Inside this

issue:

Organizational

Restructuring

3

Leeway Foundation 4

The Wilma Theater 6

Student & Alumni

Updates

9

Business Name

PAGE 2 WINTER 2010

Arts Advocacy Day: National Action Summit 2010

Americans for the Arts’ annual Arts Advocacy Day is the only national event that

synchronizes an expansive sample of America’s cultural and artistic organizations

and hundreds of grassroots advocates and students from around the nation to use a

resilient, collective voice, in an effort to emphasize the importance of developing

valuable public policies and appropriating increased federal funding for the arts.

Students who plan on attending Arts Advocacy Day this year can look forward to a

full day’s worth of advocacy training designed to include the pressing arts issues

circulating in Washington, D.C, and the latest research and talking points to address

legislators during legislative meetings . After all the training, advocates will be shut-

tled to The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to attend the 23rd An-

nual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy; a lecture which is one of the

most significant events on the national cultural policy calendar. The second day of

training moves the nation’s arts advocates from a classroom to their representatives’

offices on Capitol Hill. In groups small and large, Arts Advocacy Day attendees

will meet with policy makers and their staff about the arts issues discussed the day

before, in an communal endeavor to express the critical meaning of arts and culture

in society to the persons who have a hand in deciding art’s weight in society in the

form of bills and amendments.

In an effort to prepare Drexel arts advocates for this year’s arts action summit, I,

have set up a two-part training session before our students even step foot in Wash-

ington, D.C. Speakers

Joe Carlucci, Chief of

Staff for Pennsylvania

House of Representa-

tives and Julie Haw-

kins, the Vice President

of Public Policy at the

Greater Philadelphia

Cultural Alliance, have

agreed to talk to Drexel

students about the na-

ture of policy making,

the flow of information

and what to expect on

Capitol Hill visits, how

to present arguments

(continued pg. 3)

Dear Readers,

Green is my favorite color! So on this day after St. Patrick’s Day, I am pleased to announce

that we are delivering Artsline to you electronically from now on. Every effort has been

made to provide a readable, accessible and well designed newsletter that takes the best of

what we do and showcases the Arts Administration program and our wonderful students and

alumni.

We hope that you will “turn” the pages to find out more about what we think is important.

I would like also to welcome our new colleague Jim Undercofler, previous President of the Philadelphia Orchestra

Association and Dean of the Eastman School of Music. Jim will be teaching as an arts administration faculty and

working with Professor Varela and I to forge an Institute that examines new models for the delivery of arts and

culture, investigates the strengths of thriving organizations and invests in the continuing development of emerging

arts leaders. Look for more news on the Institute as it unfolds.

Also, congratulations are in order to the wonderful group of students in the AAGA graduate arts administration

association who worked tirelessly to produce another successful auction. The event was attended by many

alumni, students and friends of the Program, students solicited over 130 works of art and donations to auction in

order to raise money for their trip to Arts Advocacy Day in Washington. A special thanks goes to the AAGA

board and their leader Jennifer Schick for their efforts in making the evening a resounding success.

Finally, I want to thank the many alumni, students, friends and colleagues for their well wishes during my ex-

tended medical leave. It helps to know that so many people were thinking of me and I am grateful for their sup-

port and kindness. It has been a sad winter with the loss of my dear friend and long time colleague Peggy Amster-

dam, President of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. Her mourners reminded us all of how precious life

is and how much it can be measured by the people who care about you.

I wish you great things for this coming spring. Stay tuned about news of our future move to the new URBN

Building and other exciting developments.

Warm regards,

Cecelia Fitzgibbon

Welcome to the new face of Artsline!!

I am pleased to reveal what has taken a team to create for your reading pleasure and con-

stant easy access. Artsline can now be accessed online via http://www.issuu.com/

artsline/docs/artslinewinterissue.

With this new platform, you will be able to share, download, print, comment and rate

our work. Using the directional arrows to the right of the document, you can flip through

our pages as if you’re holding the magazine. Enjoy the first electronic issue of Artsline

and look out for more exciting, creative ways Artsline will reach you in the next couple

months!

