| ORGANIZATIONS' NEWSLETTER News and Opportunities for the Cultural Nonprofits and Creative Businesses of Fairfield County, CT
July 21, 2018 |
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| | The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a nonprofit service organization that supports its members through unified marketing, capacity building, professional development, and advocacy services. This newsletter is sent to all who request it - but we ask that, if you are not a member, you explore membership benefits and consider joining this community of more than 600 individuals and organizations. Sign up here |
| | | | THANKS TO ALL DONORS: WE MET OUR GOAL
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| A big THANK-YOU to each and every one of the 41 donors who gave to our Impact Vine donation site to raise the last $5,000 for our new website. We met the goal of raising $2,500, which Robin Tauck and The TRIP Foundation have matched to give us the $5,000 we need to finish up. We will be loading the new site with members' profiles and events during August, for a launch in September. |
| | HEAR PODCAST OF "SAVE FREEMAN HOUSES" |
| | If you didn’t hear our WPKN interview show July 9, catch it now at: bit.ly/soundcloud_freeman. Hear Maisa Tisdale (Mary & Eliza Freeman Center) talk about the implications of the 1848 Freeman Houses being placed on the National Trust's list of 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in America, Wes Haynes on the CT Trust's role in that, and Laurie Heiss (the founding executive director of the Merritt Parkway Conservancy) on what the impact on the Merritt Parkway was of being placed on that “Most Endangered List” in 2010. Jahmane, one of the artists working with Maisa to tell some of the stories of the Freeman Houses and “Little Liberia” to a contemporary audience in visual terms, talks about the team effort that he has curated to bring these stories to the fore in order to stimulate the realization of the critical importance of these houses for Bridgeport’s history, African American history and for the future development of this part of Bridgeport’s historic South End.
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| | SAVE THE DATE: NEXT SAVORCITY - AUGUST 7
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| Save the Date of Tuesday, August 7, 6-9pm, for an evening of Portuguese cuisine and seafood at Dolphin's Cove Restaurant and Marina, as the next in the series of SavorCity visits to the culinary hidden gems of the most diverse city in Connecticut. Keep an eye out for sign-up for this visit to Dolphin's Cove at 421 Seaview Ave. on Bridgeport's East End shoreline, where the Matias family have been serving seafood and Portuguese favorites since 1993. Follow SavorCity on Facebook here. |
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❦ – Latest List by Town of Organization and Creative Business Members: here
❦ – Latest List by Town of Artist Members: here
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| | | | ROUND-UP OF MEMBERS' NEWS |
| | The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum has announced that Cybele Maylone (at right) has been appointed Executive Director of the Museum, succeeding Alyson Baker. Maylone comes to The Aldrich from UrbanGlass in New York City where she has served as Executive Director since 2013. There, she dramatically expanded the organization, raised its public profile, and worked closely with several artists who have presented solo exhibitions at The Aldrich. She will assume her new position in mid-September 2018. Maylone is recognized for her work supporting emerging and mid-career contemporary artists and for her exemplary leadership. Previously, she was Deputy Director of apexart, the contemporary art space in New York City and has held several positions at the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Welcome, Cybele! More... |
| | City Lights Gallery organized a provocative show, BOOBS, last Fall, as part of the Bridgeport Art Trail. The show (Oct. 26 - Dec. 2, 2017), depicted personal stories of breast cancer patients, their caregivers and healthcare providers along with statements about the socio-economic conditions regarding treatment, health-care, appearance, gender, age and race. It was just announced that the show was chosen to be re-installed for the 2018 City Wide Open Studios in New Haven, whose theme this year is Wellbeing. The exhibit will include new art from New Haven artists as well as the work of several CAFC members, including Sooo-z Mastropietro, Karen Kalkstein, Lee Walther and Jahmane among others. At right, work by Maine artist Tori Marsh |
| | The Fairfield Museum and History Center has announced receiving a $1 million challenge grant from Southport resident John Herzog The Museum has until December 31st, 2019 to match Herzog's gift. The grant was made in order to help ensure the Museum's ongoing success and long-term financial stability. In its 10-year history, the Museum has welcomed more than 37,000 visitors with some 6,000 students each year. Once John Herzog’s $1 million challenge is met, the Fairfield Museum’s research library will be named “The Herzog Family Library” in recognition of his generous contribution. The Museum’s library is one of Connecticut’s most extensive state history libraries, holding more than 30,000 one-of-a-kind books and manuscripts dating as far back as the 17th century. John Herzog spent his business career at the brokerage company Herzog Heine Geduld, Inc., which was founded in 1926 by his father. |
