Fractured Atlas Blog

Delighting in the Baroque: Les Délices

2009-11-06T17:06:08Z

Featured Member Profile

Performing seldom-heard works from the French Baroque on period instruments, the chamber ensemble Les Délices is the only group in the U.S. specializing in historically-informed performances of French Baroque chamber music. Les Délices seeks to bring their captivating repertoire to a wide audience and, with a favorably-reviewed CD and active tour schedule in their native Cleveland, they are succeeding.

Director Debra Nagy, an Oberlin-trained baroque oboist, speaks of recording, touring, fundraising and her ensemble’s amazing opportunity at the Metropolitan Museum of Art…

Debra, how does Les Délices stand out from other groups?

Les Délices stands out from other groups on account of its repertoire — I know of no other group in the U.S. that is dedicated to French baroque chamber music — and the instruments on which we perform it: we perform on specialized instruments at low-French chamber pitch. In Cleveland, we are the only chamber ensemble presenting its own concert series.

I noticed on your concert schedule that Les Délices performs at smaller venues, such as churches and art galleries. What is it about these spaces that appeals to you?

There were many factors that led us to choosing smaller venues. First-off, I felt it was really important to put chamber music back in the “chamber.” The music we perform was first heard and appreciated in salons, which were small, social gatherings where artists, musicians, writers, and patrons all had the opportunity to interact. Presenting concerts in art galleries seemed to have many advantages. For one, the size was right. Second, most art galleries have good acoustics (high ceilings, open space, often wood floors, etc.). Third, I love the concept of creating an artistically-integrated, value-added experience for audiences. I take for granted that audiences may be unfamiliar with the music, so I want them to feel like there are so many benefits in coming out for a show, that they will and can have a good experience no matter what. As it turns out, audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. They love the intimacy of the spaces, being up close and personal with the music and musicians, the artistic atmosphere, and the social component (all the gallery concerts include a reception).

Do these venues sometimes even offer a built-in audience?

I’ve been able to get help from our hosts at the galleries in promoting the events to their lists of patrons. In the end, the galleries benefit from the additional exposure and foot traffic related to the concerts, and we benefit from being able to reach their audience as well.

Tell us about your newest recording — how did it come together?

Les Délices had been performing concerts for a few years as guests on regional chamber music series, so it was a natural and necessary development (artistic as well as professional) for us to record our first CD as an ensemble (here’s a sampling**). We recorded with a wonderful engineer, Peter Nothnagle, who has tons of experience working with period instruments, and I feel fortunate to have a virtual “dream team” of colleagues to play with. We recorded in a beautiful space in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, in July 2008, and worked hard to get the disc out by June 2009. With the disc in hand, we now have an artistic product we can be very proud of as well as an invaluable promotional tool. I’m thrilled, too, that several tracks from the disc were chosen for inclusion on the audio-guide for a current special exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Watteau, Music, and Theater.” A fan and former professor of mine from Case Western Reserve University, Georgia Cowart, helped to curate the exhibit, and suggested our disc for the audio-guide.

Who or what are your biggest influences?

I could name so many influences — both artistic and intellectual! In one sense, I’m quite aware that I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing without the influence of my professors during my studies at the Oberlin Conservatory. I’m also lucky to get to perform frequently with a national pool of early musicians that I deeply respect and admire. In addition, I’ve been inspired by the recent work of a couple of French ensembles: Le Poème Harmonique and Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien.

What has been your greatest success to date?

Our greatest success so far has been getting the CD out. It’s been receiving wonderful attention and reviews in the local and national media and I couldn’t be happier. I should add, though, that hearing from thrilled concertgoers following our performances is most gratifying!

What have been some of your biggest challenges?

Logistical issues always loom large, but I like to think that where there’s a vision, there’s a way. I love that I have been able to hand-pick musician colleagues who share my passion and dedication to this music, but it can mean that I need to bring in musicians from out of town. So, I have to pay for travel expenses, sometimes car rentals, and arrange for home-stays for musicians. Moving harpsichords around is also a pain, and it can make touring challenging. However, Cleveland has a very supportive arts culture, so I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the amount of help and support I’ve received dealing with these issues, and in promoting events. (Naturally, trying to get your name out there on a very limited budget is a challenge we all face!)

How did you find out about Fractured Atlas and what motivated you to become a member?

Believe it or not, I learned about Fractured Atlas from my accountant. She’s wonderful, she’s a musician, and she also specializes in doing musicians’ taxes. Several of her clients are Fractured Atlas members, and she highly recommended fiscal sponsorship, and FA in particular, for helping to raise funds for an artistic project.

How do you use your Fractured Atlas membership?

So far I have just used FA for help in collecting tax-deductible donations in support of our artistic projects. At this point, I am about to launch another fundraising campaign in support of our current and future concert seasons in Cleveland. In the coming months, I hope begin applying for our first grants.

What’s next on your professional horizon?

Well, we have two more sets of concerts in this, our inaugural season. I’m also busy planning our concerts for the 2010-11 season, including an east coast tour. I’d also love to record a second CD in 2010.

How can we hear more music by Les Délices?

Visit our website, www.lesdelices.org, and click on our “Recordings” page to hear clips from live performances. Les Délices’ CD is available from CDBaby, and is available for download from digstation.com, iTunes, and a host of other services. And of course, there’s our live concerts: we present three concert sets per year in northeast Ohio, in intimate settings that encourage cooperation and mutual interest between local visual and performing artists.

* * * * *

**Music clip: Excerpt from Pierre-Danican Philidor’s “Cinquième Suite” (Gigue), performed by Debra Nagy (baroque oboe), Emily Walhout (viola da gamba), and Lucas Harris (theorbo) from Les Délices’ CD “The Tastes Reunited”.

I Am My Own Focus Group

2009-11-05T21:06:07Z

This weekend I attended the National Arts Marketing Project conference in Providence with my colleagues Dianne Debicella and Alex Gray. The topics discussed concerned how to market to both new and existing audiences, as well as how to attract funders and other interested parties to the work that we do in the arts. Many things I had heard in the past — subscriptions are declining, “everyone” uses Facebook, no one looks at direct (snail) mail, etc., etc., etc.

The data that was revealed was interesting, but I feel that a lot of people overgeneralize in terms of “what people want” or “what people do.” In speaking with some of my colleagues from organizations like Theatre Development Fund, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and the Greater Austin Creative Alliance (an Open Arts Network partner), I basically came to the conclusion that I am a marketing anomaly. In fact, I should be dissected and studied so that marketers understand that there are some very different people out there — and that the Facebook-loving, subscription-hating, texting-during-performances audience member of my age range is NOT me.

Here are some things that I would like arts marketers out there to know, even though I may be the lone person on a small island in the middle of a big ocean who thinks and acts this way:

- I am 18-35 years old. To be more exact, I’m in the range of 30, give or take two years. I am an avid attendee of artistic events.

- I’m not overly fond of Facebook (generally). I use it for work, but barely ever update my personal profile. Please don’t send me a Little Green Patch or something about Mafia Wars.

- I don’t like Twitter. I get it, but I don’t like it. And most of my friends don’t like it either. At least I have a profile, whereas most of my friends do not.

- I generally don’t read marketing emails unless the subject line is really intriguing (eg, “50% off tickets to such-and-such!”). If the email is just providing information about a particular artistic event (and especially if it’s a daily, weekly, or monthly newsletter), I generally just delete it. Sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings. I figure I have 4,531 other outlets through which I’ll catch the information if it’s really that important to me.

- I actually like subscriptions when they are inexpensive, have a full season of events I’m interested in, and give me really good options/perks. For example, I subscribe to generally one to two off-Broadway theater companies each year. This year, I subscribed to Playwrights Horizons since the shows looked very interesting and, since they offer a package that gives you four tickets to the season (for $20 each!) that you can use any which way you want (one ticket for four shows, two tickets for two shows, four tickets for one show, etc.). I also subscribed to Signature Theatre Company because they have really inexpensive tickets that are insanely difficult to obtain unless you’re a subscriber. And, the subscription price was maybe only $6 more than if I had bought single tickets. Plus, again, they had three plays I was very interested in seeing. I have definitely subscribed to particular theaters one year, loved the shows, but didn’t resubscribe because I wasn’t interested in the next season. Maybe I’ll re-up in the future, maybe not. Who knows? So, yes, I’m finicky, but I do subscribe when the season, price, and benefits are right.

