Funding for Arts Restored to House Stimulus Package

Good news!

Today the House of Representatives voted 246 to 183 to pass the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The bill includes $50 million in direct support for arts jobs through the National Endowment for the Arts and language that would have prevented museums, theaters, and arts centers from receiving stimulus funds was removed.
-Americans for the Arts

Many thanks to all those who wrote their congressman in support of the arts. And a special thank-you to those who've been advocating for the arts.

Why the Arts Matter

Like many artists I have a 9-5 job. I work in the philanthropy sector, which has given me some insight into how grantmakers think (especially those who give money to the arts). As the economic crisis has taken hold I have seen its affects on both the arts and philanthropic sector.

Like many artists I have seen what happens during lean times: the arts are first on the chopping block.

So I am very glad to see Jim Canales, the CEO of the James Irvine Foundation (a very big supporter of the arts), making the case for why the arts is an essential part of our communities and our economy.

Last week Jim wrote an article featured in the SF Chronicle. Here are some of the highlights (emphasis mine):

• In the Bay Area, the arts create more than 31,000 jobs and generate $1.2 billion in economic activity every year.
• The arts produce $105 million in local and state tax revenue for the Bay Area (far more than the government spends on the arts).
• Surveys report that 93 percent of parents believe that the arts are essential to a well-rounded education.
• Ten million new jobs in the next decade will be in the "creative class," according to economist Richard Florida. These are jobs that involve imagination and ingenuity which are best developed by experiencing the arts.

Read the full article online.

Prize for Female Theater Artists

SUBMISSIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR
2009 FRANCESCA PRIMUS PRIZE

Calling all female theatre artists: there?s still time to submit yourself
as a candidate for The Francesca Primus Prize. This annual $10,000 award
honors outstanding contributions to the American theater by an emerging
female theater artist, one who has not yet achieved national prominence.
Submissions for the 2009 award must be postmarked no later than Feb. 28,
2009.

Administered by the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA), the prize
is made possible through the generosity of the Francesca Ronnie Primus
Foundation, which honors the writer, critic, performer and dramaturg who
died at 42 of lung cancer in 1992.

Historically the award has been given to an outstanding female playwright,
but the committee also considers other significant female theater artists,
such as directors or artistic directors. The Primus Prize operates on an
open submission basis?an applicant may submit herself or be nominated by
another individual or organization. Letters of recommendation are helpful.
To qualify for consideration, a playwright must have had a fully staged,
professional production of her script within the calendar year 2008. For
other artists, there must also have been some significant achievement in the
calendar year. But in both cases, the committee will consider a body of work
going back several years.

A submission must be in the form of a portfolio of no more than 20
single-sided pages. It should include a letter recommending the candidate, a
synopsis of her body of work, and supporting materials sufficient to
familiarize the committee with her achievement, possibly including reviews
and/or a statement of the artist's philosophy. Playwrights should also
submit the script. If more than one play was produced in 2008, only one may
be submitted, but excerpts from others might be part of the portfolio.
Portfolios will not be returned.

Six copies of an applicant's entire portfolio?both portfolio and
script?along with an application fee of $25 (checks made payable to ATCA)
should be sent to ATCA, c/o Katie Burger, 773 Nebraska Ave. W., St. Paul, MN
55117 (phone 651-261-7804). Once again, the applications must be postmarked
no later than Feb. 28, 2009.

For further information, contact Primus Prize chair Barbara Bannon, Salt
Lake City, bbannon@xmission.com, or ATCA chair Chris Rawson, Pittsburgh,
crawson@post-gazette.com.

The winner will be announced at a national ATCA conference, with the
recipient notified in advance and funds provided so she can attend.



Previous Primus Winners

2008?EM (Ellen) Lewis, playwright, Heads
2007?Victoria Stewart, playwright, Hardball
2006?Karen Zacar?as, playwright, Mariela in the Desert, and founder/artistic
director, Young Playwrights? Theater, Washington, D.C.
2005?Michelle Hensley, artistic director, Ten Thousand Things Theatre
Company, Minneapolis, Minn.
2004?Lynn Nottage, playwright, Intimate Apparel
2003? no prize awarded during transition year
2002?Alexandra Cunningham, playwright, Pavane
2001?S. M. Shepard-Massat, playwright, Some Place Soft to Fall
2000?Brooke Berman, playwright, Playing House
1999?Melanie Marnich, playwright, Blur
1998?Brooke Berman, playwright, Wonderland
1997?Julia Jordan, playwright, Tatjana in Color

WATA Name Change

We've been wrestling with what exactly our acronym means (we like the acronym - but haven't ever quite found the right words to describe ourselves). Last night as we were planning our big Kick-Off event (tentatively scheduled for June - stay tuned for details!), one of our members suggested "Women Artists That Advocate" as a title. I like the sound of it. Thoughts?

A big WATA kudos to Primary Stages!

For highlighting three women playwrights this season:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/new-primary-stages-lineup-highlights-women-writers/?ref=theater

Chantal Ackerman Film Series at SFMOMA Jan. 3 - Feb. 28

The SFMOMA film series presents the work of Chantal Ackerman, a Belgian film director and artist.

Chantal Akerman crosses between the worlds of art and cinema, making video installations for galleries as well as films for theatrical release. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai de Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, her breakthrough work, observes a woman's domestic routines, slowly, patiently, and ultimately disturbingly. It exemplifies Akerman's ability to create intense psychological studies of everyday life. She is also highly attuned to the human experience of time, memory, and journeying, whether in relation to migration and political borders (News from Home, Histoiresd’Amérique) or coming of age (Saute ma ville; Je, tu, il, elle).

The film series will explore Ackerman's work in depth and runs January 3-February 28. Tickets are $5 for the general public and free to SFMOMA members. Learn more at the SFMOMA website.

Ladies Only

How many arts organizations are out there that support women artists here in the Bay Area? Good question. So I’ve started searching on Google for organizations that focus on women artists in one form or fashion. Here’s the list so far:

Asian American Women’s Arts Association: AAWAA’s mission is to be a catalyst of change and empowerment for Asian American women artists in the visual, literary and media arts by offering thought-provoking projects and programs that challenge, inspire and interpret their work.

Brava! For Women in the Arts: Founded in 1986, Brava is committed to the artistic expression of women, people of color and youth. With extensive education programs and a new Artistic Director, Brava is poised to become even more of a powerhouse in theatre and the arts.

San Francisco Women Artists: San Francisco Women Artists is a non-profit organization dedicated to the furtherance of women in the visual fine arts. Since its inception in the late 1880's as a sketch club it has been in continuous operation. In 1924, then known as the Society of Women Artists, it evolved into today's San Francisco Women Artists.

San Francisco Women’s Film Festival: Established to address the under representation of women in the film and media industries, WFI's mission is to honor, showcase, and facilitate the creation of films that are directed or co-directed by women. We achieve our mission by supporting, promoting, exhibiting, and honoring the achievements and contributions of women in the world of cinema.

South Bay Area Women’s Caucus for Arts: The South Bay Area Women's Caucus for Art was established in 1989 as a local chapter of the national Women's Caucus for Art. SBAWCA strives to provide contacts and places to exhibit the artwork of their members.

The Fund for Women Artists: The Fund for Women Artists was founded on the belief that women artists have the power to change the way women are perceived in society. Working to ensure that women artists have full access to the financial and other resources they need to do this crucial work, The Fund for Women Artists focuses mainly on women in theatre, film, and video.


Obviously, this list is just the beginning. I’ll continue to work on expanding it.