| | Fairfield University Art Museum recently received two gifts. First, it was awarded a Kress Interpretative Fellowship, which, carrying a stipend of $30,000, will enable the museum to hire a Fellow for the upcoming academic year to work on curatorial and education projects. Second, the Museum received the major gift of the James M. Reed Print Collection. Assembled over several decades by artist, collector and Master Printer James Reed, the collection, which will be given in its entirety, consists of over 1,500 prints spanning the 16th through early 21st centuries. Its great strength is 19th-century French etching and lithography; Géricault, Delacroix, Daumier, Manet, Redon, and Fantin-Latour are among the major artists of the period represented. Over 30 old master prints dating from the 16th-18th centuries are also included. The collection also includes a significant group of over 50 German Expressionist prints. More... |
| | The New England Fashion + Design Association (NEF+DA) won one of the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce's 2018 Small Business Awards, presented at a luncheon on June 7. The event, hosted by the Small Business Council, honored six area businesses and organizations for their entrepreneurial spirit, success and commitment to the community. NEF+DA won the Arts & Culture Award. Other awards included the Nonprofit, Entrepreneur, Generations, Innovation & Technology, and Community Spirit awards. At right, some of the winners, including Irena Simeonova, President of NEF+DA, at far left (click for larger image) More... |
| | The New Haven Symphony Orchestra has announced that Alasdair Neale (at right) has been appointed its new Music Director, beginning with the 2019-2020 season, succeeding William Boughton, who will end his 12-year tenure in May 2019, at the culmination of the Symphony’s 125th Anniversary Season. Neale is Music Director of the Sun Valley Summer Symphony (Idaho) and the Marin Symphony (California). In his 24 years as Music Director of Sun Valley, he has propelled the festival to national status. Previously he had been Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and Music Director of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, principal guest conductor of the New World Symphony, conductor for the Juilliard pre-college orchestra, and Music Director of the Yale Symphony Orchestra. Neale is a 1985 graduate of the Yale University School of Music. |
| | | | The Westport Country Playhouse has been awarded a CT Humanities grant of $20,000 to support a series of free-of-charge community engagement events surrounding Thousand Pines, a world-premiere drama that brings the national dialogue about gun violence to the Playhouse stage, Oct. 30 - Nov. 17. Written by Matthew Greene, and directed by Austin Pendleton, the play was developed in early 2017 by the Playhouse’s New Works Circle Initiative. The series of community events to examine the work on stage will include symposia, panel discussions, and a talkback with artists involved. Michael Barker, Playhouse managing director, commented: “This vital grant from Connecticut Humanities will allow the Playhouse to offer additional opportunities to further explore this play’s important themes, in dialogue with our audience.” |
| | | | FIRST EVER GUBERNATORIAL FORUM ON ARTS, CULTURE & FUTURE OF CT ECONOMY
Sign up and spread the word about Connecticut's first ever Gubernatorial Forum on Arts, Culture and the Future of Connecticut's Economy, organized by Create the Vote CT, a nonpartisan public education initiative designed to raise awareness and support for arts and cultural issues among voters and candidates for governor. The forum will be held Tues. July 31 at The Co-op High School, Mainstage Theater, 177 College Street, New Haven (entrance at College/Crown intersection). Each candidate was sent a questionnaire, asking six questions about how arts and culture strengthens Connecticut. Read the questionnaire responses here. Now, join us for the forum. The event is hosted by Ann Nyberg and questions will be based on our candidate questionnaire. ● 4-5pm: Networking, music, and drinks
● 5-6:30pm: Candidate forum
Candidates attending: Joseph Ganim, Oz Griebel, Rod Hanscomb, Tim Herbst, Ned Lamont, Marisa Manley, David Stemerman. Candidates invited: Mark Boughton, Steve Obsitnik, Cameron Scott, Bob Stefanowski, Micah Welintukonis |
| | | Ann Nyberg is the longest-serving, full-time female news anchor and reporter in Connecticut TV history, and has been nominated for multiple Emmys. A lover of the arts, she is a founding Board of Trustees member of the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook and owns the Annie Mame boutique in Madison. |
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| Above: "House Poem" in Pittsburgh's City of Asylum, one of 18 arts organizations to be studied.
