Arlene Goldbard on the NCRP Report

Arlene Goldbard's outstanding book
I was tempted to call this "Occupy Wall Street (part 5)," but arts consultant and thinker Arlene Goldbard, author of the powerful book The New Creative Community: The Art of Cultural Development (which I think every artist ought to get as a Christmas present), has written a powerful post in reaction to the Fusing Arts, Culture and Social Change report as well as the discussion going on at Grantmakers in the Arts Forum on Equity in Arts Funding. Please, please go read it. It is entitled: "Equity in Cultural Funding: Let Them Bake Pies."

Here's a taste: Goldbard's conclusion:


 I salute the very few funders who’ve demonstrated it. To the rest, I pose a few questions not mentioned so far in the study or the forum:
  • What would it take for you to face the assumptions and ways of organizing that perpetuate them-that’s-got-shall-get funding?
  • What would it take for you to step up to the challenge of adopting egalitarian, democratic, social justice commitments in their place?
  • What would it take for you step off the path on which so much philanthropy has been dependent, and truly share power?
  • What would it take for you to embrace learning from failure, abandon corporate models, and truly break with the conventions that keep our philanthropic culture entrenched, inequitable, and stuck?
If the answers are within your grasp, what’s stopping you? And if—sadly—you can’t conceive answers that can actually be enacted, well, let’s try facing that truth now.
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Comments

Arlene Goldbard said…
Thank so much, Scott! I've read your whole Occupy Lincoln Center series, and really appreciate your tackling this in such a specific and concrete way. It's heartening how much people are suddenly paying attention to inequity. Having the types of facts and figures you provide is a huge help to those who wish to do something about it. And of course, I agree: the way it's being done is wrong.
4:46 PM
Arlene Goldbard said…
Just linked to your Occupy series in my new blog proposing an approach to cultural policy: http://arlenegoldbard.com/?p=1354
6:38 PM
Oliver Tad -SN- said…
I agree this is great!

I've actually compiled various snidbits in an email I sent to some of my friends who work with their own art-nonprofit orginizations in order to link them towards your blog, the report, and the other discussions going on.

(soon to link up on my page as well.)

Even though I'm still trying to digest the Occupy Series (Not afraid to admit I'm a little slow)I really appreciate that you've kept us posted on matters such as this.

I've certainly learned/witnessed, from this summer alone, the number of BS factors that create a hindrance to struggling artists and organizations out there today. It really is rediculous. (I want to say more, but probably shouldnt)

- Nevertheless, Now I feel like I can occassionally toss in my two cents with a better informative stance when I get together with those who have been in the arts much longer than I have!

Thanks scott!
;)
12:50 PM
Oliver Tad -SN- said…
I agree this is great!

I've actually compiled various snidbits in an email I sent to some of my friends who work with their own art-nonprofit orginizations in order to link them towards your blog, the report, and the other discussions going on.

(soon to link up on my page as well.)

Even though I'm still trying to digest the Occupy Series (Not afraid to admit I'm a little slow)I really appreciate that you've kept us posted on matters such as this.

I've certainly learned/witnessed, from this summer alone, the number of BS factors that create a hindrance to struggling artists and organizations out there today. It really is rediculous. (I want to say more, but probably shouldnt)

- Nevertheless, Now I feel like I can occassionally toss in my two cents with a better informative stance when I get together with those who have been in the arts much longer than I have!

Thanks scott!
;)
12:54 PM
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