eNews - October 2008 Edition
From the Executive Director
We're all edgy about the turbulence in the economy. For the arts, there's talk about the negative impact on endowments and program reserves, philanthropic contributions and discretionary spending (i.e. ticket sales and paid admissions). As I write this in mid-October, yesterday's financial news is already out of date.
Here at WSAC, we are adjusting to budget cuts as part of Governor Gregoire's actions to slow State spending in response to a slowing national economy. WSAC’s current budget (FY09) has been cut $86,000 (more than 3 percent). As a result, we will be trimming personnel costs by leaving two positions vacant for a few months, reducing agency administrative expenses, and canceling some research and evaluation we had scheduled for this year.
As a colleague of mine recently noted, when the going gets tough, the tough get creative. And, I’ll add, the creative get tough. That said, what we need to do:
Thanks for your good work – and keep in touch. Keep in touch,
Cist, National Museum, Dublin
She is folded into a square
"Cist, National Museum, Dublin" ©2008 by Poet Laureate Sam Green, previously unpublished work.
Samuel Green's book, The Grace of Necessity, was named as as one of this year's winners of the Washington State Book Awards (formerly the Governor's Writers Awards), given for outstanding books published by Washington authors. The winners will be honored at a free ceremony at 7 pm on Oct. 22 at Seattle Central Library.
New Artwork Installation
When Tacoma’s Fern Hill Elementary students arrived for the 2008-09 school year, they were greeted by artist Suzanne Lee’s Nest, located in Heritage Hall, the school’s main entryway. The central element of the relief sculpture, fabricated from rolled, sandblasted, and etched stainless steel, depicts a nest with birds. As the students make their way up the main stairs toward classrooms, they are accompanied by more elements of the artwork, several birds in flight who have just left their home.
Lee states, “Taking into consideration the beauty of the Heritage Hall and suggestions made by the Art Committee, I wanted to make a timeless, cross-cultural piece that both children and adults would related to. Nest is a metaphor for Fern Hill Elementary, a safe haven where the young are nurtured and encouraged to discover, to question, and to express themselves. The birds in flight represent the students’ personal growth, independence, and endless possibility.”
Artwork acquired through Washington State’s Art in Public Places Program becomes part of the State Art Collection - a collection of over 4,600 works of art located at state agencies, public schools, colleges and universities throughout the state.
WSAC Grants Revisions
WSAC's Grants to Organizations Program is considering revisions to the categories of Institutional Support, Organizational Support, and Project Support. Major changes would involve:
The recommended revisions will be published on our website on Monday, October 20, with instructions as to how to submit input and comments. The Washington State Arts Commission will consider recommended revisions at its quarterly meeting, November 6, 2008 in Everett.
If you still have questions after reviewing the revisions document, please contact Grants to Organizations Manager Mayumi Tsutakawa or call 360-586-0424.
Artist Trust / Washington State Arts Commission Fellowships
Artist Trust recently announced the 21 recipients of the distinguished Artist Trust / Washington State Arts Commission Fellowships for 2008.
Each recipient receives an unrestricted cash award of $7,500 (increased from $6,500 in 2007), for a total of $157,500 distributed. The Fellowships recognize Washington State artist’s exceptional talent and demonstrated ability, professional achievement and continuing dedication to an artistic discipline.
This year the Artist Trust / Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship program received a total of 450 applications from artists working in Emerging & Cross-Disciplinary, Performing, Traditional & Folk and Visual Arts. Recipients were selected by peer-review panels comprised of artists and arts professionals from across Washington State, as well as from Oregon.
Recognizing that time and money can be a huge asset to boost and/or sustain the careers of artists, Artist Trust has awarded $1,977,000 to 351 artists over the past 20 years. Since 1993 Artist Trust has maintained a successful cooperative partnership with the Washington State Arts Commission to administer five Fellowship awards on behalf of the State of Washington.
* Washington State Arts Commission provided the funding for these Fellowships.
WSAC Deadlines
Community Arts Development
Opportunities
The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs in partnership with Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has announced two calls for artists. One call seeks artists to create temporary public artworks that address the impact of climate change on water supply and drainage utilities. The second opportunity is open to emerging artists to create commissioned portable artworks for SPU’s Portable Works Collection. Deadlines: 11/10/08.
4Culture is accepting applications for inclusion in the 4Culture Artist Registry of artists pre-qualified for a variety of public and private art commissions. Project budgets range from $10,000 to $1 million. The Registry is featured on the 4Culture website and widely utilized by public agencies, design professionals, and private developers. Deadline: 10/20/08.
