Published: Issue 1, Summer 2009
Part of SPECIAL REPORT: The Arts & The Economy

How is the economic downturn affecting artists, arts communities, art making, and arts policies? To answer these questions and to gain regional perspectives, The Arts Politic developed TAP*MAP, an exciting feature which will TAP into diverse voice-portraits of pressing arts politic issues. For the inaugural issue, TAP*MAP features artists, academics, arts administrators, arts council staff and activists from across the United States who, together, construct a more vivid and detailed map of the arts/economic terrain.

To read each response, click on a name:

GENE MENERAY * BARBARA FUGATE * ARIN MAYA LAWRENCE * RANA FAYEZ * ANN MARKUSEN * MALLORY D. PIERCE * MIKE LATVIS * ARDATH GOLDSTEIN WEAVER * REBECCA MANERY * BOB FREITAS * BRIDGETTE RAITZ

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GENE MENERAY, Director, Arts Business Program
Arts Council of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA

How has the economic recession affected artists and arts organizations in your region? New Orleans is in a unique situation during the current recession. Due to the disaster of Katrina and the levee failure, the city already suffered tremendous losses in population and resources in 2005-2007. However, right now, there’s still plenty of rebuilding activity, which is (perhaps artificially) stimulating the economy, meaning the city is less affected by the downturn than other communities. Also, the city’s economy in normal periods doesn’t track with the national economy. We don’t really boom, so conversely, we don’t really bust. The largest concern we have right now is potential loss of money from national or NYC-based foundations as they see their endowments shrink. The second concern is for art galleries that cater to the city’s tourist trade. As we see less convention and leisure travel, we see more of those galleries struggle. However, galleries and art shows that cater to the local and regional market continue to show strong sales.

Have any new partnerships arisen during this time? Local museums and arts organizations have launched CVAANO (Contemporary Visual Arts Association of New Orleans). This is a regular meeting of curators and executive directors, and arose out of a need for coordination before, during, and after Prospect 1, the city’s first biennial, which was held in fall 2008.

How do the issues affecting arts groups during this recession compare to those during previous recessions? The recession of the early nineties basically pole-axed a number of establishment organizations: Symphony and ballet took major hits and they had to work diligently to right the financial ship. As noted, we’re still somewhat shielded from the recession, and events of 2005 meant that all organizations were already operating with reduced staff.

What does your political outreach look like? The Arts Council is a founding member of the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts, our advocacy group dedicated to securing and increasing state arts funding. There is a budget battle going on right now at the state level, and after Governor [Bobby Jindal] initially proposed draconian cuts we saw a strong grassroots push back to restore funding. Funding has been restored at committee level, but the process is still playing out. However, it was extremely encouraging to see the level of grassroots activity (letter writing, street protests, media outreach). We are cautiously optimistic that funding will remain intact. The Arts Council played a significant role in these efforts through email advocacy, direct contact with legislators, media outreach, and data collection and distribution.

Do you think elected officials have any misconceptions about the arts community? New Orleans elected officials have no concept of the size and stature of the visual arts community in the city. To many of them, the arts begin and end with jazz. They have no concept of the depth and breadth of the creative community of our region.

If you could ask a policymaker one question about the arts community, what would it be? Why does it seem that in terms of advocacy, we are always one step behind? The fact that $50 million for the arts in an $800 billion stimulus became an issue shows that [the arts community is] still not communicating effectively [with policymakers].

