Some exciting results of our work in Syracuse

It’s great to see how some things come full circle. Our work in Syracuse is leading to many exciting projects, one of which is an upcoming community arts engagement festival called CRAVE. Read about it here:

Crave Festival article

Measuring Program Impact

An article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy today reminds us again of the importance of documenting and measuring the impact of our programs continually. While most of us do it when we have a specific a grant and a final report due on the project, very few of us do it regularly. Regularly evaluating programs not only helps to refine them and course correct when necessary, it also helps to sustain them by providing evidence of impact to future funding partners.

Read the article here.

Innovative Opera Programming

Kudos to Opera Memphis and Ned Canty for their innovative approach to building opera audiences! The Midtown Opera Festival offers a “little taste of everything” and should prove to be a winning recipe. Keep an eye on this and read the article.

Read article

Opera America mentions our work

Congrats to Opera Memphis for the recent article in Opera America Magazine. And, thanks for mentioning our work with first-time opera goers!

Click for PDF of article.

Art Exhibition Supported by IDEAS Collaborative Grant

Nice article on a project that was an outcome of the IDEAS Collaborative in Syracuse, a project wrapping up this year. Click link to download article.

Free nonprofit tech tools

This list  of free technology tools for nonprofits is worth checking out. I found a photo editing tool I had only dreamed about!

Great Marquee

Love this marquee for the Santa Barbara Symphony’s New Year’s Eve Pops concert! Speaks to a young target market in the right language.

@ The Granada in Santa Barbara

After NAMPC

After having returned from three great days at NAMPC in Charlotte with friends from Syracuse we are chock full of inspired ideas. I encourage everyone to watch the keynote delivered by Nina Simon on opening up museums. Or, watch her TedX video which delivers the same punch.  Also take a look at what the Denver Center for the Performing Arts is doing with Off Center@The Jones. Innovation at work.

Opera Memphis Focus Group

I have been playing with a new interactive way to engage focus group participating using old school arts and crafts. Great way to get to heart of messaging that resonates with prospective customers!

Surale Phillips ASSISTS IN RESEARCH FOR THE ACTA, FFC, & THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE TRADITIONAL ARTS

Effects of the economic recession on the Folk & Traditional Arts- In February 2009, an ad hoc volunteer task force, spearheaded by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA), the Fund for Folk Culture (FFC), and the National Council for the Traditional Arts, was formed to develop a survey for the folk and traditional arts field about the impact of the recession. Staff from the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the Washington State Commission on the Arts Folk & Traditional Arts Program, the Western Folklife Center and independent folklorist Pat Jasper offered additional input as the survey developed.