The State of the Field: A Report from 2001 Regional Meetings
In the fall of 2001, NAMAC collaborated with the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF) to present MAESTRO, the Media Arts Environmental Scanning Tour of Regional Organizations. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts, MAESTRO sought to forge connections among regional media arts organizations through a series of screenings, workshops, and think tank discussions in three cities: Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Portland, Oregon. By convening staff leaders from these organizations, NAMAC encouraged them to think together about the direction of the independent media field. Participants explored current trends and issues based on the experiences of their organizations and identified the kinds of support and assistance that would be most useful in the future.
Three sponsors contributed immeasurably to the project: IMAGE Film & Video in Atlanta, Film at the Prince (The Prince Theatre) in Philadelphia, and the Northwest Film Center in Portland. While the Atlanta and Philadelphia discussions drew participants from their respective metropolitan areas, the Portland gathering drew participants from Seattle and Olympia, Washington, as well. A total of 40 organizations were represented.
KEY TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE MEDIA ARTS
Key trends and issues in the media arts identified by MAESTRO participants included shifts in the field based on new technology, youth participation, and interdisciplinary work; a lack of broad awareness and appreciation for the media arts in an increasingly commercial culture; increased use of the Internet by media arts organizations; over-stretched organizations in need of leadership development and organization development; the emergence of an interconnected "media arts ecosystem" involving diverse media and community organizations; and a climate of uncertainty in the post-September 11 world.
A Changing Field: Youth Energy, New Technology, and Interdisciplinary Work
A Philadelphia participant reported that new forms of work and new audiences are being created by youth blending hip-hop, dance, video, and the Internet. In Portland, there is increasing cross-fertilization among art forms such as music, film, dance, and theater. As one Portland participant observed, "Community-building is happening through projects that are mixed-media and cross-disciplinary."
A participant in the Atlanta gathering commented, "A new generation of digital artists is working with new media platforms such as gaming. These artists are going outside the 'traditional' media arts universe for support and resources." Making use of "under the radar" distribution vehicles, such as garage screenings, many groups remain ad hoc. A Portland participant noted, "Young people are thinking about making work, not building an institution."
While appreciating the energy and survival skills of young artists and emerging groups who have chosen not to become affiliated with institutions, Portland participants, whose ranks included survivors of the 1990s culture wars, expressed concern about the limited prospects for ad hoc groups to take part in advocacy for the field. One participant emphasized that many young media artists are not aware of the history of the media arts field or the organizations that nurture the field, such as NAMAC and AIVF.
Portland participants framed the shift they are seeing in the media arts - from traditional media arts to hybrid arts - as part of a larger cultural shift. In all three regions participants spoke of the need for definitions of the media arts - encompassing film, video, and emerging forms - to evolve in terms that are meaningful to young artists.
Another aspect of the interdisciplinary trend surfaced in Atlanta, where organizations that are not primarily concerned with media arts are involved in media arts programming. For example the Goethe Institute of Atlanta, part of an international institution that promotes German culture, incorporates film exhibitions within its programs. The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is presented by AJC, a Jewish organization that has collaborated with the High Museum on a Jewish-Latino Film Festival. Staff within these organizations reported that because they do not identify as media arts organizations, they lack easy access to media arts networks and resources.
Commercial Pressures and a Lack of Broad Awareness and Appreciation for the Media Arts
"There is a perception that the arts are not vital to life. We need to improve public understanding of the value of media arts as an art form," a Philadelphia participant said, striking a resonant chord with other attendees. Another Philadelphia participant emphasized that the "corporate political environment" impacts all arts, including the media arts. "We need to reframe our work and reclaim public spaces in an increasingly commercial culture," she stated.
A recurring theme among media arts staff leaders in all three regions was the lack of widespread awareness and appreciation for the media arts among the public, the mainstream media outlets, and some funders. Participants noted the continuing importance of major media outlets in shaping public perceptions about independent media. A Portland staff leader commented that mainstream media coverage frames all independent media artists as "would-be Scorceses," noting, "the myth of Sundance is the only image of indie filmmaking out in the public."
In Atlanta, which has one daily newspaper, a participant said the long-running Atlanta Film Festival "is not considered a 'real' festival by the paper" and is therefore not promoted in the paper. Emphasizing the close link between publicity and event attendance, another Atlanta participant reported that a feature article in the weekly alternative newspaper led to a capacity crowd at a recent screening.
A lack of appreciation for the media arts was noted not only in mainstream media outlets, but also within the broader community of arts supporters. For example, one participant reported that state arts councils "tend to think of film as a commercial form. They often lack knowledge of the media arts." Others noted that the NEA and foundation funders often measure success in commercial terms, using a quantitative framework (e.g., how many people attended), which creates pressure to screen more commercial work. According to an Atlanta participant, corporate support for the media arts is also lacking. She said, "We need to convince corporate leaders that a thriving media arts community helps create a more vibrant city and economy." Commercial pressures include internal pressure, some participants reported. For example, in a media program that is part of a museum or other large institution, there is pressure for the content of the film program to tie in with blockbuster museum exhibits "serving as an adjunct to the 'real art'."
