Irving Foundation Grants for the 805
The James Irvine Foundation Arts Regional Initiative, Phase Two, has awarded over two and a half million dollars in grants for 805 regional arts institutions committed to broadening and diversifying their audiences and strengthening their financial sustainability. The organizations represent a mix of artistic disciplines, including music, dance, opera, theater, visual arts and multidisciplinary arts.
Julie Tobiason and Timothy Lynch of Seattle Dance Project
Ventura Wins Arts Destination Award
On the 22nd of July , at the closing general session of their 97th Annual convention in New Orleans, the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) announced that Ventura, California, along with Miami, Florida, have been selected as the winning destinations for the first Arts Destination Marketing Award for “their innovative collaboration with local art agencies to market their communities as a travel destination.”
Is the 805 Ready for a Regional Arts Council?
Is the 805 Ready for a Regional Arts Council?
The 805 area has the critical mass in terms of artists, arts institutions, and population of a major city. It is a culturally contiguous region with supporting wine, restaurant, and film industries, plus museum, transportation, and tourist infrastructure. It has a score of small towns and centers facing similar core economic re-vitalization and cultural problems, including tight city budgets and increasing infrastructure costs. Does it make sense to keep pursuing a balkanized arts and culture strategy with each town duplicating vital marketing, staffing, and organizational costs? Is it time for a regional approach instead?