Idea Exchange

The Opportunity for Leadership in Challenging Times

NAMACAdmin — Tue, 2 Mar 2010 14:34:39 -0800

In a survey released earlier this year, the Conference Board discovered that job satisfaction among workers in the United States is at its lowest level in two decades. From an organizational perspective, this is a huge liability; with the challenges of the current environment, it’s more important than ever that staff members are inspired, empowered, and fully engaged. Now is the time to involve all of your employees more deeply in the work of the organization and in finding solutions to challenges by strengthening their capacity to advance your organization’s goals. Now is the perfect time to build leadership capacity.

When Worlds Converge

NAMACAdmin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:59:06 -0800

Media artists share with their counterparts in other fields the huge task of moving public opinion on culture's social value. It's been a long tunnel, but every now and then, there's a glimpse of light. I have tried out approximately one gazillion concepts, arguments and images intended to convey my passion for art's public purpose.

Some have great persuasive power and some, despite my deep conviction of their merit, don't quite get over. Sometimes, these are like beloved children who learn to walk or talk behind schedule: you just have to wait for events to catch up to their potential. Especially in the realm of ideas, people can find it difficult to perceive information that run counter to their usual ways of seeing. But recently, patience has begun to pay dividends in the form of greater receptivity to information that was formerly ignored or resisted. Please read on.

Taking a Forward Stance: How Training and Transparency Helped Global Action Project Meet the Economic Crisis Head On

NAMACAdmin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:06:42 -0800

In January 2009, after the Fall 2008 precipitous drop in the stock market and increasingly dire predictions for a constricting economy, it became clear that non-profits—especially smaller, arts organizations—would be hit hard by dramatic loses in philanthropic activities. At Global Action Project, we felt the jolt of anxiety rippling throughout the non-profit sector and understood that circumstances needed a swift, proactive response.

Our mission and core values charged us to do just that—and a new leadership structure, which we had recently implemented as a result of a new five-year planning process, allowed us to do so with full transparency.

NAMAC Helps Highlight the Importance of an Open Internet

carlo — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 15:26:50 -0800

On January 14, 2010, the National Alliance of Media Arts and Culture was one of thirteen independent creator organizations showing support for net neutrality in an FCC notice regarding the preservation of an Open Internet. The comments submitted by the various organizations bear witness to the call for enforceable and lawful rules that can ensure equality to all creators on the Internet. In a growing digital world, NAMAC wants to make sure every artist and creator has the opportunity to reach out to their potential audiences.

Co-signers include Future of Music Coalition, the Writers Guild of America and the American Music Center to name a few.

Best and Worst of 2009 in Art and Public Media

deweydan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:59:19 -0800

NAMAC members weigh in on the best and worst of 2009: from work ethic to public media, web 2.0 projects to local organizing efforts.

Hear from Julia Kirt of the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition on the 10 Worst Artist Excuses for Turning Proposals or Artwork in Late, read up on the top 10 download folder items that Belinda Rawlins of the Transmission Project keeps coming back to, and check out Patty Zimmerman's list of the best international multi-platform Web 2.0 projects of 2009.

From the Co-Directors at the Close of 2009

deweydan — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:51:57 -0800

NAMAC Co-Directors Helen De Michiel and Jack Walsh look back on 2009 and ahead to 2010.

Helen De Michiel: I just returned from Washington, DC where I spoke at a meeting of arts leaders called by Senior Deputy Chair Joan Shigekawa. It’s purpose was to hear from the national arts service organizations about the recently released report, 2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts.

Since film and digital media as art forms were not included in the survey report, I was asked to respond from a NAMAC perspective on the cultural role of film, digital, and social media, how each is transforming our communications landscape, and offer suggestions on how the next survey in 2012 can better reflect the realities of our current arts landscape.

A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR THE NAMAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

deweydan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:59:14 -0800

NAMAC is now recruiting candidates to run for positions on its Board of Directors. Nominations are due to the NAMAC office by 5pm. Candidates must submit a short paragraph (100 words or less). The statement should include biographical information and a compelling argument for electing the candidate to the board.

Bringing Community Media into the University: A Strategy for Developing Media Arts Programs

NAMACAdmin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:49:47 -0800

Community media work has always been hard to fund, and it’s only getting tougher with today’s economy. Meanwhile, universities are looking for creative ways to reach out to the communities that surround them and have the resources to do it. As a media artist/educator living in a university town, it occurred to me that I could design the kind of participatory, social change oriented media projects I’m passionate about in a way that meets the university’s needs. So I put these puzzle pieces together and over the past two years developed the Art of Regional Change (ARC) at the University of California Davis, 15 miles west of Sacramento.

Status Update: Disconnecting…See You In A Few Days

NAMACAdmin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:52:20 -0800

Connecting with people has never been easier than it is today. Thanks to technology and social networking, we are literally able to get up-to-the-second updates about the comings and goings of hundreds of “friends” near and far. This is powerful and exciting. Yet it seems as visual arts administrators, we’ve got so much to do and so little time to do it that we are rarely able to meaningfully connect with each other. This summer, however, I had the chance to “disconnect” from status updates and text messages and connect with an impressive group of arts professionals at the 2009 NAMAC Leadership Institute for Visual Arts Organizations.

Dear FCC: No Special Favors to Hollywood!

NAMACAdmin — Thu, 5 Nov 2009 10:10:55 -0800

The only thing stopping Hollywood from releasing movies to VOD earlier is… Hollywood. They could do it if they wanted to. There’s no law stopping them, there’s not technical limitation.

They’ve imposed an artificial limitation as a lever to get what they want. If there were actual serious demand for movies on VOD sooner, I seriously doubt Hollywood would leave the money lying on the table.