Thank you

Simóne J Banks, Editor

Letter from the Director

PAGE 2 WINTER 2010

Organizational Restructuring

It’s quite clear that a ex-

traordinary number of

not for profits (NFP) in

the arts and culture sec-

tor will be forced to re-

structure, remap or per-

ish. From my vantage

point this restructuring

will have two faces: or-

ganizational and pro-

grammatic redesign. Organizational redesign

will include a range of

possibilities from merg-

ers to cooperative ven-

tures to graceful

(and not so) graceful

endings. Some have

suggested that a certain

Darwinism will prevail,

meaning that the weaker

organizations will fail

and the stronger ones

survive, but this thought

begs so many questions

that cast doubt on its

possible validity. Does

weaker mean weaker

organizationally, or

weaker artistically.

Sadly I believe it means

the former. Regardless,

under the current stresses

of diminished resources

and classical audience

participation, many or-

ganizations will consider

options once alien to

their internal discus-

sions. Already there are

Page 3

“Does weaker

mean weaker

organizationally,

or weaker

artistically?”

signs of cooperation that

include partial mergers

(various aspects of the

organizations except for

the artistic output), coop-

eratives (sharing all ser-

vices and coming to-

gether around an artistic

concept), the creation of

virtual artistic worlds,

and what appears to be

an emerging concept of

combinations between

NFP’s and commercial

entities.

By: James Undercofler, an

Associate Professor of Arts

Administration at Drexel

University. The former

President and CEO of the

Philadelphia Orchestra,

Dean of the Eastman

School of Music, Executive

Director and Founder of the

Minnesota (now Perpich)

Center for Arts Education.

Arts Advocacy Day: National Action Summit 2010 (cont from cover) to politicians and the need to

articulate one’s own personal

desire to advocate for the arts.

Joe Carlucci’s session, on Feb-

ruary 20th, was an all-

encompassing look at a day in

the life of a Chief of Staffer

(who ultimately turns out to be

an advocate’s best friend) and

consequently, the 15-hour-day

in the life of a representative.

Mr. Carlucci stressed the need

to do your research on your

legislator’s biography and

voting records, not to confuse

party affiliation with a support

or non-support for your cause,

and the ever important follow

up after your advocacy meet-

ings, to thank your representa-

tive for their time and consid-

eration.

Julie Hawkins’ session is

scheduled for Saturday, March

27th in the Bossone Audito-

rium in the Bossone Building

on Drexel University’s cam-

pus, from 1 to 3 pm.

“Art and the Constitution

both endlessly try to answer

that same question, "How in

the world can I be me, without

keeping you from being you?"

-Wynton Marsalis from 2009’s

Nancy Hanks Lecture

By: Amy Scheidegger Candidate for MS in Arts Administration

AAGA Board Member

Arts Advocacy Director

http://www.artsusa.org

A Profile of The Leeway Foundation

Page 4 WINTER 2010

“Unlike many

other private

foundations,

Leeway has

focused their

efforts in funding

projects from

underserved

communities”

“Art carries us

Into daily struggles

Large and small

And allows us

To envision a new world

Based on our hearts

And not just our heads

The intersection between art

And justice

Is where revolution

Is birthed.

How you make art

Is not only as important

As the art you make,

It is part

Of the art you make.”

(Excerpt from Leeway Vision Statement)

As the recession continues to cause organizations to restructure and reorganize, fund-

ing sources are also adjusting grant programs and limiting the number of recipients.

This can make the culture of getting a project funded much more competitive. The

Leeway Foundation, one of many funding sources in Philadelphia will be no stranger

to the increased culture of having less money which means fewer grants distributed.

