Oakland Tribune Outtakes » Arts funding

New NEA chief: will Oakland artists benefit?

awoodall — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:21:29 +0000

Back in February, a group of artists, curators, gallery operators and commentators gathered in an empty Old Oakland storefront to discuss the state of the arts. The central question was how government (at all levels) can influence and support the local arts. On the agenda was the $50 million in arts funding included in the stimulus bill, which was still in the jello stage six months ago. I wrote a story about the town hall style meeting, but I don’t know what concrete steps were taken after the meeting. I think they are planning another forum. In the meantime, and this goes back to many of the comments made during the discussion, the National Endowment for the Arts has a new chairman, Broadway producer Rocco Landesman. In an NYT article about Obama’s appointment of the tough and evidently wealthy producer, Landesman said the arts are an economic engine and called the current appropriation of $155 million pathetic and embarassing, which is still less than agency’s 1992 budget of $176 million — before a Congress bent on destroying the agency got a hold of the federal pursestrings. So it sounds like more money might pour (or at least drip) from the federal faucets, but: ”Mr. Landesman said he expected to focus on financing the best art, regardless of location…There is going to be some push-back from me about democratizing arts grants to the point where you really have to answer some questions about artistic merit.” (Another art-scene story I seem to do about every 6 months – this time about Art Murmur and First Fridays – will be online shortly and in the Trib tomorrow.)

The arts don’t get sacked

awoodall — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:18:35 +0000

Kelly Rayburn wrote in today’s Trib that, “…the council — after hearing loudly from the city’s arts community — seemed prepared to restore some funding to the city’s Cultural Arts Program after council President Ignacio De La Fuente (Glenview-Fruitvale) and Councilmember Jean Quan (Montclair-Laurel) suggested last week that the program get the hatchet. Brunner, De La Fuente, Quan and Councilmember Patricia Kernighan (Grand Lake-Chinatown) put up a proposal Tuesday to restore $1.1 million in arts grants funding [1% of the budget], while still eliminating some jobs in Oakland’s cultural arts and public art programs. ” So there’s money but no one to spend it? Anyway, a lot of work goes into program by non-paid commissioners. Or at least I think they are unpaid.

Slashing arts funding in Oakland

awoodall — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:53:21 +0000

The city council is talking about cutting Oakland’s Cultural Arts program, acc. to the Friday story by the Trib’s Kelly Rayburn. The proposed move, on the agenda for Tuesday’s City Council meeting (doors open 6 p.m.), is tantamount to self-mutilation if we’re supposed to be betting the revival of Oakland on entertainment, art, dining and the like…in other words, giving people a reason for moving here and giving the ones who did something to do when the sun sets. I don’t know how many complaints I’ve heard about the city’s inability to communicate across the various departments. So the head doesn’t know what its ass is doing, but the head is supposed to be capable of giving people information about its various body parts. So let me spell it out to Ignacio De La Fuente and Jean Quan, the two councilmember geniuses who put the suspension idea out there along with some other brilliant proposals. I’ll try to go slowly. Artists and the art they create need money, which the program helps provide based on qualified people making qualified judgments. The artists create a buzz that draws more people, which draws restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs to feed and water them. That means more money for the city and safer streets etc. In short, it creates a cool city. Here is a more thorough description of what the program does and the future plans, including Illuminated Oakland. I’m no schill for the city folks but my job will get a lot duller if Quan and De La Fuente have their way (Dellums and three other members are opposing).
I don’t care how many high-rise office buildings go up, without Cultural Arts support, the city won’t be worth hanging out in and the SF shadow will just loom darker and heavier, proving the theory that Oakland survives DESPITE its leadership. Here is a link to an online petition drive and more about it all.

Hi everyone, We could use your help!1.) Forward this urgent email to as many people as possible.

2.) Sign the online petition at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/Oakland_Arts_Funding/index.html

3.) Come to the City Council Meeting on Tuesday October 21st!

4.) Contact a Council Member and let them know how important the arts are to you!

