--=====================_826528003==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Marnie--here are 2 documents we use constantly. Good luck! Julia Moore Indianapolis Art Center --=====================_826528003==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="MULTICUL.ASC" INDIANAPOLIS ART CENTER POSITION PAPER on MULTICULTURALISM PHILOSOPHY Because the Mission of the Indianapolis Art Center is "to engage, enlighten and enhance our communities through art education, participation and observation," we feel a responsibility to recognize and celebrate the diversity of the local and global communities through programs designed to strengthen and stimulate the visual arts, while int egrating the performing and literary arts. RATIONALE The need for expanded programming and facilities of the Indianapolis Art Center has been made apparent by the dramatic increase in attendance at our ongoing activit ies and the increasing multicultural population of Indiana. Data from the 1990 census in dicate that while the White population has grown by only .3% in the last decade, the st ate's African-American population increased by 4.2%, with the Hispanic-American popula tion growing by 13.5%. The Center's Riverfront programming has seen participation by audiences that include up to 50% people of color, while our outreach program in the public housing centers is comprised 98% of youth of color. In addition, an estim ated 7% to 10% of Indiana's population has some sort of disability. It is anticipated t hat these numbers will continue to grow, and the Center is compelled to provide the servic es and programming to "reach out a hand" to these audiences and encourage deeper and wi der participation in the arts. We believe that the Arts are necessary for a more human society. Our Education a nd Exhibition Philosophies charge the Center with offering the widest possible scop e of programming to the citizens of Indiana, regardless of skill, socio-economic leve l or ethnic heritage. It is inherent in the nature of a grass-roots organization such as the Center to reach out to the widest possible audience. In response to community requests and in harmony with the Center's strategy to serve new and lesser-served audiences, the Indianapolis Art Center continues to reach out with new family-oriented programs that attract these audiences. This outreach extends across all aspects of the Center' s role: Education, Exhibitions, Interarts and as an arts Resource Center. HISTORY & FUTURE PLANNING Governance: The Indianapolis Art Center has already taken strides toward addressing the need s of those who have been lesser served. This includes our governance, which has a min ority representation of board members 7%, staff 11%, faculty 6%, and National Advisory Committee 11%. Exhibitions: Since 1983, more than half of all exhibitions presented by the Center have inclu ded two or more minority artists. In addition, the 1986-7 exhibit "Unlimited Visions" an d the 1991 exhibit "Art Spirit Sings!" were focused especially for disabled artists or audi ence. In both 1983 and 1987, the Center sponsored art and artist exchanges with Brazil. In the future, plans call for exhibits of artists from the Baltic states, Africa and Brazil, as well as special events highlighting the work of multicultural visual and performing artists. Our annual Broad Ripple Art Fair currently provides exposure for local, regional and nation al artists. An estimated 10% - 15% of all artist participating in the 1991 Fair were multicu ltural, and numerous local cultural groups serving the Indianapolis multicultural commun ity also participated. Education: Our Education programs employ multicultural faculty and staff, and classes are o pen to all multicultural and special needs students. The Community ArtReach program bro ught the visual arts to 80 economically-deprived Indianapolis children in the last ye ar, and that program is expected to quadruple in attendance by the 1993 fiscal year. Resource Center: The Art Center's Resource Center includes lists of multicultural artists and vid eotapes on contemporary African-American artists. It also provides information and assistan ce to artists from all segments of our community. Interarts/Riverfront: More than 6,800 individuals were reached by our Interarts/Riverfront programs in the last year -- as many as 1,000 were people of color. Events have included festiva ls of Reggae, Blues and Caribbean music, as well as the annual film series and a Story teller's Festival. The annual Broad Ripple Art Fair presented the African-American performance group Freetown Village as a highlight of the event's Riverfront acti vities. As many as 75% of all artists participating in our Riverfront events are multicultu ral. In the future, the Art Center plans to work even more closely with outside multicultura l organizations in developing interarts events and interchanges. Marketing/Focus Groups: A community marketing strategy has been developed to better bring the programs a nd services the Center offers to a multicultural audience. Keys to this strategy ar e consistency, visibility and liaisons, and the plan calls for developing closer t ies with both print and electronic media outlets as well as civic organizations used most ofte n by the area's multicultural audience. COURSE OF ACTION - SUMMARY AND TIMELINE *Form an overview committee to enhance our ability to reach resources in the community and continue to ensure minority representation among our governance (board, advisors, faculty, staff and artists) By March 1992 *Increase our efforts to alert and inform audiences lesser served, those harder to reach, and those economically, culturally or physically deprived, through new instrumen ts and avenues of the media, focus groups and resources Ongoing --timeline outlined in marketing strategy *Increase specific programming designed to appropriately highlight and support, with sensitivity, the unique cultural values of our local and global communities Set initiatives by April 1992 *Track the effectiveness of these efforts through improved data collection and comprehensive evaluations. Ongoing -- as activities occur --=====================_826528003==_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="LESSER.ASC" Indianapolis Art Center Position Paper on Under-Served Audiences "Diversity, generally understood and embraced, is not casual liberal tolerance o