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News and Opportunities for the Cultural Nonprofits and Creative Services of Fairfield County, CT |
| | | | The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a nonprofit membership 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. Find out more and sign up here. |
| All links in green link to pages on our website |
| | | | NOVEMBER SPOTLIGHT NOW AVAILABLE AS PODCAST: THE ARTS AS POLICY |
| | The November Spotlight on Arts & Culture on WPKN 89.5 FM followed up on the Oct. 14 Candidates Forum, when six electoral candidates described their support for the arts and culture, by bringing Kathy Maher, Executive Director of The Barnum Museum, and Lou Ursone, Executive Director of Curtain Call, into a discussion with 4 newly elected legislators about what they could do and how we could help them bring emergency relief to our organizations and begin planning for more substantial long-term funding. Hear the podcast here.
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| ACE AWARDS 2020 VIDEO NOW AVAILABLE |
| Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate our ACE Award winners, October 22. A video recording is now available on our YouTube site. Hear Joanna Gleason speak about the role of arts and music education in her own life and in the life of our communities. And see James Naughton interview the awardees in our six award categories: Miggs Burroughs (Artist); Bernicestine & Harold Bailey (Citizen); The SoNo Collection (Corporate); Elizabeth Gaynor (Educator); and KEYS/Rob Silvan (NonProfit). See the video at http://bit.ly/acevideo2020. More information on the ACE Awards is on our website at culturalalliancefc.org/news-events/ace-awards/ |
| | | | NORWALK ART SPACE AT ADK HOUSE
Robin Panovka, President
The Norwalk Art Space is being created at 455 West Ave., Norwalk, as a venue for local artists to show their work and for local students to take free art classes. Lovingly conceived and designed by Alexandra Davern Korry (1959-2020), a trailblazing lawyer, educator, civil rights champion, and philanthropist, who passed away before construction was completed, the building, ADK House, is named in her honor. Alexandra wanted to create a space that would both promote local artists and enhance opportunities for underserved students. The space, now under construction, will include a gallery, sculpture garden and studios for artists, as well as classrooms and workspaces for students, and a Café, open to the public, that should prove to be an exciting new place to meet or hang, with artisan coffees, teas, and light fare. The Norwalk Art Space is scheduled to open in 2021. Website |
| | | | With construction of the “New Bruce” now officially underway, supporters of the Bruce Museum’s ambitious renovation and expansion project have not only stepped up to the latest fundraising challenge – they far exceeded the goal of the $500,000 Match, leaders of the Campaign for the New Bruce recently announced. This past summer, three generous friends of the Bruce Museum came forward to launch a $500,000 Challenge for the Campaign and agreed to match all new gifts by the October 8 Groundbreaking for the 43,000-square-foot addition, which will include the William L. Richter Art Wing and vibrant new community spaces, featuring a restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining, a state-of-the-art auditorium, and a larger Museum store. The renovation of the existing Museum building will include the new Steven & Alexandra Cohen Education Wing and Robert R. Wiener Mineral Gallery, as well as reimagined science exhibition galleries. Read more...
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| | Elisa Contemporary Art is participating in the first online edition of the Affordable Art Fair, taking place November 6 – 30, 2020. Elisa Contemporary Art is among a stellar roster of 50 hand-picked galleries from 15 countries, exhibiting an exciting collection of best-selling artists and new artwork According to owner Lisa Cooper, "We're featuring the work of Connecticut artists -- Nina Bentley, Cynthia MacCollum and Dale Najarian -- to clients from around the world. We've already shipped artwork to clients in London, Brussels and Hong Kong!" View the online Art Fair.
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| | The Fairfield University Art Museum is pleased to announce an exceptional donation of more than 132 works by artist Stephen Pace (American, 1918-2010) from the Stephen and Palmina Pace Foundation. With an estimated value of $750,000, this donation represents the largest gift by value of artwork to the Museum in its 10-year history. The donation includes 25 paintings, 35 watercolors and numerous prints, drawings, and sketchbooks. The numerous studies relating to major works, included in the donation, will provide exciting connections to be made for faculty, students, museum staff, and their audiences. Horses in Corral, 03-6, 2007, oil on canvas.
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| | Galerie 888 has reopened across the street from its previous location on Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, after closing its doors back in March due to the Covid-19 crisis. The new location is 96 Greenwich Avenue and the gallery celebrates with an opening exhibition featuring Cultural Alliance member, Jennifer Williams. Jennifer’s show, Places We Love, highlights her use of oil on metal. Read more...
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| | The Greenwich Symphony Orchestra has announced the five conductors for its 2021-22 season: Martin Majkut, Melisse Brunet, David Lockington, Stuart Malina, and Ransom Wilson. The Greenwich Symphony is a fully professional orchestra featuring world-class soloists in five concerts per year, performing in a new state-of-the-art concert hall in Greenwich.
