by Jini Stolk

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, again, about how to help arts organizations grow stronger. This time, I’m working with Charles Smith and CPAMO (Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario) to look at how to develop sustainable organizational support structures for CPAMO members and other Aboriginal and ethno-racial artists, collectives and arts companies. We’re hoping to do this by means of shared learning, mentoring, skills development, fundraising and a collaborative search for new and innovative solutions.

I definitely believe that the search for solutions lies in our court more than in the funders’. If we ourselves are not looking for new pathways to long term health, and if we’re not working hard to ensure fair access to culturally diverse and emerging artists, we’re in trouble.

Is the new era for the arts, as Richard Evans argued at a thought-provoking session last year, one in which companies are structured for resilience, not sustainability (and certainly not stability)?

What’s the difference? And what makes a healthy arts organization?

Evans argues that we have to move away from the expectation/assumption of gradually growing seasons, budgets, stature of board members, and fundraising success – to acceptance that the truer need is for open, nimble structures that change from year to year and enable the work that needs to be done, both artistic and in the community. This seems to define how many arts organizations currently work, although I suspect that many feel that this way of working is a kind of failure – a failure to graduate to a more predictable pattern and structure.

Adaptability at this level has to be based on community involvement and engagement rather than the “approval” of funders. It requires leaders fueled by creativity about how to get things done. Innovation becomes a core competence for anyone working in the arts.

Andrew Taylor in the Artful Manager post What, exactly, are we sustaining?, says that sustainability should be seen less as an organizational strategy (focusing on the survival of individual organizations) than an ecological strategy (sustaining our community’s access to a broad range of creative experiences.)

The consultants at WolfBrown, in a paper titled Is Sustainability Sustainable?, call for a new focus on community relevance, artistic vibrancy, and capitalization as a hedge against financial risk. They say that strong organizations will excel in a permanent state of flux and creative tension.

This is exciting stuff, and I’m sure we can do it…but wouldn’t it be nice if this creative balancing act also came with a living wage and a small pension?

– See more at: http://www.creativetrust.ca/2013/10/sustainability-resilience-or-both/#sthash.87nYyrlY.dpuf

Employment Opportunity Program Manager

Term:  One Year, Part-time: two days per week

Salaried Position: $14,000 per year ($20/hr.)

Term begins: October 28, 2013 Location: Toronto

Closing Date for applications: October 18th, 2013

The Canadian Network of Dance Presenters, CanDance, seeks an experienced and highly motivated individual to fill the shared position of Program Manager, commencing October 28, 2013. The Program Manager will manage the Touring Exchange Project and The Creation Fund, serve as Secretary to the Board of Directors, and assist this dynamic Canadian national arts service organization to plan roundtables, panels, and seminars. For more information visit candance.ca

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Program Manager will: 

• Develop critical paths and maintain project timelines • Execute contracts with CanDance and presenting partners • Draft project budgets • Coordinate travel for artists by booking travel and accommodations • Track revenue and payments in accordance with project budgets • Assist with grant writing and final reports • Provide input into policy development for the presenting community • Maintain website and members’ online group, listserv and social media • Support the Board of Directors by arranging meetings, including national board meetings and the AGM • Prepare comprehensive and time sensitive agenda and meeting packages, including reports from committees • Be accountable for the recording, writing, approval and distribution of minutes of meetings • Organize meetings or conferences by arranging facilities, translation services and catering, and distributing information or invitations

Required Qualifications:

Education: A Bachelors degree or equivalent; expertise in administration and management

Experience: 3+ years working in arts administration or equivalent

Skills: • Excellent written and verbal communication skills • Proven Microsoft Office application skills; advanced computer skills an asset (including website maintenance, Filemaker Pro database) • Ability to prepare budgets and cash flow • French language skills an asset • Ability to work within a team in an open concept office • Strong creative thinking and problem solving skills • Ability to be self directed, work on and prioritise multiple projects with competing demands

Some weekend work and travel required.

Qualified candidates are invited to send a cover letter and resume, by October 18th, 2013 to: The CanDance Network, 15 Case Goods Lane, Studio #304, Toronto, ON M6C 2T3

Email: info@candance.ca

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

THE CANDANCE NETWORK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

 – A Message From Jaime Koebel

Here is a small gesture that can have the affect of big change in the arts at a national level).

Please write a letter of your experience if you have visited the Sakahàn – International Indigenous Art exhibition or if you have not, but believe that it would be important to have an Educator of Indigenous Art for the public year round, please write a letter to Marc Mayer (mmayer@gallery.ca), the Board of Trustees and the fundraising committee. Also cc the Audain Curator of Indigenous Art, Greg Hill (ghill@gallery.ca) as well as the Chief of Education, Megan Richardson (mrichardson@gallery.ca) or simply have it mailed to the gallery at 380 Sussex.