Do you have any other thoughts about the arts and the economy? It’s hard to overstate the impact the arts had on rebuilding New Orleans after Katrina. Artists were some of the first people back in the city, and while everyone was expecting arts activity to decrease, it actually increased. We have as many galleries as ever, more arts-focused events, the Prospect 1 biennial was a critical triumph, and we’ve seen at least 30 new pieces of public art come online post K. This outcome went against every single prediction, including some of my own. In 2007, the Chicago Tribune wrote an article entitled, “A Culture’s Sad Finale?” Today, the culture is as vibrant as ever, and one would be hard pressed to find a worse prediction.
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BARBARA FUGATE, Visual Artist
Seattle, WA

Has the economic climate affected your art making? Yes, the economic downturn has affected my art making in that I have picked up other work to compensate for lost work and sales in other venues (i.e. art classes, teaching, and art sales) and that extra work has cut into my studio time, drastically reducing the amount of artwork I have produced. This has been going on for nearly a year now—at least nine months. Also, a gallery solo installation / exhibition I had been working toward for a year now (was scheduled for end of this May 2009) has been postponed due to lack of funding as a result of the current economy. This would have been income for me as well as an opportunity to produce my art in a popular gallery in Nashville, TN.

In regards to its effect on your art making, how does this recession compare to other recessions? It feels wider and deeper in its effect—affecting more of my artist friends as well as our clients and their art buying (less buying or none at all).
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ARIN MAYA LAWRENCE, Singer/Songwriter
Brooklyn, NY

Has the economic climate affected your music career? The economic crisis has affected most things I do. I took a vow of poverty to go after this dream of making music. I have three jobs, where as I used to have one nine-to-five job with benefits. I have no insurance. Often enough, I have to decide that rent is more important which slows down the already seemingly slow process of music making.

Do you have any other thoughts about the arts and the economy? I spent a few months in Paris last year and it was nice to live as an artist there because art is a valid and valued part of society there. Artists have subsidies they can apply for and obtain from the government. It’s just nice to have the conversation already set into the society—art and artists matter. [Here] it’s difficult for artists to make a living. Let’s help them out since we depend on them. This is the dialogue that needs to be had to create a space for artists to create and be taken seriously.
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RANA FAYEZ, President and Founder
Fever to Sing: An Arts Advocacy Collective
Blacksburg, VA

Has the economic climate affected your activist work? Fever to Sing isn’t exactly a political organization. Yes, we do a lot of advocacy work for artists and musicians, but we only mean to make things easier for the arts by combining our skills and resources, not by trying to ruffle the feathers of the law.

What worries do you have about the arts and the economy? We’re just worried about getting funding for our nonprofit organization this school year (since we are all students) because the grant and scholarship funds seem to be drying up everywhere.
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ANN MARKUSEN, Professor, Arts Economy Initiative
Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN

What is the most important component of a strong cultural economic policy? A strong cultural economy policy would acknowledge the contribution of arts and culture in three broad realms in addition to the narrow economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations. It would celebrate artists as special shapers of our national purpose and economic role in the world—as communicators, innovators, creators of beauty, producers of badly-needed social criticism, and educators of our neglected right brains. It would cherish the link between arts and cultural policy and the viability of our cultural industries such as media, publishing, commercial theatre, live music, advertising, fashion, design, architecture and tourism. Just as science policy supports the strength of our aircraft, machinery, pharmaceutical, and other technology industries, good arts policy will help support the international pre-eminence of these leading sectors. It would champion the contributions of arts and culture to diverse communities by nurturing identities, encouraging creativity and initiative, solving problems, and fostering future artists and artistic forms of distinction, all essential to our economic future. Inclusion of each of these and their constituencies, working together, is the most important component of a strong cultural economic policy.

How has the economic recession affected artists and arts organizations in Minnesota? Several wonderful arts organizations have shut their doors: the Minnesota Center for Photography, Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Our Minneapolis Arts Institute has laid off dozens of employees. Arts programs at our regional family foundations have taken large endowment hits that will constrain generous funding. State and local governments have pulled back. Many individual artists are experiencing layoffs (arts and non-arts), fewer opportunities to perform (actors especially, as theatre companies curtail seasons and produce shows with fewer actors), and lower sales and commissions. Some are losing homes. Some are responding creatively, and that sometimes works. But many are forced to pull back on their artwork for lack of time (working lower wage jobs), the expense of materials, or loss of work space.

