Download - Artsline WInter 2010
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
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