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Advocacy - Arts Works for Virginia Conference

Reviews of Art Works for Virginia 2006 (from the conference evaluation forms)

"You hit another home run (bases loaded) with the keynote speaker."

"A balance of inspiration, education, and entertainment."

"Excellent presentations and good opportunities for networking"

"You deserve 100 standing ovations for putting together such an excellent event"

"Thanks for a fun and worthwhile day. Looking forward to next year."

Over 300 leaders from all fields of the arts across Virginia gathered in Richmond on January 25 and 26 for the annual Art Works for Virginia conference and Arts Advocacy Day at the State Capitol. The day started with an inspirational talk by Sir Ken Robinson of the J. Paul Getty Foundation on How Creativity Will Create Wealth in the 21st Century.

We also talked about:

Virginia First Lady Anne Holton joined us at lunchtime to talk about the impact of the arts on the lives of her three children. She introduced the lively Minds in Motion ensemble of the Richmond Ballet with her daughter in the troupe.

Virginia Secretary of Education Tom Morris spoke about the importance of the arts to the state economy and quality of life.

Curators, directors of local arts agencies, performing arts presenters, and art and music education supervisors from across the state held information-sharing sessions.

After a full day of workshops and presentations the group moved to St. Paul's Church for a reception honoring members of the Virginia General Assembly. Governor Tim Kaine welcomed the arts leaders to Richmond. St. George Productions and the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra performed.

Thank you to our corporate sponsors - Philip Morris USA and Norfolk Southern - for making Art Works for Virginia possible.

Mark your calendars now for Art Works for Virginia 2007 on January 24 and 25 in downtown Richmond.

2006 Conference Schedule

Sponsored by:

Virginians for the Arts Foundation
Virginia Commission for the Arts
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Virginia Presenters Network

Special Thanks to our Corporate Sponsors:

Norfolk Southern Foundation
Philip Morrris USA

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, January 25

8:30 a.m Registration, coffee, and conversation

9:30 a.m. Welcome, Dr. Lucius Ellsworth, Chair, Virginia Commission for the Arts
and Marcia Thalhimer, President, Virginians for the Arts

Keynote speaker:

Sir Ken Robinson, who has advised some of the world’s leading cultural organizations including the Royal Ballet and the New York International Arts Festival will keynote the ArtWorks for Virginia 2006 conference. He is Senior Advisor to the J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles.

Before moving to the United States, he was voted Business Speaker of the Year by over 200 global and European companies. Sir Ken Robinson was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his outstanding achievements as a leader in creativity, education, and the arts.

Sir Ken speaks to audiences throughout the world on the creative challenges facing business and education in the new global economies. His core message is that the key to the future, for all organizations, lies in new approaches to developing the creative talents of all their people. He teaches ways to unlock creativity and to sustain innovation in a long-term, systematic way.

11:00 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

12:30 p.m. Conference Luncheon, sponsored by Norfolk Southern Foundation, will include remarks by Marcia Thalhimer, President, Virginians for the Arts, and a peformance by Minds in Motion Team XXL, a Commission grantee.

2:00 p.m. Virginians for the Arts Annual Membership Meeting

2:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

5:30 p.m. Reception for conference attendees, honoring members of the Virginia General Assembly.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, 815 East Grace Street

St. George Productions’ delightful Renaissance actors will be on hand to
introduce legislators and entertain guests.

All Virginia Delegates and Senators will receive written invitations to the reception.
If you plan to attend, please let your legislators know. Your personal invitation and the fact that you will be there are important.

Thursday, January 26

Arts Advocacy Kick-Off Meeting
Richmond Marriott Hotel

7:30 a.m. Buffet Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. Advocacy Instructions, including tips for visits with legislators. Handout materials will be available.

8:30 a.m. Visits with Legislators

General Assembly Building, 9th & Broad Streets

Contact your Delegate and Senator in advance, if possible, to ask for an appointment between 8:30 a.m. and noon on Thursday, January 26, 2006 (the General Assembly goes into session at noon, and most legislators are in committee meetings in the afternoon). If you cannot arrange appointments for that day, it is still important to stop by your legislators’ offices in the General Assembly building to let them know that you have made the trip to Richmond in support of funding for the arts. It is effective for groups of people to meet with the legislators if you can get together with others from your legislative district.

11:30 a.m. Dancers of the Richmond Ballet will escort the Delegates and Senators to the temporary House and Senate Chambers in the newly renovated Patrick Henry Buillding, 12th & Broad Streets.