Funding for the Cultural Arts and Marketing Department is on the chopping block and will be voted on by the Oakland City Council this Tuesday, October 21. The meeting begins at 6pm and this topic is currently Item 19 on the Agenda, so it could be a long night. Grant funding is in jeopardy, as are all of the staff positions. This is a serious threat to a thriving but already under-funded community. We do understand that the City’s finances are in a dire situation, but the fact of the matter is that the cultural arts department has historically borne more than its share of cuts and now represents only .4% (4/10 of 1%) of the overall city budget, yet serves 6,273 children and youth through the art in the schools program (most of whom would not have access to arts without these programs), and another 957,650 people through performances, events, etc. Not only will department staff lose their jobs: staff an d teachers in the already-fragile arts sector will also lose jobs. The arts are not a luxury! Children and youth who participate in arts programs and learn positive ways to express themselves are less likely to engage in unsafe or criminal activities. Neighborhoods with visual and performing arts venues bring in $$s to the local economy, help prevent crime and violence by “keeping the lights on”, and add to the overall quality of life in our city.

If you are an artist, educator, work for an arts organization, enjoy arts events, have a kid in an arts program in one of Oakland’s schools or community centers, or have friends that are artists, please join us to make our voices heard. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

There are currently three council members who are opposed to cutting arts funding: Nancy Nadel, Jane Brunner, and Desley Brooks. All other council members have indicated that they will vote to cut the program. Please don’t let this happen!! Contact your council person immediately (preferably before Monday) and let them know that cutting the arts program is unacceptable. Also, let the three council members that support the arts know how much you appreciate their support. Below is contact info for each of the district council members:

District 1, Jane Brunner, jbrunner@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7001;
District 2, Pat Kernighan,pkernighan@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7002;
District 3, Nancy Nadel, nnadel@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7003;
District 4, Jean Quan, jquan@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7004;
District 5, Ignacio de la Fuente. idelafuente@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7005;
District 6, Desley Brooks, dbrooks@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7006;
District 7, Larry Reid, lreid@oaklandnet.com, (510) 238-7007
At-Large, Henry Chang, Jr., cityochang@aol.com

Not sure who your council member is? Click here to find out: http://www.oaklandnet.com/oit/CDST/DistMain.cfm

Please forward this to your staff, board, friends, students, their parents, your mailing list, etc. It is our responsibility to make our voices heard – and to let the officials know that we represent a larger portion of the public than they think!

Here’s a link to the evite:
http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?event=ACFFSJPPTIYVQCGKBKXY&inviteId=PBNDQUYBQENJDTPITZEK&showPreview=false&x=15069028

I know that you are all really busy and I appreciate your time.

Thank you in advance for getting involved,

Lori Zook, Acting-Chair
City of Oakland Cultural Affairs Commission

Nicole Neditch, Co-Dierctor, Oakland Art Gallery
Vice-Chair, City of Oakland Cultural Affairs Commission

Oaklandish up to good again

awoodall — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:41:20 +0000

Oaklandish is offering two different arts funding grants. Due November 21, 2008:

OAKLAND INNOVATORS AWARD…

Oakland has historically been a hotbed of renegade activity, where boundaries are redefined and trends are created rather than followed.

To help encourage the continuation of this “trailblazers’ legacy,”

Oaklandish has created the Oakland Innovators Award, a fund that offers annual grants to organizations and individuals who are doing pioneering work in our community. This award is meant to offer recognition and financial support to local programs that exemplify the values of innovation and progress in all areas of civic life, including arts, education, technology, and business. Local innovators are invited to apply for a grant of up to $5,000.

ARTS-IN-ACTION GRANT

Oaklandish began as a covert public art campaign designed to bring a sense of history and culture to the underutilized public spaces of this city. Eight years later we continue that legacy by encouraging other local artists to create their own Oakland-centric works in the public realm. With the Arts-in-Action Grant, Oaklandish aims to provoke public discourse and inspire creative activity throughout our urban landscape. Local artists are invited to apply for a grant of up to $5,000.

Download applications at:

http://www.oaklandish.org/COMMUNITY/community.html