2009 Arts Works for Virginia Conference
Professional Development Workshops included:
Crisis Communications
Entire organizations have fallen because of communications mistakes during a crisis. In fact, what you do and say in the first minutes and hours of a crisis can determine whether or not your organization survives. This session is designed for managers, public relations/marketing staff, and others who may be on a crisis management team. The session covers internal and external communications, distinguishing between a true crisis versus an unpleasant situation, the core elements of a crisis management plan, and management of media relations. Ron Reid, public relations consultant and actor, will lead the workshop.
Building Effective Partnerships with the Schools
Arts organizations across Virginia have invested major staff and financial resources in building educational programs for young people yet are often frustrated in building effective, long term partnerships with the schools in their communities. Bruce Miller of Theatre IV of Richmond and Cherry Johnson of the Watauga County Arts Council of Boone, North Carolina, will share their experiences, good and bad, in working with the schools. They will talk about getting the attention of decision-makers in the schools, finding funding for school programs, and keeping the partnerships going over time.
Accountability for Nonprofits
Nonprofits are being called upon by the public, by government, and by funders to be more accountable. What does accountability mean? To whom are nonprofits accountable and for what purpose? Learn about the organized efforts by regulators, watchdogs, and the nonprofits themselves to ensure organizations remain true to their exempt purposes. The session is presented by Deborah Barfield Williamson, Executive Director of the Virginia Network of Nonprofit Organizations.
Building the Case for Public Art
Public art, or artwork in the public realm, is a growing movement across the country and a burgeoning practice in Virginia. Arts administrators, public art professionals, and advocates join in a lively panel discussion to share real life stories of how they built public art programs in their communities, both large and small. Get ideas for beginning and sustaining a successful public art program in your community, including funding mechanisms ranging from private funding to municipal percent for art programs. Learn successful strategies for making the case for public art from artistic, social, educational, tourism, and economic development perspectives. The panel will include Glenn Weiss, manager of the public art program for the City of Coral Springs, Florida; David Brown of the Art Museum of Western Virginia; Elizabeth Breeden of the ArtInPlace program in Charlottesville; and Laura Blackman of Cary (NC) Visual Art, Inc.
Update on State Initiatives
There are some exciting initiatives planned for the next few years that will involve the entire arts community of Virginia. Governor's Awards in the Arts will be presented in September of 2008. There will be a statewide celebration of the arts around the theme of AWomen in the Arts@ in the spring of 2010. Come hear how you can become involved and help to build greater public visibility for the arts as a whole.
Curators Roundtable: Creating Collaborative Exhibitions
Launching the discussion are two case studies of collaborative exhibitions currently in progress. How do partnerships begin and how is the division of labor, finances, and production determined? What can be the drawbacks and benefits to such projects? In the end, is it really worth it? Panelists will be David Bearinger of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, Laura Browder of the English Department at Virginia Commonwealth University, Ashley Kistler of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, John Ravenal of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and Andrea Douglas and Matthew Affron of the University of Virginia Art Museum with Wyone Lynch-McWhite of the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum at Hollins University as panel moderator. The session has been organized by Susan Ferrell and Gina Collins, Office of Statewide Partnerships, Virginia Mueum of Fine Arts.
Virginia Art Educators Supervisors Meeting
Public school art supervisors will meet to discuss common issues. Pat Franklin of the Newport News Public Schools will lead the discussion.
Virginia Music Educators Supervisors Meeting
Public school music supervisors will meet to discuss common issues. Jim Harmon of the Loudoun County Public Schools will lead the discussion.
Generations at Work: Why They Won't AGrow Out of It?
How do you understand what motivates the four generations currently in the work force? The challenges of an aging experienced population and new attitudes toward work and learning is an issue that must be addressed. The baby boomers are retiring and the youngest generation, Gen Y, is growing in numbers. Just as technology is changing rapidly and must be managed, the sociological and demographic changes have profound implications for the future of our organizations. Marsha Littell, Diretor of Training for the international architectural design firm HOK, has been studying diversity and performance management for over a decade.
Fold 'em, Hold 'em, Know When To Walk Away - Previously Dealt Cards, Heritage Art CollectionsThis session will address the issues of accumulated memorials, monuments, and other artworks that were created prior to the establishment of your public art program. Almost every public art program has found itself responsible for objects that were built by eager developers, patriotic veterans, or donated by artists. The session will cover everything from war memorials to the WPA projects to the fiberglass brand sculpture trend. The panelists will offer local, state, and national perspectives that address the political, aesthetic, public, historical, and community pressures and solutions. There are risks and rewards in dealing with community art projects that may not be in line with the goals set out by the percent for art program. The presentation will include war stories and practical guidelines for such solutions. For the increasing number of start-up public art programs, this presentation will be filled with ideas on how to inventory existing work and educate communities. More and more public art programs are discovering that success means everyone wants to get in the game, which sometimes leaves motherhood and maintenance issues up to the institutionalized program. Helen Lessick, artist and public art consultant, Dennis Montagna of the National Park Service=s Monument Research & Preservation Program, and Karen Rudd, painter and coordinator of the Norfolk public art program, will lead the discussion.
