Regional Leadership Institute for Minnesota Arts Organizations

NAMAC is seeking arts organization leaders in Minnesota that have a demonstrated commitment to leadership in their local communities and/or the national field, and to their own professional development, to participate in our 2012 Leadership Institute for Minnesota Arts Organizations (April 23-27, 2012). The NAMAC Leadership Institute is presented in partnership with The Learning Commons, a nonprofit dedicated to nurturing creativity, public spaces and community-based leadership.

This fellowship is underwritten by American Express Philanthropy, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, and The McKnight Foundation

American Express logo

Informational Call Recording

Listen to this recording to learn more about the Institute and how to apply from co-facilitator Dewey Schott, as well as hear from Minnesota-based alumni, including Jack Becker of Forecast Public Art.

“The moment you arrive, you step into an environment of openness, trust and exploration that you know will trigger change…I was in constant awe of the talent, fearlessness, and intelligence of the people surrounding me.”

- Cassandra Oliveras, Marketing Manager, El Museo Del Barrio

What is The Regional Leadership Institute for Minnesota Arts Organizations?

NAMAC will bring together twenty leaders from Minnesota-based arts organizations representing a variety of artistic disciplines for a NAMAC Leadership Institute, April 23-27, 2012 at the Koinonia Retreat Center in South Haven, MN.

This five-day intensive intergenerational workshop is designed to encourage and sustain visionary leadership in the arts.

Increase awareness of their leadership strengths and areas for development.
Learn and practice essential teamwork and collaboration skills for leading in an era of continual change.
Determine the steps they will take to grow their leadership.
Consider the impact of generational and cultural differences in their organizations.
Broaden their network of peer support within the region.

As follow-up support, NAMAC will convene two facilitated conference calls with Institute delegates (three and six months following the Institute). These conference calls will seek to further engage alumni on their leadership goals as well as provide a forum for deepening the peer relationships.

“The NAMAC Leadership Institute for Visual Arts Organizations provided me with powerful and much-needed tools to improve my own performance. As the Institute comes to a close, l look forward to better working with my staff to create a visual arts organization that will transform our community.”

—Adam Price, Executive Director, Salt Lake Art Center

What are the Costs?

This fellowship is underwritten by American Express Philanthropy, The Nathan Cummings Foundation, and The McKnight Foundation.

What are the Selection Criteria?

A strong candidate will:

Convey their current and potential leadership as demonstrated through the written statement of interest, letter of recommendation from applicant's direct supervisor, and optional letter of recommendation.
Convey why the Institute opportunity is appropriate at this particular point in their career as demonstrated through their statement of interest.
Convey organizational commitment to the arts field—in whatever discipline— as demonstrated through their resume.

NAMAC seeks to identify a diverse group of participants that represent a mix of emerging and established leaders in the Minnesota region. We are particularly interested in leaders who are working artists. NAMAC also seeks diversity in terms of discipline served, geographic region, and organizational size. The nominees who are selected are believed to be those who will benefit the most from participation and who have the most potential to contribute to advancing their arts field.

“If we all agree that supporting artists is some of the most important work we do, then supporting those who support artists becomes a flash of enlightened thinking. As stronger leaders with stronger organizations, our work on behalf of artists and communities has greater potential.”
—Raechell Smith, Director and Chief Curator, Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute

How To Apply

Timeline:

January 27, 2012: Applications available
March 15, 2012: Deadline to apply
March 23, 2012: Delegates announced
April 23-27, 2012: Institute takes place

Facilitators

	Paula Manley is a consultant, educator and facilitator based in Portland, Oregon who works nationally with arts, cultural and community development groups as a catalyst for productive change. As co-director of The Learning Commons and principal of Paula Manley Consulting, she works to create leader-full organizations through guiding participatory planning, staff and board leadership development, succession planning and executive director transitions. Paula’s consulting practice draws on her many years of experience as a nonprofit executive director, program manager and board leader. As a community volunteer Paula leads the Oregon Commons Project, which is dedicated to inspiring appreciation, stewardship and advocacy of our commons—the gifts of nature and civilization we share across generations. She is a ceramic artist and the curator of Mad/50, a tiny public art exhibition space in Southeast Portland.
	Dewey Schott, PCC is the Senior Manager of Leadership Services at NAMAC and a professional certified coach who is passionate about helping leaders soar to new heights. He considers himself part punk, part mystic, and part organizational development nerd. Dewey leads NAMAC’s peer coaching circles, edited NAMAC's Leading Creatively anthology of current issues in leadership in the arts, and develops many other professional development programs and services for arts leaders. In 2008, he co-researched “next generation” leadership in California arts for The James Irvine Foundation. Dewey regularly presents panels and workshops on leadership and coaching in the arts at Americans for the Arts and other conferences.
	Sonya Shah is Core Faculty at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco where she teaches interdisciplinary studies. For the past 14 years she has worked as a community artist, project director, and educator in the United States, United Kingdom, and India. She was a Fulbright Fellow and artist-in-residence at MS University of Baroda, India, from 1996 to 1998. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts from Brown University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Video from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she was a Jacob Javits fellow. Her most recent documentary, Something between Her Hands, examines the growing problem of sex work and labor for women in Southeast Asia and is distributed by the National Film Network