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Leaders Engage in Creative Conversations
The Iowa Arts Council brought a national initiative to Iowa to contribute to a
nationwide network of young people emerging as arts and cultural leaders in their
communities.
“Creative Conversations” is a program developed by Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit organization that works to advance the arts in America, as part of National Arts and Humanities Month in October. The Iowa Arts Council’s first Creative Conversation was held Friday, October 28 at Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines as one of 46 meetings held across the country in October.
“Those who attended were able to exchange ideas, share concerns and think together about ways to strengthen their ties and build a web of support,” said Mary Sundet Jones, IAC administrator. “We want to find ways to help these emerging leaders gain the tools they need to make their communities culturally vibrant.”
Last year, about 800 young arts and cultural leaders participated in 38 meetings
throughout the country. This year, Americans for the Arts anticipated more than
1,000 participants. At the national level, Americans for the Arts will use the
feedback and ideas generated through the Creative Conversations series to plan
its 2006 programs, including emerging leader sessions, peer group meetings and
other activities during the Americans for the Arts 2006 Annual Convention. The
organization will publish an Emerging Leader Monograph early next year that may
include information generated by the Creative Conversations series.
New Report Explores the Changing Environment of Visual Arts in America
The
RAND Corporation recently released the third in a series of reports on America’s
changing arts environment. Portrait of the Visual Arts: Meeting the Challenges
of a New Era includes the following observations:
• U.S. Census estimates are likely to under-represent the number of visual artists because many artists may be employed in non-arts occupations, yet producing artwork on their own time, when surveyed.
• New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco have the highest concentration of professional artists in the United States, but visual artists are more highly concentrated in midsized metropolitan regions like Orange County and San Diego, where the arts environments are more welcoming and the cost of living less daunting. Such places are more likely to have sustainable marketplaces where artists without gallery or dealer representation can sell their work.
• Visual artists are much more likely than other professional artists to be self-employed. This means they are more dependent on the sale of their own work and less likely to have benefits such as healthcare.
• About 75 percent of all professional artists hold, at one time or another, a non-arts job.
• Visual artists are now under increased pressure to achieve higher levels of education. Arts schools and universities help visual artists to develop both a body of work and a wealth of connections to curators, gallery owners, collectors and peers.
Download Portrait of the Visual Arts: Meeting the Challenges of a New Era