- I like snail mail! Does no one else find it fun to get mail that isn’t from a credit card company? When I get home and see that no mail has arrived, I find it somewhat depressing. So, when theater companies send me a pamphlet about their upcoming season (especially if includes info about special pricing), I’m pretty jazzed about it. Yes, I realize I’m contributing to deforestation, but I get so much e-mail in my inbox that if they sent me the same thing via e-mail, it would probably get deleted. Sure, I’d find out about it through other outlets (periodicals, websites, etc.), but I don’t mind getting mail. And more and more companies are using recycled paper now. Or at least they should.

- I use my cell phone (a smart phone with web, text, a camera, and a little butler that comes out and serves me tea), but I turn my phone off (completely!) when appropriate (eg, when I’m watching live theater). I text frequently, but am not a texting fiend — I don’t believe that my friends need to know where I am every second of the day. I’ll get back to them when the show is over. (And don’t people realize how bright their phone’s light is?!?!) I don’t use my phone (or a separate camera) to take pictures at everything I go to. I find that the memory is better than trying to take a digital snapshot of every waking moment of my life. I love taking photos, but I feel like I see people trying to take pictures of EVERYTHING at all times. I wonder if they are actually taking in and enjoying the moment or if they are just trying to get the best shot.

- I don’t want to be “involved.” A lot of marketers talk about how people want to be let in on the artistic process, how they want to see rehearsals, how they want to talk to each other and to the artists after an artistic event, etc. Not for me. I’ll have a post-event discussion with my guests over dinner and drinks. I don’t want to watch video interviews of the artists on YouTube. I don’t want to tweet my reaction and see how others respond. To put it in a more understandable way, I [generally] don’t watch DVD extras. I just spent two hours watching the movie, I don’t want to dedicate another hour to watching the director’s commentary and deleted scenes. I just want to see the finished product.

Now, this all makes me sound like a grumpy old man, I know. It also makes it sound like I disapprove of people who enjoy or embrace the things that I do not. Far from it! I think it’s great that people access and interact with art in so many different ways.

So, why am I writing this? I simply want arts marketers to know that, though they can’t please everyone, there are other segments of the population out there. And we want to be marketed to as well. There are those of us under the age of 65 that still want subscriptions and want you to tell us to turn off our cell phones before the performance. There are those of us that like a piece of snail mail once in a while. And there are those of us who, if we really value the work you do and really value the way you treat us as audience members, would consider donating to your organizations. So, don’t forget us.

Congratulations to Recently Approved Fiscally Sponsored Projects!

2009-11-05T15:48:50Z

This month our board approved 81 projects from 17 states. Check them out!

[Amended] Christoph Bull Premiere Recording of Walt Disney Concert Hall pipe organ
24Hour PlayFun
Agrarian Art Lab
Art For Well Beings
Art Teach International
Art.Truth.Life
Arts Opportunities for Torah-observant Artists
BAMA Theatre Company
Before We Get To Seattle / Heartbreaker
Big Ideas, Better World: lectures and performances to inspire positive social change
Blank on Blank | Where Interviews Live
Brindlebeast, a musical in song and sign language
Chicago Fringe Festival
Clarinet of the Americas
Crafting Hope
Cross Cultural Community Art Center
Daniel Corral, Composer
Earthtronix
Emily’s Art
Entering Rosalind
EyeTanya
Fairy Tales with a Twist
Figaro gets a Divorce
Film on Film Foundation
First Steps
Floating Lanterns
Flying Carob Tree Productions
Forum Theatre Revival
Gen Silent
Grounds
HearME, Inc.
Heat of The Kitchen
Impact
Infallible
Irina Kruzhilina
Itâ€™s A Shame
Kickthelobbyists
Liberation Theatre Company
Life is a Banquet
Little Prince Republic
LizZieMoVeS Co.
Lorelei Ensemble
Lunatics at Large
MacKenzie Theater
Mascher Space Co-op
Maya in Yonkers
Meehan/ Perkins Duo concerto commission
Miracle Day
Musicworks
Mutant vehicle for Burning man
New York City Boy music video remake
Of Teaching Killer Whales Compassion
Out of Line Productions
Out of the Vox
Parallax Theatre Company
Quince Productions
Racing the Rez
Raju
Raw Theater Group
Silkworm Media
Socially Responsible Filmmaking
South Oxford Six
Spindrift Commissioning Guild
Surviving Chicago: A Bluesman’s Autobiography
TAPt. (The Artists’ Playground Theatre)
Teton Artlab
Texterritory
The Donut Hole
The Music-Cinema Project
The Philadelphia Independent Opera and Theater Company
The Temenos Project
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle
This Is Not A Vergetarian Piece
Today With Kathy Lawton
Twinkle
Two Turns Productions
UNIVERSES Poetic Musical Theater Ensemble
Unlaced: An Exhibition
uzoMa
Videoart.net, The underground network for video artists and experimental filmmakers.
WATER (or the secret life of objects)

Welcome Alternate ROOTS!!

2009-11-04T22:25:47Z

I’d like to give a big WELCOME to our friends and, now, our partners at Alternate ROOTS. They became our newest partner in the Open Arts Network today.

Alternate ROOTS is a tremendous organization that I am always referring people to. From their website:

“Alternate ROOTS provides the connective tissue for a distinct segment of the arts and culture field - artists who have a commitment to making work in, with, by, for and about their communities, and those whose cultural work strives for social justice. While this is a large sector in U.S. arts and culture — many artists work in this way and share these aims — these practitioners are, for the most part, informally organized and collaborations are often the result of chance as much as choice. Alternate ROOTS contributes to the sustained artistic development, increased visibility, and stability of activist artists.

Alternate ROOTS was founded in 1976 at the Highlander Center in New Market, Tennessee in order to meet the distinct needs of artists who work for social justice, and artists who create work by, for, about and within communities of place, tradition, affiliation, and spirit. Originally an acronym for Regional Organization of Theaters South, ROOTS quickly established itself as a thought leader in the field of community-based arts and the only regional collective of artists committed to social and economic justice. In response to the needs of the growing field of community-based arts, ROOTS evolved to a multidisciplinary member-based and artist-driven organization. Member artists develop programs, and ROOTS provides resources for the needs of these socially conscious artists.”

I had the pleasure of attending ROOTS’ annual meeting two years ago in Arden, NC. The meeting is not really a conference — it’s more of a retreat that is a meeting of minds, art, and action. Many of us create art without thinking about social implications or how it can be used to bring together and/or impact our communities in positive ways. That’s certainly fine — there’s nothing wrong with that. But Alternate ROOTS’ members have higher aims. They seek to create art that can empower and make change. I was amazed to see some of the work that the members had created. I was excited to learn more about groups like Appalshop in Whitesburg, KY and New WORLD Theatre at UMass Amherst. This type of art was an entirely different scene than what I was used to. And I was thrilled to be a part of it. This is why I’m so glad to officially have Alternate ROOTS as a partner in our Open Arts Network.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-04T15:57:14Z

Agility, Beauty, Transformation: DragonFly Dance Experiment

2009-10-30T14:29:17Z

Featured Member Profile

Annapolis-based DragonFly Dance Experiment has performed their innovative works in New York City and Washington, D.C., as well as in their home town. Artistic director and co-founder Megan Morse Jans, the recipient of a 2009 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award in Choreography, describes her group’s works and inspirations in this Featured Member interview…

Megan, would you please describe your company’s repertoire – is there a common thread? Who choreographs the works that DragonFly Dance Experiment (DDE) performs?

DDE’s repertoire is a diverse collection of experiments. Our central modality is modern/contemporary dance, however we have also integrated aerial dance and multimedia into certain pieces as well. I am the primary choreographer, but the company works collaboratively so that all artists/dancers are actively contributing to the development of the movement. DDE also works with other local choreographers as well as taking on Artistic Associates who set works on the company.

Who or what are your biggest influences?

Our biggest influences are really our dancers, their individual styles and their life experiences. We work collaboratively and we believe multiple heads are better than one. Thematically we try to create works that are both personal as well as current. For example, we are starting a new work we’re calling “Thread” which is based on how connected we are as a society. We’re staging various flash mobs around the area, filming them and then integrating the video into the performance. Each flash mob will have a personal theme related to the dancers performing it.

Where is your preferred place to perform?

