“The Mobilier National, which was set up in the 17th century to decorate royal palaces and continues to restore and supply fine furniture and tapestries for the Elysée Palace and Versailles, needs to be ‘radically reformed’, according to a report by its auditors. National audit office inspectors, which found large quantities of alcohol in Mobilier National’s workshops, said staff were often absent and used tools and equipment to ‘moonlight’ on their own projects.” – The Local (France) (AFP)
Category: issues
Leonard Pitts: On Writing About Race In America
“A simple thought experiment illustrates the point. If asked to define black literature, you would likely—and promptly—invoke Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison or some other dark-skinned giant of the written word. But what if you were asked to define “white” literature? The mind quails and resists, does it not?” – LitHub
The Two Funders Who’ve Turned Miami Into A Serious Cultural Center
“Mid-tier cities aiming to ramp up their cultural profile in short order will find inspiration in Miami’s emergence as an arts hot spot. And regional foundations that aspire to catalyze such efforts can learn a lot by taking a closer look” at the work of the Knight Foundation and philanthropist Jorge M. Pérez. – Inside Philanthropy
This Time, Can Santa Fe Get Affordable Housing For Artists Built?
Developer Daniel Werwath has been trying to get such housing built since 2005, and he’s already seen two projects get started and then stall out. But he thinks that 2019 may be the year his plan succeeds. – Next City
Decade-Long Study: Students Who Study The Arts Get Better Overall Grades
“It found students who took an elective arts class in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade had significantly higher grade point averages (GPAs), and better scores on standardized reading and math tests, than their peers who were not exposed to the arts. This held true after the researchers took into account “all the ways that students who did and did not take the arts in middle school were initially different.” – Pacific Standard
How Did The Shed Raise Nearly Half A Billion Dollars For A Building That Has Never Been Done Before?
The takeaway? Raising money in an arts philanthropy climate focused on issues like equity and access is not a zero-sum game. You can build a modern and expensive new building and roll out programming aligned with the pressing issues of the day. – Inside Philanthropy
The Waltons Aren’t The Only Big Arts Philanthropists In Arkansas
“Consider recent gifts from the Little Rock-based Windgate Foundation. Roughly two years after committing $40 million to the University of Arkansas to create the Windgate Art and Design District in Fayetteville, the foundation announced a $20 million gift to the University of Central Arkansas … [to]support the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts.” – Inside Philanthropy
Professional-Level Arts Are Thoroughly Subsidized By (If Not Addicted To) Unpaid Labor
Citing practices that “wouldn’t be tolerated in any other industry,” the ArtsPay 2018 survey “reveals that salaries in the sector, which are already low in comparison with other industries, are even less favourable than they appear because they take no account of the unpaid overtime that workers are routinely expected to do. It raises serious questions about the sustainability of careers in the arts.” – Arts Professional
The Cities That Fall Into A Branding Trap
“Look at any piece of city marketing material, from promo videos to airline magazine ad inserts. It’s amazing how so many of them rely on the same basic ingredients: hipster coffee shops, microbreweries, bike lanes, creative-class members, startups, intimations of a fashion scene, farm-to-table restaurants, new downtown streetcars, etc. These are all good things, mind you: things cities should be happy to have. Some of them may even be modern necessities. But you can’t help but notice how few unique things about these cities manage to come through.” – CityLab
So Your Books Are Balanced. What Does That Have To Do With Your Mission?
“Fiscal responsibility is good business. But it is immaterial with respect to, and when contrasted with, a nonprofit’s impact. Fiscal responsibility, then, has no place anywhere near a mission statement.” – Clyde Fitch Report