cities or regions, we believe this project provides a head start for those planning to embark on similar efforts in other parts of the country and at the national level.

4 Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of Americans for the Arts during the Half-Century Summit in Baltimore this June. We’ll be featuring the communica-tions research you’ve just read about alongside other research initiatives. The Summit features an in-depth professional development workshop entitled “Business Leaders: What Are They Really Thinking?” which will deconstruct a variety of new research studies on busi-ness attitudes toward giving: convention.artsusa.org.

QUICK LOOK

Resources4 You can read the entire research report

from the Fine Arts Fund of Cincinnati at

www.fineartsfund.org.

4 Interested in conducting a similar research

effort in your community? Please contact

Margy Waller at mwaller@fineartsfund.org.

People come together

to share ideas about

innovation during a

gathering at Cincin-

nati’s Contemporary

Arts Center. Photo

by Scott Beseler for

the Fine Arts Fund

of Cincinnati.

n”

“When legislators, business leaders, com-munity leaders, and so forth all take in the same core message seen through the same lens—and in turn repeat this message to their own constituencies—the resulting echo chamber can begin to transform the accepted common sense on the issue.

www.AmericansForTheArts.org SPRING2010 | ARTSLINK | 13

INSPIRING LEADERSHIP THROUGH EXAMPLE

LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE

LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE

Speaking of Leadership: Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann

FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, Honolulu Mayor

Mufi Hannemann has taken the lead in creating

opportunities to use the arts as a catalyst for

economic development and community revi-

talization. Hannemann’s leadership in Hawaii

has led to remarkable achievements, including

three arts-related, cabinet-level positions in

his administration and revitalization of Hono-

lulu’s Chinatown as a culture and arts district.

Hannemann is chairman of The United States

Conference of Mayors’ (USCM) standing com-

mittee on Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment

and Sports, and he recently received the 2010

Americans for the Arts and The United States

Conference of Mayors National Award for Local

Arts Leadership.

Mayor Hannemann spoke at the release event

for our inaugural publication of the National Arts

Index at the National Press Club in Washington,

DC, on January 20, 2010. Hannemann suggested

some ways arts organizations can make it easier

for government officials to support the arts:

n “ It’s important that you incorporate sound busi-

ness principles. Let’s face it. The perception

of some in the community is that if you invest

with nonprofit groups or if you partner with

those who promote the arts, it’s not a good

business investment because artists are not

trained in the business world and the like.

LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE

COMMITTING TO THE ARTSFRANZ HAAS, WINEMAKER AND CO-OWNER OF KRIS WINE (with

Winebow, Inc.), is as passionate about the arts as he is about

wine-making. The labels for KRIS Wine’s bottles were designed

by Italian artist and family friend, Riccardo Schweizer, and it

is because of this artistic heritage that KRIS Wine has made a

commitment to promoting the arts. This spring, KRIS Wine will

donate $25,000 to organizations that support the advance-

ment of arts education programs in K–12 schools. KRIS Wine’s

national partner for this program is Americans for the Arts, while

local partner organizations include these Americans for the

Arts members: The Center for Arts Education—New York City;

Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education; Arts Learning of Massa-

chusetts; and Arts Horizons of New Jersey. www.KRISwine.com.

Mayor Hannemann at the Honolulu Family Festival at Magic Island, with hula dancer Piilani Smith. Photo by Tom Hisamura.

As winemaker and co-owner of KRIS Wine, Franz Haas takes a hands-on approach to wine production. Photo courtesy of Winebow, Inc.

14 | ARTSLINK | SPRING2010 Celebrating 50 Years of Advancing the Arts

LEADERSHIP IN PRACTICE

Change AgentMaking a Difference for the Arts in America

TO SAY THAT THE PAPPAJOHNS are stal-

wart arts supporters would undervalue

their unprecedented contributions to the Des Moines, IA, region. Perhaps the

greatest example of their gift to the arts in Des Moines is the recently opened

John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park.

The Pappajohns have always had a strong sense of community, and

they recognized early on that the arts are a powerful partner in bringing

communities together. The Pappajohns also realized that they are uniquely

positioned to offer the people of Des Moines and its visitors a common

space to enjoy each other and wonderful works of art. Mr. Pappajohn noted,

“My wife and I have always been involved with the arts and feel strongly

that all forms of art should be shared with the public.”

Believing that the arts are part of the solution to many of the problems

we face, the Pappajohns saw value in investing in the arts especially in

these challenging times.

