My statement at DCCAH's May Commissioner meeting

This week, I signed up to make a statement during the public comment portion of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities monthly commissioner meeting. The public comment period is a 30 minute slot for up to ten individuals or groups to have several minutes and speak directly to commissioners, on behalf of associations, organizations, or simply themselves.

While it is not a dialogue, it is an opportunity to literally have a voice at the table, and have your comments captured in the official and public minutes. Normally time is limited to 3 minutes but because of the low number of people who had signed up to testify, so to speak, I was allowed up to five.

Not one to want to waste time, either the Comissioners or mine, I wrote out and practiced my comments, regularly clocking in at about four minutes and twenty seconds. And so I wanted to share them:

Hello. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is JR Russ. I worked here at the Commission first as a Grants and Legislative Affairs Assistant; then as a Grants Co-manager for the Artist Fellowship Program, with Regan Spurlock; and finally as the Online Marketing Manager, working with Jeffrey Scott and Teresa Boersma, up until last summer. And while I would love to be back working with Mr. Scott and Ms. Boersma or most anyone else here, it is nonetheless a treat to be back not as staff, but simply a DC artist, resident, and native. I actually grew up at 605 G St SW, where my parents still live, just about 8 blocks to the west. 

Whether you knew me before today or not, I thought I’d just share a bit about myself first before getting to my request. Born and raised in DC, my first artistic endeavor was as a professional boy soprano, singing at the Washington National Cathedral. My pinnacle experience there was singing at Justice Thurgood Marshall’s funeral, back in 1993. 

I went on to become involved in theatre in high school where I was president of the Drama Club, and ended up going to the University of Maryland College Park, as a dance major. After graduating I would go on to work on and off stage at various dance and theatre organizations in the metropolitan area, from teaching at City Dance to managing a Discovery Theater tour, from being a part of the Atlas Performing Arts Center’s opening season performing in the Washington Savoyards’ Kiss Me, Kate, to dancing in Bodies in Urban Spaces a site-specific public art dance that would lead audience members throughout Chinatown to end up at the Harman Center for the inaugural VelocityDC Festival. 

And as I seemed to get pulled into more of the admin work as well, I ended up pursuing my M.A. in Arts Management from American University, where my thesis was on how working performers in the DC area defined arts advocacy and community. Since then, I’ve explored my own artistic voice and vision, having produced shows at five of the last six Capital Fringe festivals, with another show on the way this summer where I’ve committed to providing ASL interpreters for three of the six performances. And I endeavor to find other ways to be an active & engaged participant in our local community, from serving as a member of the steering committee for the Emerging Arts Leaders DC to being the first one to move into the Brookland Artspace Lofts five years ago. 

Current affiliations include being an artistic collaborator with dog & pony dc, a board member of Story District 5 years going on 6, as well as one of Dance Place’s newest board recruits. Oh yeah: and Burning Man. Upcoming projects other than Fringe include being a judge for Capturing Fire’s Queer Cookie Slam, facilitating an arts advocacy session at Now Next Dance’s First Leadership Symposium at the Dance Loft on 14, and being in Synetic Theater’s remount of Twelfth Night this summer. 

My current day job is actually my first non-arts job in ten years: I’m the Communications and Development Manager at the DC Alliance of Youth Advocates. An organization that’s been around for over ten years, we have about 150 member organizations, many of which are arts organizations or community-based organizations with arts programs for youth. 

But the takeaway for me there has been learning what I can from an organization that is VERY effective with its youth advocacy, and seeing what I can bring back to arts advocacy in DC. Being here, talking to you, is just a part of that. And I hope, in sharing my own work before, outside of, & after my time at the Commission, you understand both the breadth & depth of my experience with, passion for & dedication to our arts community. 

And so the main reason, my main request, for coming here today has to do with the current strategic plan. Since it’s been posted on the website last September, I noted it’s only been mentioned five times at Commission meetings, according to the minutes. And while this is certainly understandable, as there’s been a good bit of transition since it was posted, if possible I would ask for the following, which you might already be planning to do anyway. 

There are a lot of great priorities and strategies in the strategic plan. It would be wonderful if, at one year in, the Commission could share some kind of status report regarding what’s been accomplished. It certainly doesn’t have to be comprehensive and practically can’t be. But at the very least, I’d  say an update on all the strategies identified as priority one would be ideal. Anything less would be questionable. 

