eNews - February 2009 Edition
From the Executive Director
In the stairway of the new Natural Science Building at South
This new addition to the State Art Collection is the result of Washington’s public art program. Established in 1974, the program has made our state’s buildings better, improved schools in all part of the state, enhanced public spaces, and provided jobs for hundreds of artists, fabricators, technicians, and other skilled workers. As a result, the State Art Collection includes high quality contemporary artworks in public places in every part of the state. In the past year, nearly 50 projects were completed, in all corners of the state, including:
Dewey Decimal’s Delegation, by Otto Youngers (Tacoma), in the hallways at Ridgeview Elementary School, Spokane
Big Bang, by Jack Archibald (Camano Island), in the entry of Cascade Middle School, Vancouver
Poetic License, by Buster Simpson (Seattle), on the campus of Walla Walla Community College
In every case, the art selection decisions are made locally using a time-tested process that involves those who will be working, studying, and visiting the site where the art will be located. It’s our job to facilitate these processes so that the art is successful for decades to come.
Public art is a window into the creative economy. Explains the National Governor’s Association, “Arts and culture-related industries, also known as ‘creative industries,’ provide direct economic benefits to states and communities. They create jobs, attract investments, generate tax revenues, and stimulate local economies through tourism and consumer purchases.” (Arts and the Economy: Using Arts and Culture to Stimulate State Economic Development (PDF), NGA, 2008.)
Thanks for your commitment to the state’s public art program. Keep in touch,
Rhyme: Putting an Edge on Things
A farmer grinds his weeding hoe, A woodsman tends his axes, A sawyer files his saw teeth,
"Rhyme: Putting an Edge on Things" ©2008 by Poet Laureate Sam Green; from his book, The Grace of Necessity, Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2008.
Changes to Grants to Organizations
At its November 2008 meeting in Everett, the Washington State Arts Commission approved changes to the Grants to Organizations guidelines, beginning in Fiscal Year 2010 (July 1, 2009). Input on grants guidelines changes was solicited from the strategic planning process, past and present grantees, as well as the general arts community. The changes respond to economic trends and demographic changes statewide. The availability of these WSAC grants will be dependent upon funding approved through the State’s legislative process in early 2009.
New Artwork Installation
Roger Nachman's, Life Rhythms, was installed alongside the large windows of the commons and looking out at the main entrance to Spanaway Junior High School.
Life Rhythms consists of multiple colored glass elements fused onto 14 glass panels. Arranged into a flowing ribbon-like form, the design is a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes, and forms along a rhythmic flow of vertical elements. Imbedded in the colorful flow are objects, also made of fused glass, that are more literal – a strip of film, a rocket, musical notes, the generic recycling icon, just to name a few – that the students will discover over time. As the artist states, the form with its numerous details represents "a variety of geometric and organic stimuli along the continuum of our lives." The work serves as a colorful glass mural entryway for the school and inspiration for students eating lunch, hanging out, and attending performances inside the commons.
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.
Creative Vitality Index Update
The Creative Vitality Index | 2009 Update is an annual measure of the health of the creative economy in Washington State.
The creative economy as defined in the Creative Vitality Index includes for-profit and nonprofit arts-related enterprises. Using readily available, inexpensive data on employment and community participation, the Creative Vitality Index reflects the vigor of this sector of the economy and culture.
The Washington State Creative Vitality Index for the 2007 calendar year was 1.32, an increase from the previous year. Seattle-King County has the highest regional index, with an overall value of 2.51, also slightly higher than the 2006 index. While revenue for arts organizations was down slightly, book, music, photography, and museum stores all saw increases contributing to an overall increase in the Washington State Creative Vitality Index.
Contact Mark Gerth for more information or to request copies.
News, Articles and Information
Members of the House and Senate conference committee completed their negotiations of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act with $50 million designated to assist the nation’s arts and cultural workforce through funding to the National Endowment for the Arts. Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the final version of the Economic Recovery bill by a vote of 246-183. The bill proceeds next to the Senate for a final vote before being sent to the president. The exclusionary Coburn Amendment language banning certain arts groups from receiving any other economic recovery funds was removed. The National Endowment for the Arts Newsroom is tracking developments.
