This summer, 10 Diversity in Arts Leadership fellows from all over the country are convening to explore and build skills in arts administration and cultivate knowledge in cultural equity. For 28 years, Americans for the Arts has been hosting the DIAL internship program as an investment in a more equitable arts management field. This series features our DIAL cohort in two parts: five fellows are profiled here and in a later post, five more! Read on to get to know Akilah Hartgrove, Ashley Betances, KeShawn Mellon, Cristal Seda Santiago, and Charis Shin. 

This summer, 12 Diversity in Arts Leadership interns from all over the country are working virtually with New York City-based arts nonprofits for ten weeks to explore and build skills in arts administration, and cultivate knowledge in cultural equity within the arts field. For 27 years, Americans for the Arts has been hosting the DIAL internship program as an investment in a more equitable arts management field. This series features our DIAL NYC cohort in two parts: six interns are profiled here and in a previous post, six more! Read on to get to know Isaiah Shaw, Nailah Williams, Noemi Mangual-Rosa, Rebekah Boggs, Kayla Colon, and Arlene Arevalo.

This last post in our ARTSblog series featuring nominees for the 2020 Johnson Fellowship for Artists Transforming Communities celebrates Eddy Kwon—musician, educator, program designer, and facilitator of equitable community development. Integrating music as a fundamental component of Price Hill Will, a community development organization in Cincinnati, Kwon’s impacts are many and draw upon their own unique artistry and artistic vision, sustained work in creative youth development, and innovative initiatives in creative citizenship. First, Eddy Kwon is a composer, violinist, jazz musician, and improviser, performing as a member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago and with musicians from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. Kwon is equally a community leader who works daily at the intersection of creative youth development, creative citizenship, and equitable community development. 

This summer, 12 Diversity in Arts Leadership interns from all over the country are working virtually with New York City-based arts nonprofits for ten weeks to explore and build skills in arts administration, and cultivate knowledge in cultural equity within the arts field. For 27 years, Americans for the Arts has been hosting the DIAL internship program as an investment in a more equitable arts management field. This series features our 2020 DIAL NYC cohort in two parts: six interns are profiled here and in a later post, six more! Read on to get to know Truth Murray Cole, Chayna Yoshida, Noa Weiss, Julia Lee, Carol Loja, and Allie Li. 

Like many organizations, the financial impact of COVID-19 forced us to face tough decisions about salaries and employment. When it became clear that ArtsPool might need to implement pay cuts, our decision-making was aided by the previous investment we made in addressing the inequities of our pay structure. As a result, we were able to have difficult but open conversations as a full team about how to come to an equitable solution that takes into account the needs of the organization, as well as the differing circumstances of each individual. We believe these efforts have positioned us to make better, more equitable decisions as an organization during regular operations as well as during times of crisis. While there is no single model for creating an equitable workplace, we offer our transition story as a conversation starter for other organizations who are interrogating their own staffing structures. 

Musical traditions hold a unique power in cultural belonging and identity for the communities and cultures from which they grow. Preservation and performance can be a political act of cultural self-determination, expression, and continuity. The stories, meaning, and sounds embodied by traditional music can gain new power for new audiences and broader communities, when linked to contemporary issues and concerns. The four extraordinary musicians featured in this installment of our blog series celebrating nominees for the 2020 Americans for the Arts Johnson Fellowship for Artists Transforming Communities draw upon cultural traditions and sometimes stretch and merge them with other forms to embrace a broader holistic view of culture and humanity. These musicians are: Dom Flemons, American roots ambassador; the Reverend John Wilkins, a bearer of blues-influenced gospel of Mississippi hill country; Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, a Black Indian and jazz-rooted genre-blind innovator; and Tiokasin Ghosthorse, master player of the ancient red cedar Lakota flute. 