Maori Holmes, the Communications Director at Leeway speaks with Artsline about

the status of Leeway and the state of competition for future applicants. Unlike many

other private foundations, Leeway has focused their efforts in funding projects from

underserved communities. While connecting art and social change, Leeway has been

very successful in spreading that process throughout the Philadelphia community and

surrounding areas. By defining their presence in the community as advocates for

change, Leeway states their raison d’être as the following:

Committed to examining and illuminating the relationship between art and social

change. Invested in art that has extraordinary vision, as well as art that expands (continued pg. 8)

“Leeway’s commitment to funding women and transgendered artists

creating social change through their art is the result of diligent work of

the foundation to find new ways to more fully live out its mission.

Leeway began in 1993 as a foundation dedicated to supporting women

artists in the Philadelphia area. It was funded by an initial gift from

Philadelphia-based artist Linda Lee Alter. In the late 1990’s, Lee-

way’s leadership grew its commitment to art as a means of helping

achieve social change. Inspiration for this commitment came from

organizations and activist groups devoted to connecting art and social

change, as well as from individuals in the Leeway community who

believed in the powerful potential of this link.” (Excerpt from Leeway.org)

Leeway Foundation (continued from page 6)

Page 5 WINTER 2010

What is your position a Leeway and what are you du-

ties?

I am the Communications Director at Leeway chiefly re-

sponsible for all external and internal communications in-

cluding web and print materials as well as special events,

media relations, and social networking.

Please describe what Leeway offers/provides artists.

Leeway offers two grant programs--the $2,500 Art and

Change Grant for art and social change projects and the

$15,000 Leeway Transformation Award for artists who have been engaged in art and

social change practice for more than five years. All artists must live in the Delaware

Valley Region (Bucks, Camden, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia

counties), identify as a woman or transgender, and explicitly create artwork that pro-

motes social change in their community. We also offer artist development workshops

and artist showcases and exhibits, which are open to the broader public.

How has the recession affected Leeway and your funding opportunities?

Our assets have gone down by nearly 40% which will affect our funding in 2010. We

will have to cut our grant making in 2010 down by about 15% in the number of grants

awarded. The grant amounts will remain the same.

How many artists apply every application quarter?

The average number of applications received for each cycle of the Art & Change Grant

and Transformation Award is 100.

Has there been an increase or decrease in applications over the past two years?

Our applications have increased over the past two years.

the notion of art and the artist’s place and connection to communities.

Committed to expanding the notion of art beyond the traditional canons.

Dedicated to exploring the role of the artist and how their participation and in-

vestment in community advances the kind of world we want to see.

Devoted to building strong relationships with an international community of art-

ists, curators, presenters, and producers who are working at the nexus of art, cul-

ture, and social change. (excerpt from Leeway.org)

The two grants The Leeway Foundation distributes are the Art and Change Grant

and the Leeway Transformation Award. The Art and Change Grant is a project-

based art and change grant providing up to $2,500 to fund art for social change

projects and opportunities. The Leeway Transformation Award is a $15,000

award offered annually to artists who have demonstrated a commitment to creat-

ing art for social change for five years or more. The significance of being funded

by The Leeway Foundation is the amount of post-exposure and resources that

are provided. Doors are opened in the areas of additional funding opportunities,

mentors, collaborators, space and many other types of support. There were 62

artists funded in 2009 for the Art and Change grant and five for the Leeway

Transformation Award.

Q&A with Maori Holmes, Communications Director

For more information: http://www.leeway.org

By: Simóne Banks

Interview with James Haskins: The Assessment and Development of the Wilma Theater

Page 6

ArtsLine: What makes the Wilma Theater different from other theaters in the area? James Haskins: Sometimes I leave that to the people who attend to tell us how they perceive it as

different. But I’ll tell you what I perceive to be the unique piece of the Wilma Theater. Last night I

went to see The Rabbit Hole at the Arden Theater and though it’s a wonderful play, but I could im-mediately identify that that type of play would never be produced at the Wilma Theater. It’s more of

a domestic drama. At The Wilma Theater, we tend to do very texted based plays that have an inter-

national influence that deal with contemporary issues. But I would say, for me what seemed to be

distinguishing about the Wilma before I came here, is that there is a real marriage of the written

word between the performing art form and the visual art form. I think the collaboration of that com-

ing together to make an artistic whole is, with the text as the center of the work, makes us a bit

unique. Also because, the Artistic Directors are from the former Czechoslovakia, there is a sense of

European influence on the work although when they go back to Prague they are told they are very

American. But, the rehearsal process, the time devoted to technical rehearsal is very extensive and I

think that’s part of what distinguishes the physical aspect of our productions.