Concurrent Session Descriptions

WEDNESDAY MORNING

Audience Research in the Performing Arts
The Barter Theatre of Abingdon has conducted a series of focus groups with potential ticket buyers to learn how they decide which performing events to attend. Richard Rose, Producing Director of the Barter, will present the findings, which are important information for any performing arts organization that is looking for a larger audience.

Marketing the Arts on a Shoestring Budget
Artists are entrepreneurs, and arts centers are small businesses when it comes to marketing the arts. How do you get the word out when you do not have a big business budget? All it takes is resourcefulness injected with creativity. Robert J. Holland, of Holland Communication Solutions LLC, will share some of the marketing secrets of his own five-year-old business, plus other proven creative strategies. You will leave this fast-paced session with a long list of ideas that you can adopt or adapt.

The Arts and Healthcare.
Learn how innovative organizations use the arts to improve the health and well being of their communities through partnerships for healing. Gay Hanna, of the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, will lead a discussion of case studies of arts programs in different kinds of healthcare settings, such as hospitals, medical schools, and mental health, hospice, and long-term-care facilities.

Founders and Succession “Founder’s Syndrome” is a challenge throughout the nonprofit field. Charismatic founders can offer dynamic vision, enormous knowledge, a wealth of contacts, tremendous energy, and a great passion for the work to which they have devoted their lives. When the founder moves on, however, what needs to be done to ensure that the work of the organization continues? Laura Lewis Mandeles, of Wolf, Keens & Company, will lead a discussion of issues to be considered and will present models of successful transitions.

Curators Roundtable
Curators from around the state will gather for a working session. Designed for full-time curators, the roundtable is an informal session of meeting, reacquainting, connecting, collaborating, and exchanging. Participants will share information about programs or projects that are in the planning or development stages. Bring 30 copies of your exhibition schedule for this year and next to share. Eileen Mott, Statewide Exhibitions Coordinator of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, will moderate the session.

Virginia Art Educators Association Supervisors Meeting
Public school art supervisors will meet to discuss common issues. Barbara Laws, of the Norfolk Public Schools, and Pat Franklin, of the Newport News Public Schools, will lead the discussion.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

Curators roundtable
Continuation of morning session.

Board Development
Developing an effective board of directors is one of the greatest challenges facing any nonprofit arts organization. Mary Ann deBarbieri, former Managing Director of the Folger Theatre and consultant with National Arts Strategies, will talk about how to recruit, retain, and make effective use of board members. The session will explore changes in patterns of volunteerism that are affecting nonprofit boards of directors.

Information Technology Planning for Arts Organizations.
Phil Crosby, founder of pnnonline.org and former Managing Director of Theatre Virginia and the Richmond Ballet, will talk about information technology planning for arts organizations with limited resources. This session will include information on low-cost options for purchasing hardware and software and on staffing needs. The Virginia Commission for the Arts will begin awarding technology enhancement grants in 2006-2007, and technology plans will be required with the applications.

Jamestown 2007
In 2007 the Commonwealth of Virginia will commemorate the founding of the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown in 1607. All of Virginia will be involved in the commemoration. Amy Ritchie, Manager of Statewide Programs, and Kyra Cook, Manager of the Historic Triangle 2007 Host Committee, will give an overview of the Jamestown 2007 activities and describe how artists and arts organizations can get involved.

Advocacy Workshop
June Britt, past President of Virginians for the Arts, and John J. “Butch” Davies, former member of Virginia House of Delegates, will lead this annual workshop on how to advocate for public funding of the arts. New arts advocates will learn how to make their voices heard. Long-time arts advocates will learn about the important issues facing the arts in the 2006 General Assembly.

Performing Arts Presenters
Marketing a performance series has never been easy. Information and computer technologies - the web, email, Dcs, iPods, and Resources & Links - are the proverbial “good news and bad news.” These resources help to reach new audiences but also create new competitive challenges. This workshop will focus on how presenters can capitalize on these technologies to reach more people, more effectively and and more efficiently. The session will also include some of the common mistakes that arts organizations continue to make when embracing new technologies. Dan Martin, Director of the Carnegie Mellon Institute for the Management of Creative Enterprises, will lead the session.

Local Arts Agency Roundtable
Leaders of the local arts councils of the state will gather to share ideas and experiences in promoting the arts in their communities. This roundtable is for staff and board leaders of Virginia arts councils that provide services for artists and arts organizations and who lead community cultural planning.