“The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) effectively struck down affirmative action last Thursday, June 29, therefore barring universities from considering an applicant’s racial background during college admissions,” said Rhea Nayyar for Hyperallergic. “The decision didn’t come as a surprise to many across the nation, which had long foreseen the conservative-skewed court’s bias against policies meant to afford those of underrepresented and marginalized racial backgrounds equal opportunities and education.”

“Online through social media posts and in real life via in-person protests, countless artists, activists, students, scholars, and others expressed that their commitments to racial equity will not be thwarted in light of this disappointing news. But many noted that this will be an uphill battle. Last week, SCOTUS also ruled that the United States government has no obligation to assist the Navajo Nation with access to potable water; blocked President Biden’s campaign promise to forgive between $10,000–$20,000 of student loan debt; and determined that businesses may refuse “expressive services” to same-sex couples or LGBTQ+ identifying individuals based on a hypothetical situation, subsequently impacting the lives of millions of American residents for the worse.”

“The SCOTUS decision will have resounding impacts on higher arts education and careers — areas that have long been regarded as luxuries for the rich and White. After the ruling was announced, several art schools such as Pratt Institute and the Rhode Island School of Art and Design (RISD) alongside universities with competitive arts programs issued statements expressing disappointment regarding the decision, noting that they must comply with the law but will continue to uphold their commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility as they review their current policies and practices.”

“Some museum leaders also spoke up in response to the rulings. In Memphis, Tennessee, President Russell Wigginton of the National Civil Rights Museum said that the affirmative action decision is a ‘poignant reminder that the critical work to correct the generational impacts of our country’s long history of systemic racism is not finished.’ Over in Los Angeles, Japanese American National Museum President and CEO Ann Burroughs highlighted that in the affirmative action ruling, SCOTUS referenced the 1943 Hirabayashi v. United States case that found the implementation of curfews and other restrictions on Japanese and Japanese Americans to be constitutional after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. ‘The World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans was rooted in the same discrimination and prejudice that drives anti-affirmative action,’ Burroughs stated on behalf of the museum.”

“While my acceptance and scholarship aren’t explicitly affirmative action, they stem from the same logic — the stated aims of the scholarship were to increase the number of art students from underrepresented demographics who faced more obstacles in getting to art school and staying in the art world with the hopes of producing a more diverse art world,” Barrera said. “The creation of the scholarship acknowledged something that this ruling from the Supreme Court denies (at least publicly) — that we don’t all come into life with the same resources and we’re not all on a level playing field.”

Read the full article here.

“What is happening to America’s not-for-profit theaters? In recent weeks, several venerable organizations have announced their intention to scale back programing, reduce staff, or shutter all together. Story of the Week will look at the impacted theaters and see what their stories have in common,” said Zachary Stewart for TheaterMania. “Taken together, it looks like a bad sign of things to come.”

In April, Oregon Shakespeare Festival revealed that its 2023 season was in jeopardy and put out a desperate appeal for $2.5 million in donations, which needed to be collected within four months in order to save the season. OSF exceeded that fundraising goal by June, but has since announced that it needs an addition $7.3 million to complete the season as planned. This crucial bit of information was buried in the announcement of Tyler Hokama as new Interim Executive Director of the company. In May, the Festival’s Interim Executive Artistic Director Nataki Garrett resigned (the composite title was the result of the January departure of Executive Director David Schmitz, whom Garrett had hired). On her departure, Garrett released the following statement to the New York Times: “We are at an inflection point in our industry, where outdated business models must evolve in order for our theaters to survive.”

Earlier this month, Los Angeles’s Center Theatre Group suspended performances at the Mark Taper Forum, its second-largest stage. This immediately put into limbo the world premiere of Larissa FastHorse’s Fake It Until You Make It and canceled the touring production of Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band. The Taper will remain without a production until at least 2024. CTG also laid off 10 percent of its staff, citing increased production costs, reduced donations, and sluggish ticket sales as the three factors that prompted this action.

Last week, the board of Greensboro’s Triad Stage announced its decision to end operations after more than two decades. In an unusually candid press statement, the board pointed to reduced donations and severely depressed ticket sales as the primary culprits, “with houses averaging less than half full over the course of the first two mainstage productions.” Those productions were the world premiere of Mike Wiley Rebellious and Lauren Gunderson’s The Revolutionists.

The pandemic disrupted this model by shutting down production for over a year at most theaters, eliminating tickets sales as a revenue stream, spare the occasional online event. It also changed audience behavior, as some theatergoers settled into their couches with no immediate intention to return to the theater. Fear of Covid and confusion over new rules around masking and vaccinations undoubtedly contributed to this trend, with some theatergoers eschewing the hassle of showing up to an 8pm curtain in favor of the on-demand convenience of Netflix. Attendance at in-person events is down everywhere, including in cinemas and on Broadway.