f anything and everything not yourself. It is not polite accommodation. Instead, diversity is, in action , the sometimes painful awareness that other people, other races, other voices, other habits of mind, ha ve as much integrity of being, as much claim on the world as you do....And I urge you, amid all the diff erences present to the eye and mind, to reach out to create the bond that...will protect us all. We ar e meant to be here together." - William M. Chase, "The Language of Action" Philosophy The Indianapolis Art Center's mission continues to be to engage, enlighten and e nhance our communities through art education, participation and observation." Inherent in that mission statement is the philosophy that communities are all-inclusive; that is, that our community is ma de up not just of those who utilize our services, programs or facilities, but those who potentially coul d, regardless of race, gender, socio-economic status, rural or urban location, disability/ability, life style, or even level of knowledge. Rationale It is inherent in the nature of a grass-roots organization such as the Indianapo lis Art Center to reach out to the widest possible audience. The Art Center seeks to look beyond those audi ences often lumped together under the vague term of "minority." Overlooked in this concept is that each individual is, in fact, a minority of one. Each of us has his or hr own talents, interests and ci rcumstances. The idea of diversity must extend beyond race and must recognize both that which is unique a nd that which is similar. To understand that differences do not necessarily preclude similaritie s is to understand diversity. In the case of the Art Center, we must realize that having a differe nt lifestyle, cultural background or method of learning will not and must not preclude one from a desir e to appreciate and participate in the process of creativity. The challenge facing the Art Center is to identify those audiences and individua ls who, because of their presence outside of the normal art "mainstream," have previously been under-serv ed, and then to develop programs that will attract and serve those audiences. In Indianapolis, approximately 24% of the population classifies itself as having an ethnic origin other than white, and ap proximately 15% have some sort of physical and/or mental disability. The counties surrounding Marion anticipate a combined population increase of 46% in the next five years and 73% in the next 15 years ( statistics from Indianapolis Business Journal). History The 1991 "Position Paper on Multiculturalism" presented much of the Art Center's historical efforts to reach out to a culturally and racially diverse audience. Starting with governan ce and moving outward through all program areas, the Art Center has made a concerted effort to increas e the percentage of its audience which could be considered multicultural. In fact, since the publicatio n of that position paper, total annual "multicultural" audience members have increased from 1,609 in 1991 to 23,710 for the year ending in mid-1994. That represents a total increase of 1300% over three years. This is due to the success of programs such as ArtReach classes in the inner-city housing communiti es, Riverfront programming, the annual Children of Colors art festival by and for youth, and a n increased diverse cultural representation in exhibitions such as Baltic/Midwest, Brazil/America, F etish and Shaman and Stephen Marc. A program called Creative Connections:Art and Disabilities designed to identify and address the needs of people with disabilities has helped to increase the number of people with disabi lities who are served by Art Center programs, although there is still room for improvement. In 1994, few er than 1% of the Art Center's students enrolled in on-site programs had some sort of disability of wh ich we are aware. Efforts to improve in this area include scholarships for children with disabilit ies under a fund established by an anonymous donor and collaborative classes with groups such as the Indiana Blind School and the Indiana Parents Information network. Forty-three youth at various levels of dis ability are currently enrolled in classes weekly. Utilizing this success as a foundation, and building upon the ideas set out in t he "Position Paper on Multiculturalism," the Art Center must now focus on reaching new audiences (whi le continuing efforts to reach a multicultural audience). This effort will be integrated in all parts of our organization: Governance - or Board and Advisors Staff Faculty Volunteers Program Departments - Education, Exhibitions, Outreach and Community Resource One recent example of this effort to move forward is sensitivity and awareness t raining in disabilities for the Art Center staff. Planning In planning goals and actions for reaching new audiences, it is imperative that two thoughts be kept in mind. First, that defining the needs of new audiences should come not from abov e, but rather intiated from within. While it is admittedly important to be proactive rather that react ive, programs must not represent values and needs imposed upon an audience. The needs of audience memb ers must be kept foremost in the development of new programs, although the programs must not clas h with the values of the organization. Secondly, it is important for all to remember that people must be treated as ind ividuals. A member of a particular race, economic class or other background will not speak for all other members of that group. The staff and leadership of the Indianapolis Art Center is currently in the proc ess of developing short and long-range goals for achieving the ideals set out in this paper. A new Long -Range Strategic Plan will address the needs of under-served audiences in all areas of programming and operations. In addition, the new Art Center facility is planned for accessibility and a sense a "welcoming." As our new building does in its design, the Indianapolis Art Center will do in its prog ramming and policy reach out and "embrace" all our communities. Goal - To increase participation of these "Lesser-Served" Audiences City demographic Goal 1990 level 1995 level 2000 level 15% Arts & Disabilities increase 1% 8% 10% 24% African-American/Hispanic/Asian participation Blue Collar/Rural audience (new to art) White Collar audience (new to art) Youth at Risk --=====================_826528003==_--