Increased Use of the Internet by Media Arts Organizations
The Internet has had several positive influences on media arts practice, participants reported. A Philadelphia participant who presents an online film festival said that online filmmakers have some advantages over traditional filmmakers in their ability to work faster and more inexpensively in creating and distributing work. Participants in Philadelphia and Portland reported that the Internet is being used to enhance outreach efforts and build attendance for workshops and screenings. According to an Atlanta participant, youth-serving organi-zations have had to become Internet savvy to engage young people - and they have done so. Other Atlanta participants described positive experiences with their websites, including handling event RSVPs and renewing memberships online, which streamlines staff work.
A Need For Organization Development and Leadership Development in a Fluid Environment
Media arts staff leaders in all three regions expressed concerns with over-stretched organizational capacity and the chronic lack of attention to staff leadership development. A self-proclaimed "geezer with glasses" in Portland brought up the issue of "founder's syndrome," reporting a lack of economic incentive and infra-structure to enable new people to work their way into executive leadership positions. Another Portland participant noted the "gap in the middle" between the new, young people in the media arts and the older executives, stating, "People are leaving the field because they can't sustain a career." The need to recruit and develop people of color into management and staff positions within media arts organizations was emphasized by a Seattle staff leader. She highlighted the divide in community access television organizations, in which people of color are more often involved in programs than paid staff positions.
A Philadelphia participant spoke of the need "to develop our people and take our organizations to the next level" with staff leadership development, board development, and organization development. An Atlanta participant reported being challenged to conduct thoughtful technology planning and to assure adequate staff training in light of ongoing technological change. Other Philadelphia participants articulated the special challenges faced by small organizations. One noted the difficulty of attending to strategic planning and maintaining operations. Another spoke of the challenge of taking time to get basic systems in place - even for activities that are central to the organization's mission. "We do not have enough capacity to do things correctly and plan strategically. So how do you get where you want to go?" one Portland participant asked.
Some Atlanta participants reported two tendencies among funders that are undermining quality programming decisions and long-term sustainability: gauging success based on quantitative measures such audience numbers, and limiting financial support to programs and projects rather than operations. One staff leader noted that some media arts organizations have shifted their focus - to youth media, for example - based on the latest funder priorities. He commented, "We play into funders' pattern of only funding projects, when we really should be educating them on the need to strengthen the organizations that support artists." A Philadelphia participant commented, "Catering to funders' priorities compromises the work."
Portland participants explored the shifting terrain for the media arts and the need to tinker with organizational forms. One participant spoke of the importance of creating "pathways" for professional development to encourage young artists and staff members with a cross-disciplinary focus. Another noted that "larger is not necessarily better," using a suburban sprawl metaphor to convey the perils of increasing the size of an organization that is undercapitalized. She emphasized the importance of imaginatively shoring up core programming through cultivating "networked systems" of partnerships with other organizations.
The Emergence of a Media Arts Ecosystem
"We are all linked," a Seattle media arts leader said, referring to the diverse groups that make up the "media arts ecosystem," including the independent film community, the new indie media movement, community access television, public broadcasters, arts groups, and other organizations involved in community cultural work.
An emphasis on partnerships was reported in all three regions. An Atlanta participant noted that for groups operating at a very grassroots level - with no paid staff - partnering has become very important. A Philadelphia staff leader said it has become "more important than ever to connect to neighborhoods throughout the city to develop audiences beyond our usual arts-oriented audience." A Portland participant reported that "making connections with other groups - including schools, arts, and community groups - is a basic part of our role as a twenty-first century nonprofit organization. These links are built into all our programs."
Atlanta participants highlighted a number of successful collaborations and pointed out that the logistics involved make some collaborations impractical. A funder participating in the Philadelphia session noted, "Artists do need money, but must also think about other forms of support," such as in-kind resources and partners. Another Philadelphia participant reported that "artists are often ill-prepared to undertake the organization required to develop audiences," and that while community connections are important, "outreach also creates new stresses."
Portland participants said that "listening to artists" and "listening to the community" are strategies they employ for keeping their organizations relevant in the midst of cultural shifts, such as those involving the emergence of young artists, new technology, and cross-disciplinary art forms. Philadelphia participants emphasized the need to "build a critical community" to generate more reviews and articles about the media arts. They also noted room for improvement in bringing media-makers, activists, and media literacy educators together to connect with constituencies "beyond the film community."
In a similar vein, a Seattle participant said, "We need to bolster our own [media arts] ecosystem here in the Northwest. We need each other. We need to tease out the complexities and understand how to work together."
A Climate of Uncertainty in the Post-September 11 World
Portland participants flagged a number of interrelated issues in the post-Sept. 11 environment. Some reported lowered attendance at workshops and screenings in the aftermath of Sept. 11 and expressed a concern that philanthropists and audiences will adopt an "essential services only" attitude - translating into reluctance to give and/or spend money on the arts. In the current climate, critical analysis is being framed as "unpatriotic," one participant noted, and there may be new risks of persecution for vanguard and social issue artists. Another staff leader reported that, in her experience, "audiences are validating risk-takers." She said artists are not interested in "playing it safe" and that a new sensibility is emerging among audiences - one that appreciates the disruption of complacency provided by the arts.
