2011 NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY RELEASED

FOR CULVER CITY PERFORMING ARTS GRANT PROGRAM

Application Workshop Scheduled For August 3, 2010

The 2011 Notice of Funding Availability has been released for the Culver City Performing Arts Grants Program. The application is currently being distributed electronically through e-mail and is available via the City’s website at www.culvercity.org<http://www.culvercity.org/>. The deadline for submission is September 7, 2010. Performances may be presented by non-profit performing arts organizations in the disciplines of theatre, musical theatre, music, opera, or dance. A workshop to assist organizations with the completion of the application will be held on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 in the Dan Patacchia Room at Culver City City Hall, located at 9770 Culver Boulevard in Culver City. The workshop will begin at 7 PM.

The Performing Arts Grant Program supports performances that occur between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Performances must be available to the general public in a building/facility wholly or partially located in Culver City or controlled/owned by the City of Culver City and/or the Culver City Redevelopment Agency. Funding may only be used for direct expenses related to the performance in Culver City. Additionally, applicant organizations must qualify as tax exempt as defined by the IRS at the time of application.

Established in 1994, the Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program offers grants to performing arts organizations in Los Angeles County. Under the purview of the City Council and the Cultural Affairs Commission, the Performing Arts Grant Program is designed to support arts organizations and to bring distinguished cultural programming to Culver City. The amount of grant funding available is dependent upon the total deposits made into the City’s Art Fund each fiscal year. Additonally, the Performing Arts Grant Program is supported by a contribution from Sony Pictures Entertainment. The total amount available for the 2011 program will be $28,750.

Please contact Ms. Jeremy Green at jeremy.green@culvercity.org<mailto:jeremy.green@culvercity.org> or call (310) 253-5716 for questions about the application or to RSVP for the workshop on August 3, 2010. A listing of possible performance venues is also available on the Arts & Culture page of the City’s website at www.culvercity.org<http://www.culvercity.org/>.

Visual Arts Director at Angels Gate Cultural Center

Angels Gate Cultural Center seeks an energetic and capable Visual Arts Director who is responsible for the oversight of all exhibition

programs, visual arts special projects and events as well as curatorial and planning duties related to Angels Gate Cultural Center’s Studio Artist Program.

The position includes curatorial work, overseeing exhibitions by guest curators, creation and oversight of budgets, grant writing, exhibition installation duties, supervision of preparatory and docent staff. The Visual Arts Director also takes the lead role in attracting and vetting candidates for the Studio Artist Program and overseeing the activities and studios of 50 Program participants. General office computer skills, internet skills and familiarity with graphic design and digital image processing a plus.

Candidate must have a BA degree or equivalent professional experience in curatorial, gallery or program management. Salary is commensurate with experience and benefits are available.

An application package should contain a letter of interest and vitae with 3 references. Please mail to Deborah Lewis, Executive Director, Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 South Gaffey St., San Pedro, CA 90731 or email to Deborah@angelsgateart.org. The application deadline is September 1, 2010.

Angels Gate Cultural Center is an equal opportunity employer.

Looking for a place to find an abundance of inexpensive and interesting materials? Check out this resourece below!

The reDiscover Center, a creative reuse center for sustainable environmental education, has a warehouse full of unique materials for your next art piece.

We have fabric, leather, tile, vinyl, metal, jute, wood and other unique one of kind cast offs. Come for an hour or spend the morning browsing. You’ll find medium for your next masterpiece at low, low prices (ex. fabric $1 a bag) and help the environment at the same time.

All materials have been saved, from heading to the landfill, through our local pick ups from Southern California Industries.

OPEN, Saturdays 10am-1pm

reDiscover Center
12958 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90066

Greenway Arts Alliance, a bridge non-profit for Fairfax High School that produces excellent and award-winning professional theatrical productions and provides unparalleled arts education opportunities for students, seeks to add a salaried Technical Director. Technical Director candidate should have production management and facilities management experience.

