Drivers traveling along I95 North or South entering

the airport area will soon view the largest canvas

Philadelphia has ever seen. The 50,000 square foot-

age airport parking deck facing I95 will be the back-

drop for photographer JJ Tiziou’s new collaborative

project with The Mural Arts Program, The Philadel-

phia International Airport and Philadelphia Parking

Authority (PPA). Slated to appear June 2011, photo-

graphs of dancers will display the “movement” of the

city and a visual introduction to the cities wide vari-

ety of art and culture events. This project will wel-

come daily commuters

and the estimated 32

million national and in-

ternational travelers who

pass through the airport

each year. How Philly

Moves, in collaboration

with Deputy Mayor for

Transportation Rina Cut-

ler, is part of a new ini-

tiative by the Mural Arts

Program to create stun-

ning and exciting gate-

ways into the city. As

Cutler describes the idea,

“I was stuck in traffic on

I-95 near the airport one

day and took a look at

the (continued pg. 4)

All Creativity Points to Philadelphia*

Inside this

issue:

Organizational

Restructuring

3

A Love Letter 5

Leeway Foundation 6

First Fridays 7

The Wilma Theater 9

Student & Alumni

Updates

12

Business Name

PAGE 2 WINTER 2010

Arts Advocacy Day: National Action Summit 2010

Americans for the Arts’ annual Arts Ad-

vocacy Day is the only national event that

synchronizes an expansive sample of

America’s cultural and artistic organiza-

tions and hundreds of grassroots advo-

cates 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 Ad-

vocacy Day this year can look forward to

a full day’s worth of advocacy training

designed to include the pressing arts is-

sues circulating in Washington, D.C, and

the latest research and talking points to address legislators during legislative meet-

ings . After all the training, advocates will be shuttled to The John F. Kennedy

Center for the Performing Arts to attend the 23rd Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on

Arts and Public Policy; a lecture which is one of the most

significant events on the national cultural policy calendar. Continued on page 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

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 Washington, D.C.

Speakers Joe Carlucci, Chief

of Staff for Pennsylvania

House of Representatives and

Julie Hawkins, the Vice Presi-

dent of Public Policy at the

Greater Philadelphia Cultural

Alliance, have agreed to talk

to Drexel students about the

nature of policy making, the

flow of information and what

to expect on Capitol Hill vis-

its, how (continued pg. 4) to

present arguments to politi-

cians and the need to articu-

late one’s own personal desire

to advocate for the arts.

Joe Carlucci’s session, on

February 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 represen-

tative. Mr. Carlucci stressed

the need to do your research

on your legislator’s biography

Arts Advocacy Day: National Action Summit 2010 (cont. from page1)

The second day of training

moves the nation’s arts advo-

cates from a classroom to

their representatives’ offices

on Capitol Hill. In groups

small and large, Arts Advo-

cacy Day attendees will meet

with policy makers and their

staff about the arts issues dis-

cussed the day before, in an

communal endeavor to ex-

press 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.

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.

Continued on page 5

parking garages. It oc-

curred to me that this was a

perfect canvas for a gate-

way to the City project, so

I called Jane Golden

(Executive Director of the

Mural Arts Program) to

discuss collaboration. I am

excited to participate in a

great public art project that

welcomes people to the

City of Philadelphia and

captures the spirit of Phila-

delphians in a bold way.”*

Across the top decks of the

nearly half-mile-long park-

ing garage, dancing figures

will swirl, on top of a black

background, giving view-

ers a first taste of the artis-

tic creativity that awaits

them in the City of Broth-

erly Love. At 60 M.P.H.,

the energy of the move-

ment will be clearly identi-

fiable. This is the premise

behind the project for the

Mural Arts Program Direc-

tor, Jane Golden. “The

How Philly Moves project

is a nexus of Mural Arts

Program initiatives to

transform public space,

impact individual lives,

stimulate economic devel-

opment, and generate tour-

ism. Having created more

than 3,000 works of public

art to date, we have a new

interest in creating gate-

ways into the city and pro-

viding welcoming points at

all entrances to Philadel-

phia. This project helps

build Philadelphia’s inter-

national presence and gives

us a fantastic opportunity

to greet the world with our

most creative foot for-

ward.”