We love to do site-specific work, as well as work in small theaters. The closer you can be to your audience, the better.

You had a baby about a year ago – how did that experience inform your dance?

Wow…that’s a big question. Do you have about an hour? Having Jacob has changed everything; he has inspired me in ways that I cannot even explain. I have felt an explosion of creativity since his birth and it has become important to me to make my work matter, so that one day he can be proud of what I have done. I love to include little movements in my actual choreography that he does. In “Bittersuite”, I choreographed little hand gestures that he did as a five month old. It is true that my body is different, getting back into “dancing shape” has been quite a challenge, and as a director I have no choice but to remain extremely organized, but on a whole I have found that being a parent has only added to my work.

What has been your greatest success to date?

I would consider this past year to be my greatest success. I became a mother; I received a 2009 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award in Choreography; I brought together a fantastic group of dancers; I staged Dock Side Dance, one of the largest artistic happenings in downtown Annapolis; we have had a great performance season so far; and everyone is happy and healthy. All in all, not a bad year.

How do you use your Fractured Atlas membership?

We are currently fiscally sponsored, and we have also obtained event insurance through Fractured Atlas.

Is there any advice that you would give to a dancer at the start of their career?

Try everything, don’t turn down a gig, make sure you know who you are because it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle. When I graduated with my degree in dance, I had dreams of going to dance for a major company. Well, after taking class and auditioning for several large companies, I quickly learned that I really wanted to have a larger roll in the creation of new work. I began to work with local D.C. choreographers and companies and was very happy. I did everything from swinging on a trapeze, to seriously innovative modern dance, to performing with Weird Al. It was an amazing learning experience.

Do you have a pipe-dream performance?

I have tons of pipe-dream performances. I would love to stage a site-specific work on the mall in D.C., a serious repertoire concert at the Kennedy Center, and I would also love to take the work on the road as well, perhaps to the Joyce Soho.

What’s next on your professional horizon?

We are about to embark on creating two major works as well as a collaboration with the Anne Arundel Community College Symphony Orchestra.

Visit DragonFly Dance Experiment’s website to read their blog and see more photos, and/or become their fan on Facebook, where you can find updates about future performances.

* * * * *
Photos (top to bottom):
1) “Teeter” by Danica Kalemdaroglu and Megan Morse Jans, performed by Megan Morse Jans at Dock Side Dance. Photo by Pam Bolig.
2) “Covet” by Megan Morse Jans, performed by Megan Morse Jans and Kristi Schaffner at Triskelion. Photo by John Radway.
3) “Echo”, choreographed and performed by Danica Kalemdaroglu and Megan Morse Jans at Triskelion. Photo by John Radway.

Prevent Further Cuts to NYSCA’s Budget!

2009-10-29T20:55:42Z

Once again, Governor Paterson is proposing New York state budget cuts which could negatively affect the funding for the final October cycle of NYSCA applicants. Under the proposed legislation, the funding available for the final October cycle of NYSCA applicants would be cut by $612,000. This is a huge chunk of change for the many applicants in this round. The legislation is not yet approved and at this time there is no date set for the return of the Senate or the Assembly to Albany. If you feel as strongly as I do about preventing this cut, contact your legislators! NYS Arts has created a letter for you to send.

Theatre Grant Deadline

2009-10-29T18:40:13Z

The Nancy Quinn Grant Fund is an excellent grant opportunity for small theatre companies in New York City. It is specifically for members of A.R.T./New York who have participated in two roundtable sessions in the past month. If your theatre is not currently a member of A.R.T./New York and did not participate in the roundtables, please check out their membership in order to get access to their great services and to be eligible for this grant next year.

The Nancy Quinn Grant Fund is a companion to the Nancy Quinn Fund Technical Assistance Program. The Nancy Quinn Fund provides cash grants of $500 to $2,000 to theatre companies with annual operating budgets under $100,000. These awards are often the first a company receives and are used to help them meet their greatest challenge.

Who they fund:
The Nancy Quinn Fund supports A.R.T./New York member theatres with annual cash budgets under $100,000 to help companies facing the challenges of producing in New York City. The company must have a strong artistic center, be able to clearly articulate its mission and core programming, work with an effective and appropriate management structure, and operate within its fiscal means.

Geographic focus:
New York City

What is required:
The applicant company must be a Full or Associate member of A.R.T./New York in good standing. The company’s total cash expenses must have been $100,000 or less for its most recently completed fiscal year. The company must have participated in Organizational Planning and Process Roundtable 1 and Roundtable 2 at A.R.T./New York. A company does not have to be incorporated or have 501(c)(3) status to be eligible to apply for this grant.

Deadline:
Applications are due in the A.R.T./New York office on November 23.2009 by 5pm.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-28T16:50:39Z

More Travel, Less Money

2009-10-27T19:55:11Z

Want to travel, but hotel prices got you down? Sick of staying in generic hotel rooms where you wind up forgetting what city you’re even in? (Oh, trust me, it’s happened to me, too!) Well, we’re pleased to announce a new partnership with Academic Ambassadors, an organization that provides significant discounts to boutique, independent, and other artsy hotels across the country (and in Canada!).

Created by a fellow traveler seven years ago, Academic Ambassadors carefully chooses the “right” hotels in the “right” locations to put you in the heart of a city’s arts and entertainment districts. Though intimate in scale and feel, all have sophisticated decor and the kind of personalized service associated with independent hotels (the large chains are not represented). Notably, some are art destinations in themselves. For example, The Chambers in Minneapolis and Hotel 21c in Louisville showcase important and provocative collections of contemporary art.

Academic Ambassadors is the official hotel discounter of one of our Open Arts Network partners, OperaAmerica, as well as many collegiate institutions, including Harvard, MIT, and Duke, among others. It also serves unaffiliated individuals, including artists, who work and create in the non-profit sector. (That means you, Fractured Atlas members!)

For more information and to access these discounts, check out the Academic Ambassors listing in the Special Offers section of our site. And, to get to those hotels, don’t forget to check out the blog on rental car discounts I posted a while back. Happy trails!

Cinereach LOI deadline

2009-10-27T16:21:26Z

Cinereach is now accepting letters of inquiry for the winter 2010 grant cycle.

Who they fund:
Each year Cinereach grants over $500,000 to well-crafted films that depict underrepresented perspectives, resonate across international boundaries, and spark dialogue.

Cinereach’s ethos favors good storytelling over didacticism and complexity over duality. They support films that demonstrate creativity, visual artistry and take a character-based approach.

Grants range from $5,000 – $50,000 and are awarded to films at any stage, including development, production, post-production, audience building and distribution. There are two letter of inquiry deadlines per year (Summer and Winter), after which a selection of applicants are invited to submit full proposals. The Cinereach grants committee meets twice a year to review the proposals. Each cycle, between five and 15 projects are selected to receive support.

Geographic Focus:
National and International

What is required:
To qualify for a grant from Cinereach, a prospective grantee must be tax-exempt under United States Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3) or be fiscally sponsored by a certified 501(c)(3) organization.

Please use the third-party online form for the upcoming letter of inquiry. Cinereach recommends first viewing the LOI, drafting your response in a word processing application, then returning to the online form to paste it in when ready to submit.

Cinereach strongly encourages submission of sample work with letters of inquiry. Sample work can include one or more of the following:
Previously completed film, trailer of current project, work-in-progress or rough-cut of current project.

Discs MUST be labeled with title of film, running time, format (PAL/NTSC), contact name, email and tel number written on disc.

Deadline:
Only letters submitted by Midnight (EST) on December 1, 2009 will be considered for the Winter 2010 grant cycle. All sample work sent to Cinereach must be postmarked by December 1, 2009.

Open Arts Network Partner Profile: Dramatists Guild of America

2009-10-27T13:29:58Z

The dramatist’s unique vision is the backbone of the theatre, but who is looking out for the dramatist? Because playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists often struggle professionally in small-to-medium-sized theatres throughout the country, it is essential that they know their rights and have a strong voice to speak up for them. For nearly 100 years the Dramatists Guild of America has defended the rights of these often behind-the-scenes artists, adhering to the fundamental principle that these writers own and control their work.

As participants in Fractured Atlas’s Open Arts Network, members of the Dramatists Guild have access to affordable health insurance. Learn more about this essential organization through my interview with Tari Stratton, DG’s Director of Education, Events & Outreach.

What is the mission of your organization?