The Technical Director will be responsible for Fairfax High School’s 1400-seat performing arts auditorium, as well as the 99-seat Greenway Court Theatre and a smaller black box space. These are multi-use spaces, therefore the ability to proactively plan, schedule and prioritize quick turn-arounds are vital. (Currently, he/she will be responsible for all the scheduling only at the 99-seat Greenway Court Theatre but will oversee technical aspects of all three spaces) This position has the potential to grow, with more responsibilities and a salary increase in the future.

The Technical Director must have carpentry and set building skills, theatre and special event experience, with in depth knowledge of theatrical rigging, lighting and audio visual systems to supervise technical aspects of productions and events; while supervising technicians and crew.

Ideal candidate should be able (and excited) to train Fairfax High School students on the equipment as part of a theatre production class and build a crew of students. The Technical Director should have excellent supervisory and people skills, an experience working with a variety of personalities; strong computer skills; be able to handle multi-task type situations; have the ability to respond confidently and promptly to stressful situations. Must have experience with touring houses or quick turn-over venues. Weekends and/or evening often required. Must be dependable and focused. Where schedule allows the ability to take additional work exists if Technical Director demonstrates and excellent sense of professional time management and preparation. Bilingual strongly preferred.

The Greenway Arts Alliance puts a premium on having a positive work environment and would expect a candidate to bring the same positive energy to the team. The Greenway Court Theatre is often seen as a “home” for artists who work with the company, and the Technical Director should share in that sensibility.

Job Description

Position: Technical Director
Reports to: Artistic Directors & Producing Director
Wage/Hours Status: $33.500, Part-Time; Exempt Status

GENERAL DUTIES & FUNCTIONS

* Assist and work directly with Greenway Artistic Directors, Greenway Producing Director, Fairfax High School Administration in the implementation of his/her duties and the operation of the 1400 seat performing arts complex and 3 facilities (Greenway Court Theatre, Black Box and rehearsal space)
* Supervise tech crew and staff, while overseeing all technical procedures during theatrical performances and special events
* Manage all audio-visual equipment, electrical and lighting instruments, staging hardware and theatre related gear, and the technical functions of the Fairfax High School auditorium and other presentation facilities
* Work directly with Greenway Artistic Directors and Producing Director or liaisons on the production and creation of each set; including carpentry, painting, construction and design (Lights/Set/Sound)
* Work directly with the Greenway Producing Director and Fairfax Assistant Principal as it pertains to the budgetary and scheduling aspects of the technical portion of the all productions and events, including labor and supplies
* Serve as Building Supervisor after normal hours of operation, or during assigned productions and rental events and work with the guidelines set forth by the Fairfax Plant Manager
* Events include but are not limited to: Community/Fairfax High/Greenway concerts, special events, fundraisers, plays, dance performances, rehearsals and any other departments that may use the theatre or theatre equipment
* Consult with other Greenway/Fairfax departments that may need advice regarding sound or lighting for an event
* Attend all required meetings and fill in for production personnel as needed during vacations or time away from the facility
* Keep theatre and connected areas, supplies and equipment neat and orderly.

REQUIRED SKILLS

* Excellent Self, Project, and Staffing time management skills
* Ability and knowledge base to handle multiple, simultaneous tasks in stressful situations
* Excellent people skills
* Demonstrated excellence in organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
* Ability to respond confidently, calmly and promptly to stressful situations
* Ability to plan, organize, and manage work of Theatre crew, vendors, contractors and rental clients
* Ability to work with and instruct volunteers and high school students
* Ability to prioritize and schedule tasks.
* Ability to think proactively to anticipate problems and find workable solutions.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

* Bachelor’s degree Theatre Arts Production, Techinical Direction or Production Management
* Must have driver’s license and be able to drive a box truck
* 3+ years of professional event or theatrical technical direction and/or production management
* Extensive working knowledge of technical theatre, including sound, lighting, video, safety and security procedures.
* Some experience in facilities management.
* Proficient working knowledge of current versions of Word, Excel, aptitude in AutoCAD and Vectorworks