The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) provides grants; manages an internationally acclaimed public art program; convenes forums, networking events, and other community gatherings; and provides workshops and other forms of technical assistance for artists and nonprofit organizations in Portland, Oregon. Madison Cario joined the 501(c)(3) nonprofit as executive director in January 2019, bringing more than 20 years of experience working as a connector, curator, artist, writer, Marine Corps Veteran, and more. They recently shared some insights with us about leading a local arts agency during these turbulent times. 

Unprecedented … resilient … essential … are words we have heard much about during the COVID-19 crisis. These words, in fact, describe every artist, arts educator, and arts organization—and not just during an emergency. Each of us as human beings are heard, healed, uplifted, and empowered by and through the arts. In both unprecedented crises and unprecedented times, ART is essential. With a growing understanding of the vital role the arts play in successful communities, Baton Rouge Area Chamber has sought to better understand and formalize its relationship with the arts sector. Baton Rouge Area Chamber has been a phenomenal arts sector partner in the response to COVID-19. The Chamber has put their strategic planning process into action by looking to the arts community for responses to medical shortfalls in personal protective equipment, maintaining the gig economy, and creating campaigns which promote safety and healing for the community.

The spotlight of a crisis environment illuminates the character, values, and worth of a leader. As you prioritize functions, maintain order, and move the enterprise’s decision-making horizon further ahead, be reminded of the following principles for effective crisis management: Take stock of your assets. Maximize the good will and revenue potential of those programs and services whose value is increased by the new and changing environment. Manage time. Manage key external decisions. Manage perception of the crisis by key audiences. Review delegation in light of the tasks at hand. And think “collective impact.” This concludes a series of blogs intended to stimulate dialog about characteristics desirable in leaders during crises, the ways effective crisis managers think, the special needs and opportunities for leadership during crises, and the management principles that prove most valuable during crises.

Venus De Mars and Luke Stewart are among the 11 exemplary music artist nominees for Americans for the Arts’ 2020 Johnson Fellowship for Artists Transforming Communities featured in our ongoing ARTSblog series. At different career stages, these artist-activists may be considered by some on the musical fringes. What they hold in common is a steady and deliberate dedication to bringing their communities out of the margins and advancing and improving conditions for them to thrive. As a punk rock singer-songwriter and transgender woman, Venus’ performances, speaking, and compassionate presence have created spaces of affirmation and communion for transgender people and fostered openness and understanding among audiences across the gender spectrum. Luke moves effortlessly between artist communities in jazz, DIY punk rock, and, most of all, improvised music. He uses his improvisation skills to be alert to and advance conditions that will allow musicians across these genres to create, perform, and learn from one another, while expanding appreciation and audiences for their work.

This blog considers leadership action during the kind of crisis caused by a ubiquitous challenge that imperils the value in many kinds of transactions and organizations. Its examples are current actions being taken by the arts and cultural community in the following ways: Demonstrating concern for the challenges others face; making a special effort in a crisis environment to learn the current values and priorities of your stakeholders; taking advantage of opportunities to demonstrate the ways in which you can be of value and service consistent with your mission; motivating your stakeholder groups such as board and donors with opportunities to play meaningful roles to advance recovery and reposition the enterprise; and considering the lasting benefits of leading collective coping and organizing strategies. Treating others with empathy, generosity, and family feeling when everyone shares adversity will strengthen their support for you now and in the future.

During the kind of crisis caused by a ubiquitous challenge that disrupts the general operational environment, how can we stimulate, organize, and retrieve our best thinking when we need it? Where your daily actions and thoughts take you is going to provide you with questions and observations and insights, but not necessarily when you want them or when you can use them. But, if you organize your thoughts as they happen, you’ll position yourself to use and communicate them clearly, when the occasion is right, and in a way that both shows the reasoning and how your ideas will apply in the future. In mid-crisis, it’s difficult to make decisions about the future because so many variables are unclear, but it’s very useful to recognize and prepare for the kinds of decisions that will need to made in the very near future.