Arts Intranet

As we ring in 2020, it’s the perfect time for a little hindsight (get it?)—so let’s get the year started with a look back at the most-viewed ARTSblog posts from our last trip around the sun. I know what you’re thinking: “It’s 2020 … you still have a blog?” We do, dear reader! Competition for online attention is fierce, and most virtual conversations (civil or not) seem to be happening in the comments of social media posts—and yet, ARTSblog clearly is still a valued place for our field to share experience and expertise as we navigate the varied complexities of what it means to work in the arts. There is no better place to learn from your peers, whether you’re an artist, administrator, educator, city planner, arts marketer, or countless other careers that intersect with the arts—and we’re grateful for all of the writers and readers who continue to make ARTSblog both a vibrant and practical space.

Even though it may be so 2013, I’d love to hear from you in the comments on this post: Which blogs did you find most useful or interesting this year? Did anything make you think differently about your work or the field? Are there any topics you wish to read more about? This is your space—tell us what you think!

The 10 most read blogs of 2019

1.) Audience Engagement is NOT Community Engagement by Cristyn Johnson, Americans for the Arts
Categories: Arts Marketing, Community Engagement

“Lately I’ve come across readings and articles where there appear to be some misconceptions as to what is considered community engagement. I’ve seen organizations hold a fundraising night at a local restaurant and present this as a ‘community engagement event.’ I’ve seen organizations host ‘talk-backs’ after performances and label this as community engagement. I’ve seen organizations host exhibits about a specific demographic group in their local community, and label it as community engagement. This is not to say these aren’t great things to do—but we need to be honest with ourselves about what these events actually are.”

2.) 10 Reasons to Support the Arts in 2019 by Randy Cohen, Americans for the Arts
Categories: Arts & Business, Arts & Healing, Arts Education, Community Engagement, Social Change

“It can feel intimidating walking into a legislator’s office—even to experienced advocates. To always feel prepared, I break the advocacy process down into three simple questions: Who gets the message? What is the message? Who delivers the message? The arts are all about stories—often small, always meaningful. Share yours. It’s engaging and draws your listener in—and then pair it with these research-based findings.”

3.) The Shooting Star of Arts Education Research by Narric Rome, Americans for the Arts
Category: Arts Education

“An Education Commission of the States staff member with the memorable name of Claus von Zastrow published a blog reporting the findings of an art education question included in the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in Math. It’s a substantial discovery—akin to when new stars are detected in a constellation, or a new species of insect is identified. This question, put to the 147,000 students that were a part of the 2019 Math NAEP sample, must be the single largest arts education data point in the history of federal education research.”

4.) But What Does Arts Entrepreneurship Even Mean? by James David Hart, Southern Methodist University
Categories: Arts & Business, Arts Education

“Arts Entrepreneurship training offers no guarantees. However, it does increase the likelihood of artists’ success. Many of our students go to school, in part, to increase their odds of working professionally. However, the current standard in arts education is largely one of ‘all arts technique and no real business skills,’ which contributes to the starving artist stereotype. To help artists overcome this stereotype, it is critical that they are offered the ‘missing puzzle piece’ of arts education found in so many schools around the country.”

5.) The Art of Community Building: Leveraging the Social Impact of the Arts by Sarah Sidman, ArtsFund
Categories: Community Engagement, Social Change

“ArtsFund, a Seattle-based grantmaking and advocacy nonprofit, recently published the Social Impact of the Arts Study: How Arts Impact King County Communities. Defining ‘social impact’ as the ability to advance community priorities, we focused on key areas where arts intersect with our region’s challenges. We center on equity throughout, examining how arts can lessen the opportunity gap. Our report offers a new way of looking at things—how investment in the arts is a proactive, strategic investment in community—with potential implications for advancing and amplifying the social impact of the arts in other localities.”

