“Why does it actively hurt to work in some places?” I have asked myself. “And why doesn’t it hurt to work in others?” I wanted to know what the organizations behind the positive spaces were doing that made me feel valued, respected, and like my presence mattered. How have these places reinvented what professionalism means under the confines of the non-profit industrial complex? – HowlRound
Category: issues
Student Activists Demand Camille Paglia’s Dismissal
The ever-controversial writer and social critic has been teaching at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts for 30 years and is one of the few faculty members there with tenure. Now, a petition begun by a group of students declares that “Camille Paglia should be removed from UArts faculty and replaced by a queer person of color” because of opinions she has expressed on transgender issues and campus sexual assault. (Paglia identifies as transgender.) Others, including writer Conor Friedersdorf, argue that the activists’ demands pose a danger to freedom of expression. – The Atlantic
Conservative Pundit: Guggenheim Bilbao Is Home To Anti-American Propaganda
Mark Thiessen attacks a show of Jenny Holzer’s work: “It’s no surprise that the art world is left wing. But the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao — an institution owned by an American foundation, in the heart of Spain — has turned itself into something worse: an instrument of anti-American propaganda.” – Washington Post
In San Diego, Emerging Artists And Organizations Get An Alternative To Official Nonprofit Status
The process to gain 501(c)(3) status takes a lot of time and resources, even more in California than elsewhere, and most grantmaking bodies won’t consider any entity that doesn’t have it. So the San Diego Foundation developed a solution called the Creative Catalyst program. Reporter Julia Dixon Evans explains. – Voice of San Diego
Venice Is Trying New Ways To Manage The Tourist Tsunami
“A new generation of concerned citizens and entrepreneurs is taking … combining grassroots activism with socially sensitive, sustainable initiatives to save their island home” — from managing the trash and reducing use of plastic to creating a new, more locally oriented alternative to Airbnb. – The Guardian
UK Statistics Authority Blasts Arts Council England Over Bad Methodology
A public letter from Ed Humpherson, head of UKSA’s regulatory arm, castigates ACE for an array of statistical misdemeanours that fail to meet the official Code of Practice, and which led to a “lack of clarity” in the presentation of visitor numbers in the funder’s latest annual report. But ACE still denies that its presentation of the figures was misleading, and says it has no plans to update the report. – Arts Professional
Damning Report On Perceptions Of Arts Council England’s Workplace Culture
An independent assessment of ACE’s reputation as an employer concludes that applicants from diverse demographic groups perceive the funder as inaccessible and feel that ACE looks for a particular ‘type’ to join its workforce. – Arts Professional
Arts Funder Tells Its Winning Artists To Pay Themselves Better
The call to artists to apply for this self-defined professional development support encouraged applicants to include a fee for their own time. However, of the 263 applications received, 62% didn’t include one and many of those that did asked for fees lower than the rates recommended by sector bodies. – Arts Professional
An Abuse Victim’s Courage, Plus His Hidden iPhone, Reveals The Truth About One Of The Co-Founders Of Sundance
The abuser, who hadn’t had anything to do with the festival, or so Sundance says, since 1993, went on to make religious and family-themed movies for the Mormon Church – until one of his victims came forward. The victim “could not shake the questions: What if there were other victims out there? What if the abuse was still going on? So in January of last year, he reached out … on Facebook.” – The New York Times
Artists Need To Back Up Off Of Critics’ Necks
The internet has democratized many things, including, in some case, criticism that isn’t thoughtful. But professional critics still take their knowledge, and their craft, seriously. “Lively arguments about talked-about shows – like the discussion of the Fleabag finale – can quickly spread. But social media also provides a platform for performers to reveal their thin skins, or for armies of fans to descend upon anyone who dares to dislike a favoured star or film franchise.” – The Guardian (UK)