AAEA Blog
Arts In Crisis: Kennedy Center
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Monday, December 7, 2009
Donna Russell/Jared Kelley
Alabama Alliance for Arts Education
334/269-14356
Wesley Taylor
Birmingham Children’s Theatre
205/458-8196
The Alabama Alliance for Arts Education
And
Birmingham Children's Theatre to Host
Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative
50 State Tours
President Michael M. Kaiser to Travel to Birmingham, AL
REGISTER ON LINE http://michaelkaiser.eventbrite.com/
(Birmingham, AL) The Alabama Alliance for Arts Education (AAAE) and Birmingham Children’sTheatre (BCT) will host Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser on Friday,January 22 from 9:00-11:30 a.m. as part of the nationwide tour, Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy CenterInitiative. The event will be held in BCT’s Mainstage Theater in theBirmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in downtown Birmingham, AL.
The Arts in Crisis Initiative is a response to the emergency facing artsorganizations throughout the United States. Thecurrent economic climate has reduced earned and contributed income, decimatedendowments, and has left some organizations struggling for survival. Companiesof all sizes, localities, and performing arts disciplines have been affected...
The program on January 22 will feature Alabama State Council on the ArtsExecutive Director Al Head and Community Foundation of Greater BirminghamPresident Kate Nielsen in an informal community conversation with KennedyCenter President Michael Kaiser. Mr. Kaiser will speak on the areas offundraising, building more effective Boards of Trustees, budgeting, marketing,technology, and other areas pertinent to maintaining a vital performing artsorganization during a troubled economy.
The free event is open to the public, but is especially relevant to Alabama’sarts leaders, board members, executive directors, arts staff, arts patrons,legislators, community/state leaders, and grant making/funding/philanthropyofficials or personnel. To register for the event, please visit http://michaelkaiser.eventbrite.com. Forinformation about the event, please contact the Alabama Alliance for ArtsEducation at aaae@bellsouth.net or jaredkelley@bellsouth.net.To find out more about Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative, pleasevisit www.artsincrisis.org.
Since the initiative’s launch in February 2009, the Kennedy Center has hostedsymposia and arts community conversations in major cities across the country,including Boston, Chicago, San Diego, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Francisco,Baltimore, Detroit, Cleveland, Kalamazoo, New York City, Indianapolis, Louisville, Lexington,Nashville, Charlotte, Richmond, Seattle, Tacoma, Madison, St. Paul, and Washington, D.C. Upcomingtour dates will include 13 citiesin eight states, including St. Louis, MO; Kansas City, MO; Wichita, KS; DesMoines, IA; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; San Antonio, TX; Orlando, FL; Miami, FL;Honolulu, HI; Maui, HI; Meridian, MS; and Birmingham, AL to extend his arts management expertise and personalsupport throughout the nation. Additional dates will be announced onartsincrisis.org in the coming weeks.
“Each locality is dealing with its ownunique and specific challenges, and there is no better way to understand eachregion than through in-person visits,” said Kaiser. “Communicating inperson allows us to be more effective in advising organizations in need.”
Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative is currently working with more than 450organizations in 40 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Over 100 experienced arts leadersfrom across the country are volunteering their time to serve as mentors toorganizations in need.
“Nearly six million people make their livingin the non-profit arts industry and arts and cultural activities contributemore than $160 billion to our economy every year,” said First Lady MichelleObama. “The President provided an additional $50 million in funding tothe NEA in the Recovery Act to preserve jobs in state arts agencies andregional arts organizations in order to keep them up and running during theeconomic downturn. Our future as an innovative country depends onensuring that everyone has access to the arts and to cultural opportunities andthe Arts in Crisis initiative addresses this important intersection ofcreativity and commerce.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stated,“Arts organizations are facing the same challenges as America’s families and communities;in this recession, it is tough to make ends meet. Yet as President JohnF. Kennedy once said, ‘The life of the arts – far from being an interruption inthe life of a nation – is very close to the center of a nation’s purpose.’ Thatis why I applaud Michael Kaiser and the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Crisis initiative,which is helping to preserve arts organizations that are struggling during thisdifficult time. In so doing, we are ensuring a vibrant cultural life forour nation for generations to come...”
“The recent closure of the Las Vegas Art museum – which had been operatingcontinuously since 1974 – shows that this economic recession is taking aserious toll on our art institutions in Nevada and throughout our nation,” saidSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid. “The Kennedy Center’s Arts in Crisis provides hands-on training that willenable struggling arts organizations to emerge from the economic downturnstronger than ever. I know that the arts in Nevada will benefit from the Kennedy Center’sexpert advice and I look forward to Mr. Kaiser’s visit to my state.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellcommended, “Like many Kentuckians, I appreciate the contributions of the artsand humanities in enriching our communities and I would like to thank the Kennedy Center forlending its considerable fundraising and management expertise to help localarts agencies weather these difficult times.”
“At this time of economic challenge for ourcountry, families and small businesses are struggling to make ends meet, andthe same can be said of arts organizations throughout our nation,” concludedHouse Minority Leader John Boehner. “I commend Michael Kaiser and the Kennedy Center for stepping up to help artsorganizations in communities across America weather the storm, sharing theirexpertise and counsel at a time when they’re needed most.”
Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative is funded by Helen Lee Henderson andAdrienne Arsht. The Birmingham, AL event on January 22 is supported, inpart, by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
REGISTER ON LINE http://michaelkaiser.eventbrite.com/
For more information about Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy CenterInitiative, please visit artsincrisis.org.
Categories: Meetings & Events