Your strategic plan’s theme is “leadership beyond grantmaking”. And you have a great roadmap in your strategic plan for “communications beyond programming”. Because I’m not asking you to just share an update with me, but to do so proactively and publicly. 

In sharing the plan within even just my own networks, there’s been a lot of positive feedback to the strategies outlined, but cautious concern about actual implementation or execution. The negative optics and perception (real or imagined) of if just sitting on a shelf for the next five years could be easily counteracted by simply keeping the community updated as progress is made. Thank you for considering this. And thank you for your time.

That's it. Not an unreasonable ask, I thought. And Chair Kay Kendall actually reassured me that even before my statement, it was her intent to make sure that the strategic plan was also being used and not just collecting dust. In fact, she was already planning to regroup with her leadership soon, also reasonable in terms of not having happened sooner, as DC Council budget hearings, which just ended earlier this month, do take up a lot of bandwith for any city agency.

And so I wanted to share not just so you could see what I read to Commissioners, but to hopefully give an idea of what one could share themselves.

I would urge strongly not to use this opportunity as a grievance session to blame, accuse, or guilt Commissioners regarding often times perceived but false inequities. Which isn't to say that there aren't inequities which affect some arts organizations and the communities they serve, but the grant application and review process is not one of them.

For a couple of examples of what I would recommend NOT doing, you can check out the Commission meeting minutes from October 22, 2015. I can provide a further breakdown of some of the specifc reasons why. And not that you can't speak about your own work either individually or with your organization, but ultimately the Commissioners can only take whatever you have to say within the context of the larger DC arts community as well as the bigger picture of the work and programs of the Commission. There's very little they can do "fix" whatever you think the problem is with your particular situation.

And here are a couple of final suggestions. When sharing challenges provide systemic solutions, not ones specific to your own individual situation. And when possible share gratitude for the things that do work well, in terms of the work the Commission does to support the DC arts community through its programs.

Because having been on the other side of the table, it's often a thankless job for Commissioners and staff, with the squeeky wheels in the community often being the loudest.

What's in DCCAH's Strategic Plan for DC Artists?

Just wanted to pull out the explicitly artist related content, versus arts organization material which has more of an indirect effect on artists, from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Strategic Plan, preceded by some of the introductory copy to help put the artist content in context. This strategic plan was updated and published September 12, 2015 (just about 8 months ago), presumably to begin implementation in FY2016 that following October.

For the bulleted strategies, the number in parentheses is indicates the priority of the strategy, from 1 to 4.  Brackets contain how many total sub-strategies are identified in the actual document. The following is directly extracted from the strategic plan:

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In 2014, Cultural Planning Group was engaged by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to assist with the development of its new strategic plan.

Over a period of one year, Cultural Planning Group led an inclusive process to receive input from stakeholders and the public at large, conducted a comprehensive review of agency practices, and researched best practices from model agencies elsewhere in the United States.

The Plan: Strategies 

1. GRANT MAKING
2. ARTS EDUCATION
3. BUILDING COMMUNITY
4. POLICY LEADERSHIP
5. EQUITY AND ACCESS
6. PUBLIC ART

Key Findings

Stakeholders provided remarkably consistent messages to the Commission. They believe that the Commission is filling an essential role, and doing an effective job, as a grantmaker. They also consider it time for the Commission to expand its leadership role as an advocate for cultural development in the District. Stakeholders strongly support and urge Commission to take on a larger, visionary and more proactive leadership role. They describe an arts and culture sector that is large, creatively vital and often overlooked. The field is also beleaguered by the forces of gentrification, increasing social and economic disparity, and the stresses of sustaining a nonprofit organization or an artistic career. These challenges underscore the need for redefining leadership for the agency. It is based on widespread acknowledgment of the leadership platform the Commission possesses. This approach was affirmed in a subsequent Town Hall discussion with stakeholders to share draft strategies.

Where should the Commission direct its leadership? It can leverage partnerships inside and outside District government more strongly with an intentional and transparent strategy to accomplish objectives of recognized value to the community. Objectives include addressing a range of needs for 

affordable spaces repeatedly identified in this and other plans. Also, addressing systemic change in K-12 arts education, promoting artists’ entrepreneurial activity, and serving under-served populations in neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River and elsewhere in the District.

Mission and Vision Statements

The Commission’s mission and vision statements were reviewed and revisions

developed that reflect the concepts of this plan.