The Dramatists Guild is currently the only professional association concerned with protecting the rights of playwrights, composers, lyricists and librettists for the theatrical stage. Guided by an elected council composed of diverse and varied theatrical professionals, we are dedicated to protecting, informing, and promoting the interests of dramatists everywhere.

Who are the artist communities that you serve and where are they located?

The Dramatists Guild serves the interests of over 6,000 members across the country — membership includes all writers for the theatrical stage, regardless of publication or production history.

What programs and services do you provide?

Our most popular service is free business advice for our members — we have two attorneys on staff who are available to review contracts or offer assistance with many theatre and career-related matters. We also offer model contracts for all levels of production, along with sample collaboration and licensing agreements. Every member receives a free subscription to The Dramatist magazine, a bi-monthly journal featuring articles by prominent theatrical writers alongside regional reports, business affairs news, and a listing of member productions around the world. Also, each member receives the Dramatists Guild Resource Directory, a guide to the theatrical marketplace, with comprehensive lists of opportunities and resources for every level of writer. Other member benefits and services include a bi-weekly e-blast, symposia, seminars, town hall meetings, free and discounted tickets across the country, and access to the Members Lounge on the Guild’s website.

What is one fact about Dramatists Guild of America that you wish was more widely known?

The Guild has a Dramatists Bill of Rights, which details every writer’s inalienable right to own and control their work. Many writers, especially at the beginning of their careers, don’t realize their basic rights as the Author: the right to approve the cast, director and designers of their production; the right to be present at all casting, rehearsals, previews and performances; the right of ‘script approval,’ meaning no one can make changes, alterations, and/or omissions to your script without their consent. All writers have these rights, regardless of membership in the Guild, but the Guild staunchly protects its members whenever these principles are violated.

Have you seen an increase in demand for any of your services in particular during these tough economic times?

The Guild is always seeking to increase services, regardless of the economic times. Our members are always generous with their suggestions for how we can make their lives as writers easier.

Has protecting artistic and economic integrity of composers’, playwrights’, etc. work become harder in recent years with the constant evolution and expansion of the internet?

Our Business Affairs department is ever-vigilant in making sure all member rights remain protected, no matter the evolution of technology. Many contracts have been updated to include electronic rights that weren’t heard of even ten years ago. We make it a priority to keep on top of advancements and make sure our members know about potential pitfalls as well.

When and how do you know that you are succeeding in your mission?

Every letter we get thanking us for our support is a measure of our success. Also, each time we get a phone call, asking us to reiterate the rights of an author, that means we’ve entered the consciousness of writers everywhere. That is definitely considered a success.

How people can get involved with the Dramatists Guild?

Joining the Guild is easy — just go to our website. We also accept a limited number of playwriting students in the New York area as interns each semester. For further information on the intern program, please contact Tari Stratton via e-mail at tstratton@dramatistsguild.com.

Do you have any conferences/workshops/meetings coming up?

Our next event is Tuesday, October 27, 2009: a conversation with composers Carol Hall and Peter Mills, to be held in the Guild offices at 1501 Broadway, Suite 701. Admission is free, photo ID is needed to enter the building. And our second annual Awards Night will be Monday, November 2, 2009 at the Players Club in Gramercy Park. We will be honoring our award recipients David Ives, Tom Kitt, Polly Pen and Lanford Wilson. Tickets are $100. For more information about either of these events or for reservations, e-mail Tari Stratton (tstratton@dramatistsguild.com) or call her at (212) 398-9366.

* * * * *
Photos:
Top - 2009 Dramatists Guild Fellows Presentation at Playwrights Horizons, October 4, 2009. Left to right: composer and DG Fellows co-chair Stephen Flaherty, 2009 DG Fellow Chris Weikel, performer Debra Cardona.

Bottom - 2008 Dramatists Guild Awards Night, Players Club, NYC. Left to right: Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Joseph Stein, Guild Council member John Kander, Guild Council member Micki Grant, Frederick Loewe Award recipient Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The Fractured Atlas Open Arts Network gives arts organizations the ability to provide their own members with access to many of the benefits and services that Fractured Atlas provides, including low-cost health and liability insurance, online courses, and a microgrants program that provides funding for professional development efforts.

If you are an arts organization based in the United States with 50 or more members, or if you have a defined constituency of 50+ artists who you support, you may be eligible to participate in Fractured Atlas’s Open Arts Network. Contact Adam Natale (adam.natale@fracturedatlas.org, 212-277-8023) for more information.

We Want Your Pics!

2009-10-23T21:20:40Z

I’ve always believed that the best way to promote Fractured Atlas is to promote our members. I mean, who wants to hear about a boring old service organization when there are vertigoats out there? That’s why we do the member profiles on the blog, provide online profiles for our fiscal sponsees, and all the rest.

Over the next year or so we’re going to be ramping this up, making you guys the centerpiece of things like our annual report and promotional materials. But to do that, we need photos of your work!

So here’s how this is going to work:

1) We love Flickr. If you’re a Flickr user, make sure you update your member profile with your Flickr username, so that we can find your Flickr photos.

2) We’ve added a checkbox where you can grant (or revoke) permission for Fractured Atlas to use your photos in our promo materials.

3) If you say it’s okay, we may use your images here or there. We’ll provide attribution wherever possible, which is hopefully good for some exposure. (For example, our annual report gets sent to loads of major funders, etc.)

Thanks! Any questions?

The Flow of Imagination: Flux Theatre Ensemble

2009-10-21T15:07:34Z

Featured Member Profile

Flux Theatre Ensemble is a group of multi-faceted theatre artists — playwrights, directors, actors and designers — who reach out into the theatre community with their productions and innovative workshops. Through continual collaboration and the development of imaginative new plays, re-imagined classics, and ensemble-based projects, Flux creates work that is character-driven and uniquely theatrical.

In 2008, the New York Press called Flux “The Best Under-appreciated Indie Theatre Company Whose Work You Should Get Your Ass To”. Through my conversation with Flux co-founder Kelly O’Donnell, I discovered many of the reasons why…

Kelly, can you tell us what type of play Flux might gravitate toward? Or leap on? Or flatly reject?

We tend to like many different kinds of theatre but we generally do not gravitate towards “kitchen sink” plays or plays that are primarily naturalistic. We like highly theatrical plays with extreme and often magical circumstances. Looking back at a few past productions, we have produced Angel Eaters, in which a young girl has the ability to talk to angels and raise people from the dead; Other Bodies, where a man magically becomes a woman overnight; Life is a Dream, the story of a prince who is locked in a tower for his entire life; and Riding the Bull, in which two lovers in Texas find they can predict future bull-riding wins as they have sex. These examples demonstrate our interest in plays that explore the gamut of imagination. This is what makes theatre unique and we embrace that. While our plays tend to be magical, it’s important that the work stem from a truthful place of human need.

But, true to our name, we are constantly in flux and we hope our work and our aesthetic will continue to evolve through time.

I’m struck by the number of workshops that Flux hosts on a regular basis. Who attends these workshops? What comes out of these programs?

Yes, in addition to our main productions we have five other programs:

* Food:Soul – This is our potluck play-reading series and it’s one of my favorite things that we do. We pick a play that we are either interested in possibly producing or a playwright whose work we would like to support, and we present a well-rehearsed staged reading for people in the New York theatre community. Before the reading, our guests are treated to homemade food prepared by Flux members. It’s really a great opportunity for us to get to know new people in the community and it’s always a fun time.

* Flux Sundays – When we are not in production, we hold weekly workshops in which actors, playwrights and directors get together to work on new scenes. Sometimes we’ll do a traditional table reading, but most of the time we get up on our feet. Flux Sundays allow us to grow as artists, develop relationships with new artists and, hopefully, find new plays that Flux will continue to develop and eventually produce. A few of the plays introduced in Flux Sundays have gone on to be produced by Flux and other companies as well.

* Have Another - This is a fun, low-key way for us to bring the indie theatre community together in a relaxed atmosphere: at a bar! We’ve been holding these events in the back room of Jimmy’s 43 in the East Village. Typically we stuff dozens of people into the room and we perform scenes on a little stage.

* ForePlay - This is an exploratory reading series connected to a production. For example, for our production of Adam Szymkowicz’s Pretty Theft, the ForePlay was called “Poetic Larceny”; it was a four-night short play reading series inspired by the themes of Pretty Theft. Playwrights steal three things from the play on before them, only to have three things stolen from them by the next play. ForePlays are another fantastic way to bring the community together. Our most recent one featured short plays from Bekah Brunstetter, Mac Rogers, Johnna Adams and Erin Browne, to name a few.

