GIA Podcast

In this podcast, Zeyba Rahman, senior program officer for the Building Bridges Program, an extension of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art; Josh Seftel, filmmaker and also creator of “The Secret Life of Muslims” series; Hussein Rashid, adjunct faculty member in the Department of Religion at Barnard College who focuses his research on Muslim and American pop culture; and Negin Farsad, Iranian-American writer and comedian who you can find on Netflix, HBO, and other media platforms, are interviewed by Nadia Elokdah, deputy director and director of programs of Grantmakers in the Arts. They discuss their recent film, The History of Muslims in the US (https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000006252817/muslim-united-states-history-islam.html), and share how they have used creative methods for shifting narratives and culture as a strategy towards equity.

In this podcast, Jeff Chang, vice president of Narrative, Arts, and Culture at Race Forward is interviewed by Eddie Torres, president and CEO of Grantmakers in the Arts. He speaks about narrative change a strategy, cultural shifts and how these evolve to impact human behaviors, and his own critiques of pop culture. Chang wraps up with what funders can consider.

In this podcast, Grantmakers in the Arts gives you a front row seat into the Support for Individual Artist (SfIA) Committee. Never heard of the committee? Now is your chance to learn about it from the GIA Support for Individual Artist co-chairs, Adrianna Gallego, chief operating officer, National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, and Eleanor Savage, program director, Jerome Foundation. They will discuss the committee’s latest data project, upcoming programming, and share what you can expect in the coming year. Continue reading for a few sentiments from exiting committee members. “In 2007 I was drafting a new mission and designing the inaugural programs for 3Arts, and I remember hunting and pecking on the Internet to try to find organizations that directly funded artists and from which I could draw inspiration. It wasn’t an easy task, to say the least. After locating a few of these rare birds, I was subsequently invited to join the SfIA committee and there, lo and behold, I discovered a determined group of iconoclasts who were advocating for the expansion of artist support. The committee was (and still is) an infusion of fuel for me and, of course, for 3Arts. By 2012, hooked on sharing ideas, practices, and dreams, I became a committee co-chair. As I exit stage left, I am enduringly inspired by the committee and our growing field and grateful that I won’t have to conduct random Internet searches to know where to find a hub of leaders who truly and deeply understand the value of supporting individual artists.” Esther Grimm, 3Arts “I first learned about the important work of the Support for Individual Artists committee when I attended my first GIA conference in Chicago in 2010 (the committee had a different name then). At that conference, GIA (through the leadership of the then SFIA committee members) shared a draft position paper on the value and importance of supporting individual artists. I was fortunate that my employer at Rasmuson Foundation was already established as a committed funder for individual artists, but this draft paper and stated commitment by the broader arts funding field was deeply influential on me. It provided a defining moment and clarity to reinforce the values I already held in my role in arts philanthropy, and as a strong case to engage others who expressed interest in the direct support of artists, but who may have been unsure how to pursue those interests further. Through subsequent years SFIA served as an anchor to consistently and unabashedly stake a claim in directing support to artists and to build a broader and even more just community to share in that claim and commitment. I consider myself extremely fortunate for the privilege of serving the arts funding field through my participation with the committee, and proud of what has been accomplished since my first encounter with this incredible group of colleagues, and the many connections made with artists throughout. I hope GIA will be able to carry on this ongoing commitment in perpetuity.” Jayson Smart, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies “This group was a vital part of me being effective and thoughtful about the work I was doing locally. In my time since moving to a more national role, this group has maintained an on the ground practitioner connection that is so valuable. I appreciated the candid and honest conversations that were had for the way they made me feel not so alone and, on some days, finding that much needed validation that I wasn’t crazy for thinking of doing the work in the way I was doing it.” Ruby Harper, Americans for the Arts

In this podcast, Grantmakers in the Arts welcomes you to Oakland, home to vibrant creatives, diverse communities, a heritage of activism, and the home of the GIA’s 2018 annual conference Race, Space, Place. We speak with Nadia Elokdah, Grantmakers in the Arts deputy director and director of programs; Roberto Bedoya, Cultural Affairs manager for the City of Oakland, California; and Shelley Trott, director, Arts Strategy & Ventures, Kenneth Rainin Foundation. They give us some background on the city of Oakland, tell us why this is the best city or “town” for the 2018 GIA Conference: Race, Space, and Place (http://conference.giarts.org), and what we can expect at the conference.