ArtsLine: How important is it to establish an identity for your audience to relate to and

recognize? JH: It’s an interesting question because I think identity tends to relate to subscription models that

people will subscribe to an organization because of the identity of the organization itself. Subscrip-

tions are declining and people respond more to the individual productions, then they do to the iden-

tity of the organization. Right now we are challenged in that regard on whether people are respond-

ing to identity or whether people are responding to the plays we select. Obviously the plays we

select are influenced by our identity or vision, but more and more people are responding more to

play selection than organizational identity. In addition to that though, as a non-profit organization

when we rely on significant amounts of contributed income, I think identity plays a very significa-tion role. I think we receive individual contributions, we receive grants from foundations and gov-

ernment agencies and corporations because of who we are and the identity of the organization. So I

think that does become very important and plays a key role in particularly contributed revenue.

ArtsLine: Which theater is your biggest competitor? JH: We actually have the most crossover audience with the Arden Theater, which is a surprise to

some people.

ArtsLine: So, if an audience member has the option between the Arden and the Wilma

Theater, what is the perception of the play selection at the Wilma? JH: I think there is a perception of progressive or provocative or even cutting edge, some people

have even used avant-garde, which I don’t think is the right description for the work that we do. But

I do think that we do look at the theater not simply for its entertainment value, but for work that is

intellectually stimulating and socially relevant. We are producing all four of our plays this year that

have been written in the past three years although they are all very different, but certainly dealing

with a lot of contemporary issues.

ArtsLine: How would you say Wilma creates patron loyalty? JH: Well, I’ve been here for 3 ½ years and I think for quite some time, patron loyalty simply came

because people were very interested in the work that the Wilma produced. We have two Artistic

Directors who have this unique story of escaping Communist Czechoslovakia to come here and start a theater company that produced provocative work and that inspired people to attend and that cre-

ated loyalty. The theater was over on Sansom Street which is now the Adrian Theater and moved

here in 1996.

Anytime you move an organization to a larger space, people are going to have negative and positive

feedback in regards to that move and programming and all of that. So, I think there was a shift of

that point in time in patron loyalty factor. Even though now we believe that the work we produce on

stage is a risk, the risk we take is a little bit more common place. That the fact that we take a risk

and state that it is a risk, it no longer becomes a risk if that makes sense. So, I think that almost at

times we are in a stagnant period. We are interested in rejuvenating and revitalizing the Wilma and

looking at different models, because we tend to produce intellectual

work and work that people may feel is a bit dense or inaccessible.

“I do think that we

look at the

theater not simply

for its

entertainment

value, but for

works that is

intellectually

stimulating and

socially relevant.”

Continued on Page 10

There has been more of a perception that there is a certain level of elitism to the Wilma, that with-out changing the programming, it’s a perception that I’ve worked very hard to counteract. Cer-

tainly a lot of that has to do with the customer service we provide in the box office and the other

source of interaction that we engage in with our audience. We use a phrase that we use a lot when

speaking about the Wilma; the conversation will linger long after the curtain falls. That is some-

thing we want to engender with our patrons where they will have an experience here that they will

want to talk about. You may not like the play, but you’ll certainly talk about it. We often have talk

backs to create that dialogue. Those are some of the ways. I’ve made an effort to create a different

spirit to the point where I give almost all of the opening speeches so that I am a physical presence

with our audience as opposed to having an intern that would change every show to give curtain

speeches and welcome them to the show. Right now our patron loyalty is more focused on the ex-

perience they have around the production.