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| RESEARCH ON ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AS ANCHOR INSTITUTIONS
Why are arts and culture organizations not more often seen as "anchor institutions" in their communities, joining with others to develop "anchor strategies" to benefit their communities? "Eds and meds" are the conventional anchors—and remain the focus of most anchor initiatives. But most arts and culture organizations are as deeply rooted in their communities as hospitals and universities. The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) and the Kresge Found-ation’s Arts and Culture Program are teaming up to answer the question, and to catalyze more arts and culture organizations to adopt "anchor strategies" to increase equitable economic growth in their communities. (An "anchor strategy" is the deliberate and strategic use of resources to benefit communities. For example, Ryerson University has a policy requiring at least 25% of food used by the institution be locally and sustainably sourced.) This joint research will help understand what the key drivers of anchor engagement are, and whether arts and cultural groups have different incentives from other organizations? The team has developed hypotheses on what drives anchor engagement (both external and internal forces) and will test them by researching 18 organizations across the U.S., representing different levels of anchor engagement. They will also examine six cities, analyzing how the different economic, demographic, cultural and structural contexts of each city influence anchor engagement by local cultural organizations. The research plans to yield a variety of models for anchor engagementthat resonate with the broadest possible spectrum of arts and culture organizations. Ultimately, the research should point to ways that our organizations can leverage our strong community ties and assets to drive deeper engagement with out communities. See the ICIC blog post on this project here. |
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| | | | NONPROFIT ALLIANCE ANNOUNCES VOTER REGISTRATION CAMPAIGN The CT Community Nonprofit Alliance (The Alliance) has announced, in partnership with the Office of the Secretary of the State, the availability of a unique online voter registration link for nonprofits in Connecticut’s online voter registration system. By using this unique URL:
to register voters, The Alliance can track how many people registered to vote through nonprofit voter engagement events and activities at the conclusion of the election.
Download the logo below: |
| | Then embed the link in the logo to enable those who click the logo to register to vote. Spread the word and post the logo on all your social media platforms with the hashtags #CTNonprofitsVote #VoteOrLose Important Voter Deadlines Aug. 14: Primary Election Day Oct. 2: The Alliance Gubernatorial Candidate Forum Nov. 6: Election Day |
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| | PROPOSAL TO CUT NEA-NEH FUNDING DEFEATED
On Monday, The House Rules Committee green-lighted an amendment sponsored by Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI), which would have cut funding to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) by $23 million each – a 15% cut to each agency, alerted Americans for the Arts. Grothman told the Rules Committee members that Congress should support President Trump, who wanted to terminate both of these agencies. Americans for the Arts commented: "He repeated terribly misguided and tired arguments (like “private charities should do this work,” “it’s a local government role solely,” “we can’t afford it,” and “cutting arts spending is looking out for our children and grandchildren”) that just don't stand up. "For the first time since 2011, U.S. House will consider an amendment to cut National Endowment for the Arts," said Narric Rome, vice-president of Government Affairs & Arts Education at Americans for the Arts. In June, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee had approved funding for the NEA at $155 million for FY 2019, a $2 million increase. Then on Wednesday, the proposed amendment was defeated, by a vote of 114 to 297. Click image above to download Ten Reasons to Support the Arts. |
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| | | | CITY OF STAMFORD COMMUNITY ARTS PARTNERSHIP GRANTS AUGUST 31
The Stamford Arts Commission has announced application is now open for awards totaling $100,000 for arts programs and projects. The allotment, through the Community Arts Partnership Program, will fund projects by Stamford-based arts organizations or individual artists backed by a Stamford non-profit. Last year, the city awarded grants ranging from $3,500 to $15,000 to 12 groups that put on events or projects that bolster the arts, such as The Connecticut Ballet's production of The Nutcracker at the Carwin Park Summer Concert series, musical performances at First Presbyterian Church, DanceFest 2018 — a program for young dancers taught at The Palace Theatre — and several visual art workshops put on by Loft Artists throughout the year. “We are lucky to have so many great arts organizations here in Stamford,” Mayor David Martin said in the release. “They continue to do excellent, creative work that brings light and joy to our community. I am happy to support their efforts.” To apply, click here. |
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| AMPHION FOUNDATION MUSIC PERFORMANCE GRANTS
SEPTEMBER 15
The Amphion Foundation was established in 1987 to encourage the performance of contemporary concert music, particularly by American composers, through support to performing and presenting organizations that have demonstrated sustained artistic excellence. As part of this mission, the foundation is accepting applications from presenters, festivals, music service organizations and any other applicants that are not performing ensembles for general operating or special project support. In 2018, support will be given to projects that are initiated between September 2018 and August 2019. Under extraordinary circumstances, the foundation will consider projects that fall outside that period.In general, grants will range between $1,000 and $7,500, although larger grants may be awarded to larger performing organizations with an extraordinary commitment to contemporary concert music or a particularly significant project. Application details here. |