If you could ask an elected official one question about arts policy what would it be? Why does our (city council, state legislature, U.S. Congress) not understand and invest in our artists and cultural producers, presenters and support organizations when they are key to a large segment of our most unique, economically- successful industries that also win us tremendous good will around the world?
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MALLORY D. PIERCE, Director of Marketing and Communications
Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Ashland, OR

Has the recession caused you to reinvent how your organization operates? We reduced the size of our budget by cutting salaries in the form of top management pay cut, reduction in retirement match, a few lay offs and unfilled vacancies. We also reduced non-personnel expenses e.g. travel, training, and materials. We protected the work on stage and out-facing audience or customer service areas.

Given the economic impact on art making, have you reached out to your local, state, or national policymakers in regards to policy decisions that would positively affect your organization? Our state is deeply affected by the economic downturn and arts funding has been cut. We protested to our sympathetic state representatives, but they were between a rock and a hard place and felt they had no other recourse.

How does this recession compare to previous recessions? During previous recessions attendance did not decrease; this time we have experienced a decline in ticket sales.
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MIKE LATVIS, Director of Public Policy
ArtServe Michigan
Southfield, MI

How has the economic recession affected artists and arts organizations in Michigan? Dramatically. Coupled with a continued disinvestment in state funding, we have seen many of our organization’s largest corporate, foundation, and individual donors disappear, reduce funding or re-focus their vision. Ford Motor Company, General Motors and Chrysler have continually been among the largest of supporters to arts and cultural organizations. Not surprising, given the current plight of the sector, we have seen grants and contributions dissolve into near nothing. A big sign of the times was seen in late February when the Detroit Institute of Art laid off just over 60 employees.

Have any new partnerships arisen during this time? We are beginning to see more and more partnerships that deal with shared resources (i.e. sharing an assistant or accounting services). Our organization has partnered with many of the statewide arts education organizations to mobilize a more effective arts education advocacy network. This has enabled us to stop carrying the bulk of the work and has opened the door to the institutional knowledge of the partner organizations.

How do the issues affecting arts groups during this recession compare to those during previous recessions? In Michigan, there is a perfect storm. A crippling economy has sent some of our biggest corporations into bankruptcy, unemployment is among the highest in the nation, and our state budget is facing a $2 billion deficit in the coming fiscal year. In the past when the economy forced states to reduce its investment, arts and cultural organizations were able to lean more heavily on private money as they waited for the economy to turn around…that is not the case today as this recession has avoided no one.

What does your political outreach look like? Our political outreach is broader than ever. Being the statewide arts and arts education advocacy organization, it is our job to work with legislators. In the past, we have mostly spoken to those legislators directly related to the budgetary process. This current crisis has forced us to develop relationships with every member of the legislature—something that has turned out to be a blessing in disguise. At the grassroots level we have doubled our list of advocates, consisting of thousands of people who are willing to act at a moments notice. Since mid-February this network has sent over 10,000 communications to Governor [Jennifer Granholm] and the legislature, helping ArtServe leverage their support by obtaining support from many legislators who have never supported us before.

Do you think elected officials have any misconceptions about the arts community? Absolutely! Many see state funding as a handout and fail to understand that the state’s investment is a very small portion of the budget for these organizations, but rather an important tool that helps them leverage funding from corporations, endowments and individual donors. In Michigan, the 290 organizations funded by the state arts council, are able to leverage the state’s investment by bringing in over $280 million in a Cash Match and that number grows to $310 million when you add in-kind into the mix. Additionally, I think that many see arts and culture as elitist. They fail to see the attraction and economic significance our organizations and artists have on tourists, families, and corporations.
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ARDATH GOLDSTEIN WEAVER, Research Director
North Carolina Arts Council
Raleigh, NC

How has the economic recession affected artists and arts organizations in North Carolina? North Carolina Arts Council Deputy Director Nancy Trovillion reports that most arts organizations in North Carolina were in good shape prior to this recession, having learned from previous downturns to reduce debt, streamline operations, build some cash reserves, or secure lines of credit. Most groups are now facing up to 10-30% reductions in their budgets for the coming fiscal year. Declining revenues will likely require cancellation of guest artists, shortened seasons for some and extending exhibition runs for others, and postponing capital projects.

