Join Public Health Grand Rounds at the Aspen Institute for a lunchtime book talk on Monday, on March 20, 2023 at 12pm at the Aspen Institute in D.C.. Author’s Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross discuss their new, ground-breaking work, Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us. “Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us shares the new science behind humanity’s evolutionary birthright — to make and behold art and its power to transform our lives. What artists have always known, and researchers are now proving is that arts, in all its forms, amplify physical and mental health, learning and flourishing and build stronger communities.” Learn more and RSVP here.

“‘If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.’ This Zora Neale Hurston quote was what started to rattle around my head this morning, after waking up to the news that Angela Bassett’s visible heartbreak – for not winning Best Supporting Actress at last night’s Oscars – was already being critiqued by the talking heads of Twitter for its lack of ‘graciousness’,” said author Ella McCann-Tomlin for Ardent.

“Ahh, graciousness. A term that we Black women know all too well. A term that’s lobbed our way anytime we do not show the required level of civility and gratitude for the crumbs that white institutions deign to throw our way. When the facade that we so lovingly craft of agreeability and likeability and ‘grateful just to be here’ is cracked, even for a moment, the condemnation is always swift.”

“But imagine being a Black actor that’s been at the very top of her game for over 30 years; someone who should arguably have won multiple Oscars already, but who has only ever been nominated twice. Imagine working in an industry known for its anti-blackness, known for its snubs, and its disrespect – but holding out hope that this could finally be your night. And then being criticised for your authentic reaction to the news that you probably knew was coming, because history has taught you what to expect.”

“Working in DEI means challenging and critiquing systems. It means wrestling with the hopeful desire to transform institutions that have long excluded certain groups, and the deep concern that these institutions may never truly recognise or include us. When it comes to the Oscars, this mix of joy and sorrow is built into our relationship with the ceremony.”

“So – many of us are feeling a mixture of emotions today, as is often the case post-Oscars. The many history-making ‘firsts’ are both a wonderful, heartening sign of progress, and a damning indictment of how far we still have to go. Ke Huy Quan’s admission that (before making his glorious comeback) he quit acting for decades because of the lack of roles for Asian actors isn’t just an inspiring story of grit and perseverance, it’s a shocking revelation about industry-wide racial exclusion. And how wonderful it would have been to finally see a deserving Black actress win for a part in a Black-led film, in which Blackness is not only respected, but celebrated. Angela Bassett’s crestfallen reaction to yet-another snub in a decades-long line of snubs was both heartbreaking and refreshing. It was an invitation for Black women to be authentic (if only for a moment) in a world that expects only graciousness from us. Our pain is valid and we don’t have to be silent about it.”

Read the full article here.

From Aspen Institute: Join us Monday, March 13 at 12:30pm-1:30 pm (EDT) for a webinar to review the progress and future plans of the NeuroArts Blueprint initiative.

Dedicated to strengthening the essential role that the arts can play in advancing health and wellbeing, neuroarts has captured the attention of an expanding network of researchers, practitioners, arts groups, health providers, and other public sector and private sector organizations. We are honored to serve as a hub for the growing body of knowledge they are generating, and to act as a catalyst to inspire more.

In the year since publishing the NeuroArts Blueprint in December 2021, we have made important strides in our shared understanding of how the arts can be used to expand the boundaries of medicine. A newly released Progress Report updates our collective efforts to implement the recommendations and action steps detailed in that foundational document. Learn how we are advancing research, practice, education, policymaking, advocacy, leadership, and communications in this emerging field.

The Blueprint Progress Report will be presented by the initiative’s codirectors, Susan Magsamen (Johns Hopkins University International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics) and Ruth J. Katz (Health, Medicine & Society Program of the Aspen Institute). Renee Fleming, NeuroArts Blueprint cochair, will offer a special welcome.

Also joining us will be NeuroArts Blueprint advisors Emmeline Edwards (Division of Extramural Research, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health) and Sunil Iyengar (Office of Research & Analysis, National Endowment for the Arts) to share their views on the state of the field.

Register for the webinar here.

From Artist Communities Alliance: ACA’s President and CEO, Lisa Funderburke hosts a conversation with four arts leaders, who are committed to supporting Black arts workers in the artist residency field and beyond.
Panelists include:

Dr. Samantha E. Erskine, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts Boston
Quanice Floyd, Executive Director, National Guild for Community Arts Education
Jeffreen M. Hayes, Ph.D., Executive Director, Threewalls
Paul Rucker, Artist, Assistant Professor Virginia Commonwealth University, Executive Director of Cary Forward

The year 2020 was marked by platitudes and statements from organizations promising change for racial equity. Was there in fact a reckoning in the arts? Were these well-publicized pledges backed up with clear and consistent action? Are Black arts workers and artists receiving more support outside of your organization and within your professional communities? What can non-Black arts workers do to create true transformation? Through an open conversation, panelists will discuss these questions and more, holding accountable the arts sector as we work towards transformative action.