The Scottsdale Public Art Program has issued a request for qualifications (PDF) for an artist to complete a time-based public artwork at the annual Scottsdale Arts Festival. The ideal candidate will create an artwork that is highly interactive and will be visually prominent in a festival setting. As a nationally known event, the arts festival occurs during the height of Scottsdale's tourist season and can draw up to 40,000 visitors. The budget for the project is $11,000. Deadline: 10/24/08.
The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2009, seeks an original graphic design for a new logo to be used on all marketing and collateral materials, such as posters, newsletters, letterhead stationery, etc., and on a redesigned website to launch at the end of the year. The artwork must include “Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council” in a creative way that conveys the Arts Council’s brand and messaging. The selected artwork and artist will be profiled on the website and to the press, and a $250 cash prize will be awarded to the selected artist. Send submissions to info@shorelinearts.net. Deadline: 10/31/08.
Americans for the Arts is producing a series of webinars on topics from Public Art 101 for Administrators to Leadership in Tough Times. At a member price of $85 per site, you can choose to learn from your desk or lower the cost per person by inviting a group to join in. The next webinar is Public Art 101 for Administrators, October 22, 2008 at 11:00 am (PDT) Through case studies and project examples, participants will learn the nuts and bolts of creating public art for their communities. The 90-minute webinar will discuss the context of placing artwork in the public realm including the politics of building a stakeholder base, agency partnerships and advocacy strategies. Instructors will explore different funding and program structural models, including percent-for-art ordinances, master plans, and artist selection processes.
Jack Straw Productions is seeking applications for its Artist Residency Programs, which offer established and emerging artists in diverse disciplines an opportunity to explore the creative use of sound in a professional atmosphere. Artists may apply to more than one program, but must submit a complete and separate set of applications for each. Writers Program: Deadline 10/31/08. Artist Support Program and New Media Gallery: Deadline 11/07/08.
For the eighth year EMP|SFM (Experience Music Project / Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame) hosts Sound Off!, the Northwest's largest underage battle of the bands competition. A launching pad for musical careers, Sound Off! has enjoyed hosting many young up-and-coming bands over the years including Schoolyard Heroes, Idiot Pilot, Mon Frere, The Lonely H, Dyme Def, Capitol Basement, The Lonely Forest, Natalie Portman's Shaved Head and New Faces. If you're age 21 or under and play rock, hip-hop, electronic, pop, or any other kind of music, this is your chance to join the ranks of these luminary groups and perform at EMP|SFM. Deadline: 11/10/08.
Washington Lawyer's for the Arts is presenting Estate Planning for Artists on November 13, from noon to 1:30 pm in Seattle. Estate planning is a very important consideration for an artist, and involves more than just writing a will. It will involve the process of organizing and categorizing your works, choosing an executor, selecting such professionals as an attorney and an accountant, and spelling out what should be done with your art work to ensure it will continue to be presented or managed as you wish. Attorney Jeffrey M. Grieff will discuss these and other basic estate planning issues and will answer your questions.
The Tacoma Culture is now accepting Arts Projects funding applications from eligible organizations producing arts programming in 2009. Applicants are encouraged to attend a free workshop, which explains the process and addresses questions. The workshop will be held on Oct. 22 from noon until 1:30 p.m. at the Tacoma Municipal Building. Deadline: 11/17/08.
The City of Olympia Arts & Events Program is looking for artists for the spring and fall 2009 Arts Walk map covers; a jury will choose the artists who will be featured on each map. Prospective artists must have officially participated in the Olympia Arts Walk within the past two years. Applicants need to complete a short application (PDF) and turn in five slides or digital images of their current work. Deadline: 11/21/08.
Artist Perry Bard’s Man with a Movie Camera: The Global Remake, is seeking participants (PDF) for a video project being shot by people from around the world who are recording images, which interpret the original script of Man with a Movie Camera (1929). Selected portions of Man with a Movie Camera: The Global Remake will be featured on e4c, 4Culture’s store-front media gallery. Eligibility: Must reside in the Puget Sound area (Washington State) Deadline: 12/01/08.
The Scottsdale Public Art Program is accepting qualifications (PDF) from artists for an opportunity to create a stand alone dynamic artwork at a new fire station in Eldorado Park in the city of Scottsdale. Deadline: 12/05/08.
Central Oregon Community College seeks to commission a permanent large scale work of art for the Campus Center building on the Central Oregon Community College campus in Bend, Oregon. Interested artists should apply through CAFE. Deadline: 12/01/08.
The National Endowment for the Arts' Big Read program is accepting applications from non-profit organizations to conduct month-long, community-wide reads between September 2009 and June 2010. Organizations selected to participate in The Big Read will receive a grant ranging from $2,500 to $20,000, financial support to attend the orientation meeting, educational and promotional materials for broad distribution, Organizer’s Guide for developing and managing Big Read activities, inclusion of your organization and activities on The Big Read Web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national initiative. Approximately 400 organizations of varying sizes across the country will be selected for this cycle. Deadline: 02/03/09.