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| | The Greenwich Historical Society has made a significant addition to its collection of Cos Cob Art Colony paintings with the landmark acquisition of The Red Mill, Cos Cob, by American Impresionist painter Childe Hassam. Utilizing a lively palette and short, punctuated brush strokes, in The Red Mill, Cos Cob Hassam captured the rusticated appearance of the Palmer & Duff shipyard, once located on the small peninsula in the Mianus River opposite the Bush-Holley House. This canvas is among the earliest of Hassam’s paintings made in Cos Cob, dating to his first visit to the Holley family’s boarding house in the autumn of 1896. Read more...
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| | | The Mary & Eliza Freeman Center for History and Community is slated to honor Hugh B. Price, former President of the National Urban League (1994 to 2003), author and journalist, philanthropist and activist, and a Little Liberia descendant on Nov. 18, during The Freeman Houses' virtual benefit. Mr. Price is being recognized for his legacy as a leader and a change agent towards the advancement of African Americans. The event will spotlight the significance of The Freeman Houses (circa 1848) as the oldest surviving Connecticut homes built and owned by African American people, and will raise funds to create an African American historic site of national stature in the South End of Bridgeport. Learn more... |
| | MoCA Westport's POD Learning Program started a news session this month for students in grades K-5. The program is designed to complement the hybrid learning day in Westport Public Schools; enrollment is open and ongoing. Later this month, MoCA Westport will announce new winter classes for kids/teens/adults, as well as a call-to-entries for high school students with the exhibition opening in January 2021.
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| | | | SURVEY: HOW CAN MUSEUMS REMAIN RELEVANT DURING THE PANDEMIC AND POST-PANDEMIC?
Marketing firm LaPlaca Cohen teamed with audience research experts Slover Linett to conduct one of the largest and most ambitious audience research studies ever. The audiences surveyed cited very specific emotional, social, and functional needs from cultural organizations during the pandemic. Foremost among these was the desire to “laugh and relax”—a positive and uplifting alternative to the anxiety and uncertainty pervading their everyday lives. This sentiment also appears in their desire for organizations to offer “distraction and escape.” In addition, the theme of feeling disconnected surfaced in many responses, with audiences looking to cultural institutions to help them “stay connected.” More than 650 cultural organizations of different sizes, in a range of localities and with a variety of audience types, shared their audience lists, resulting in more than 122,000 completing the online surveys. Full article from Museum magazine.
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| | SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ARTISTS! ARTISTS SUNDAY NOV. 29
If you haven't already, sign up to be an Artists Sunday Partner. The Artists Sunday Partners program is designed for local arts agencies, state agencies, cities, counties, chambers of commerce, national organizations, associations, municipalities, and non-profit community groups across the country, all of which are focused on supporting their artists. Artists Sunday provides a free comprehensive marketing toolkit to Partners, enabling them to generate buzz and celebrate and promote their love of artists. See the Partners FAQ for more details. Register here...
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| | MUSEUMS CAN FILL THE PUBLIC SCHOOL GAPS, BUT ONLY IF THEY SURVIVE
The formal education system is in peril. Museums in every community can help fill the gap—but unless we act quickly, thousands of cherished institutions will close forever. Due to COVID-19’s grip on the country, many school systems are engaging students virtually to safeguard the health of their students, teachers, and communities. Other school systems have or will be opening their doors, some think prematurely, and causing many families with means to consider alternatives to the classroom environment until the coronavirus is under control. In fact, so many museums have stepped into their education roles during the pandemic that a Museum Distance Learning Repository has been created to organize the thousands of resources available. Full artnet article here...
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| | GOVERNOR LAMONT ROLLS BACK REOPENING TO PHASE TWO
In a response to an alarming number of spikes in Coronavirus infections, Governor Ned Lamont has announced statewide rollbacks to modified Phase 2 (Phase 2.1) Reopening Regulations. The greatest impact to our cultural community is the roll back for indoor theatre capacity to 100. Event venues will be limited to 25 people indoor, 50 people outdoor, while museums, zoos and libraries can remain open following certain guidelines. Current Guidelines...
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| | HOW MUCH TIME TO MUSEUM VISITORS SPEND ONLINE? Likely visitors to cultural entities are spending more time online during the pandemic. Here’s how much more time – and why it matters. Needless to say, the pandemic has changed up a lot of things in our personal and professional lives. In cultural organizations, fewer people are coming in the doors in 2020 than visited us in 2019 as coronavirus and safety concerns take center stage. In fact, attendance to cultural institutions is currently not likely to recover until at least 2022, according to Colleen Dilenschneider of Know Your Own Bone. Many cultural institutions have recognized the urgent need to step up their digital engagement game during this time. Though these institutions may be unable to educate and inspire audiences within their doors, they are nonetheless determined to carry out their missions on the web. This effort is likely a primary reason why the belief that museums are highly credible sources of information increased during the pandemic. Read full report... |
| | | | CT CARES SMALL BUSINESS GRANT APPLICATION NOW OPEN APPLY TODAY!