Register for the webinar here.

From Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors: Think of this guide as an experienced friend—a partner who can guide you in investigating, learning and maybe even getting inspired by how women give. Think of it as a companion as you explore how philanthropy can add to your life and the life of your loved ones.
Because philanthropy can help organizations take calculated risks, not all philanthropy achieves its goals. However, when successful, philanthropic and personal investments can pay dividends in the form of meaningful connection and even joy.

Why does women’s philanthropy matter?

1. Women control more of the financial pie than ever before.
The IRS reports that 43 percent of the nation’s top wealth holders are women. Top wealth holders are defined as individuals with assets of $1.5 million or more. These assets are valued in total at $4.6 trillion. As a whole, women control more than half of private wealth in the U.S.

2. The percentage of women wielding wealth is only going to rise.
Many women will inherit twice—from their parents and from their spouses or partners. Women will inherit 70 percent of the $41 trillion in intergenerational wealth that is expected to change hands over the next 40 years [Forbes]. This philanthropic influence is likely to be amplified given that many women also play key roles in facilitating the education and involvement of other family members in giving.

3. Research supports the idea that gender differences in giving between women and men are real.
In a 2010 survey, single women were more likely to give charitably than single men by a margin of 9 percent and femaleheaded households were not only more likely to give, but also tended to give nearly twice as much. A 2011 survey found that women spend more time than men on due diligence before making decisions about charitable giving and view giving as a collaborative, shared even. It also found that women expect a deeper level of communication with the organizations they support and place greater importance than men on hearing about the impact of their gift.

Learn more and download the guide here.

From the National Endowment for the Arts: The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jason Packineau (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Pueblo of Jemez, Pueblo of Laguna) as NEH’s first Strategic Advisor for Native and Indigenous Affairs.

In this new position, Packineau will serve as the lead policy and strategy advisor for NEH’s outreach and engagement with Tribal Nations and Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. He will also coordinate NEH’s Tribal consultation policy, develop partnerships that enhance the agency’s support of Indigenous communities, and support convenings, listening sessions, capacity-building, and information sharing among state and jurisdictional Indigenous networks.

“’We are thrilled to have Jason Packineau join NEH in this important and historic role,’ said NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). ‘Packineau brings with him wide-ranging expertise in K–12 and higher education and deep ties to Indigenous communities throughout the country. We are excited to have him spearhead NEH’s outreach to Tribal Nations and communities to expand access to humanities resources and help bring the hidden histories of Native American peoples to light.'”

Packineau is a citizen of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation in North Dakota, with family connections to the Pueblo of Jemez and Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. His career in education has broadly covered direct teaching efforts and administration in both K–12 and post-secondary education settings. Most recently, Packineau was the Associate Director for the Harvard University Native American Program and currently serves as the Board President for the NACA-Inspired School Network (NISN), a nationwide organization that supports and promotes Indigenous-led education efforts. For seven years, Jason worked as an elementary school teacher in the D.C. Public Schools system.

Read the full announcement here.

From Gibrán Rivera: Jihan Gearon is an artist who is pouring her spirit into the sort of art that can change your life. She is a friend. We met when I used to facilitate the fellowship that developed the Young Climate Leaders Network. I think of her as a recovering activist. But that’s not exactly true. She can’t stop being an activist. She is just another one among the ranks of us who are looking for a better, kinder, and more sustainable way to make the world whole again.

I titled this episode “Life Giver,” because that is who Jihan is, and what she does. She breathes life into the world. She reminds us that we can create anything. Here you’ll learn about how: at the age of thirty-five, Jihan was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. As part of her journey of healing, she turned to painting, creating bold, powerful works that featured the animals, people, and other beings that protected, motivated, and transformed her during her recovery. Her paintings bring her passions in life together, showcasing feminine energy, connections with the natural world, and the future of a healthy planet.

Not one of us will be spared the tragedies of human existence. It behooves each of us to learn from those who come through these as even bigger and brighter souls than they were before grief happened.

Jihan describes herself as “an Indigenous feminist, painter, writer, organizer, and leader in Indigenous environmental justice.” She is a Diné and Nahiłii (Black) member of the Navajo Nation. And she is also a graduate of Stanford University.

Jihan doesn’t just make art, she is also a consultant and a teacher helping leaders and organizations to apply the best of indigenous wisdom to the work we do in the world.

Listen to the episode here.