6.) Oil Changes and Public Art Collide for the Common Good by Steve G. Sanner, Jiffy Lube of Indiana
Categories: Arts & Business, Public Art

“As a Jiffy Lube franchisee, I don’t typically make the ‘prospect list’ of business development staff in the arts community. Everyone assumes that small business owners have limited resources, and working to convince us to get involved isn’t an efficient use of time when larger supporters often dedicate annual budgets to philanthropic initiatives. At the same time, small business owners like me don’t often view the arts as an area in which we can make a real difference. These two assumptions make it too easy for both small business and the arts to ignore one another and focus our energies elsewhere. But the reality is that we should ALL do better and that partnering with the arts has an enormous payoff!”

7.) Your Fans Don't Care How Excited You Are (and Other Lessons on Social Media Authenticity) by Krisi Packer, Capacity Interactive
Category: Arts Marketing

“Let’s test something out. I want you to look at your organization’s Facebook and Instagram posts for the last 30 days. Then, count how many times you’re asking patrons to buy tickets or donate. I also want you to take a look at how many times ‘We’re so excited…’ appears. If you’re currently grimacing as these numbers increase, it’s time to rethink how you’re talking with your current and future patrons.”

8.) Arts Advocacy Through a Politician’s Lens by John R. Killacky, Vermont state legislator
Categories: Leadership, Social Change

“Since being elected to the Vermont House of Representatives last fall, my perspective has dramatically changed as to how best advocate for the arts and, in fact, how siloed arts organizations and their funders are. My legislative work focuses on economic development, tourism, heath, education, affordable housing, environment, and agriculture, as well as vulnerable populations: veterans, prisoners, the homeless, those suffering from substance use disorders, and survivors of physical and sexual abuse. Art is barely present in these conversations, but is so needed.”

9.) The Arts Unify Communities by Randy Cohen, Americans for the Arts
Categories: Arts & Healing, Community Engagement, Social Change

“We are better people with the arts in our lives. We are healthier, creative, and actively engaged citizens who feel better about today and more optimistic about tomorrow. In a society struggling to find equity and social justice, the arts improve the quality of our communities. They unify us and help us understand other cultures—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times. The research shows today’s public understands this well.”

“The post-graduation years are considered a rite of passage, where emerging artists navigate crushing poverty, unpaid internships, uninformed financial decisions, and rejection in order to emerge as bona fide artists. Let’s look closely at these expectations through the lens of equity, diversity, and inclusion. The ‘rite of passage’ culture can signal to aspiring artists that the luxury of time, connections, and money are necessary to enter this field. In a field that is still white and male-dominated despite encouraging signs of change, those who hold privilege (economic, racial, gender, social, etc.) are better positioned. How can we better prepare aspiring artists from all backgrounds to enter this field?”

Bonus! The next two most read blogs of 2019

Everyone loves a good top 10 list, but posts #11 and #12 were so close behind, and were so closely aligned in subject matter, that I had to stretch this year’s list. There’s no doubt the question of how much we get paid (or would like to, or should, get paid) is on the minds of folks in all corners of the arts field.

11.) When Will Actions Follow Words? A Survey of Salaries Across Local Arts Agencies by Ruby Lopez Harper, Americans for the Arts
Categories: Community Engagement, Leadership

“The salary survey report in Americans for the Arts’ 2018 Profile of Local Arts Agencies sheds light on certain disparities in representation. Overall, these datapoints paint a challenging picture. Americans for the Arts and others have made diversification of the field a priority at least since the founding of the Emerging Arts Leaders program 20 years ago. While 20 years is a relatively short period of time to see systemic change—and while we do see more diversity in the entry- and mid-level positions that hopefully will feed into the leadership of the field over time—this survey data suggests that the field has made virtually no progress in these efforts.”

12.) pay artists. by Yolonda Lavender, Soul Artistry LLC
Categories: Arts & Business, Social Change

“THEM: ‘We can’t pay you, but you’ll get lots of exposure!’

ME: ‘I can’t eat or pay my bills with exposure!’

If I had a nickel for every time the sentiment of exposure as compensation was offered to me as an artist, I probably would not need to be writing this blog post about the importance of compensation for creatives.”

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