We speak with Eddie Torres, Grantmakers in the Arts president and CEO, Jessica Mele, program officer in Performing Arts at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and Sam Massol, director of Advocacy and Engagement at the Center for Arts Education. They explore advocacy through an arts education lens in discussion about how funders can support their grantees in advocating for the arts given the current national landscape.

We kicked off our Arts Advocacy series last month and we are excited to provide more insight on how you can become an arts advocate. This podcast features Eddie Torres, Grantmakers in the Arts president & CEO, Kerry McCarthy, GIA board vice chair and New York Community Trust program director of Thriving Communities: Arts and Historic Preservation and, E. San San Wong, GIA board member and Barr Foundation director of Arts and Creativity. They take a deeper dive into a discussion about what foundations and funders can do to support advocacy and lobbying efforts, and strategies for funders in the current national landscape.

We speak with Grantmakers in the Arts President & CEO, Eddie Torres, Americans for the Arts Vice President of Government Affairs and Arts Education, Narric W. Rome, and Penn Hill Group Principal, Alex Nock. They explore the question, "What now?" in discussion about the tax bill, arts advocacy efforts, and strategies for funders in the current national landscape.

We speak with 2017 GIA Conference committee chair Regina Smith of The Kresge Foundation and committee member and Detroit native Sharnita Johnson of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. They share about you may not already know about the Motor City, what to expect when visiting the city, and what they are excited about for the upcoming conference.

We speak with Captain Sara Kass, MD, a military and medical advisor for Creative Forces: NEA’s Military Healing Arts Network. Dr. Kass shares her thoughts on the role of the arts in helping current military members, veterans, and their loved ones heal from emotional and physical injuries resulting from their service.

We speak with Wendy Hsu, PhD, Senior Project Coordinator and Digital Strategist at the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA). They share some of the innovative research projects that DCA has been embarking on to collect more meaningful data that is driven and used by staff in different city departments and Los Angeles community members. This includes the digital literacy incubator project, Lab at DCA (http://dcaredesign.org/lab/).

Janet Brown, president & CEO of Grantmakers in the Arts, speaks with Arlynn (Arni) Fishbaugh on funding in rural communities and what she has in store in retirement after 24 years at Montana Arts Council.

We speak with 2016 GIA Conference co-chairs, Vickie Benson of The McKnight Foundation and Glyn Northington of Nonprofits Assistance Fund, on the special characteristics of the Twin Cities and its artistic community. They also share what they are looking forward to at the upcoming 2016 GIA Conference in October.

We speak with Eric Booth with author and educator Eric Booth on the field of teaching artistry and what the US can learn from abroad to increase arts education access for all children. Read his article, The Time Has Come for a National Field of Teaching Artistry (http://www.giarts.org/article/time-has-come-national-field-teaching-artistry) published in the Fall 2015 edition of GIA Reader. Recorded June 23, 2016.

We speak with Gay Hanna from the National Center for Creative Aging as she readies for retirement after serving over 30 years managing in the arts, education, and health sectors. Recorded May 3, 2016.

We speak with Audrey Haberman and Sindhu Knotz from Philanthropy Northwest about creating the Momentum Fellowship, a regional program designed to prepare professionals from underrepresented communities for successful careers in the philanthropic sector. (Referenced blog post: “Why Philanthropy Should Care about Black Male Achievement.”) Recorded April 6, 2016.