So when the city razed several old buildings and indicated that two acres

of downtown Des Moines were available for use as a park, the Pappajohns

didn’t hesitate. They were not deterred by economic conditions: “It did not

make a difference to my wife or me whether the gift was in ‘good times or

bad times.’ As a matter of fact, it helped to uplift the community.” That positive

feeling may not have been possible without the Pappajohns’ major sculpture

collection—a collection that Mr. Pappajohn noted was “hiding in our back-

yard” until the sculpture park was created. He continued: “The sculpture park

provides the opportunity for the public to observe modern and contemporary

sculpture in a user-friendly environment. It is very attractive, easy to maneu-

ver, and the response by the public has been phenomenal.”

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Americans for the Arts and

the 10th anniversary of our Public Art Network, we are reminded of the far-

reaching benefits of public art spaces. This sculpture park is a great example

of how truly important investment in public art is to our communities. The

Pappajohns’ gift has given so much to the people of Des Moines and its sur-

rounding businesses. Mr. Pappajohn mentioned: “It has engendered a great

deal of activity and several employers have already commented that it is a

plus, as a Des Moines attraction for potential employees.”

John and Mary Pappajohn have committed a great deal of time and

resources to ensuring access to the arts for everyone. Their sculpture park will

continue to benefit the people of the Des Moines community far into the future.

I say phooey to that. We have shown time and

time again that when you work with nonprofit

groups, with the artists, and incorporate sound

business practices, you can show a return on

the investment.”

n “ If you’re seeking government funding, if you

have government funding, please be open and

transparent with your finances. That’s very, very

important, because there are those out there

who would like to dismiss what the arts com-

munity contributes. I have a challenge right

now at home, and I’ll be very blunt about it: Our

Honolulu Symphony is in danger of going by

the wayside. And one of the reasons, despite

the well-intentioned efforts of a lot of philan-

thropic organizations in the past and good

businessmen and -women, is that they haven’t

done a good job in running the organization of

the symphony. The symphony has world-class

symphony conductors, world-class musicians,

but it’s the business practices that are keeping

it from being a viable entity today.”

n “ Do your homework. Find out about those who

you are trying to appeal to and find out what

makes them tick. There are ways in which you

can appeal to them so that they’ll want to be a

part of it. Because at the end of the day, it’s all

about the ‘ask.’ I have a friend who told me this

maxim that I’ll always remember: Ask a favor,

gain a friend. The ask is very important, but I

think that doing your homework in that regard

is very important too.”

Mark di Suvero (American, born China, 1933), T8, 1985, painted steel, 343 x 288 x 444 inches. Promised gift from John and Mary Pappajohn to the Des Moines Art Center. Photography © Cameron Campbell.

Mayor Hannemann gives congressional testimony on the importance of creativity, Arts Advocacy Day 2008. Photo by Jim Saah.

www.AmericansForTheArts.org SPRING2010 | ARTSLINK | 15

THE TOOLBOX

Reporting from the Field Women in the Arts

AS WE REFLECT ON THE PROGRESS THE ARTS FIELD has made during the last

50 years and plan for the future, it is important to take stock of those areas

that still need improvement. A recent study from the National Endowment for

the Arts, “Artists in the Workforce: 1990–2005,” and its follow-up research

note highlighted findings on women artists in the workforce:

n Women are underrepresented in several professions, including the highest

paying occupation (architecture). The most male-dominated professions are

architects and announcers, but producers, directors, and musicians are also

mostly male professions.

n Women artists are less likely to have children than other working women, but

are just as likely to be married. Only 29 percent of women artists had children

under 18, compared with 35 percent of women workers in general.

n Women artists are clustered in low-population states. Women make up

the majority of the artist labor force in Iowa, Alaska, New Hampshire,

and Mississippi.

n Women artists make less than their male counterparts. These women

artists earn $0.75 for every dollar made by male artists. Earnings are slightly

better for women performing artists ($0.92).

To get a more complete picture of women in the arts today, download the

research note: http://nea.gov/research/notes/96.pdf.

THE TOOLBOX

GET PAIDALTHOUGH THE MOST COMMON federal

sources of funding for arts and culture pro-

grams come from the National Endowment

for the Arts and National Endowment for

the Humanities, there are a number of other

agencies where you can find funding. One

such resource is the Institute of Museum and

Library Sciences (IMLS).

IMLS has an extremely helpful grants

website set up for everyone from first-time

applicants to veterans, allowing users to

search for grants in a variety of categories

and eligibilities: www.imls.gov/applicants/

applicants.shtm.

Some of the grants that may be

most useful to Americans for the Arts mem-

bers include:

n Coming Up Taller

www.imls.gov/about/taller.shtm

n Laura Bush 21st Century

Librarian Program

www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/

21centurylibrarian.shtm

n National Leadership Grants

www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/

nationalleadership.shtm

n Save America’s Treasures

www.imls.gov/about/treasures.shtm

In addition, IMLS offers grants to more

specific groups such as museums, preserva-

tionists, Native American/Native Hawaiian

assistance organizations,

and historical societies.