Our mission is to serve and advance the diverse cultural interests of the residents and workers of the District of Columbia. We believe in the power of the arts, humanities andthe entire creative sector of the economy to enliven and strengthen our communities. We focus our efforts on the nonprofits arts community, individual artists and creativeentrepreneurs, the humanities field, and decision-makers. We provide support through funding, programs that address gaps, and educational opportunities and we provide leadership through policy, innovation initiatives, knowledge and connections.

Vision Statement

The Commission enhances the quality of life and economic well being of DC residents by nurturing DC’s artists and cultural institutions and by fostering the conditions where creative enterprises can prosper.

1. GRANT MAKING

Invest in Excellence and Access to strengthen DC’s creative sector of nonprofits, individual artists and creative businesses.

At the core of the Commission’s work is is grant programs and focus on supporting the vibrant artists and cultural sector in the District of Columbia as part of its unique and thriving creative economy. Encompassed in that sector are the non-profit organizations in arts and humanities who are the primary producers, presenters and suppliers of programs and activities. The numerous grantmaking programs and initiatives account for nearly two thirds of the agency budget and reach into and across all eight wards of the District. Hundreds of nonprofit arts and humanities organizations, individual artists, partner organizations and project partners are recipients of Commission grant funds.

This section of the plan expands those traditional constituencies to include other participants in the broader creative economy. In particular are strategies that build on the District government’s creative economy plans and additional ways in which the Commission can invest to support creative activity. The Commission can play a critical role in marshaling the resources needed to address the question of artist space needs, leveraging relationships inside and outside District government. 

The Commission also intends to provide professional development services. With a focus on artists as small businesses, operating to generate a profit from their creative activities, the Commission can provide artists with registration and forms for DCRA and provide workshops on marketing and writing an artistic statement.

Grant programs will continue to be refined to respond effectively to specific issues in the changing arts and humanities sector. In FY 2015 there are 10 distinct grant programs, ranging from general operating support, to arts education, to artist fellowships and a focus East of the River.

Creative Sector Strategies

• Grantmaking [4 total strategies]
• (1) Ensure greater cultural diversity among artists who serve on grant panels.
• Supporting Artists [3 total strategies]
• (2) Create an ongoing program of artists’ engagement in District government, involved as on-call artists to provide design advice for all departments, including general services, public works and transportation.
• (1) Actively recruit professional artists to apply for service on City boards, commissions and other policy-making bodies.
• (2) Invest in professional practices training and workshops that help artists in creative development and professional development. This may be through programs developed directly by DCCAH or through augmenting existing programs by providing resources to partners and programs focused on professional development for artists.
• Creative Economy [3 total strategies]
• (1) Revisit and reassess the recommendations of Creative Capital: The Creative DC Action Agenda and the Creative Economy Strategy Plan to identify specific priorities for action, such as meeting the space needs of artists, providing entrepreneurial training and networking for artists, and providing financial support for entrepreneurial projects.
• (3) Partner with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to streamline the permitting process for artists and creative businesses.

[The following don't have artist specific strategies]

• Community Wide Arts Marketing [ 1 strategy]
• Humanities [1 strategy]
• Partnerships [ 2 strategies]

2. ARTS EDUCATION

Promote Systemic Improvement in pre-K – 12 Arts Education

[4 strategies]

3. BUILDING COMMUNITY

Facilitate creative placemaking to address the space needs of the creative sector.

It is important to distinguish placemaking and community development from economic development. Economic development focuses on the standard of living, financial returns and job growth. Community development is more inclusive, centered on place: city and neighborhood. Similarly, the goal of creative placemaking is improving the vibrancy of place, as a means of improving quality of life. The arts can play an essential role in this broader community development agenda. They can promote inclusiveness and a sense of belonging. They can bring diverse peoples together. They can add vibrancy and a sense of specialness to a neighborhood.

The District has a number of tools and resources it can utilize to support creative placemaking. The District has access to a number of vacant and  underutilized buildings, including schools that are no longer needed. The District has funding to support capital improvements. The District is in a position to negotiate with private developers to include the amenities that will support placemaking, including such elements as affordable artist/creatives live-work spaces. It has the potential to provide financial and other incentives to make these things happen, particularly if the various District departments combine their resources. The Commission already has a program to provide cultural facility grants of up to $100,000. These grants could be used to provide matching dollars for nonprofit capital campaigns related to creative placemaking (arts facilities, arts elements of public spaces), as well as to incentivize for-profit developments with support for arts and cultural uses.