CT DECD has now started accepting applications for the Connecticut CARES Small Business Grant Program. Small businesses and nonprofits in Connecticut with a 2019 annualized payroll of less than $1.5 million OR 20 or fewer employees can receive a one-time grant of $5,000. All funding will be disbursed by the end of December and will not require repayment. The grant can be used for rent, payroll, utilities, inventory or complying with the CT Reopen Business Sector Rules. Full details including eligibility requirements, a schedule for virtual office hours, FAQs, other resources, and the application can be found here. The $50 million program, funded from Connecticut’s portion of the federal CARES Act, will provide aid to small businesses and nonprofits that continue to be negatively impacted by COVID-19. The grant application will only be available for a limited time. We anticipate closing the application by 5:00 p.m., Thursday, November 19, 2020 but this is highly dependent on demand. Apply as soon as possible. |
| | SIX IMLS MUSEUM GRANT OPPORTUNITIES NOW OPEN
NOVEMBER 16
Museums across the United States have six opportunities to apply for grants from the nation’s primary source of federal museum funding.
Applications for all six programs are due on November 16, 2020. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for six grant programs:Applicants should review the notices of funding opportunity carefully to understand the program goals, which align with the 2018-2022 IMLS Strategic Plan. |
| | AAM OPEN CALL FOR ANNUAL MEETING SESSION PROPOSALS NOVEMBER 30
The 2021 National Program Committee of the American Alliance of Museums has an open call for its 2021 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo sessions. Reviewers are primarily looking for content that speaks to the future of the museum field, social justice and impact, recovery during- and post-pandemic, and reimagined processes and programs. During a time of constant change and experimentation, AAM is planning for the 2021 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo to be a hybrid event bringing together museums of all types and sizes—from art and history museums to zoos and botanic gardens—to share ideas and make connections. The virtual meeting will take place May 24 and June 7-9, while the in-person add-on is scheduled for May 9-12 in Chicago, IL. More information here... |
| | CT ARTS ENDOWMENT FUND NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS DECEMBER 15
The Connecticut Arts Endowment Fund (CAEF) was established by the Connecticut General Assembly to stimulate the development of private sector funding and to ensure the long-term stability of CT's arts industry by providing funding to organizations. Interest earned on the Fund's principal is distributed annually to arts organizations that qualify by raising more than $15,000 in donor contributions for two (2) consecutive fiscal years. Applicants do not specify a grant request amount. Grant awards are calculated solely on the following formula:
Year 1 "Prior Fiscal Year": For the portion of donor contributions which is equal to $15,000 or more but does not exceed the total donor contributions for the prior fiscal year, there shall be a match of 25% of such amount, capped at $250,000.
Year 2 "Most Recent Fiscal Year": For the portion of the total donor contributions that exceeds the total donor contributions for the prior fiscal year, there shall be a match of 100%, capped at $1 million. Applications due December 15, 2020. Questions? Contact Rhonda Olisky Eligibility and Application information...
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| | | | END OF THE YEAR FUNDRAISING SURVIVAL GUIDE WEBINAR NOVEMBER 17
Nearly one-third of annual giving occurs in the month of December alone, and December 31 is the biggest giving day of the year. So, if you don’t have a year-end fundraising plan in place, you can be certain that you’re leaving money on the table. But, you only have a couple of weeks left to plan your year-end fundraising. Causevox is presenting the Last-Minute Year-End Fundraising Survival Guide. The webinar will address how to quickly organize and execute a multi-channel campaign that will allow you to leverage this giving boom time to help your organization meet its financial goals now and into 2021. Sign up here... |
| | A CONVERSATION ABOUT REPAIR NOVEMBER 19
What does repair mean in the arts? The year 2020 will be remembered as a defining moment in world history that has illuminated structural inequities and brought the role of the arts into question.
How do we dismantle the systems that bind us and bring into existence the different ways of world-building we aspire to in the arts? What are our individual and collective roles in this work? How might we rethink our business models, policies, processes, and practices to move beyond acknowledgements to transformative action? How can reparative action enlarge your organizational identity, equitable capacity, and business model?
