Common Roles of Local Arts and Artists Organizations and Groups
1. Needs identification
- On going individual artist needs identification
- On going community needs identification
2. Information sharing
- Newsletters - email and print
- Listserves
- Scheduling, grants, and organization clearingnouse
- Artist and organization registries
- Artist and organization databases
- Opportunities for informal collegial exchange
- Political action information
- Informational websites for arts community and general public
3. Advocacy
- Arts public funding levels and mechanisms
- Specific applications of public funds
- Zoning and building codes
- Roles in decisions re built environment
- Taxation issues
- General low income issues
- Arts relationship to public education
- Intellectual property issues
- Freedom of speech issues
4. Professional development
- Legal issues in the arts
- Marketing techniques
- Artist portfolio development
- Securing professional representation
- Fundraising and grantwriting
- Audition techniques
- Website design and maintenance
- Business records and tax preparation
- Master classes
- Residences and retreats
- International artist exchanges
5. Programming
- Art festivals
- Special community events
- Touring artists series
- Local artist performances and exhibits
6. Development and/or management of spaces and equipment
- Galleries
- Theatres
- Outdoor venues
- Live/work spaces and cooperatives
- Studios for all disciplines and media
- Rehearsal spaces
- Classrooms and other arts education spaces
7. Promotion and public education
- Publications
- Web hosting
- Speaker's bureaus
- Media campaigns and marketing information
- Special events
- Strategic promotional alliances to benefit the arts and community
- Maintenance of artist and organization registries
8. Arts education and residencies
- Hosting community residencies
- Providing in-school arts education programs
- Conducting community seminars
9. Insurance coverage
- Group insurance pools for members
- Information to individual artists about group insurance options
- Insuring sponsored artists' projects
10. Supporting Collaborative Ventures
- Acting as a fiscal receiver
- Hosting or initiating collaborative programs and projects
- Identifying opportunities
- Local arts organization-artist links
- Shared administrative resources and space
Source: Arts Wisconsin/Wisconsin Assembly for Local Arts, 2001
Thanks to Mary Berryman-Agard.