Placemaking Strategies [ 7 total strategies]

• (1) Set a goal to construct up to 1,000 live-work spaces for artists and other creative professionals within the next five years, working with the Housing Trust Fund, nonprofit developers such as Artspace, Inc., and with private developers and utilizing such facilities as surplus schools.
• (4) Develop a clearinghouse of affordable living and working spaces for artists in the District, including maintaining an inventory of vacant City-owned facilities that might be converted to artist spaces (studio, performance, workshop, rehearsal) on a temporary or permanent basis.
• (4) Explore the potential for creation of artist co-working and maker spaces, similar to the co-working spaces that have been established for tech start-ups.
• (3) Conduct a comprehensive review of City zoning and permitting regulations to eliminate regulatory barriers to live-work, home studios, home studio sales and other artmaking activities.
• (2) Identify opportunities for arts assets in private development projects, especially in underserved neighborhoods, providing a creative center of gravity for the neighborhood. 
• (1) Consider a program of “creative pop-up spaces,” dedicating a vacant land and buildings for the purpose of facilitating and funding artists and cultural groups to activate the spaces on a temporary basis.

4. POLICY LEADERSHIP

Provide cultural policy leadership.

Creation of a “policy shop” within the Commission, with a broader mandate, could establish the agency’s leadership in activating the full resources of the District government and selected partner entities to address critical issues pertaining to arts and cultural development in the District. On an annual basis, the Commission could identify one or more critical issues to which it turns its attention. Convening of stakeholders would assist in defining the issues, followed by facilitating action by District departments and partner agencies.

Several of the issues that have emerged would be appropriate initial areas for exploration:

• Artist space issues and the cost of real estate
• Creative placemaking and neighborhood revitalization
• Equity in the distribution of funding and resources
• Development of creative economy initiatives

[I decided to not include the two strategies identified because of their indirect impact on artists, in the holistic nature of the positions and their responsibilities, but thought it worth including the summary of the strategy nonetheless.]

5. EQUITY AND ACCESS

Foster greater equity and access

It is important to note that the creative industries often provide a means for artists from outside the mainstream to develop a career and to “assure their own equity” outside the nonprofit model. Hip hop and guerrilla artists are among many artists who often pursue their work in the commercial pop culture market, perhaps within a freelance career that includes work with community organizations and schools. The implication for the Commission is that by facilitating artists’ creative economy initiatives, it can foster equity simply by  enabling the entrepreneurial activities of diverse artists.

Equity and Access Strategies [ 3 total strategies]

• (3) Identify creative economy initiatives that support the entrepreneurial activities of diverse artists, such as an incubator in Ward 7 or 8 that could include a recording studio, business training for artists, youth programming/mentoring, etc.

6. PUBLIC ART

[1 strategy]

---

That's the extent of the extracted text.

Let’s recap. Here are the individual strategies in order of priority:

Priority 1

• Actively recruit professional artists to apply for service on City boards, commissions and other policy-making bodies.
• Consider a program of “creative pop-up spaces,” dedicating a vacant land and buildings for the purpose of facilitating and funding artists and cultural groups to activate the spaces on a temporary basis.
• Ensure greater cultural diversity among artists who serve on grant panels.
• Revisit and reassess the recommendations of Creative Capital: The Creative DC Action Agenda and the Creative Economy Strategy Plan to identify specific priorities for action, such as meeting the space needs of artists, providing entrepreneurial training and networking for artists, and providing financial support for entrepreneurial projects.
• Set a goal to construct up to 1,000 live-work spaces for artists and other creative professionals within the next five years, working with the Housing Trust Fund, nonprofit developers such as Artspace, Inc., and with private developers and utilizing such facilities as surplus schools.

Priority 2

• Create an ongoing program of artists’ engagement in District government, involved as on-call artists to provide design advice for all departments, including general services, public works and transportation.
• Identify opportunities for arts assets in private development projects, especially in underserved neighborhoods, providing a creative center of gravity for the neighborhood. 
• Invest in professional practices training and workshops that help artists in creative development and professional development. This may be through programs developed directly by DCCAH or through augmenting existing programs by providing resources to partners and programs focused on professional development for artists.