* Annual Retreats - Every year, Flux members travel to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, for a week at the amazing Little Pond Arts Retreat, where we plan our next season, analyze our core values and aesthetics, continue to develop our organizational structure, work on new plays, cook, sit around the camp fire and try to simply touch base with the fundamental reasons that we are doing theatre together as an ensemble.

Who or what are your biggest influences, either personally or collectively?

That’s a tough one because I think this varies for each member of the company. For me personally, it would be Shakespeare. It feels a bit cliché to name Shakespeare as one’s greatest influence, but I can’t think of another person who created theatre with such an astounding scope. His plays have heightened language, strong-willed characters, mixed form, stage magic – everything that Flux values aesthetically.

What can you tell us about your upcoming production, The Lesser Seductions of History?

The Lesser Seductions of History is a play written specifically for the ensemble that we have been working on together for the past year. It was written by our artistic director, August Schulenburg, and is directed by our managing director, Heather Cohn. The play follows ten lives through each year of the 1960s. It asks the question, “What does it mean to be part of something greater than yourself?” It runs November 6th through 22nd, and we are offering $14 tickets to Fractured Atlas members and readers of the Fractured Atlas blog — just use code “FRAC14” when purchasing your ticket through our website!

Flux is extremely active in the social media world –- you’re blogging, FBing, tweeting. This has to be a huge investment of time when you are busy rehearsing, so I am assuming that you find that it pays off…

Yes, in this day and age we feel it’s necessary to take advantage of social media in order to expand awareness of Flux and to stay active in the theatre community. Our artistic director, August Schulenburg, updates our blog regularly and readership has grown tremendously this past year. We were even cited across the pond in The Guardian’s blog three times this year. Facebook has been a great tool for marketing: not only can we send production information to everyone on our fan page, but each Flux member can send the same info to their friends. Facebook is an invaluable tool and we are definitely starting to feel that our consistent presence in the social media world is paying off.

What has been your greatest success to date?

Oh boy, that’s hard to say. We have had so many successful things happen: like a positive review in the New York Times for Pretty Theft, seven Innovative Theatre Award nominations for Angel Eaters, and two NY Fringe Festival awards. But the thing that I am most proud of is the amount of great work that we have been able to do, with so many artists, in such a short period of time. In just over three years we have managed to produce nine full productions, as well as all the programs I mentioned. Through all of this we have had the opportunity to interact with countless artists and their influence on Flux has been immeasurable. I would say our greatest success has been the impact we have had on the independent theatre community, with very few resources, in such a brief period of time.

What motivated you to become a member of Fractured Atlas? How do you use your Fractured Atlas membership?

We heard about Fractured Atlas through other members of the theatre community and, after researching more, we found FA to be extremely approachable, affordable and a perfect fit for our needs. We knew that we eventually wanted to become a not-for-profit, but we simply didn’t have the resources, time and experience necessary to become our own 501(c)(3). Fractured Atlas’s fiscal sponsorship has been wonderful for us, enabling our donors to make tax-deductible donations.

What’s next on your professional horizon?

After The Lesser Seductions of History, we will be producing Archibald Macleish’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play J.B. in 2010.

How can we experience Flux Theatre Ensemble’s work and learn more about you?

You can go to our website to sign up for our mailing list — our monthly newsletter will update you on everything that is going on with Flux. Our blog and Facebook page are great ways to stay up to date on our work as well. And be sure to come see The Lesser Seductions of History – running Nov 6th through 22nd – and take advantage of the special Fractured Atlas discount when you purchase your ticket through our website by using code “FRAC14”.

* * * * *
Photos (top to bottom):
1) Cotton Wright in Pretty Theft, 2009. Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum.
2) Ken Glickfeld, Marnie Schulenburg, Isaiah Tanenbaum, Catherine Michele Porter, and Greg Waller in Angel Eaters, 2008. Photo by Justin Hoch.
3) Nitya Vidyasagar in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 2008. Photo by Isaiah Tanenbaum.
4) Isaiah Tanenbaum, Cotton Wright, and Marnie Schulenburg in Angel Eaters, 2008. Photo by Justin Hoch.

City of Angels (as in Los Angeles, not the musical)

2009-10-22T21:33:36Z

Dianne and I recently returned from a lengthy trip to Los Angeles, where we had many great meetings, took in some outstanding art, and met some very interesting artists. Fractured Atlas has been doing a lot in Los Angeles recently since we really need to learn more about the city’s arts community in order to more effectively reach out to the artists that reside and make their living there. There are a few great service organizations in the area – LA Stage Alliance, LA County Arts Commission, and the Center for Cultural Innovation, to name a few — but the city doesn’t have the breadth of service organizations that places like New York and the San Francisco Bay Area do. At the same time, the LA arts community is both immense and diverse on many different levels, maybe even moreso than NYC and SF.

We’ve been focusing on different disciplines each time we visit, so this trip was mainly focused on arts education, dance, and music. Unfortunately, we didn’t hear from as many musicians as we would have liked, so we might revisit that group when we return next. (Any LA-based musicians out there?? Give us a shout out!) But, most of our meetings went really well — thanks to all who joined us and hosted us while we were out there!

Since my blogs tend to ramble on forever, I decided that I’d just give some bullet points about what we did and what we learned….

- Michael Kaiser of the Kennedy Center (yeah, yeah, not LA, but we heard him speak at an Arts for LA event at the California African American Museum) says that we need to get away from episodic arts education and aim for more systemic arts ed.

- Rachel Fine, of LA Children’s Chorus, introduced us to the thriving arts community residing in Pasadena.

- Teaching artists in LA think an APAP-like event that connects teachers with schools would be very helpful. But, in the meantime, they are glad to have loads of assistance from the Music Center.

- Fractured Atlas member/musician/composer Mary Lou Newmark thinks that the demise of the press for the arts in LA has resulted in artists being unable to easily build their audience base.

- Dancers in LA know that there is a lot of available space in the area, but don’t know how to connect with the developers to take advantage of it. Fortunately, many in the dance community are gaining access to helpful new services through the LA Stage Alliance. Take a look at what Fractured Atlas member Heidi Duckler and her company, Collage Dance Theatre, are doing. And check out our meeting host, too — Poor Dog Group.

- Administrators of dance organizations and companies in LA wish the local dance community could somehow centralize so they can have a permanent space that presents dance, so everyone uses the services provided by the Dance Resource Center, and so everyone begins to collaborate. They are looking to Philadelphia-based dance companies for advice, since they seem to be thriving. Check out LA Stage Alliance, Dance Resource Center, LA Contemporary Dance Company, La Danserie, Pentacle, and Brockus Project Dance Company to see what they are doing.

- Administrators of arts education programs in LA agree with the aforementioned point that Michael Kaiser made. They are also in need of good technology systems that can help their organizations maintain and organize their lists of rostered artists and schools that they are working with and serving. Check out what the Music Center, LA Opera, The HeArt Project, and LA County Arts Commission are doing for arts ed.

- Our friends at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) hosted our fiscal sponsorship workshop, where Dianne provided basic fundraising information to a group of 30+ local artists. Want more info? Check out our free online course, Fundraising Demystified, in Fractured U.

- Arts students nationwide desperately need to know about the resources available to them once they graduate (and even before!) and begin working as full or part-time artists. Beyond just Fractured Atlas, there are so many service organizations that are willing and eager to help. Fortunately, we were able to reach out to students at CalArts, CalState Fullerton, and The Claremont Colleges. At CalArts, our friend and colleague, Karen Atkinson, had us speak to her Getting Your $hit Together class, which provides similar information that is included in the software she produces for artists to help themselves maintain their careers (check out a members-only discount to GYST software and services here). We also had help from Amy Young in their career center, and she hopes to have us speak to students again in the spring. At CalState, visual artist/professor Joe Biel and his cohort Linda Kroff had us speak to the grad students they teach. And the Claremont Colleges had a great turnout for a Fractured Atlas event they hosted — thanks to Jessica Wimbley of the lovely Pomona College Museum and Wanda Gibson of the career center for that.