PREFERRED QULIAIFICATIONS

* Master’s degree in above qualifications
* 5+ years of required experience listed above
* Bi-Lingual (Spanish)
* Familiarity with the Los Angeles theatre community
* Experience working in/with and educational institution
* Familiarity with the LAUSD
* High proficiency in drafting facility, event and venue layouts using VectorWorks or AutoCAD

SCHEDULE OF WORK HOURS

* Exempt status: Part time hours per/week as necessary to fulfill job requirements. Comp time must be pre-arranged with the Greenway Artistic Directors

* Schedule varies due to operational needs and productions. Numerous evenings and weekends required

Please submit cover letter and resume to dan@greenwayarts.org

We love Kickstarter. We can’t say enough about it. If you’re looking to raise money quickly, it’s a fantastic resource. So we’re very happy that Kickstarter is hosting a party this Friday. If you’re in LA stop by!

This Friday July 30th, Kickstarter is hosting an LA meet-up and we’d
love to see you there. Kickstarter cofounder Yancey Strickler will be
on-hand, as will fellow creators, backers, and curious folks interested
in knowing more about Kickstarter.

Details:

Mandrake Bar
2692 S La Cienega Blvd http://bit.ly/94yHGN
7:30pm

RSVP here: http://www.meetup.com/Kickstarter/15963/

We’ll be having drinks, making new friends, and talking all about
creativity. Come out, bring your friends, and have fun. We’d love to see
you there.

WHY GYST

The Highland Park art collective, HEARD, needs some large scale, indoor and outdoor art installations. The details of the event are listed below and you can find out more at heardfest.com If you have an idea for an art installation or photos of work you could bring, please send them to lizzypetersen@yahoo.com

Who: HEARD of Elephants art:music collective

What: HEARDfest: a multimedia festival When: August 14, 2010

Time: 4PM

Where: Los Angeles State Historic Park (north of Chinatown)

HEARD of Elephants is a Highland Park based art:music collective drawn together around the urge to create an open environment for the creation and consumption of free thinking art. We have been producing shows throughout the Los Angeles area for 2 years now; HEARDfest is the first multimedia festival curated by Heard of Elephants.

Proceeds from the event will be donated to REMAPPING-LA @ LASHP.  REMAP seeks to explore new enriching cultural forms and empowering social situations enabled by the thoughtful interweaving of engineering, the arts and community development; building a uniquely positioned creative environment that embraces and promotes people, projects and investigations that can have resonant, long-term impact on the relationships among culture and technology.

Thank you, -Elizabeth Petersen Art Director HEARD of Elephants lizzypetersen@yahoo.com

Artists are always asked to donate donate donate. They are constantly asked to donate their time and expertise, helping friends buy art, teaching people software programs, maybe providing expertise about how something should be framed. But most of all artists are constantly asked to donate artwork for suctions to benefit one cause or another. This is a tricky thing because donating work doesn’t give much of a tax benefit to the artist. Artists are only allowed to deduct the value of the materials used in the piece as opposed to the market value of the work itself.

Huffington Post writer Daniel Grant recently penned a fantastic article about the benefits and drawbacks of artists donating work to auctions. It’s a fairly comprehensive piece, full of lots of interviews and opinions and, most importantly, alternative models that have cropped up recently.  I highly recommend reading it:

Charity Auctions That Don’t Penalize Artists.

“Like the smart woman who marries Mr. Wrong, artists often find their hearts and minds going in different directions when confronted by some great social need calling for a donation. Charity auctions regularly ask artists to contribute a work of art that can be sold to raise money, and certainly there is satisfaction in doing what one can to help a worthy cause. However, as opposed to art collectors who are entitled to deduct on their tax returns the full market value of any object they might donate, the Internal Revenue Service only permits artists to deduct the cost of the materials used in creating their own artwork that they contribute. The sentiment involved in giving is fine, but the drawbacks — seeing one’s artwork picked up for a fraction of its real value, foregoing any tax benefits, the limited likelihood of a donation furthering one’s career or even being singularly publicized — are enormous, leaving them with the choice of being stupid or stingy.