ArtsLine: The GPCA released a survey in October stating that while attendance re-

mains strong, the lag effect of the economy takes its toll on other forms of govern-

ment, foundation, and corporate support. Is the Wilma experiencing any form of

decreased monetary support? JH: We are. I would say in government funding. I actually feel very fortunate in how the Pennsyl-

vania Council on the Arts decision played out. There was a time that they were talking about elimi-

nating it all together. We actually saw a 15% decrease in last year’s grant which was pretty good considering what we were expecting. Our National Endowment for the Arts grant decreased from

$30,000 last year to $20,000 this year. That was really an issue where we had a conversation with

the NEA to find out why. There was a situation where there were more applications as opposed to

us having a weak application. We did not receive a Stimulus grant that we had hoped to receive.

Corporate support is up in the air. We still have a number of “asks” that are out and we do not

know what to expect as a response. Foundation support is very strong right now, but they are on a

three year rolling average, which means that probably when we are going to be hit is next year or

the following year as opposed to this year.

ArtsLine: What are some of the goals the Wilma Theater would like to put into action

over the next five years? JH: We are looking at a couple things. One is in addition to a year to year season planning, we are

thinking about doing projects that need more than one year to plan and produce. We are also look-

ing to do more collaborative work with theaters around the country and other disciplines, so that

we can incorporate more original music or incorporate dance or find unique ways to collaborate

with other artistic disciplines. We are probably going to embark on a two year long research pro-

ject and look at patron loyalty and programming and see if we need to shift how it is that we pro-

duce work. Right now we produce four plays that each run for 5 weeks. Two are directed by Artis-

tic Director Jiri Zizka and the other two, by Artistic Director Blanka Zizka and that’s what we do.

It may be time that we shake up that model and realize that this is a world premiere and something

we believe in artistically that we need to produce that because its unfamiliar should we reduce the

run of the show because people may not come and see it.

ArtsLine: As far as board development, how reflective is your board against the com-

munity that you serve and programming?

JH: No, I wouldn’t say so. We have board members that have been with the organization for 10-20

years. Also, some new comers, but what tends to happen is that people on the board will bring

other like minded people that serve on other boards with them. Right now we have a per ponderous

of board members from the Chestnut Hill area. We lack diversity in terms of race, age and its gets

hard when you talk about economic status because they are expected to make a contribution, so

members are expected to have a certain economic status. But I think it does limit in terms of the

other aspects that are brought to the board. It’s an ongoing challenge that we face in board develop-

ment than other organizations do. The nominating committee is aware of it and always attempts to

seek out new members that would bring different influences to the board, but it is an ongoing chal-

lenge.

Wilma Theater (Continued from page 9) By: SimóneBanks

Page 7 WINTER 2010

“We are probably

going to embark on

a two year long

research project

and look at patron

loyalty and

programming and

see if we need to

shift how it is that

we produce work”

James Haskins is the Man-

aging Director at The Wilma

Theater. For more informa-

tion on their upcoming

performances; visit

http:/www.wilmatheater.org

Or Facebook and Twitter

them!

In Memoriam: Professor Edward W. Arian

Dr. Edward W. Arian had a distinguished career during his twenty

years at Drexel University. After leaving the Philadelphia Orchestra,

where he served as assistant principal bass violinist under Eugene

Ormandy (1947-1967), he earned a Ph.D in political science from

Bryn Mawr College in 1969. When Arian came to Drexel in 1970 he

joined the faculty of Drexel's College of Humanities and Social Sci-

ences now known as the College of Arts and Sciences. While Dr. Ar-

ian created many important programs for the University, he is most

known at the Westphal College for creating its Arts Administration

Program. Founded by Dr. Arian in 1973, the Arts Administration

program was one of the first Arts Administration programs in the

nation.

“Dr. Arian was a visionary who understood the need for good man-

agement of the cultural community,” said Cecelia Fitzgibbon, Arts

Administration Program Director. “His energy, brilliance and charm

inspired Drexel to launch the program based on his curricular design.”