In terms of art, Dianne went to some galleries and heard some live music. I hit up the Mark Taper Forum and UCLA Live for some theater. And we both caught an awesome Kathak dance performance by Chitresh Das Dance Company at the intimate Fountain Theatre.

All in all, this was a really informative trip to the LA area. It’s amazing how spread out the city is, which lends to the diversity of the community, but also seems to hinder a lot of collaboration and a lot of audience growth that could be happening. But, it seems like the artists there love the community (we do, too!) and love what they do. Everyone, though, including Dianne and I, hates the traffic.

The look of surprise

2009-10-22T21:27:50Z

Entrepreneurship begins with the look of surprise. Whenever I describe a new idea for a program, show, or class I know right away how well it’s going to do by the look on the other person’s face. If there’s no change, chances are it has been done or that the idea’s just not that impressive. If there’s a raising of the eyebrows, a slight laugh, or a clearing of the throat usually it means that I’ve hit on something exciting and new. Ken Davenport has been quoted as saying that when someone laughs at him, he knows he’s on to something and I would agree. If you’re going to be an entrepreneur, prepare to be laughed at, to have people tell you that there’s no way you can do what you say you want to, and that you’re downright crazy. I’ve had every one of those responses usually directly following the look of surprise.

So why keep going?

If we don’t come up with new ideas for the arts, nothing will change.

Let me say that again.

NOTHING will change.

Our industry cannot become stagnant. The arts survive based on the fact that there is always something new and exciting being offered. Something buzz-worthy that gets us talking injects more life into our industry than you can imagine, and arts entrepreneurs are the architects of that buzz. It’s for this reason that new ideas need to be nurtured and that those who are the mavericks in the arts have a place where they can test their ideas.

Over the summer I created a new course for arts entrepreneurs to respond to what I felt was lacking in the industry. There are plenty of seminars and panels out there, but there is no model that allows you to have a one on one interaction with the speaker or speakers. I decided to create a course that focused on that idea and for that reason, I kept it VERY small. Everyone got individual attention for their project and I had a really great time teaching it. The class also taught me a number of lessons about developing a new project that I’ll share with you now:

1. Be smart enough to admit when you’re ignorant- In developing this class I made sure to include speakers who had done more in the business than me. I also encouraged speakers with completely different knowledge bases and learned plenty along with the class. The reason for this ties to a basic rule for education that I have learned while teaching high school:

Never pretend you know something, because the students will always see through you.

The same applies in classes. I always see myself as a facilitator rather than a lecturer and that has helped to make things so much better. I never pretend that I know it all or that I am the expert on anything and as a result, I find that I develop a much better level of connection with those I teach. In all of my projects I have always been up front with anyone that I’m working with about the fact that I have a certain knowledge base, and that there are things I don’t know. To put it very simply, Don’t B.S. the people who are on your team or you won’t have team when you’re finished.

2. Assessment is key- At the end of every class I asked each class member to give me their feedback on a small index card. I picked up this trick from one of my professors in grad school. When I read those cards, I was able to see what my students were enjoying and what they did not like. I also got to see what they were hungering for and used that information to structure the class for the following week. It’s important to see every project as something that is in a constant state of flux. If you never ask people what they think about the job you’re doing, you’ll never know if they are dissatisfied. This is the reason that we see so many surveys out there. Companies have picked up on the fact that we can shift our product to appeal to our customers and if you’re launching any new project, that information is the lifeblood of your organization. Even if people have bad things to say, that information is vital and we need to make ourselves aware of it. So whether you use index cards, surveys, or just sit and chat with people, make sure there is some form of assessment involved.

3. There is nothing more valuable than personal attention- The most gratifying part of teaching the class was getting emails from class members who were thrilled about the fact that they had met with one of the speakers and had come closer to accomplishing their goals. It was also amazing to watch each speaker talk with each person about their project and provide advice. After witnessing this, I realized that there was no way I could have the class be any more than 8 people. The experience was so concentrated and if the class had been any bigger, each person would have not gotten enough time to ask their questions about their project or establish a real connection with the speaker. This highlights a much bigger concept though, in terms of all projects:

Your team needs a personal message from YOU . People need to feel appreciated and they need to feel like they are respected as individuals and are not just another number. Entrepreneurs get a ton of people behind what they do because each person feels like they are the only one in the room.

4. Never be afraid to ask for what you want- As the class progressed, I would get emails from participants who had told me that they had been contacted by the speakers to meet and sometimes they had created business arrangements. Some got the chance to work with companies that they never thought they’d be able to work with before. The interesting thing about this was that there was no magic pill or secret password. They simply went and asked for what they wanted. The worst thing anyone can say is no, so why not at least ask? Too often we worry about the fact that someone is too high up on the ladder to contact. It never hurts to ask. We’re all still human and we all need something.

5. Find people with problems and help solve them- The final thing that I learned while teaching this class was the importance of looking at what other people need and thinking about how you can help them. I encouraged each member to talk to each other about their specific goals and problems that they were facing and the results were amazing. There were people in the comedy world assisting people in the visual arts world, companies that dealt with acrobatics supporting companies that were developing art installations, and the list goes on. There are plenty of people out there looking for help and who will be more than happy to return the favor in the future. Find those people.

6. Just do it- If you have a new idea and you have a passion for it, there’s only one way to see if it will work. The looks of surprise will keep coming and some people will tell you not to. If I had a dime for every time I have heard someone say that something can’t work, I’d be able to capitalize Spider-Man myself.

Entrepreneurs do.

So now that you’re done reading this blog post, go do something and get that look of surprise.

The Arts world is waiting for you.

Hurry up.

Excelsior!

Michael Roderick is the artistic director of Small Pond Entertainment and is a proud member of Fractured Atlas. He has worked as an office associate for Davenport Theatrical Enterprises and has Off Broadway producing credit as an Associate Producer of the musical ROOMS a Rock Romance at New World Stages as well as an Associate Producer of The New Hopeville Comics at The Chernuchin Theater at ATA. He is currently the program director for Self-Producing Artists at Theater Resources Unlimited. Michael is also a graduate of the Commercial Theatre Institute’s 14-week Program as well as the Six-week Creative Intensive Program. Michael is the organizer of the Independent Producers Alliance of NY and he holds a BA in Secondary Ed English and Theatre Performance from Rhode Island College as well as a Masters in Educational Theatre for Colleges and Communities from NYU.

Need Help With Payroll?

2009-10-21T19:41:11Z

We’ve been hearing rumblings in the field that organizations are paying a pretty penny when it comes to payroll services and, especially for smaller companies, payroll services are not affordable and/or not easily accessible. At Fractured Atlas, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve partnered with SurePayroll, the leader in online payroll services, to provide our members with easy, inexpensive access to payroll services.

In a nutshell, not only does SurePayroll take care of maintaining payroll for your employees, but they make sure everything is filed appropriately with the IRS, they provide you with W2 and 1099 forms as needed (and can help you determine which is best to use for your employees and contracted workers), and they allow both you and your employees to check their payroll information from any computer at any time. They can also provide HR tools, education, and alerts that help you maintain and streamline your business.

Plus, for Fractured Atlas members, you get two months of SurePayroll’s payroll services for FREE! Check out the discount in the Special Offers section of our site!

Grilled by Andy Horwitz

2009-10-21T19:30:13Z

Not really, but he did have 5 questions for me.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-10-19T15:38:10Z

The Red Hills of Georgia

2009-10-20T22:12:17Z

As some of you know, I was in the Atlanta area earlier this month for a number of different meetings with artists and heads of local arts organizations. After my first foray into the Atlanta area in 2006 — the trip where I didn’t rent a car, figuring Atlanta was a walking town (it’s not) — I’ve been enjoying the city and its many artistic pleasures ever since.

This particular trip, I also journeyed out to the Watkinsville area (near Athens) and spoke to members of the Athens Area Arts Council and Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation (the latter of which has a lovely space, with lots of sculptures surrounding the building and an ample gallery space filled with work by local artists). Along my drive to Watkinsville, I passed tobacco fields, many black Angus cows, and side-of-the-road stands selling boiled peanuts and “meat skins.” (To be completely honest, I really wanted to stop, but I didn’t know where I was going!) I was surprised to find this haven of art — OCAF Center — in the middle of it all. And next time, I’ll definitely make time to stop in Athens… I just needed to beat the football traffic that was about to enter town.

