You make good points, and I agree with you on many...

2006-10-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

You make good points, and I agree with you on many things. One thing, however, that is a sticking point, is private donations. It becomes an economy of scale. Does Grand Forks, for instance, have the where-with-all to support the 500+ nonprofits in our community (including churches)? Probably not.

I am actually not thinking about the good old days, or blaming anything on an administration (I don't know what the good old days are, I'm not even 30 yet :-)).

Art types are looking to adapt to a new economy, they really are. They are changing the way they market, the way they offer programming, and the way the run their groups. The problem lies in the fact that art is subjective. Grand Forks has not taken any art risks in a long time, because those risks are not rewarded. We have a latent audience here, and one that wants only a certain type of art. Therefor, we have created a culture of "too many flowers blooming" and thus, have weekend our arts scene. Art quality, on a base level, is in the eye of the beholder. I bet you and I would differ very greatly on what is considered quality in Grand Forks, or what is important. That's the beauty of art. When you break affinity for something across a dozen genres and a multitude of sub genres, you pit those organizations against one another, and ultimately, tax their patrons.

It's also easy to say practice, practice, practice, achieve greatness and create demand. What does that mean? A vast majority of arts programming in Grand Forks, for example, is education based. They are replacing aspects eliminated from the school system, or enhancing.

Also, when we talk about economy of scale, we must look to the past a bit, and see what the American arts scene was like prior to, for example, the NEA. For instance, there were 50 dance companies in the country, and, 45 of them were in Manhattan (before 1968, presumably). That is because there was a culture of support there, regardless of quality.

Healthy economies statistically do not lead to more donations. Donors, if you ask fundraisers, don't give simply on catalysts such as quality or a need to give. Donors give because of an alignment of value systems. What does that do to art in Grand Forks that doesn't adhere to a socio-political value system? Does that make it moot? I suppose one could raise the point that if the art isn't valued, it negates its purpose, but I don't buy that.

Art as medium has pushed the envelope of culture for centuries, more so than any other institution. Rarely was the artform popular in its inception, but only appreciated until after the fact.

Take a typical nonprofit arts group in Chicago where 30% of their budget is from ticket sales, 10% is from a tax base giving (NEA, State Agency, Mill, whatever), 30% is typical for private giving, and 30% is from philanthropic sources.

You place that same organization in Grand Forks, and it looks a lot different. We do not have vast philanthropic giving here (we really only have a couple major foundations that give to this area of the world - Knight and Bush. There are a couple of local ones as well). A majority of our giving in the arts is corporate support. These private paths tax just as much as other types of support.

One closing thought before I head to a meeting, is the cost of producing a theatrical event. For instance, on a bare bones budget, performing Cabaret for eight nights, in Grand Forks, cost $30,000. To actually do the show itself cost us almost $600/night (just for the rights). Yet, even with the high quality rating that Crimson receives in the community, people think that $18 is too high for tickets for adults. Trust me, I've seen terrible theatre in LA (trust me, it took everything to keep me there) and paid a lot more in ticket prices, because of the economy of scale.

Just some thoughts. Moving forward, and it's too early to talk about it yet, three area arts organizations are looking to reinvent the way they do business and answer some of these "questions" to hopefully create a much stronger economy for themselves. We will speak directly to some of your comments, actually. :-)

I hear you on the NEA. I support them but...what ...

2006-10-05T08:05:00.000-07:00

I hear you on the NEA. I support them but...what about donations from the private sector? Why overlook this resource in your political rant? I'd recommend to anyone that wants to enjoy a life in the arts to practice, practice, practice, acheive greatness and create demand for your art/performances. This is a much better angle than sitting around and waiting with your hand out. Taxing the hell out of all of us is much worse for the arts. Trust me. A healthy economy = more donations, the better performance group...the more $$$ you receive.

Higher Ed. has been offering performance degrees for decades, centuries actually. It wasn't until about 20-25 years ago that the University of Miami finally started to offer a Music Biz and Arts Law degree. The program has opened the door to many colleges and universities to offer similiar programs.

Our society has changed drastically, economically, over the years. Mom has to work, students come out of college with lots of debt, the changes are enormous. Please, you arts types, learn to adapt to the new economy. Complaining about how good it was in the old days and, blaming your lack of success on an "administration" ain't cuttin' it.

Sorry for the rant. I don't mean it as intense as it reads. I'm just sayin'...food for thought.

Great performances + demand at a fair ticket price = a healhty arts scene.

Oh, there's more...maybe the focus, and spending, needs to be more with the youth. Think about this...Jaeger, Bowie, Richards, Lennon, McCartney (there's many more) all went to "arts school" as children and youngsters. Just think how much they've paid back their government with income taxes, sales tax on tickets, merch., etc.

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You make good points, and I agree with you on many...

I hear you on the NEA. I support them but...what ...