ANIMATING DEMOCRACY E-NEWS

 Animating Democracy News and Updates

Urban Bush Women featured on Black Entertainment Television

www.urbanbushwomen.org
In late July, Urban Bush Women was featured on Black Entertainment Television for its Summer Institute 2004: Building Community through the Arts. On the BET Nightly News with Jackie Reed, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and several institute participants were interviewed about the institute curriculum and the making of the performance happening “Are We Democracy?”, which premiered July 24 at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The performance, featuring live music, dance, and spoken word, explored how immigrants, women, and African Americans developed the right to vote and who votes, who doesn’t, and why. Following two sell-out performances, audience members participated in lively discussions about the work and issues related to voting and the upcoming election.

 News from the Field

American Festival Project announces Art and Democracy gathering

www.appalshop.org/afp/gathering.htm
Working in conjunction with Appalshop’s RFK in EKY project in September, the American Festival Project (AFP) is sponsoring Art and Democracy: A National Gathering of Artists & Activists in Whitesburg, KY, September 11–12, 2004. At this gathering, participants will have an opportunity to continue conversations begun at the Animating Democracy Initiative’s National Exchange on Art & Civic Dialogue in Flint, MI, and the National Convergence of Artists, Organizers, and Educators in New Orleans. AFP says that, “The idea that continues to spark us was articulated in Flint by Grace Lee Boggs of the Boggs Center in Detroit: ‘Working within our separate arenas, progressive artists, educators, and organizers have hit a wall in our ability to move society toward a vision of a healthier, more equitable world. No longer can we think about social change as a revolution of only the body (organizing), the mind (education), or the spirit (art). It is all three at once in concert, and this calls for nothing less than a revolution in how we think about and practice social change.’ The planning for the Art and Democracy convening is on the drawing board. It includes art works, exchanges of creative processes, community art case studies, as well as sessions on how we relate to changing demographics and social policy, contribute to historic memory, and assist young people who will carry it on. Realizing that it is the young people in our nation who will carry on the pursuit of democracy and that ‘who’ attends the gathering will be as important as ‘what’ takes place, we have agreed to especially encourage the attendance of people under 30 years of age. Time is now of the essence.” If you wish to register for the Art and Democracy convening or are interested in learning about scholarship assistance, contact mkenny@appalshop.org.

The Robert F. Kennedy Performance Project planned for September 2004

www.appalshop.org/kennedy/
RFK in EKY, the Robert F. Kennedy Performance Project, is a series of public conversations and activities centered around the real-time, site-specific intermedia performance re-creating Robert Kennedy’s two-day, 200-mile “poverty tour” of southeastern Kentucky in 1968. Set for September 9–10, 2004, the experience will provide an opportunity to revisit questions raised in Kennedy's original visit concerning representation, economic development, education, loss of natural resources, and the out-migration of rural youth. Initiated and led by artist John Malpede, the 48-hour performance will re-create all aspects of Kennedy's tour, including two official hearings of the Senate Subcommittee on Employment, Manpower, and Poverty; roadside visits with individual families; walking tours of small communities and strip mine sites; stops at one-room schoolhouses; and speeches at courthouses and colleges. 
 

Latino Cultural Center announces open cultural center manager position

www.dallasculture.org/latinocc/index.html
The City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs seeks qualified applicants for the position of cultural center manager. This position is responsible for managing all aspects of the Latino Cultural Center, including facility operations, staffing, budgeting, establishing public/private partnerships, community arts development, marketing, and programming and presenting a comprehensive schedule of events for the Latino Cultural Center.

This position requires a Bachelor's degree in arts, business or public administration, behavioral/social science, education, marketing/communications, liberal arts/fine arts, or a related field. Four years of professional experience in arts administration, including presenting performing artists and/or curatorial experience in the visual arts, is required. Knowledge of Latino art and culture and presenting international artists and events is desired. The position requires two years of supervisory or project management experience involving any of the following: budget administration, grant writing/contract administration/monitoring, developing programs, facility operations/management, community arts development, event operations/promotions, media, public relations, or marketing. Candidate must have effective oral and written communication skills with the ability to facilitate public meetings, organize neighborhood/community groups, and promote public/private partnerships. English/Spanish bilingual skills are desirable. Basic computer skills and knowledge of MS Word/Excel or similar software skills are required. Desktop publishing and Internet (HTML) skills are a plus. Candidate must be available for nights, weekends, and holidays and must have valid driver's license and good driving record. An eight-year combination of specified education and experience will qualify. To apply, contact Betty Switzer, Director, Office of Cultural Affairs, 1925 Elm St., Suite 500, Dallas, TX 75201, T 214.670.3687, F 214.670.1404 , e-mail bswitze@mail.ci.dallas.tx.us