From there, I met with my friend and colleague, Jessyca Holland, who has returned as the leader of one of our Open Arts Network partners, the Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts (affectionately known as Atlanta Performs), which runs the AtlanTix discount arts ticket booth, among other things. I’m glad to hear they are back on the upswing after a year or so of uncertainty.

I visited with Gabriel Wardell and Paula Martinez, the leaders of the Atlanta Film Festival 365, another Open Arts Network partner organization. Gabe and Paula are tell-it-like-it-is people and I respect them and their organization quite highly. So much so, that I heed their recommendations like none other and, after returning to the office for only one day, have already purchased Dan Pallotta’s book, “Uncharitable,” based on their suggestion. I’ll let you know how it is.

From there, it was a quick update with Kamal Sinclair, our friend, colleague, and frequent guest blogger from the Atlanta area who is helping us develop Fractured U. (you know, the online course system that you should totally be checking out!). It looks like two courses will be launched in the next few weeks, so stay tuned to this blog for more info!

A meeting with our friends at Southern Arts Federation introduced me to the great work they are doing to help artists and arts organizations prepare for emergency situations (from natural disasters to computer failure). This is insanely important information that every artist and administrator should consider. You never know when something bad will happen (knock on wood!). For more information and resources, check out ArtsReady.org.

Then, I was able to meet two new(er) staff members — Shannon Turner and Keryl McCord — from Alternate ROOTS, the great arts service organization that helps artists and arts organizations who are creating art that is community-based and/or based in social justice. Keryl and I have a shared background in that we both worked for the Theater/Musical Theater disciplines at the National Endowment for the Arts (though not at the same time). Shannon, Keryl, and ROOTS’ executive director, Carlton Turner, graciously hosted a conference call for me to speak to some of their members, many of whom do their work in very rural areas. Check their website in upcoming weeks, as I believe this call will be posted as a podcast.

But, the main event and my reason for making the trip was that I was once again invited to speak at The Foundation Center - Atlanta’s Arts Resource Market, part of Funding for the Arts Month. This year, I spoke about arts advocacy, which is a topic I do not often get to speak about at length. Fortunately, I believe my wonderful co-presenter, Jan Selman of the Arts Leadership League of Georgia, and I relayed some interesting, energizing information to the audience. A video of this workshop should be available on The Foundation Center - Atlanta’s website soon. And, thanks to Nikki Estes over at Southern Arts Federation, an introduction to my talk is currently available as a podcast that can be downloaded here.

And, of course, I saw some art while I was in town! Besides the awesome work on display at the OCAF Center, I took in the lovely architecture and public art that makes up the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta. I visited the indy fashion stores that inhabit the neighborhoods of Little Five Points and Inman Park. I saw Twyla Tharp’s new dance-musical, “Come Fly With Me,” at the Alliance Theatre, which uses Frank Sinatra recordings plus a live orchestra to create a narrative storyline (and Ms. Tharp herself was in my row!). I revisited the musical “Grey Gardens” after seeing it two years ago on Broadway by attending a [sold out!] local production at Actor’s Express. And, for those of you who believe that the culinary arts is an artistic discipline (we certainly do here at Fractured Atlas!), I ventured to some Top Chef-related restaurants, including the insanely well designed Flip Burger Boutique (helmed by Top Chef alum and molecular gastronomist, Richard Blais) and Woodfire Grill (led by current Top Chef contestant, Kevin Gillespie).

Overall, the trip was quite successful and I was glad to catch a good amount of local art, meet up with local arts leaders, and connect with artists in the Atlanta area. Thanks again to those who attended the events and to those who led them or met with me along the way. We hope to return again next October, if not sooner!

Welcome United Arts of Central Florida!

2009-10-22T19:23:52Z

We’d like to welcome our newest Open Arts Network partner organization into the fold — United Arts of Central Florida.

United Arts of Central Florida is a dynamic collaboration of businesses, governments, foundations, arts and culture organizations, school districts, artists, and individuals. This partnership works to enhance the quality and variety of cultural experiences available throughout Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties of Central Florida. Since its inception in 1989, United Arts has invested over $107 million in local cultural organizations and cultural education. United Arts envisions a diverse, well-attended, fiscally-sound arts and cultural community that serves residents and visitors to the Central Florida region.

United Arts provides funding to nonprofit arts and cultural organizations and individuals through three grant programs each year — one for general operating support, one for project support, and one for professional development support. This year, $2.1 million in grants will be awarded to to 14 major arts and cultural organizations, and $212,000 will be awarded to 35 nonprofit organizations for project grant funding.

United Arts also publishes Orlando Arts Magazine, a bi-monthly periodical produced in partnership with Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The magazine covers area arts and culture happenings, history, and includes a cultural calendar.

We’re happy to have United Arts on board!

Upcoming Emerging Artist Grant Deadline

2009-10-19T21:15:14Z

The Puffin Foundation is currently accepting grant applications from emerging artists in the fields of art, film, music, theater, photography, and public interest whose works due to their genre and/or social philosophy might have difficulty being aired.

Who they fund:
The Foundation does not have the means to fund large film/documentary proposals, grants for travel, continuing education, or the writing or publishing of books. Average grants are: $1,000.00 - $2,500.00.

Geographic focus:
Grants from the Puffin Foundation can only be awarded to permanent residents and citizens of the United States. U.S. citizens whose projects encompass work in other countries are still eligible to apply.

What is required:
Application forms for the 2010 cycle will be available from September until December 15, 2009. Application forms are not available electronically, but require a SASE (#10 self-addressed stamped envelope) first be sent to Puffin.

To receive an application packet please send a SASE (#10 self-addressed stamped envelope) to:

Puffin Foundation Ltd.
20 Puffin Way (formerly East Oakdene Ave.)
Teaneck, NJ 07666-4111

Deadline:
The application submissions for the 2010 cycle will be accepted from October until the deadline of December 30, 2009 postmarked by midnight.

Rockefeller Foundation Award Winners!

2009-10-19T15:56:47Z

Congratulations to our Open Arts Network partners in NYC who were recently awarded 2009 New York City Cultural Innovation Fund Awards by the Rockefeller Foundation:

Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island
Creative Capital Foundation

Each of these organizations will receive a two-year grant of up to $250,000. Kudos!

Congratulations to Recently Approved Fiscally Sponsored Projects!

2009-10-19T15:04:42Z

This month our board approved 83 projects from 18 states. Check them out!

‘The Muse’ Website
AbOmInOg International- Arts Collective
Adam Dugas
Alexandra Gardner
All My Choice
Anaya Tribal SEEDs
Angelo Dance Project
Art for All
Art Tasting
Back to Work Through Theater
Beckoning for Change
Black Bag Pictures
Boatbird
Borderland
Bosnian Gangster
BronxNet Cable TV
Bumping the Frontier
Central Booking
Central City Artist Project
Children of God
Cine+Mas SF
Classical recording project.
Coal Free Future Project
Cupola Bobber
Dark Porch Theatre
Derrick and Smoky
ellen lyle / open collision dance
EyeTanya
Fall Girl
Fallow
FilmsOnArtists
Graceland
Heat of The Kitchen
IKAM Productions
jessica wright dance
JOHN KELLY - AESTHETIC OCTUPUS
K to the D Productions
KATHARSIS PERFORMANCE PROJECT
Left Hip Productions
Lindsay Brayden
LIVIN’ THE DREAM
Looking For Al
Lotos Collective
Love Lockdown
Manifestations of Memory: A Competition as a Memorial to American Slavery
Marcy on the JMZ
Mark Costantini Photographer
Medium No. 1 (Manhattan)
Melanie A. Stinson
Memoirs of a Bow-Legged Black Girl
Midnight Ensemble
Miss Nina & Friends
Mystic Armada Dance-Movement Project
New Music Bassoon Fund
New Rising Sun Dance Project
Notheastern Ballet Theatre
NY Shakespeare Exchange
OCEANA
Orchestra INSONICA
Ouija: For the Record
Project Artist
Psyche’s Journey
Refuge Center for the Arts
reMake lounge
Restless NYC
Sense & Sensibility: The Musical
Six ‘55
Spoon River Anthology Project
Studio 916
Surreality Pictures
Tale of the Hand
Talking to Strangers
The Beastly Beauty
The Living Room Project
The Rejane Project
The River Project
The Road to Carnegie Hall
The Silent Treatment
The Sunset
The Woman in the Dunes
WinCatherine: The Story of Wincatherine Nyambura Ndereba
Yotam Haber
ZEE

Featured Member: Judith Z. Miller

2009-10-16T17:41:24Z

This week’s Featured Member is visual artist Judith Z. Miller, who recently returned from a residency in Alaska, made possible by a Fractured Atlas microgrant. Through this interview, you’ll discover that her art — like her life — is rich with stories, intuition and energy.