At Drexel, Dr. Arian also founded and directed the graduate program in

Environmental Planning and Management and the undergraduate program in Public Administration, which

utilized student internships through grant funding to aid local governments in technical assistance. In 1979,

Dr. Arian was appointed chairman of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts by Governor Milton J. Shapp.

He is the author of numerous publications, including two books, Bach, Beethoven, and Bureaucracy: the

Case of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and The Unfulfilled Promise: Public Subsidy of the Arts in America.

“His understanding of the public role of the arts and the impact of class on cultural participation influenced

a generation of arts leaders,” said Fitzgibbon. “Dr. Arian was an important figure in the development of

arts administration as a field of study and he will be missed by many."

Dr. Arian is survived by wife of 67 years Yvette, daughters Anne-Lesley and Carol his five grandchildren.

A memorial was set for 3 p.m. April 17 at Rydal Park Retirement Community where Dr. Arian lived since

2001.

Page 8

Arts Administration Student & Alumni Updates! Audrey Szychulski: Executive Director of the Norwalk Sym-

phony Orchestra. Now in its 70th season, the NSO continues to

grow as a top professional orchestra and as a cultural lynchpin

of community revitalization. “As orchestras across the country

recognize the realities of today’s artistic and economic land-

scape, we have found the perfect leader to take us into this ex-

citing new future for the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra and

her name is Audrey Szychulski,” said Ken Olson, chairman of

the NSO board. “Audrey brings to the NSO a unique combina-

tion of administrator, musician and social media expert to meet

the challenges and propel us forward.” (Excerpt from press release

announcement of Appointment)

Let your classmates

know what you’ve

been up to!

Send all updates to

artsadministration@drexel.edu

Jessica Broderick Lewis: Alexandria, VA, is on the

Board of Trustees for the Northern Virginia Fine Arts

Association, www.nvfaa.org.The Center for Sustainable

Practice in the Arts, www.sustainablepractice.org is

publishing an excerpt from her thesis entitled "The Art

of Sustainability: The Visual Arts and the Modern Envi-

ronmental Movement" in their next journal issue.

Cathy Hernandez: Adjunct faculty, Arts Administration

at Texas Christian University.

Amy Cretaro: Associate Director of Development, The

Fabric Workshop and Museum

Page 9 WINTER 2010

Page 10

This year's 7th Annual Art Auction was a great success! Our gen-

erous donors brought in over 130 pieces of artwork this year, the

highest number of pieces to date, and we had about 150 attendees.

We could not have done it without the hard work from the Board

of the AAGA, faculty, staff, alumni and students and friends of the

Arts Administration Graduate Association.

Meg Clifton Mitchell, last year's AAGA President, entertained the

crowd with her beautiful jazz vocals, and gave the event an added

touch of success and support by having her there to perform. My

personal favorite part of the evening was seeing Jim Undercofler

Arts Administration professor, holding out his arms for multiple

guests to buy "their" arms length of raffle tickets for their chance

to win some fabulous baskets! I cannot wait to attend future auc-

tions, as I know each year it will grow and become even more suc-

cessful!

Our efforts this year will enable us to send 12 to 13 students to Na-

tional Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. Through our spon-

sor, Dock Street Brewery, as well as the wonderful donations from

faculty and organizations, we are able to subsidize the cost of the

trip tremendously.

I would again like to thank Cecelia Fitzgibbon, Jim Undercofler,

Ximena Varela, Dean Sabinson, and all the staff, faculty, alumni,

and students of the Arts Administration Graduate program once

again for all your support! A very big thank you again to the

Board of the AAGA, especially Elizabeth Gault and Ying Le, Spe-

cial Events Co-Directors, for your tireless efforts organizing this

fabulous evening!

-Jennifer Schick

President, Arts Administration Graduate Association, 2009-2010

Pictures provided by Nicole Oidick