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| | | Professional Development Events Coming Up... |
| | | | INTEMPO FUNDRAISING AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
Founded in 2011, INTEMPO is a Stamford-based non-profit arts and youth-develop-ment organization whose mission is to make music education relevant, accessible, and inclusive through the use of classical and cross-cultural instruments and repertoire. The Fundraising and Development Associate will work collaboratively with the executive director and grants manager to implement fundraising and development strategies to support current growth and to position INTEMPO for continued and expanded growth. They will assist in expanding the organization’s fundraising capacity, raising its visibility, and positioning it as a leader among music education and youth development groups serving low income children of Fairfield County. Principle Duties and Responsibilities include (but are not limited to: Donor Relations: Create, research, manage, execute, and maintain fundraising activities and strategies; assist, manage, and execute donor relations and development programs; track memberships, donations, grants, and in-kind contributions; Communications: Assist with coordinating special events and provide appropriate event analysis; prepare, implement, and/or oversee marketing, communications, and public relations strategies and materials, including progress reports providing detailed information on fundraising impact; serve as main contact with all new donors, partners, and/or sponsors and other stakeholders; Administrative: Review and evaluate fundraising goals and strategies, identifying opportunities for growth and improved efficiency; work with grants manager to help sustain current and seek out new grants by assisting with grant preparation, review, management and/or oversight of grant proposals, submissions and reporting; advise on and maintain donor management systems data. Requirements: Bachelor’s degree; 2-3 years of experience in fundraising, sales, and/or marketing; computer, internet and social media literacy, and proficiency in Microsoft Office programs; ability to travel throughout Fairfield County; commitment to INTEMPO’s mission, respect for the work of nonprofit partners, and providing exemplary service to our clients; professional demeanor and ability to speak with a variety of individuals including community members and families, high-level donors, and public officials. Click here for complete job description. To Apply: Write “Fundraising and Development Associate” in the subject line and email a resume and cover letter detailing your availability and interest to angie@intempo.org. |
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| | NEW ENGLAND FOUNDATION FOR ARTS CREATIVEGROUND PLANNING PROCESS RFP AUGUST 7
New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) seeks proposals from consultants to engage in the first phase of a planning process that will enable the growth of CreativeGround. Launched in 2014, Common Ground is the only regional digital directory of its kind. Free to all users, the site features over 30,000 in-depth profiles for cultural nonprofits, creative businesses, and artists of all disciplines. Site users learn about the creative assets in their own community, search for collaborators and resources, and promote their work to a broad audience. Approaching the site’s five-year anniversary, it is critical to engage in a growth planning process that assesses improvements and sustainability, sets priorities for adding functionality, and outlines a robust user engagement strategy. Planning should focus on the three major components of the site: the public-facing platform, where users search, create, and update public profiles; the back-end database that allows administrators and partners to vet and export the data in the profiles; and the promotion of the website and its profiles through site design, marketing materials, and live and virtual outreach. Plans for CreativeGround should accommodate changes in the technology and data landscapes, and address the staff capacity necessary to implement changes, conduct planning, and maintain current activities. Desired outcomes for planning: 1. Provide priority and order for site enhancements to streamline and decrease administrative burden and best help users to add inform-ation and resources, and increase their visibility and professional capacity; 2. Provide clarity on the strategies for increased usage of the raw data, including steps needed to keep the data clean, make it easy to access, and track its usage; 3. Provide effective messaging and statements of benefit to various existing and potential audiences, including an awareness campaign to keep or increase user engagement during planning. Proposal Requirements: a summary of your approach; a work plan/ timeline that defines the activities required to accomplish the deliverables described in the RFP; References; and a Budget request. Proposals may be submitted to complete discrete elements of the RFP if you do not have sufficient experience and expertise to respond to all parts. Click here for the complete RFP. |
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| | | | | MEMBERS: Please post your Job Opportunities in FCBuzz Classifieds: http://fcbuzz.org/classified/jobs/ |
| | | | | JULY
AUGUST Aug. c1: Music Drives Us: Deadline for Organizational Grant (Instrument Grant rolling) Aug. c3: CT Humanities Quick Grant Application Deadline Aug. c9: NEA: Our Town Grants Application Deadline
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER Oct. c5: CT Humanities Quick Grant Application Deadline |
| | The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a 501(c)(3) organization. We are very grateful for the support of our individual and organization members, our individual donors and the following organizations. |
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