Not everyone agrees with the dire assessment, including artists who continually offer their work for one worthy cause or another. According to New York City art dealer Edward Winkleman, who represents emerging artists, donating one’s own artwork to some charity benefit is, “first, good karma. Helping an organization that hosts benefits reflects well on you. Secondly, it’s exposure and can result in getting your work into a collection that opens other doors.” Noting that he often buys art at charity auctions, he stated that “I automatically pay more attention to the artists whose work I get in benefits. At the very least it puts your name on that organization’s radar. Third, it can be fun.”

READ MORE

SOMA Fest LA (Somatic Movement Arts Festival, Los Angeles)

welcomes artists to submit performance proposals and to apply for a scholarship for our Somatic Performance Laboratory.

SOMATIC PERFORMANCE PROPOSALS

SOMA fest Guest Artist Invitation!!

Deadline for submissions is July 31, 2010

For the first time, artists are welcome to submit a proposal to present a ¡®somatic dance¡¯ piece in a night of our weekend performances October 1-3, 2010! Share your explorations in kinesthetic-sensory awareness, subtlety, refinement, liquid power and whole body elasticity (different than flexibility!), stemming from deeply listening to your inner world and allowin the inner cues and signals to inform your movement in the outer world. If you have a ¡Ü ten minute piece that fits this theme, send a video sample of your work (doesn¡¯t have to be the final piece) to SOMA Fest ¨C Call for Performance Proposals, P.O. Box 241193, Los Angeles, CA 90024, or a or a youtube link to somafest@tericarter.com. Please include a brief description of your process for bringing Somatic Movement and Embodied Awareness into Dance and Performance, plus a brief biography.

Performance Lab Scholarship

Scholarship Application Deadline Sept 1:

Somatic Performance Lab @ SOMA Fest – is an opportunity to develop ideas and collaborate with other artists in bringing kinesthetically sourced movement to the performance arena. Bring seeds of ideas, develop your own work and learn from each other, culminating in a performance. Led by Emilie Conrad, Teri Carter & Caryn Heilman. 5 Day Intensive: Tues-Sat, Sept 28-Oct 2, 12:30-3:30 pm. Sunday Performance, Oct 3.

For application guidelines see

www.somafest.org

somafest@tericarter.com

310-488-9879 310-488-9879

We came across an interesting article by Laura Odegaard from the Technology In The Arts blog, a cool resource for techy artists and tech art lovers everywhere. Odegaard talks about how Adobe has created a strange and innovative museum for digital media as the world first virtual museum. She makes the point that the museum has physical properties, but is only accessible online. The lineup of artists seems impressive and the museum opens in August of 2010, so there’s a lot to look forward to. And the digital media giant Adobe seems an apropos founder for a museum of this type.

Odegaard’s piece brings up a couple of ideas about the future of art, specifically digital art, and how we access it. What will it mean in the future for visitors to log in on a computer to view art as part of a virtual museum experience? How will this hold up to the traditional in-person brick and mortar museum experience? Does it really matter if we physically experience work? What about the relationship between an individual and a computer makes this kind of viewing experience unique?

If anything the new Adobe museum opens the doors for a host of innovative exhibition programming and new opportunities for artists to reach a larger global audience. Lets hope artists everywhere see this model as not just appropriate for Adobe, but something that anyone can take and run with. Afterall, all you have to do is start your own website and call it an online gallery and you’ve got your own viable exhibition platform. Here’s to the DIY spirit that lives inside us all. Now if only my internet signal would keep from going in and out…. Where’s that Ethernet cable again?

Digital Art Has A New Home With Adobe. Virtually.

By Laura Odegaard