WHAT’S HAPPENING? SERIES
Helping the Arts Adapt
As we emerge from the pandemic, it has become clear that the destabilizing effects have contributed to a new normal in our sector. Audiences behaviors have changed, ticket sales are down, and financial stress is felt at organizations of all sizes. Though the immediate crisis has ended, we have entered a period of sustained hardship in which we are constantly inundated by crises of a smaller scale that drain our resources and challenge organizational capacity.
To help arts leaders and organizations in the region adapt to the new normal and build their resiliency, we are offering a series of curated workshops to support those facing prolonged hardship.
From identifying trends in the sector to engaging with policy influencers, consider CultureSource your advocate in adapting to the collective challenges we face.
What's Happening? Workshop Series
Whatever challenges you or your organization are facing, know that you are not alone. Join CultureSource and our lineup of experts to get calibrated to sector-wide trends, and share inspiration with peers and colleagues that are facing similar challenges.
Fundraising for Small Organizations
with Paula Brown (Association of Fundraising Professionals)
Apr 30, 2024
Artists: Initiatives, Health, and Special Topics
with Laura Zabel, Christina deRoos, and Maura Cuffie
Sept 28, 2023
Federal and State Arts Policy, co-presented with the Michigan Arts and Culture Council
with Alison Waton, Isaac Brown, Melissa McKinney
Aug 30, 2023
Required Reading
We know news and headlines are constantly whizzing by you…here are some things we’ve recently tuned into and key insights you don’t want to miss. We’d like to thank our friends at the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance for helping us compile these articles.
Advocacy
We understand that for the regional arts sector to thrive, it needs long-term, consistent commitments from policy makers and influencers in our state.
To accelerate this objective, CultureSource hosted advisory meetings with employees from our member organizations to identify the collective policy priorities of our creative community. This discussion, facilitated by CultureSource’s Omari Rush and The Henry Ford’s George Moroz, explored the advantages of having a formal representative for the arts sector to advance our interests in Lansing.
CultureSource and The Henry Ford also collaborated to produce an educational guide that highlights the levels of engagement nonprofits can have with policymakers and influencers.
Download Resources
- Educational Guide: Policy Change Resources
- Key Takeaways: Policy Change Roundtable, November 2023
- Key Takeaways: Policy Change Roundtable, February 2024
The Future of Work
Despite its challenges, the pandemic has revealed an opportunity for arts leaders and administrators to rethink the work culture at their organizations. Instead of reverting back to the traditional models of work, investigate these resources to help you consider new ways of working in the post-pandemic era and beyond.
More Information
Contact
- CultureSource staff
- CultureSource partners and funders
- CultureSource members
Referral Directory
Seeking guidance on organizational strategy or finance? Looking for a fundraising or marketing consultant? Check out our referral directory for a trusted CultureSource partner that can help you achieve your organizational goals.
Convening Leaders
CEO Roundtables
Cohosted by Diana Abouali (Arab American National Museum), DeLashea Strawder (Mosaic Youth Theatre), Susan Westoff (Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum/Leslie Nature & Science Center)
We convene the CEOs and executive directors from CultureSource member organizations to dissect common issues faced by leaders across the sector. These guided conversations give colleagues a chance to share ideas, develop collaborations, and build camaraderie with peers. You can also join us online, all the time, via instant messaging on Slack.
To join the CEO Roundtable series or on Slack, email us at [email protected]
Funding
We continue to maintain our popular Funding page, which features CultureSource grant programs, external grant opportunities, and a listing of RFPs and open calls-for-art.
Convening Arts Program Officers
CultureSource hosts a monthly roundtable of arts program officers from local and national foundations to keep them informed of the realities faced by many arts organizations. We will continue to facilitate these meetings as a way to support the vitality of the arts in Southeast Michigan.
Research
We are continuing to engage with our core research partners; the AEI Lab at Indiana University, 8 Bridges Workshop, and WolfBrown to identify opportunities to conduct relevant research that empowers arts organizations to make data-driven decisions.
We are exploring potential new studies to identify:
- Common challenges faced by regional arts organizations
- The creative economic ecosystem in Southeast Michigan
Our Commitment to Post-Pandemic Recovery
In light of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and economic volatility, CultureSource took action as a regional coordinator and connector of arts organizations. To address the needs of the Southeast Michigan arts sector we worked to support members and non-members, emphasizing knowledge sharing and collective support. Though the pandemic is officially “over,” we know the economic effects will continue to be felt long after we’ve put away our face masks. CultureSource will continue to support the arts sector’s recovery by sourcing funding opportunities for artists, maintaining our library of resources, and helping organizations plan for digital transformation.
Past Covid-19 Support Programs
- Arts Organization CEO Calls
- COVID-19 Arts and Creative Community Assistance Fund
- COVID-19 Response Resources
- Individual Artists 2020 Rolling Grant
- Innovation Grant Program
- Pay What You Can membership dues
- Research with WolfBrown on Organizational Needs
- Resiliency and Innovation Programs
- Senior Staff Calls
- Stories of Resiliency and Resource-Gathering
- Upper Midwest Emergency Relief Fund Coalition Artist Relief Grant
- WolfBrown Audience Outlook Monitor Surveys & Convenings