Social Networking 101: Facing Facebook, MySpace, and More
The rise in social networking and Web 2.0 has created a fervent buzz among internet users and kept them scrambling to keep up with features. Demographic differences between tech savvy youth and more nuanced, cautious adults create a clash of perspectives that can result in missed opportunities. The key to carefully approaching social networking is not an all-out war on the environments but rather a respect for the utility and a working knowledge on where the medium has been and appears to be going. Among the areas to be covered in this session are MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, blogging sites, YouTube, privacy, assumptions, perspectives, and utilizing social networking's power for good and more. Dean Browell is a PR Account Executive with the agency Neathawk Dubuque & Packett.
Curators Roundtable: Audience Development Issues and Opportunities
What are the challenges in reconciling curatorial considerations with attendance goals and scholarly approaches versus popular subjects? How are Virginia colleges and universities bridging to the communities beyond their campuses? How are community art museums/centers connecting to diverse constituencies? Panelists David Brown of the Art Museum of Western Virginia, Nancy Sausser of the McLean Project for the Arts, Aaron DeGroft of the Muscarelle Museum, and Chris Jones of the Prizery, with K. Johnson Bowles of the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts as moderator, will lead the discussion.
Ushering Artists into the Public Art Process
Hear the artist's perspective on public art. Get ideas on how to attract top quality artists to your public art program. Get advice on ways to work with the artists to make the process of creating public art go smoothly in your community.
Marketing the Arts in Tough Economic Times
In a recession the demand for arts and entertainment slows but does not go away. Hear from Rick Lester of TRG/Target Resource Group, a data-driven marketing consulting company, about the forces that take hold within arts institutions in tough economic times. Hear practical suggestions for avoiding common mistakes in setting revenue targets and in planning a marketing strategy. Learn what data to track to make best use of scarce marketing resources. Mr. Lester has had an extensive career in entertainment marketing, including posts as the marketing director for the Cleveland and Cincinnati Orchestras and as the CEO of the San Antonio and Charlotte Orchestras.
Managing Conflict in Nonprofit Workplaces
Conflict is an inevitable fact of organizational life. Leaders and staff typically report that managing conflict is one of their least favorite tasks, adding significant stress to their roles and depleting large amounts of time, energy, and resources. What specifically can you do to reduce conflict=s harmful impact on you and your organization? This session will look at triggers in workplace conflict and how to shift conflict energy to enjoy gains in creativity and improved problem solving. Susan Gunn of Working Dynamics, who will lead the session, has more than 25 years of experience in the challenges of complex workplaces.
Accountability for Non-Profit Organizations
Back by popular demand. Nonprofits are being called upon by the public, by government, and by funders to be more accountable. Deborah Williamson of the Virginia Network of Nonprofit Organizations will lead a session on current accountability standards. This session received high marks from participants in the 2008 Art Works for Virginia conference.
Advocacy Workshop
New arts advocates should plan to attend this session to learn how to make their voices heard with state and local decision-makers. June Britt, past President of Virginians for the Arts, and John J. AButch@ Davies, former member of the House of Delegates, will lead this annual workshop on how to advocate for public funding of the arts.
Marketing the Arts in Rural Areas
With fewer people and media outlets in rural areas, there are special challenges in marketing the arts. Hear from colleagues from around the state about their successes and challenges in marketing the arts in rural areas. The panel will include Chris Jones of The Prizery in South Boston; Penelope Moseley, formerly with the Arts & Cultural Council of the Twin Counties and now with the Chestnut Creek School of the Arts in Galax; and Jeffrey Stern, formerly with Wayside Theatre in Middletown and now Director of the Franklin Park Visual and Performing Arts Center in Purcellville. Laura Rawlings of the Arts Council of the Blue Ridge will moderate the session.
Fundraising in Tough Economic Times
At a time when the country is facing many economic challenges, the leaders of arts organizations are concerned about maintaining both earned and contributed income. Hear from representatives of major arts funders in Virginia about the current climate for charitable giving and about how arts organizations can make a compelling case for funding when resources are scarce and there are many competing priorities for those resources. Katie Fessler of Altria, Deborah Wyld of Norfolk Southern, and Patrick Dexter of ExxonMobil will share their thoughts and advice.
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