 Articles and Publications

Hawai’i Alliance for Arts Education Case Study posted online

www.americansforthearts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/reading_room/reading_002.asp
On the island of Hawai’i, residents of the rural region of Kohala deliberated how best to conserve a statue of King Kamehameha I, a hero revered as the indigenous unifier of the Hawai’ian islands and native son to Kohala. Should the statue be restored to the mainland artist’s original intent of gilded bronze, or should it be repainted in lifelike colors, thereby continuing a long-standing community tradition? Through the respectful collaboration of the Hawai’i Alliance for Arts Education, conservator Glenn Wharton, and Kohala community leaders and cultural practitioners, a multiplicity of gatherings and activities were designed to engage local residents in the decision-making process. The project fostered a heightened sense of responsibility toward the statue, which has, in turn, helped people to see their role in larger issues of cultural preservation and development facing Kohala.

This case study, written by Animating Democracy Co-Director Pam Korza, points to the potency of history and traditional cultural forms as vehicles for connecting the past to the present and the future. It reveals how historical social and political structures affect public participation in civic matters today and how cultural grounding can empower disenfranchised groups to participate in civic life. Further, the project illuminates the importance of understanding and respecting cultural norms of communication and exchange that affect how people engage in civic matters

The Esperanza Peace & Justice Center Case Study posted online

www.americansforthearts.org/AnimatingDemocracy/reading_room/reading_002.asp
Arte es Vida is an ongoing program of the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center in San Antonio. Supported by Animating Democracy from 2001 to 2003, Arte es Vida addresses issues of cultural equity and democracy and examines “the role of artistic and cultural expression in a society that inherits the deep wounds, economic and political disparities, and continuing practices of injustice that are the legacy of cultural domination in the United States.” It explores cultural grounding—the concept that a strong sense of selfhood and identity, rooted in creative expression and cultural practice, is necessary to empower marginalized communities and individuals to participate actively in public dialogue and civic life. In addition to creating, facilitating, and presenting art and cultural events, the Esperanza hosts pláticas (community dialogues) facilitated by animadoras (trained Esperanza staff, artists, and community members).

In telling the story of Arte es Vida, Executive and Artistic Director Graciela Sanchez details four areas of activity within the larger project that reveal underlying cultural, political, and philosophical dimensions of the Esperanza’s practice. These areas are: (1) community revisioning of labor leader Emma Tenayuca; (2) the effort to preserve La Gloria Building and other cultural landmarks in Chicano/Mexicano neighborhoods; (3) conflict of values within San Antonio’s Westside community; and (4) historical conflicts between Chicanos and Mexicanos in San Antonio. She also articulates a clear statement on the significance of culture itself as a civic issue. The preface, written by Animating Democracy staff liaison Andrea Assaf, highlights some key points of the case study, particularly those that illuminate the role of arts-based civic dialogue work in a cultural organization oriented toward civic action and activism.

“To Be American"—Teaching the Role of the Artist in Animating Democracy featured on Community Arts Network

www.communityarts.net/readingroom/archivefiles/2004/07/to_be_american_1.php
On the Community Arts Network, Arizona State University theater faculty member Kate Collins recounts her development of a new course in collaborative documentary theater. Among the activities of the course, Collins trained students to use interviews collected from citizens in the greater Phoenix area exploring the question of what it means to be American to create theater. In detailing the process from project conception to civic dialogue following the performance, she reflects on the creation of a meaningful artistic and educational opportunity for the students to connect with the community, experimenting with emergent curriculum and different forms of performance, exploring the role of artist as social commentator, teaching discipline and accountability, and applying group communication skills.

Art in the Public Interest publishes The CAN Report

www.canreport.org
This month Art in the Public Interest (API) is proud to present The CAN Report: The State of the Field of Community Cultural Development: Something New Emerges. In May 2004, API and the Rockefeller Foundation convened 27 leaders with long-time experience in the field to discuss their own needs, plans, and ideas. A product of this gathering, The CAN Report, written by Linda Frye Burnham, Steven Durland, and Maryo Ewell, examines the state of the community cultural development field and the emergence of a new energy among participants; a vibrant hybridity; an accelerated fusion of community-based arts; and other fields of activity such as community development, activism, education, aging, civic dialogue, cultural policy, and globalization.

 Events on the Horizon

Open Dialogue Conference X
Dates: August 10–21, 2005
Pittsburgh

www.taac.com
The Association of American Cultures (TAAC) is currently seeking ideas and speakers for panels and workshops addressing cultural diversity in arts organizing, the arts industry, and creative expression for its 2005 conference.

TAAC was founded in 1985 and has sponsored nine biennial Open Dialogue national symposia to give voice to challenges and strategic recommendations regarding ethnic-specific and culturally diverse arts management and arts funding in America.

 About Animating Democracy

Animating Democracy is a four-year initiative of Americans for the Arts and is made possible with support from the Ford Foundation.

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