How did you come to visual art from a background in acting?

I ran a small theatre company in Washington, D.C., The Fine Line Actors Theatre (formerly Earth Onion Women’s Theatre), back in the ’70s and ’80s. There, my partner, Jane LeGrand, and I produced Marsha Norman’s “Getting Out,” and we raised enough money to perform the show at a federal women’s prison and work with the inmates over a six-week period. I was scared, but it turned out to be the most powerful, creative and meaningful experience of my life. We changed each other’s lives! I experienced the ritual and transformative power of theatre.

When I moved to Brooklyn, I experienced a crisis in my life — a series of threats to a loved one, including a frightening incident in front of my apartment. Feeling threatened, I picked up a stick on the sidewalk. I didn’t want to hurt anyone — the potential attacker was gone. Instead, I took the stick inside and spontaneously started carving it with a pocketknife. Before I’d come to NYC, I’d lived in the Virginia countryside where I’d collected bones and shells and rocks, so there I was wrapping my objects from the country around the stick I’d carved. When it was done, I took off my clothes and stood in front of the mirror holding the staff. I said to myself out loud, “I’m crazier than any of these mother-%$#&@*s; this stick is going to protect us!” I walked down the street with that staff every day, and nobody harmed either of us!

I think it’s my actor training that allowed me to access a kind of warrior energy. In addition to “creating the character” of a warrior, I’d made my own magical object; this was a visual projection that was necessary for me to “get in character.” The acting process was really how I came to carve about everything that was important to me. I created a body of work, “Sacred Staffs,” made from the roots and trunks of trees. In 2007, I had my second solo show, a three-month exhibit at the Prospect Park Boathouse, sponsored by the Prospect Park Alliance and the Audubon Center. The opening was held on Arbor Day — a good day to honor the power and spirit of the tree — and over 8,000 people saw the show, which was great!

Recently I was on a bus in my neighborhood, and a man sat down beside me and said, “I love your hair.” I turned and looked at him and realized that he was one of the men who threatened to attack us years ago. At first I became angry. Then I realized that this man’s actions inspired me to become a visual artist and I had a complete internal shift; I felt thankful for him, and started to cry. I really came full circle on this. It’s a very deep learning that is still sinking in.

What is your primary guiding force when you are making your “Spiritual Self-Portraits”?

When I allowed myself to branch into drawing, I did it in baby steps. If I hadn’t done it that way, I’d have given in to some kind of negative self-judgment. Literally, I started by coloring in a photograph of a sculptor’s work, as if it were a coloring book. I used a photograph of an artwork that has been very important to me, a powerful piece by Native American artist Roxanne Swentzell, “Emergence of Clowns.” I’ve had this image with me for twenty years. The work fascinates me! Each of the four “jester/coyote” figures seems wise, comical, and awestruck, each in his/her own way. So I photocopied the photo, which gave me a very faint outline, and then I colored on top — allowing myself to give these four, essentially naked figures, colorful clothing and my own made-up tribal symbols.

As I worked, I realized I really wanted to be these figures. I wanted to be able to look out of their eyes, and to come to know whatever it is that they know. Again, I think mine is an actor’s approach to visual art; I use my training as an actor to approach visual art from the inside out — through my body. When I create works, I’m also creating characters. So I asked my girlfriend to take pictures of me in the exact same position as each of the “jesters.” And I printed out faint photocopies of them, and then drew on them. The significant difference was that this time it was my own image I was drawing on, creating wise, wry and magical visions of myself, the self I want to be.

Please describe your recent time in Alaska, in residence at the Southeast Indian Cultural Center with master Tlingit woodcarver Tommy Joseph. What were your expectations coming in and what did you leave with?

My proudest and most successful achievement was working with Tommy Joseph. But I have to say that, coming in, I was afraid! There were really beautiful moments, like when I felt the razor-blade sharpness of one of Tommy’s handmade knives in my hands. With the tools he’d made, if I held them at just the right angle, I could easily cut through the fabric of the wood and I could see progress towards fulfilling my vision.

The setting was inspiring! I worked in a beautiful studio, surrounded by Tommy’s masterful carvings, in a building that housed the finest Tlingit artwork, across from other master artists and inside Sitka National Historical Park, Alaska’s oldest federally designated park. It really was heaven!

We worked on creating a mask from a huge solid log. I spent four weeks concentrating exclusively on my craft. I ask you, is there a greater gift? Tommy showed me everything: how to sculpt the eyes, how to figure the angle of the iris so that the face appears to be look straight at the viewer. He’d show me something in 3 minutes that would take me 45 minutes to carve. Sometimes I felt like crumbling, but he really reassured and supported me. For me, being with Tommy in his studio was just like coming into myself and my vision. I was surrounded by great beauty, by new friends. I truly experienced the opportunity to express myself, and create something totally new. Fear, Ritual, Transformation & Bliss — for me, that’s what art is all about.

What was it like to carve a mask? And with an adze!

I have to say, it was a real challenge. I felt inadequate to sit beside the master — I didn’t have a clue! That said, he was so kind! I fought self-doubt and physical weakness every day. It’s hard! I’m NOT some young, strong guy; I’m a 58-year-old, out-of-shape woman! When I first used the adze, I was exhausted and in agony. My hand cramped, swelled up, and became bright red. I was ashamed to show my weakness — honestly, I wanted to quit. I came in doubting myself; I left knowing that I could complete the task, despite the doubt, despite the pain.

The mask I made was inspired by a dream I had while I was in Alaska, a dream that I needed to materialize from the tree. While I’ve finished the mask, the fullness of that materialization into my life still hasn’t taken place. I’m still working on that — it may take years! You can read more about this dream and the mask I created on my blog. The dream and the mask struggle to deal with society’s homophobia, come to terms with some gender identification issues, and think about ethnicity and the creative process.

I find your jewelry particularly striking. It’s very bold, with its own strong presence and energy. I think I would feel like I could conquer the world wearing one of your necklaces.

That is exactly the feeling I hope people will have! I started making the necklaces when I realized that I couldn’t always carry a staff around with me, and then I started making them for other people. My hope is that someone will don one of my necklaces and connect with their “warrior” self. When I wear my necklaces all kinds of really cool people come up to talk to me. Protection and attraction — that’s what I want out of my wearable art!

What motivated you to become a member of Fractured Atlas? What difference has Fractured Atlas made in your career as an artist?

I knew I needed to find an organization to function as a fiscal sponsor for an exhibition I was organizing. When I researched the options, FA seemed to be the most stable, reliable and fair. We were gratified with how quickly FA responded. I could tell that the organization was dedicated to its member artists by providing them access to health insurance and administrative support for their creative projects. They allowed me to begin the process of actualizing my dream. I had to think about it all seriously — get it together and present the idea cogently — and then I had to come up with plans.

And Fractured Atlas awarded me a microgrant, enabling me to study in Alaska — that was amazing!

What’s next on your professional horizon?

The series of self-portraits I’m working on now remain very important to me. Instead of myself as I am, I imagine myself a powerful celestial floating female. There are silver and gold glowing rays coming out of my fingertips! I’m receiving power from G-d, enough to heal the world.

I want another solo show. This time, I want creative control over the whole space, and I want to create an experience to go along with the art, that includes music, lights, movement and multimedia — a ritually based show/inter-active experience of my work. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do. Actions take place on the physical plane, and I need to reach out to the community for support and funding. And, I gotta keep makin’ the art!

Learn more about Judith Z. Miller’s work on her blog and website, which includes a link to her online store of wearable art.

Images (top to bottom):
1) Judith Z. Miller wearing a psychic protection necklace and holding My Wild Side Flies, 2007. Photo by Gary He, The New York Daily News, April 24, 2007.
2) BraveHeart, 2008.
3) Judith Z. Miller in Sitka, Alaska, 2009.
4) Judith Z. Miller in Sitka, Alaska with her mask. Photo by James Poulson, The Sitka Sentinel, September 17, 2009.
5) Golden Fingers, 2008.
All artwork © Judith Z. Miller.