And always remem-

ber, when it comes

to grant-seeking,

it never hurts to

look in unlikely

places for funding

opportunities!

INFORMATION TO HELP YOU SUCCEED

THE TOOLBOX

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Announcers

Entertainers and Performers

Musicians

Dancers and Choreographers

Producers and Directors

Actors

Designers

Fine Artists, Art Directors, …

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16 | ARTSLINK | SPRING2010 Celebrating 50 Years of Advancing the Arts

THE TOOLBOX

STEP BY STEPE-Mail Marketing

WHETHER YOU’RE AN E-MARKETING PRO or have never hit “send,” here are five

steps to help you on your way to successful e-mail marketing.

1 What Are You Saying? Decide why you need to market your product or ser-

vice via e-mail. Here’s a hint: the answer shouldn’t be just because everyone

else is doing it. Also, determine if you have the capacity to manage an e-mail

marketing campaign.

2 Do Your Homework. Start by visiting websites like eMarketer.com and

MarketingSherpa.com to read up on reports. Next, check out some of

the providers that are out there, like Magnet Mail, ConstantContact, Patron-

Mail, MailerMailer, and Campaigner. Some providers offer a free trial to

ensure their product is what you’re looking for.

3 Determine Who Your Audience Is. Develop a strategy for how to talk to your

current core audience and your past core audience. Figure out who you would

like your future core audience to include and develop a message for them

too. What does that different content look like? Marketing e-mails have to

constantly fight the delete button, so try to offer some nonmarketing content

that is useful to your audience’s work.

4 Send It! Craft your enticing subject line (35 characters or less) and

message with collaboration from all involved parties and decide when your

message will make the most impact. Numerous statistics show that 2:00

p.m. (EST) is the best time of day to hit down time on both coasts and that

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the best days to send. Don’t forget to send

tests to different e-mail clients (such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Outlook, etc.)

to make sure your message looks good for all your constituents.

5 Take Stock. Keep a close eye on your open rates and click through rates to

see what works and what doesn’t. Also, according to MarketingSherpa.com,

about 33 percent of addresses on a “house” list will become outdated

annually, so work with your provider to determine the best subscribing and

unsubscribing policy.

Don’t forget to revisit these steps regularly, and Happy E-Marketing!

THE TOOLBOX

Building BlocksRunning a Better Meeting

WILLIAM KEENS’ NEW BOOK, Herding Cats and

Cougars: How to Survive the Meeting You Are

Running While Mastering the Art of Facilita-

tion, is a smart, funny, pocket-size guide

full of gems about how to successfully lead

meetings. Keens, a well-known consultant

in the nonprofit field and Principal at the

consulting firm of WolfBrown, has concen-

trated years of facilitation experience into

easy-to-read nuggets of information for

nonprofit professionals, executives, leaders,

teachers, and anyone leading a meeting.

From the chapter “Running the Meet-

ing,” these are the criteria by which Keens

determines your meeting will be judged and

remembered. And all of them are within your

power to influence:

n Was the meeting productive?

Was anything accomplished?

n Did everyone participate

to some degree without

anyone dominating?

n Did sessions start and

stop on schedule?

n Was there time to

socialize, to get to

know one another,

to bond?

n Was the mood posi-

tive, energetic,

and even fun?

n Did people feel listened to, taken seri-

ously, treated respectfully?

Interested in finding out more? Order the

book from the Americans for the Arts

Store at www.AmericansForTheArts.org/

Store or by calling 1.800.321.4510.

Product #: 003525 / Member Price: $14 /

Nonmember Price: $15.

www.AmericansForTheArts.org SPRING2010 | ARTSLINK | 17

50TH ANNIVERSARY CONVENTION

Americans for the ArtsHalf-Century Summit

June 25–27

In preparation for our Half-Century Summit in Baltimore this June,

we’ve created a number of new ways for you to engage in planning

and discussing the future of the arts in America.

n Sign up for webinars on different arts-related and professional

development topics (free for Americans for the Arts members

and Summit registrants).

n Visit ARTSblog, where you can comment on Green Papers—short

vision papers crafted by more than 20 national arts service orga-

nizations and peer groups about the future of the arts.

n Engage in a number of weeklong blog salons, which will feature

50+ bloggers from across the country addressing topics including

public art, leadership, arts education, and private sector affairs.

We hope you use these tools leading up to and following the event

to get the most out of your Summit experience. Find these ways to

engage at convention.artsusa.org.

1000 Vermont Avenue NW

6th Floor

Washington, DC 20005

T 202.371.2830

F 202.371.0424

ArtsLink@artsusa.org

www.AmericansForTheArts.org

Mixed SourcesProduct group from well-managed forests, controlled sources and, recycled wood or fiber.

www.fsc.org Cert n. XXX XXX XXXXX© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council