The Washington State Arts Commission is conducting some preliminary research on arts and early learning. If you are an artist or a teacher using art in Early Learning situations please fill out this survey. A separate survey was already sent to Arts in Education and Organizational grantees.
Artist Trust has opened a short-term satellite office in Ellensburg, housed at Gallery One Visual Arts Center, Mondays and Tuesdays, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative, is a high-tech support service through which arts administrators can have confidential discussions with the center's executive staff about issues such as shrinking income sources, fundraising, budgeting, marketing, the use of technology, and other areas pertinent to maintaining a vital performing arts organization in a troubled economy. Any nonprofit arts group may sign up to receive assistance, which will be provided via e-mail, phone, Web chats, and/or site visits.
Opportunities
Washington State Tourism is partnering with National Geographic and Travel Oregon to produce a map and Web site for the Central Cascades region. To be considered for the map, nominations must be submitted to by March 29, 2009. A series of free workshops and geoforums are being offered throughout the Central Cascades to help identify and define our geotourism products and our compelling stories. Two workshops remaining: Feb. 18, Yakima, Yakima Convention Center ; and Feb. 20, Olympia, Washington Farm Bureau.
Washington Lawyers for the Arts presents the Annual Evening Tax Workshop for Artists and the Attorneys Representing Them at 911 Media Arts Center on February 18, from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm. Neil Sussman's popular tax workshop is back to guide artists and their attorneys through yet another season of gains, losses, formulas and forms. Learn all the basics you need, plus special tips and what's new for your 2008 tax return.
The Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs is accepting applications for the 2009 CityArtist Projects program that supports Seattle-based individual artists working in dance, music and theater. Artists working in traditional/ethnic and multidisciplinary projects that incorporate one of these primary performing arts disciplines may also apply. Funding awards range up to $10,000. Deadline: 02/17/09. There are also several public art opportunities.
Artist Trust is accepting applications for their GAP (Grants for Artist Projects) program. Artist Trust’s GAP Program provides support for individual artist projects by awarding up to $1,500 for projects including (but not limited to) the development, completion or presentation of new work. Deadline:02/20/09.
Nominations are being accepted for the Washington State Imagination Award (PDF) to recognize an elementary school that encourages and incorporates imaginative thinking across the curriculum, from art to English to the natural sciences. Such a curriculum promotes the development of the capacities that recognize and foster imagination; and demonstrates the ability to construct learning environments in which these capacities and imagination are cultivated and flourish. The award comes with a $5000 prize and other recognition. Deadline: 02/27/09.
The City of Kennewick Arts Commission (KAC) is seeking an artist or team of artists to create the first piece of public art initiated by the Commission. The work will be installed at the Tri-Cities Business and Visitor Center. Washington Artists residing within 150 miles radius of Kennewick are eligible to apply. Budget of $25,000. Contact Barb Carter at C2Recources@charter.net or 509-531-0944 for more information. Deadline 2/27/09.
Commotion at the Ocean is the theme for the 16th annual Northwest Festivals and Events Conference, March 1-3 at Ocean Shores. The annual conference is produced by the Washington Festivals & Events Association in partnership with the Oregon Festivals & Events Association.
Executive Alliance is accepting applications for the 2009 Evergreen Award. For 16 years, the Evergreen Award has recognized nonprofit organizations for their contributions to our communities and the furtherance of exemplary leadership in the nonprofit sector. Deadline: 03/05/09.
Parks-Specific—a partnership between Seattle Parks and Recreation, 4Culture’s Site Specific Program, the Downtown Seattle Association, and the Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs—is seeking up to three curators or curatorial teams to develop three downtown Seattle parks as public arts space. Deadline: 03/06/09. Allied Arts of Yakima Valley is now accepting entries for their 2009 juried exhibit Trash to Treasure: Artists Take on Recycled Art. All works must be comprised mainly of recycled, repurposed, or used items that would otherwise have ended up in the garbage. The Trash to Treasure prospectus is open to all artists residing in Central Washington. Deadline: 03/06/09.