Guest speakers include Carlton Turner, lead artist and director of the Mississippi Center for Cultural Production (Sipp Culture); Nicole J. Caruth, writer, cultural strategist, and holistic health coach; and Alec Duffy, co-director of JACK NY. Facilitated by Lisa Funderburke Hoffman, Executive Director at the AAC. Nonprofit staffs and boards are encouraged to attend. To sign up, complete this webform by 3pm, Mon., Nov. 16. |
| | CT OFFICE OF THE ARTS HOSTS CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOPS DECEMBER 5-10
Save the Date for The Connecticut Office of the Arts' (COA) series of free capacity building workshops, in cooperation with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The workshops are targeted at arts organizations, cultural attractions, municipalities, museums and individual artist. Topics include: Envisioning a Future - Coooperatives and Collaborations for Resource Sharing and Cost Efficiency; Where the Money is: The Third Resource; TechSoup 101; The Role of Art and Artists in Building Business and Communities. Registration portal opening soon.
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| | NATIONAL ARTS MARKETING PROJECT CONFERENCE DECEMBER 7-8
The 2020 National Arts Marketing Project Conference is designed as a focused and streamlined experience over two days, offering insight into ideas and tactics, strategies and inspiration to set the groundwork for arts and culture organizations to survive and thrive in the next 18-24 months. The program includes field experts in Social Media, Email Marketing, Audience Development, Fundraising, Research, and much more. Access to recorded sessions for six months after the conference will be available to attendees. Membership to Americans for the Arts is required to sign register. Learn more...
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| | | | GENERAL MANAGER AND HEALTH AND SAFETY OFFICER A CONTEMPORARY THEATRE CT
ACT (A Contemporary Theatre) of CT has an immediate opening for a General Manager to provide administrative and operational management for the theater, manage the administrative matters that affect the day-to-day strategic operation and activities of ACT of CT and supervise non-production staff. He/she will work in conjunction with ACT of CT’s Executive Director, Artistic Director, and Producing Director to develop and oversee the execution of the annual budget (including per show budget). General Manager provides day to day oversight of the financial wellbeing of the company.
ACT is also seeking a Health and Safety Officer as the theatre continues its reopening with in-person and livestream performances of The Last Five Years. Officers will be onsite during all rehearsals and performances. Hours will vary depending on production schedule. Responsibilities include coordinating off-site COVID testing for all new hires, contractors, crew, musicians. ACT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) professional theatre located in Ridgefield, founded in 2018. Candidates should submit resumes to info@actofct.org Full job descriptions... |
| | STAMFORD ART ASSOCIATION GALLERY MANAGER
The Stamford Art Association (SAA), a 501(c) 3 art association and gallery in Stamford CT, is looking for a Gallery Manager to replace the current person, who is retiring in January, 2021. With the Covid pandemic the gallery has switched from hanging eight juried exhibits a year in the gallery and three in the main Stamford library to online exhibits. At this time the position is part-time at 8 hours a week and can be performed off site with occasional visits to the gallery. The Gallery Manager would operate in close collaboration with the President, Web Manager and the Gallery Assistant. The role is intended to increase the ability to expand an online presence, work with other organizations to partner in presentations, and to add artists, collectors and donors. Full job description... |
| | ASSOCIATION OF ACADEMIC MUSEUMS & GALLERIES DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Reporting to the Director of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, the Director of Public Programs is responsible for creating a broad vision and framework for public programs that will enhance the understanding and appreciation of the Museum's collections and exhibitions. The Director will build on and hone the current range of exhibition and educational programming offerings and forge the identity of the Museum's public programs through active collaboration with Museum and University colleagues, as well as partners from the community. The Director will contribute significantly to the Museum's role as a vital creative and intellectual force for its various constituencies, leading the strategic promotion of the Museum's public programs. The Director will be expected to participate in the larger professional community of museum public programming, and serve as a leader in the field. Full job descriptions... |
| | SLATER MEMORIAL MUSEUM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Slater Memorial Museum’s relationship with the Norwich Art School has, over the years, maximized the Norwich Free Academy’s ability to train young artists for professional study, while contributing to the cultural life of the greater community. The Executive Director will report to the NFA Head of School, and will be an inspiring yet grounded leader who will craft a vision for the Slater moving forward that will build on past success and further distinguish it as a significant and collaborative contributor to the regional cultural community. PhD or MFA in a discipline closely aligned to the museum’s content preferred. Ten years increasing responsibility and authority in the management and supervision of professional staff, financial and facilities resources. Full job description... |
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| FOR JOBS, FOR SALE, FOR RENT, VOLUNTEERS, AND CALLS FOR ARTISTS - CONSULT AND POST IN OUR CLASSIFIEDS |
| | | NOVEMBER
DECEMBER Dec. 15: CT Arts Endowment Fund Applications Deadline
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| | The Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County is a 501(c)(3) cultural nonprofit membership organization. We are grateful to our members and our donors whose support enables us to do our work. Donations are always very welcome and may be made here. In particular, we are grateful for support from: |
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