Priority 3

• Conduct a comprehensive review of City zoning and permitting regulations to eliminate regulatory barriers to live-work, home studios, home studio sales and other artmaking activities.
• Identify creative economy initiatives that support the entrepreneurial activities of diverse artists, such as an incubator in Ward 7 or 8 that could include a recording studio, business training for artists, youth programming/mentoring, etc.
• Partner with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs to streamline the permitting process for artists and creative businesses.

Priority 4

• Develop a clearinghouse of affordable living and working spaces for artists in the District, including maintaining an inventory of vacant City-owned facilities that might be converted to artist spaces (studio, performance, workshop, rehearsal) on a temporary or permanent basis.
• Explore the potential for creation of artist co-working and maker spaces, similar to the co-working spaces that have been established for tech start-ups.

That's it for now. Would love to hear what your questions, thoughts, suggestions, etc., so please leave a comment.

- JR

FY 2017 Budget Report for the Commission on the Arts and Humanities

With reports being posted yesterday, I just wanted to pull out some highlights from the Committee on Finance and Revenue's Budget Report, related to the Commission on the Arts and Humanities:

I. Summary

D. Summary of Committee Budget Recommendations

Commission on the Arts and Humanities

Operating Budget Recommendations

The Committee recommends adoption of the Mayor’s FY 2017 budget for the Commission in the amount of $15,534,436, with the following changes:

1. Increase Arts Building Communities by $3,000,000.
2. Increase Arts Learning for Youth by $1,450,000.
3. Increase Training and Employee Development by $30,000.
4. Increase Legislative and Grants Management by $20,000.

Policy Recommendations

The Committee recommends the following policy changes:

1. Provide updates to strategic and master plans.
2. Improve coordination with the Department of General Services.
3. Explore opportunities for jazz and the creative economy.
4. Reinstate the dedicated funding source.

Capital Budget Recommendations

The Committee recommends adoption of the Mayor’s FY 2017 capital budget for the Commission of $0.

II. Agency Fiscal Year 2017 Budget Recommendations

A. Introduction

The Committee has and will continue to support the arts through the mission of the Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The Committee remains impressed by the efforts of the new leadership at the Commission. The Committee aims to provide additional funding to the arts so that the District may adequately assist all of those within our arts community.

B. Recommendations for New Budget Support Act Subtitles

18. TITLE VII, SUBTITLE XX. COMMISSION ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES DEDICATED FUNDING

a. Purpose, Effect, and Impact on Existing Law

This subtitle would fix the perpetual problem of funding for the arts in the District of Columbia. This subtitle, while subject to funding, would provide that one quarter of one percent out of the current 5.75% sales tax would be dedicated to funding CAH. This revenue, estimated at around $22 million this year, would be implicitly indexed to inflation. This is not a proposal to increase the sales tax, but rather to dedicate a portion of the current tax toward arts funding, as new revenue is identified in upcoming revenue estimates by the Chief Financial Officer

The source document for the Committee on Finance and Revenue Budget Report can be found here: http://dccouncil.us/budget/2017

So...Arts Advocacy in DC

So...arts advocacy in DC. Been having a lot of great discussions with friends, peers, & colleagues. In addition to wanting to work more on the policy anlaysis side of things, one suggestion that came up was mobilizing a coalition of artists.

I believe this was partly in response to arts advocacy day and the two main arts advocacy groups in DC historically and generally having a strong representation of arts managers from instiutions and organizations (which was also clearly evident in seeing who showed up to the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities hearing), but the individual artist voice not being as present. I know part of the challenge is that artists are often juggling a lot, and sometimes don't even know what's happening regarding arts advocacy to begin with, because most just don't have the time or energy or simply know where to start. It's also a challenge with folks who balance being both arts manager (or simply employed) once place and a working artists everywhere else.

Thought I'd put it out there. And while I will definitely be continuing my own pursuit regarding arts advocacy conversations looking at policy level issues (funding, legislation, etc.), I also wanted to gather a..."council" of artists from across the District and nearby areas. It'd be especially great to get participants representing each ward. Definitely not trying to reinvent the wheel, but thinking this group could be a way to compliment existing arts advocacy organizations and their efforts, while making sure to hold them accountable not just for the interest of arts organizations, but individual artists working and/or living in DC as well.

If you're interested, just leave a comment, along with which ward you live in (if you live in DC), or whether you're in MD or VA but still work in DC. I'll start:

JR - Ward 5

1. P.S. This is also my thesis at American University, where I got my M.A. in Arts Management, coming full circle. The topic? How working artists in the DC area defined "community" and "arts advocacy".