The 27th Annual Wallowa Valley Festival of Arts is seeking entries (PDF) for its visual arts show, June 5-7 2009. Most mediums accepted; no film, performance or installation. Deadline: 04/13/09.
The Spokane Arts Commission has announced a call for artists for its annual All-Media Juried Show that will be held at the Chase Gallery. Deadline: 04/10/09. Survive or Thrive: What are the Artful Solutions? is the theme for this year's Cultural Congress, an annual convening of arts organizations and artists, April 27 - 29 at the Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat in Leavenworth.
Northwest Film Forum has issued call for films based on the surrealist game Exquisite Corpse. Participants will be free to film anything they want, but will begin and end their segments with images chosen randomly out of a hat. For example, one person might pick from a hat a slip that says "Begin with man with a hat/ End with barking dog." This is how they begin and end their film. Another person will draw a slip that says "Begin with barking dog/ End with girl riding a bike." What happens in the interim will be the filmmaker's choice. The finished films will be shown in sequence with the chosen images anchoring the films together. Deadline: 04/28/09.
Parklane Gallery, in Kirkland, Washington has a call to artists to submit entries to their 17th Annual International Miniature Show which will run May 5 - 31, 2009. Deadline: 04/28/09.
Employment / Internship / Volunteer
Clark College, in Vancouver, WA, is currently accepting applications for a part time, temporary Archer Gallery Curator / Manager (PDF). This position works 10 months of the year, reports to the Chair of the Art Department, and is responsible for planning, designing, and physically installing six exhibits yearly, which includes contacting artists, galleries, and collectors to request loans of select pieces. Deadline: 2/26/09.
Events Wenatchee - Performing Arts Center of Wenatchee presents Chanticleer, a vocal ensemble comprised of 12 male singers performing music from Renaissance to jazz, on February 25 at 7:30 pm.
Tacoma - Wintergrass is an annual immersion into bluegrass music February 19 - 22. One of the biggest and best bluegrass festivals, it attracts not just fans but also musicians -- by the thousands. Come for the shows, workshops and rollicking dances.
Everett - BizArt is a two-day Conference February 20 - 21, designed to help artists develop the business savvy they need to pursue their career dreams. Musicians, dancers, designers, photographers, actors, sculptors, painters from crafters to professional artists all have much to gain in this artist friendly, business based learning environment.
Seattle - The Seattle Opera’s upcoming double bill of Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Schoenberg’s Erwartung opens for an exclusive Seattle engagement on February 21, and runs for eight performances through March 7.
Seattle - The CD Forum's is presenting Which Way Seattle? Series: The Black Face of Hip-Hop on February 19 at 7pm at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. Hip-Hop has deep roots in Seattle and the Northwest. Black Hip-Hop artists have pioneered and set the groundwork for many Northwest Hip-Hop artists. Does this history relate to the present representation and influence of Black people in the Hip-Hop industry? Join this ongoing series of civic dialogues about local and political affairs that directly impact Seattle’s African-American community.
Shoreline - The Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council is presenting an evening with BodyVox on March 7 at 7:30 pm at the Shorecrest Performing Arts Center. A BodyVox2 performance is breathtakingly physical; highly original; passionately lyrical and frequently whimsical. BodyVox has a reputation for choreography that is both adventurous and innovative—challenging and engaging for committed dance fans, while also remaining accessible to new audiences.
Photo credits
Letter from the Director: Sine Trellis, Kay Kirkpatrick, 2009, Stainless steel, aluminum, resin, concrete, glass. South Puget Sound Community College. Photo by Peter de Lory.
Artwork Installation: Life Rhythms, Roger Nachman, 2008, Fused glass. Spanaway Junior High School, Bethel School District. Photo by the artist.
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The Washington State Arts Commission (WSAC) is the state agency established in 1961 to support the arts as essential to the state's social, educational and economic growth, and to contribute to Washington's quality of life and the well being of its citizens. WSAC is governed by four legislators and 19 Governor-appointed citizens.
eNews ©2009
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Puget Sound Community College, artwork by Kay Kirkpatrick (image left) references the molecular structure of DNA and invites comparisons with wave patterns, sine curves, and the natural growth of climbing vines.