Have any new partnerships arisen during this time? Joey Toler, Beaufort County Arts Council Executive Director, is finding opportunities to partner with local government agencies like schools and recreation programs, and is working to develop a stronger regional infrastructure in eastern North Carolina. Flat Rock Playhouse Managing Director, Dale Bartlett, is adding more productions to appeal to local residents, expanding their audience beyond their traditional western North Carolina tourist base. Now that finance sector support has dramatically declined in Charlotte, Arts & Science Council Senior Development Officer, Chase Law, is cultivating more individual potential donors.

What does your political outreach look like? This year our grants budget was cut 10% halfway through the year when state revenues began to decline. We started this year with $1.6 million in non-recurring funding that obviously we will not be requesting. Our approach to politicians continues to be: emphasis of the returns on investment in the arts through enhanced quality of life, visitor spending, and retention of residents and businesses.

Do you think elected officials have any misconceptions about the arts community? Elected officials may not realize that the arts are an industry. They need to be reminded of how many people earn a living creating, producing, distributing, and supporting artistic products. They need to be made aware that the skills learned through participation in the arts are workforce development skills—creativity, innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, and effective communication. The arts are a resource for citizens and communities and need to have a seat at the table for planning, economic development, promotion, and education efforts.

If you could ask a policymaker one question about the arts community, what would it be? Do you remember how the arts have personally touched you? Start a conversation about how art programs make their community distinctive, how excited their child was at their first performance, or how moved they were by an arts experience.
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REBECCA MANERY, Poet & Literacy Specialist
Chicago Teachers’ Center,
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL

How has the economic climate affected your writing? Naturally, I feel a great deal of anxiety about the economy on both a personal and global level. I worry about losing my job; I worry that I will never be able to retire. I worry about paying off the student loans for my MFA that are soon to come due. I’m deeply concerned for people all over the country and the world who are suffering far greater hardships. In such times, art making can feel like a frivolous choice, but I’m convinced that art is, if anything, more necessary in bad times than good. As [Bertoldt] Brecht wrote at an even lower point in history, “In the dark times/Will there also be singing?/Yes, there will also be singing/About the dark times.” I may soon be forced to cut my book budget, but most of the financial sacrifices I’ve made that affect my writing take the form of money not spent—to replace my aging computer, for instance, or to travel, which used to be a major source of inspiration. Should anyone wish to underwrite a sabbatical to Bellagio, Italy, I would not say no.
How has the economic climate affected your activist work? I work for GEAR UP, a program that prepares students for post-secondary education. Many of these students will become the first members of their families to attend college. Recently, I was disappointed to learn that the Obama administration has not recommended any additional funding for the federal grant that supports this work (by contrast, the Bush administration made five attempts to zero-fund the program). I worry that when our graduates are ready to pursue their college dreams, they will find fewer scholarship and loan opportunities available just as tuition rates are soaring.

How has the economic recession affected artists and arts organizations in Illinois? Many artists and writers teach at universities, but there is a growing trend for universities to hire fewer full-time instructors and more adjuncts who earn less money and no benefits. Salaries for the few full-time positions available are often outrageously low, but there seem to be more than enough people with graduate degrees desperate enough to take them. Less scholarship money is available for artists and writers who want to continue their studies. Private foundations that support the arts are under pressure to give to more individuals and organizations in need, which means everyone gets a smaller share of the pie.
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BOB FREITAS, Contemporary Sculpture Artist
Maoli Arts Month (MAMo)
Honolulu, HI

How has the economic climate affected your art making? Hawaii has been hit by the recession and several galleries in Honolulu have had to close. The impact is that there are fewer venues available to artists to show their work and it is especially hard for younger artists. I helped to create MAMo, which is in its forth year. MAMo uses established artists to open up galleries in Honolulu to showcase established and emerging contemporary Hawaiian artists during the month of May every year. This year the economic climate has affected the numbers of people that are coming to the events. [The numbers of people attending] are much lower as people think about their priorities. Fortunately, we have good partners and lots of grants so the organization is not affected, but the concern is for individual artists. The artists have priced their artwork lower, but the commissions charged by the galleries remain the same.