This past spring and summer, the National Gallery of Canada was fortunate enough to receive a significant private donation to engage Aboriginal youth from the ages of 8-18 in the Ottawa-Gatineau region for the Sakahàn – International Indigenous Art exhibition. The position of Sakahàn Educator was created from as a part of that donation and it comes to an end on November 4, 2013.

Here is a short video that explains some of the programming that was conceived of, developed and carried out this summer and fall:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XunWCBukAlI

Similarly, the OAC (Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition) also received a significant private donation for the same purpose with the same parameters from the United Way. The NGC, the OAC and the UW partnered to make the following programs a reality:

– Aboriginal Junior Curator Program – Sakahan Youth Ambassador Program – Our Ways; Our Stories (local and Sakahan artist workshops and talks) – Youth Tours of the exhibition – Sakahan Summer Camps – Concentric Circles (artists on reserve making a community project) – Schools Art Projects (2 public schools involved and one Catholic School involved) – Apprenticeship Program

The outcome from this programming has been absolutely amazing. Not only were Aboriginal youth engaged with the exhibition which was the main goal of the donation, but it has run far deeper in affecting important issues in young people and their identity. As an Arts Educator I saw young people show up at the gallery without knowing what their cultural Aboriginal background was and by the time they finished programming, they knew the correct name of the community they came from and what the proper name of their people was. This of course is significant because many generations of Indigenous people in Canada have been separated from the knowledge of their culture through Canadian policy and shame. To see the emergence of pride in one’s identity was incredible.

For example, one 8 year old girl connected with an art piece by Brett Graham & Rachel Rakena (Maori, NZ) called Āniwāniwā which describes cultural loss from the flooding of a small power generating and traditional lands to make room for a huge hydro-electric dam to run a diamond mine. When the little girl connected that story with the possibility of the Ottawa River for instance was flooded – losing access to her culture if a building special to her like the local Minwaashin Lodge, Odawa Native Friendship Centre or Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, the impact on her made her cry. The very next week, she was in the gallery explaining to a fellow camper on what Aniwaniwa was about – with confidence. This example is typical for many Indigenous peoples (and people in general) when they learn of situations that can have an impact on them, their families or their ancestors. It’s like the cycle of grief which brings healing when supported properly.

The gallery provides a safe environment to learn about historical and contemporary issues as a way to educate not only Aboriginal people but the public as well.

Another group of Aboriginal university students came in for a tour and by the end of it they had pulled out a hand drum and made a circle around Seneca artists Marie Watt’s piece called, “Blanket Stories” to show gratitude for a tour that they could finally relate to. They said they learned more about their culture and history from that your than they ever did in grade school.

A lost group of New Brunswick Natives who made their way to Ottawa stood at the gallery lobby confused about where to go happened to catch my eye during an empty one hour time slot I had so I gave them a tour. Upon entering the room with Algonquin artist’s piece called, “Indian Act” & Kwakwakwak artist, sonny Assu’s piece called, “1884-1951” – one of the women lost her breath at the power she had felt from those pieces. There were 56 pages of the Indian Act all framed and hung on the wall, beaded over with red and white beads which was an extraordinary scene of watching the contemplation of the idea of being legislated by this one document which was laid out across the wall in front of their eyes which has had profound intergenerational effects and so many people in their lives. The power and resistance and reclamation of spirit that piece showed with the red beads covering the pages of the Indian Act types on white pages blew them away.

I have story after story to share about the value of having a full-time Indigenous Arts educator as a part of the NGC educational landscape but the one that interested me the most was the observation of non-Indigenous peoples tagging along my tours to listen to an Indigenous perspective from the art pieces. Never before had they learned about Indigenous peoples art and here, they were getting a taste of history and culture, social political issues in a way they had never experienced before.

There were special requests to the gallery to have the “Aboriginal” tour but sadly, this tour was only available to the Aboriginal youth who attended my programming although I would never turn away a person who tagged along on one of my tours.

Obviously, I’m passionate about the prospect and the proof that teaching social, political and cultural issues through Indigenous Arts builds confidence, builds strong communities and builds bridges.

The address to the gallery to send your letters to is:

National Gallery of Canada 380 Sussex Drive P.O. Box 427, Station A Ottawa, Ontario K1N 9N4 Canada

The reason a full-time educator would be great right now is because there will be opportunities for teaching/learning through upcoming Aboriginal art exhibits between now and the next five years when another International Indigenous Art exhibition arrives at the gallery. It’s also an opportunity to have the educators go in to schools to teach about contemporary Indigenous Art.