By increasing the presence

of public art, motivation

for not only tourists, but

also the residents of Phila-

delphia is a great advan-

tage. There are so many

options to experience art

and culture in Philadelphia

and too many don’t even

know where to begin that

search. “The How Philly

Moves project is a work-

force development initia-

tive creating arts that are

accessible and relevant to

as many residents and visi-

tors as possible,” said Mi-

chael A. Nutter, Mayor of

Philadelphia. “For millions

of national and interna-

tional visitors to Philadel-

phia this mural will pro-

vide a spectacular first im-

pression of our city.”*

Photographer Jacques-Jean

“JJ” Tiziou specializes in

portraiture and movement

documentation. Based in

West Philadelphia, JJ uses

his work to showcase and

celebrate the many lives

he’s encountered to en-

hance the stories lived. His

images are used both in

corporate and editorial con-

texts as well as arts

and activism. This project

will fuse all concepts to-

gether. The How Philly

Moves photographic pro-

ject started in early 2008

during collaboration be-

tween JJ and sculptor

James Peniston. Beginning

photo sessions in March of

2008 took place at Studio

34 and the CEC; another

photo shoot was held in

September 2008 in con-

junction with the Philadel-

phia Live Arts Festival and

Philly Fringe. In the pre-

liminary phase of produc-

tion on the project, JJ

Tiziou brought together

over seventy dancers and a

team of volunteers to pro-

duce an initial series of

photographs that served to

inform his original design

concept for How Philly

Moves. On March 5-7,

2010, an additional 60

dancers will be photo-

graphed by JJ Tiziou at the

Painted Bride Art Center

and a selection of these

images will be incorpo-

rated into the final design

of How Philly Moves.

Creative Philadelphia (continued from cover page)

Page 4 WINTER 2010

“I am excited to

participate in a

great public art

project that

welcomes people

to the City of

Philadelphia and

captures the spirit

of Philadelphians

in a bold way.”

*Adapted from “Mayor Nutter,

Mural Arts Program Announce

Gateway Project At Philadel-

phia International Airport,”

posted 2/2/2010

Url: http://work.phila.gov

www.howphillymoves.org

By: Simóne Banks

Arts Advocacy Day: National Action Summit 2010 (cont from page 3)

A Love Letter...4 YOU!*

Page 5

“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”

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

Along the El there is much to

see. Lifestyles are very differ-

ent after the 30th street EL stop

continuing onto 63rd street.

Deep in West Philly, there is a

different type of Philly pride

and most don’t understand it

unless you live there. But,

what is present is passion, self-

pride and love. Love that may

not be understood by an out-

sider; however the residents

don’t seem to mind keeping

this low-key expression to

through the Philadel-

phia Exhibitions Ini-

tiative and generous

support provided by

the Brownstein Group

and Septa, the murals

express collectively a

love letter from a guy

to a girl, from an artist

to his hometown, and

from local residents to their

West Philadelphia neighbor-

hood. The public art project

consists of a series of 50 roof-

top murals from 45th to 63rd

streets along the Market Street

corridor. A documentary film

with scripted elements, a sign

school and shop that will pro-

vide training for area youth

and free signage for businesses

on the market street corridor,

and 2 books documenting the

paperback that will be distrib-

uted to area businesses free of

charge, for them to sell to visi-

tors. The other book will be a

larger hardcover book that will

document not only the art-

work, but the neighborhood

and the inspirations of the

Love Letter Project.*

For more information regard-

ing the Love Letter project,

visit

By: Simóne Banks

By: Amy Scheidegger Candidate for MS in Arts Administration

AAGA Board Member

Arts Advocacy Director

http://www.artsusa.org

*Adapted from

www.aloveletterforyou.com

A Profile of The Leeway Foundation

Page 6 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)

First Fridays in Philadelphia

Page 7

“With so many

organizations and

talented people,

there is an

assortment of

artistic culture in

many different

forms”. (excerpt from

“First Friday”,

www.visitphilly.com)

Every first Friday of the month is a

great time to invest in Philadelphia’s

rich art and culture scene. The Old

City neighborhood in Philadelphia

holds the spirit of Philly’s visual art

and culture scene. Some compare it to

SoHo in NYC, however, Old City

definitely has flavor of its own. With

over 40 galleries in a 3 block radius,

most found between Front and 3rd

streets and Market and Vine streets,

including boutiques, restaurants and

more. This is where culture is found.

You can find almost anything in this

neighborhood; unique fashions, hand-

made goods, diverse galleries, restau-

rants from many different countries,

historical tours and much more.

First Friday’s started in 1991 by a

group of galleries as a collaborative

open house evening, it later grew into

one of Philly’s most essential, signa-

ture cultural events. With the addition

of many more galleries since 1991, a

diverse variety of people and artwork

is provided. Galleries open their doors

from 5-9pm and many provide re-

freshments for the large crowds that

flood their venues all night.

This is where art enthusiasts go to

network, view art, eat, drink and so-

cialize among other fellow art lovers.

There is no limit to what type of artist

you’ll encounter. Students and indie

artists that may not have affiliation

with professional galleries also make

the Old City sidewalks their temporary

home to sell handmade goods. In be-

ing consistent with the neighborhood,

artists bring their most unique crafts to

sell and musicians aren’t far from the

scene either. A funnel of sight and

sound is created around for the entire

4 hours while hundreds of guests walk

from one gallery to the other. You

already know that Philadelphia is one

of the leading cities in art and culture.

With so many organizations and tal-

ented people, there is an assortment of

artistic culture in many different

forms. Particularly in Old City you

can find the “best of” in galleries, bou-

tiques, restaurants unlike anywhere

else.

By: Simóne Banks and adapted from

http://www.visitphilly.com/events

PHOTO CREDITBY B. KRIST FOR GPTMC

Leeway Foundation (continued from page 6)

Page 8 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 9

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 10 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 11

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 12 WINTER 2010

Page 13

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