In regards to its effect on your art making, how does this recession compare to other recessions? I am an older sculptor and I learned a long time ago that you need to keep investing in yourself so I invested in the tools and materials to carry me through tough times. I shifted away from making art for a living since I wanted to insulate my ability to create art from external effects like a recession or having to sell the artwork. The reason for this is to have maximum creative freedom which is not tied to economics.

Given the economic impact on art making, have you reached out to your policymakers in regards to legislation that would positively affect the arts? In Hawaii it has been very difficult to get local governmental support for the contemporary Hawaiian art movement. The reason is that many policy makers tie art making to the efforts involving federal recognition of the native Hawaiian people as native people under U.S. law. Historically, this dates back to 1893 when the U.S. Government sent the USS Boston Gunship into Honolulu harbor and the U.S. marines overthrew the peaceful Hawaiian Government lead by Queen Liliuokalani. Ever since that time, the U.S. has failed to recognize native Hawaiian people as Native Americans so that they could enjoy the full rights and privileges under U.S. law. Our efforts continue to focus on private foundation support with the objective of creating a dedicated live, work, and play space for the artists. This idea is patterned after Canyon Road Arts in Santa Fe, NM. These foundations have supported the logic that every year that new artists are recognized and their new ideas are shared that this cultural/arts endeavor contributes to the constant evolution of the living Hawaiian culture that can be traced back 2,000 years. This Hawaiian culture is still alive and it will be here for many years to come.

Do you think elected officials have any misconceptions about the arts community? Yes. Few of them take the time to understand and appreciate the arts. Usually there is someone in their family [who] understands art and these are the persons that can be influenced to support art. It is a very indirect approach, but it works.
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BRIDGETTE RAITZ, Mixed Media Artist
Atlanta, GA

How has the economic climate affected your art making? Due to the dip in the art market, I have had more time to experiment with mixed media pieces and am speaking out more about policies through my art. In order to put my thoughts about recycling into practice through art, I have even begun making altered sweaters and other upcycled clothing. To me, the current economic crisis is all about possibility—the old standards are falling away as America gets ready to reinvest herself. Freedom reigns!

Have you reached out to your policymakers in regards to policy decisions that would positively affect the arts? I have reached out to see what my senators are planning to do regarding proposed funding for the arts in the [Obama] administration’s budget for FY 2010. No word from them yet. I think we, as a country, make a huge, short-sighted mistake by cutting funding for the arts. If, indeed, Daniel Pink is correct in his idea that the “the right brain is rising” and “high-concept and high-touch abilities” will prevail, we can’t afford to cut back and devalue arts education when the creative solutions that result from the minds these programs help shape will be lost.

Do you think elected officials have any misconceptions about the arts community? Unfortunately, I think they too often regard it as a secondary pursuit, an extracurricular, a perk, instead of seeing education in music, art, band, drama, etc. as equally important as the “core” left brain academic subjects. I am very heartened that President Obama has asked for more arts funding than we have seen for some time.

Do you have any other thoughts about the arts and the economy? “Never waste a good crisis!” I believe that our current crisis represents an amazing opportunity to chart a new path—for sustainable design, for new careers not even imagined, for many amazing ways to improve the health of our planet—the possibilities are endless. And these opportunities have sprung from the economic crash that has America looking for new answers and new solutions. The old conventions are crumbling because they cannot solve what we have ignored for too long. TAP