SUPPORT NEEDED BY MEDIA ARTS ORGANIZATIONS
Think tank participants were asked, "What support or assistance would be most useful to your organization in this environment?" The ideas participants generated included activities they determined were most appropriately handled at the local level, and others that suggest a role for NAMAC in its capacity as a national organization supporting the field.
At the local level, recurring themes included increasing communications among media arts groups, cross-promoting to develop shared audiences, working cooperatively to improve press coverage, and increasing local participation in advocacy efforts, such as testifying at county budget hearings that have an impact on arts funding. A few months after the MAESTRO sessions, participants reported that some of these efforts are underway. For example, in Philadelphia, think tank participants continue to meet for informal networking through a monthly brown bag luncheon. In Atlanta, new systems for cross-promoting events among media arts organizations are in effect. "The MAESTRO think tank stimulated a more open door for communications between arts centers," one staff leader reported, "and that communication has continued."
All three regions identified a need for national support in three areas: keeping the field connected and involved in knowledge generation; assisting the field with organization development and leadership development; and advocating in the public policy arena and with funders. Although the challenge of marketing was not specifically identified as an area requiring national support, its recurrence as a concern suggests a possible role for NAMAC. Staff leaders in all three regions reported they experience challenges with "telling the story" of the media arts within local communities.
Connecting the Field and Generating Knowledge
To keep the field connected, participants suggested the continuation of NAMAC online salons and the addition of regional salons. Atlanta and Philadelphia participants specifically suggested "more gatherings like MAESTRO" to encourage face-to-face dialogue and networking with peers at the regional level. Additional web-based resources were suggested, such as information summarizing media arts funding sources and funding requirements at the state and national levels. Participants in Portland and Atlanta highlighted the value of case studies (such as NAMAC's "A Closer Look" series) and suggested seeking out examples and models of interdisciplinary works to be shared.
The changing nature of the media arts field, and the need to incorporate new voices and additional partners, prompted a request from one Portland participant to "help us to understand our media arts ecology." A related suggestion was for NAMAC to engage the field in "scenario planning" to help envision possible futures for the media arts.
Providing Assistance with Organization Development and Leadership Development
Think thank participants reported that they look to NAMAC for opportunities to learn from peers and others knowledgeable in the media arts field. Several participants were already familiar with NAMAC's Media Arts Leadership Institute and peer technical assistance consulting resources. Attendees in Atlanta and Philadelphia urged continuing support for these leadership development and organization development vehicles. Portland participants also emphasized the need for professional development for emerging artists and staff leaders. In particular, they suggested "new language and innovative methods" for actively involving new leadership in the media arts field - such as targeted recruitment and nomination processes. At the same time, they noted that the cultural shifts being experienced by the field "require flexibility and creativity in how we conceptualize organizational forms."
Advocating in the Public Policy Arena and with Funders
Participants wanted to see NAMAC continue to work on public policy issues. While recognizing the need for local and state level organizing around specific legislation, Philadelphia participants also expressed the need for a "common platform for public policy," generated by NAMAC, that could be applied to advocacy efforts at the local, state, and national levels. Portland participants suggested a campaign approach to advocacy and requested that NAMAC assume a role in "bringing the media arts to the table" when cultural and telecommunications policy is developed.
In addition to advocacy in the public policy arena, Atlanta participants suggested a role for NAMAC in "making the case with funders that media arts organizations need and deserve long-term support for infrastructure, in addition to short-term, project-oriented funding." In a similar vein, Portland attendees saw a need to "protect, reinforce, and re-inspire funding resources" for the media arts.
IMPLICATIONS FOR NAMAC'S SERVICE TO THE FIELD
NAMAC currently serves and engages the media arts field with research, publications, and the online Knowledge Network for the Media Arts; a biennial national conference that emphasizes information sharing, skill building, and planning for the future; and the Peer Leadership Initiative, which includes online topical salons, a residential leadership institute for staff leaders, and peer technical assistance that supports organization development efforts.
An expansion of some program offerings may be warranted. For example, the current public policy climate suggests that the media arts field would benefit from a greater role by NAMAC in framing public policy issues and engaging the field in advocacy. Also, facing organizational capacity limits and the need to develop and retain a new generation of staff leaders, the field would benefit from additional support in organization development and leadership development. Strategies for supporting multicultural leadership development and young leaders are particularly urgent.
In this time of moving boundaries and multiple levels of change in the field, NAMAC's role as a convening organization is essential. This aspect of NAMAC's work, too, may require expansion to address the major shifts in the media arts environment, as represented by the emergence of hybrid art forms, ad hoc organizational models, and artists working with new digitally-based media forms, to name a few examples. The upcoming 2002 NAMAC Conference represents an important opportunity to convene the media arts field for a collective exploration of these trends and to engage in generative dialogues that will help to shape the future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PAULA MANLEY is an organization development consultant, working with nonprofit groups and public agencies, and co-founder of The Learning Commons, devoted to nurturing public spaces and community-based leadership.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2001 National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture. All Rights Reserved.
