Hello/hola, esteemed colleagues:

 

In response to requests for information, national context and what is happening in other communities, we are compiling this digest to support you in navigating current events and in your commitment to equity in the long term. We will circulate this news digest weekly, every Wednesday. While this is certainly not a comprehensive or exhaustive list, we hope it boosts you in your exploration, knowledge and awareness building.

 

We are looking at additional ways to support your equity work and welcome resources, ideas, examples and opportunities to share with the field. Please send them to services@artsusa.org.

 

We invite you to share this news roundup with your networks and colleagues.

 

Thank you for your continued work.

 

PROGRAMMING/RESOURCES

(We will feature new offerings here – free to low-cost opportunities. Previous listings have been moved down to below the signature)

Join us at 8pm on August 19th for a panel discussion with Rapsody, Karen Civil, and Kei Henderson hosted by Tia Hill from Genius News. The panel will center around HBO Max’s On the Record and highlight topics such as the vital yet often unrecognized contributions made by Black women to the music industry, the mistreatment of Black women within record labels and music publishers, and what the future of Black women within the industry should look like.

Hosted by Mural Arts. The history of poetry for protest and organizing. Short poems used to be used as a means of communication for rebellions because they were easy to remember. Most protest songs are poetry. Even the chants at protests today are poems. Join poet and recording artist Ursula Rucker and poet, activist, curator and educator, Nina “Lyrispect” Ball in conversation with our series host, Ginger Rudolph, for a look at the deep history and long connection between poetry and activism.

Hosted by Americana Music Association. The August 20th livestreamed panel is aimed at advocating for a more significant presence for Black artists and industry leaders as stakeholders more broadly represented in Americana’s present and future. For nearly three centuries, Americana music has celebrated the soulful, multi-ethnic, and communal essence of the American experience. However, throughout the country’s -- and by extension -- the genre’s history, minimal representation of Black artists has been a constant. Given that gospel, blues, and soul are intrinsic to Americana as a musical genre, this has too long been a problematic issue and must be remedied.

Hosted by Nonprofit HR. The 2020 Nonprofit Talent Management Priorities Survey revealed that 45% of respondents are prioritizing “attracting and hiring diverse talent” this year, across all demographics including race. But what will social-impact organizations need to look like to the “woke” jobseeker? And, will nonprofits be able to reflect the cultures of diversity, equity and inclusion that candidates are seeking when evaluating where to lend their time and talents?

Hosted by the League of American Orchestras. Please join us on Wednesday, August 26, at 1:00pm Eastern/10:00am Pacific for a virtual listening session. You must be a League member to register. The session will serve as a forum where you can voice your general reactions to the statement and materials, discuss how you might use this statement with your orchestra, and ask any questions. 

Hosted by Arts Administrators of Color Network. Dr. Keith D. Lee will lead a discussion on diversity in arts administration education, training, and practices and what it could mean to the field while it also adapts to funding changes, to the transformation of faculty and staff responsibilities in university and arts organizations, and to student requirements, enrollment, and curricula development. Dr. Lee will be joined by Ms Cheryl Slay Carr, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of the Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University; Ms Ruby Lopez Harper, Senior Director for Local Arts Advancement at American for the Arts; and Mr. Anthony Meyers, Founding Director of Leading Changemakers.

Produced by Capacity Interactive. Britton and Erik talk about the recent Broadway for Black Lives Matter virtual forums, a public conversation about racism in theater that brought together thousands of industry players. The forum's mission was to "heal, listen, and hold itself accountable to its history of white supremacy while moving towards becoming an anti-racist and equitable space."

Produced by Aspen Ideas Now. It’s a complicated and confusing time for the idea of free speech. On the one hand, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in recent months, exercising their rights to free speech in defense of justice, equality, and a more inclusive America. In some cases, however, they’ve been met with military-style police crackdowns. Meanwhile, hate speech and disinformation proliferate online about everything from COVID-19 to the 2020 election. And while some might argue that there’s never been a wider variety of opinions in the ether, others argue that a culture of silencing or cancelling unpopular or offensive speech is threatening to narrow the boundaries of American discourse. Is there a middle ground in these divided times? Can we protect free thinking while promoting a more inclusive culture and protecting against the harms of speech? PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel thinks we can. She joins Vivian Schiller, head of Aspen Digital, to talk about her new book Dare to Speak.

Produced by Americans for the Arts. Monument Lab's co-founder Paul Farber (He/They) offers reports of urgency and purpose for the field of public art. Over the last decade, artists, activists, and cultural organizers have pushed the status quo in public art, especially to reckon with symbols and systems of injustice. In the midst of sweeping protests against anti-Black racism, police brutality, and the carceral state, monuments continue to serve as focal points for struggle and platforms to push for new democratic visions. The reenvisioning of public art must radically change the ways we create, maintain, and engage our public art and history. Farber shares stories from Monument Lab projects and partnerships, reflections on recent monument takedowns around the world, and a wishlist and action items for the next generation of monuments.

 

 

FIELD NEWS

 

 

ART/ARTIST REPONSE

 

NEWS

 

 

TAKE ACTION

 

Thanks for reading. We hope you find this news digest to be a helpful tool to support your equity work, and welcome feedback at services@artsusa.org. If you were forwarded this and want to sign up for the Local Arts Network listserv to receive it directly, click here.

 

____________________

Ruby Lopez Harper

Senior Director of Local Arts Advancement

Americans for the Arts

Pronouns: she/her/hers

 

FIELD PROGRAMMING

Hosted by Reynaldi Lindner Lolong, the Director of Digital Engagement for The Public Theater and founder of the unofficial group BAMF (BIPOC Arts Marketing Folks). In a time where many arts organizations only exist online through websites, digital content, and social media channels, combined with a growing public accountability for social justice and institutional transparency, the role of the marketing and communications director is uniquely poised to bring about change. At the same time, these roles often sit within traditional white supremacist power structures designed to reinforce the industry norms. This conversation will bring together four leaders in theater, music, dance, and opera for a frank discussion on the industry, anti-racism, and their aspirations for the future of the field.

Hosted by Performing Artist Advocacy League. A Black Mama-led zoom community for BIPOC* Mamas** in the performing arts and media. Feel free to invite other BIPOC mamas you know to the group so they can RSVP here and receive the link! It's a free, community-based space built for connection.    *PAAL is committed to anti-racism in every action, space, and interaction. Please only RSVP to this event if you identify as a Black Mother. We will be sharing a zoom community for BIPOC Parents and Indigenous Mamas, specifically, soon as well. **PAAL is a trans and non-binary affirming organization. The term "mama" and any derivative is used for any and all who identify with the term in their parenting/caregiving.

Hosted by Alliance for Artists Communities. BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and people with disabilities working in the residency field and the arts at large are invited to join this regular discussion, with the one intention: to build community. Open to staff of AAC member organizations + non-member organizations

Narrative drives policy. When we think about the ways philanthropy has and continues to play a big role is this process of perpetuating, shifting, debunking, or changing narratives, it is important to turn to those who work relentlessly and consistently as examples of how the field can look in the present and future. This discussion at GIA is foregrounded by our narrative change series in 2019, where we featured funders and guests including Akonadi Foundation, Rinku Sen, Doris Duke, Jeff Chang, Saint Paul and Minnesota Foundations, Ford Foundation, and others.