Perspectives on Artists as Public Leaders
At Alternate ROOTS, we work with artists who make work that is of, by, for, together with their communities. This month, we bring you interviews with two long-time ROOTS artists who have been tapped to lead their communities in very public ways, Kathie deNobriga, recently inducted Mayor of Pine Lake, GA; and Hasan Davis, recently appointed Acting Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice. Listen to their interviews on Youtube - Kathie's here and Hasan's here - and read the full text on their thoughts about what it means to be both an artist and a public leader and what ROOTS has meant to them. Some highlights:
 | | Kathie deNobriga |
Kathie, what inspired your decision to get involved in politics or the public sphere in this way?
In the mid 1990s, when The Culture Wars were raging, Kathie was on staff at Alternate ROOTS. She found herself speaking a lot about the role of artists in that moment, and she found herself really encouraging people to become more involved in the political process; run for your school board or sit on your library council or do something! She said that she observed people were all too willing to play the victim - 'Oh, they're doing this to us!' Instead she wanted to encourage people to see themselves as active players. Part of that for her was actually stepping up and becoming a part of the political process. She realized that she was encouraging other people to do it so much that she better do it herself.
 | | Hasan Davis |
Hasan, how do you engage with people who don't share your values, perspectives? Not engaging because we differ is an unacceptable choice. One of the most powerful things about creating these one-man shows is that, not only has he learned how to walk in the shoes of a man who was enslaved, but also a slave holder, the people who maintained the system of oppression and benefited from it. When you try to understand who someone is, you discover their humanity and the nuances of their stories. |
 | Jeff Mather presents his site-specific sculpture work
to the group. |
ROOTS Receives Visual Arts Planning Grant from
Joan Mitchell Foundation
Earlier this year, the Joan Mitchell Foundation gave Alternate ROOTS a planning grant to explore ways that we can more deeply engage and serve our visual artists. To kick off, we gathered 25 visual artists - some long-time ROOTers, some brand new to the fold - March 3-4 at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans. Over the course of the two days, we met and discussed many things, including membership and program strategies and how visual artists are represented at and served by the Annual Meeting. Here's a quote from one of our participants: "Art making for many visual artists is often a singular, visceral, subjective, pre-partum experience...collective, community, and collaboration are often absent yet essential for bringing Art to Life ... Art is not complete until there is a real conversation about it.. like mother, doula, and midwife ... The Alternate ROOTS Visual Arts Retreat was a roundtable meeting of collaborative minds on how to birth a half alien/half human, high risk baby, in a kiddie swimming pool, without drugs, at home... on a farm... in paradise...Not impossible, very determined, and worth it in the long run." - Marcia Jones |
New Member Benefit through IndieGoGo
Crowd funding. This popular new online trend has revolutionized the ability of artists, small organizations, and change agents to raise vital funds for their projects. From finishing an album to launching a new play, these innovative sites make it possible to reach out to your network and beyond for contributions from the very tiny to the quite substantial.
Now, thanks to a new opportunity from IndieGoGo, Alternate ROOTS can be a partner in your fundraising efforts. The site has offered us the opportunity to create a partner page, where all of our artists can centralize their campaigns in one place.
We understand that many of you are already out there fundraising on many similar sites, such as Kickstarter, USA Artists, and Facebook Causes. Not to worry, you don't have to forego the campaigns you've already begun. In fact, you can start complimentary campaigns for the same project on IndieGogo. It's a win-win situation.
To help introduce you to this opportunity, Shannon Turner, Manager of Programs & Services will host three conference calls, Monday-Wednesday, April 2-4, 4:00 Eastern. She will go over benefits and drawbacks of IndieGoGo's model, the process of building a campaign through IndieGoGo and connecting to ROOTS' partner page. Dial-in information: 218-339-4300, 327186#.
If you're unable to participate in one of these calls, but are still interested in the opportunity, contact Shannon for an individual appointment.
|
|
Opportunities
Appalshop's WMMT FM Seeks General Manager
WMMT's General Manager will lead the station in development, planning and overall direction - preparing the annual plan and budget, supervising staff and tracking income/expenses. S/he will be the keeper and advocate of WMMT's vision as an Appalachian community-based station - understanding both the guts and the soul of WMMT; articulating and advocating the station's mission locally and nationally; representing WMMT in state, regional, national discussions (especially media policy and funding); and leading WMMT's strategic planning and major policy decisions. The General Manager will have primary responsibility for WMMT fundraising with private foundations, large donors, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other government entities. Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and at least three references to bbingman@appalshop.org. We will begin reviewing applications on March 15, 2012, and will continue accepting applications until the position is filled. Full job description.
|
Alternate ROOTS
1083 Austin Ave., Suite 7
Atlanta, GA 30307
404-577-1079
info@alternateroots.org
www.alternateroots.org
Proud Resident of the
Little 5 Points Community Center
|
|
|
Artistic Assistance
Applications Due Soon!
Artistic Assistance enables ROOTS Voting Members to enhance the artistic aspects of their work within their discipline. All artistic disciplines are eligible. These funds are designed to provide a source of critical funding to attend a workshop, study with a mentor, develop new work, invest in equipment that is vital to their craft, or simply explore their creativity. Application Deadline - March 30, 2012. Click here for program details and application.  | | Hawah - Washington, D.C. |
Read final reflections on Artistic Assistance projects here. |
Annual Meeting &
Artists Retreat 2012
Due March 30!
Registration launching soon!
|
Community Builders Converge on Portland, OR: Conference to highlight community-built projects in Portland and around the world.
The Community Built Association (CBA) is coming to Portland for its 21st Conference: Community Building in the Urban Village, May 30-June 2. Conference programs will draw together the fields of architecture and urban planning, parks and playgrounds, gardens, gathering spaces and public art with a common focus on community engagement. This event will provide information and inspiration for anyone interested in learning more about the community built process. Please go to our website
|
|
Fractured Atlas Extends ROOTS Member Benefits
Fractured Atlas offers liability insurance, fiscal agency, on-line classes and more to its members. As a member of ROOTS, you are also eligible for a free associate membership Fractured Atlas, which gives you access to their programs. You can apply for fiscal agency at no additional membership cost for the first year. For details, contact
Shannon at the ROOTS office at 404-577-1079.
|
|