The Esvelt Gallery, at Columbia Basin College, is soliciting proposals for solo and group exhibitions for the 2009/2010 academic year. Application packets are accepted throughout the year. Exhibiting artists receive an honorarium.
United Way of King County enhances the capacity of nonprofit organizations to deliver services in the community by providing training opportunities and discussion forums to staff and board members around key nonprofit management and governance issues. These trainings and forums are open to all nonprofit organizations and volunteers. Upcoming trainings include board recruitment, succession planning, and more. Visit the Training Calendar for more information.
Employment / Internship / Volunteer
The Longhouse at The Evergreen State College in Olympia is looking to hire a program coordinator for the Native Artist Grants Program, currently funded by the Ford Foundation.
The CD Forum is recruiting a part-time Program & Marketing Coordinator (PDF).
Centrum, a 36-year-old nonprofit located on Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, is recruiting an Executive Director. Centrum is dedicated to serving artists of all ages and backgrounds through residential workshops, creative residencies, and public performances.
Northwest Folklife is recruiting interns to take on a significant roles in planning and executing the largest free community arts festival in the nation. Several internship opportunities are available in the following fields: General Programming, Cultural Focus, Accounting, Sponsorship, Merchants, Executive Administration and Development.
The Portland Art Museum is recruiting for the position of Curator of Northwest Art. Reporting to the Chief Curator this position is responsible for developing temporary exhibitions; working on related programs; and writing and speaking about Northwest art. Deadline: 11/17/08.
Events
Wenatchee, Mount Vernon, Friday Harbor, Eastsound, Auburn, Twisp and Seattle - Seattle Opera’s 2008/09 Young Artist Program participants will perform Tatyana’s Letter, an English-language adaptation of a Tchaikovsky lyric opera, in communities across Washington. The statewide tour tour begins November 1 at the Performing Arts Center of Wenatchee, and will include Mount Vernon, Friday Harbor, Eastsound, and Auburn, before concluding at the Merc Playhouse in Twisp on November 21.
On November 13, in Seattle, a free lunchtime performance of an adaptation of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel will be performed at Seattle City Hall, 600 Fourth Avenue, at noon. The City Hall performance will be the only public showing of this English-language opera, which the Young Artists will present at schools and events throughout the season.
Yakima- The Yakima-Morelia Sister City Association will host its 4th annual Día de los Muertos Community Altar Exhibit in downtown Yakima. The exhibit, featuring up to 30 community created altars, will be open daily Noon to 7:00 pm from October 25 through November 2, at 317 East Yakima Avenue, (the former Yakima Mall). Admission is free. At the exhibit, you’ll learn about this rich cultural event, which is a blend of Aztec traditions of remembering the dead and the Catholic tradition of celebration of All Saints Day and All Souls Day tradition brought by the Spanish conquistadors.
And, on November 2, at 2:00 pm, the Yakima Symphony Orchestra will host their third annual Día de los Muertos Celebration of Life! The YSO Chorus performs Rossini’s Stabat Mater, with guest soloists including the return of Diane Thueson Reich and three former Seattle Opera Young Artists, and a soloist from Morelia, Mexico.
Seattle - Seattle Opera’s fall production of Richard Strauss’s riveting drama Elektra opens at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall on October 18 and runs through November 1. Based on Sophocles’ ancient tragedy, the opera focuses on Agamemnon’s daughter Elektra and her manic obsession with avenging his murder. Elektra features some of Strauss’s most voluptuous music—the magnificent score, an enormous stream of orchestral sound, ranges from lush melodies to unearthly effects.
Wapato - The 4th Annual Tamale Festival is on October 18 at Wapato's Victory Plaza -- with a tamale cook off, wine tasting, a car show, art show, ethnic dancing and entertainment (more details in this Yakima Herald article.) Following the festival close, the Legends Speaker Series on the Hispanic Experience will be presented at Wapato's Liberty Theater to hear Ricardo Garcia, (founder of Spanish-language radio KDNA) and his wife Monica, talk about the Hispanic experience.
Richland - Allied Arts of Richland is presenting an exhibit featuring John Clement, Photography and Rachel Dorn, Ceramic Sculpture now through October 31. The regional scenes captured in John Clement’s photographs are familiar to Eastern Washington residents, but he is now using subjects from across the globe. He is as interested in color and texture as he is in capturing the realistic views, which form a contrasting backdrop for Rachel Dorn’s abstract sculptures.
Photo credits
Artwork Installation: Nest (details) by Suzanne Lee, installed at Fern Hill Elementary in Tacoma. Photo by the artist.
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