But even though Broadway ticket grosses haven’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, the most recent weekly numbers reveal that theatergoers are still willing to shell out for shows they want to see: Hamilton ($1.95 million), Wicked ($1.99 million), and The Lion King ($2.42 million) continue to pack their houses. Meanwhile, & Juliet had its best week ever, grossing $1.4 million, with an average paid admission of $171.61. This is a show without any household-name stars (apologies to Stark Sands, Betsy Wolfe, and Paulo Szot) that is nevertheless thriving via word-of-mouth. It may not have won any Tony Awards, but it’s winning the game of Broadway.

That doesn’t mean live theater is ending, but it does mean that many of the institutions that have become the face of theater in America will close if they don’t reform immediately. It’s a horrible situation for the people who have made these theaters their life’s work. But it is also an opportunity for a new generation of arts leaders to pioneer a model that makes more sense for the realities of this century — one that isn’t so reliant on the whims of the rich.

Read the full article here.

From PBS News Hour: The blend of science and art is called neuroarts or neuro-aesthetics. The new book, “Your Brain On Art: How The Arts Transform Us,” shows both the growth and importance of the field that connects the arts and our health. Jeffrey Brown visited the Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore to see the progress for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. Watch the full episode here.

“Public art programs are a powerful strategy that state arts agencies employ to encourage public appreciation of the arts, enliven public space, strengthen community identity, and engage and support artists from all backgrounds,” said Declan Wicks for National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. “The Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts (SFCA) has undertaken a series of steps to ensure that its Art in Public Places program—the first statewide percent for art program in the nation—supports the full diversity of Hawaiʻi’s artistic community and acquires works of art expressive of the Hawaiian islands and the multicultural heritages of its people.”

Strengthened by the curatorial statement’s findings, SFCA continues to increase the visibility and acquisition of works by Native Hawaiians. the agency undertook a complement of strategies, including:

inculcating an agency culture dedicated to community work and engagement;
hiring Kānaka artists and curators at the Hawai’i State Art Museum to continue to engage with the Native Hawaiian artwork in the APP collection;
expanding and diversifying the locations of exhibitions and juried shows from which SFCA acquires artwork;
making it easier to invite the APP program’s Acquisition Award Selection Committee to consider works of art for acquisition.

Ultimately, these actions work to break down what SFCA describes as the “arbitrary line” that is historically drawn between traditional and contemporary art—a line that has so often kept Native Hawaiian practitioners from representation in the APP program. A 2022 SFCA report to the state legislature highlighted the recent progress made by the agency and the impact of supporting Native Hawaiians through the APP program: From just 2020-2022, SFCA has increased its percentage of total works by Native Hawaiians from 3.9% to 18.3% and has purchased nearly $1.5 million in Native Hawaiian art.

Learn more here.

“For many in the LGBTQ+ community, Pride Month is a month of celebration. It is a time to reflect on the history of the LGBTQ+ movement and to authentically celebrate queer lives,” said Kelsey Andersen for PEAK Grantmaking. “It is a time of community, of belonging, of love, of joy—and unfortunately, it is also a month where queer celebrations and increased visibility can lead to more opportunities for violence.”

“This is a crucial moment for philanthropy, and the lack of support for the LGBTQ+ community is deafening.”

Draconian laws are on the rise all over the world, including the United States and East Africa, which are brutalizing LGBTQ+ communities. For the first time in its more than 40-year history, the Human Rights Campaign in June declared a state of emergency for LGBTQ+ persons in the United States. In April 2023, Equality Florida issued a travel advisory for those considering travel or moving to the state of Florida given the plethora of hateful anti-LGBTQ+ laws being passed. On May 28, 2023, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 into law, which calls for life imprisonment for consensual same-sex sexual acts, the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” up to 20 years imprisonment for the promotion of homosexuality, and imposes an obligation on Ugandan citizens to report anyone suspected of engaging in homosexuality. The law has inspired a similar bill in Kenya and a related discussion among Tanzanian parliamentarians.

Provide immediate general operating support funding. This is a humanitarian crisis. Activists are fighting against well-organized and well-funded enemies pouring their funding into lobbying efforts, and LGBTQ+ activists are facing violence at extreme levels. Funding is needed to help fund safety efforts, salaries, and lobbying. Public charities and private foundations face different funding barriers, but this support can be provided, and further discussions can and need to take place about general funding in the current context, both domestically and internationally.

Who are you funding, and do you know who they fund? Does your organization fund through intermediaries or fund organizations who both make grants and fundraise? Do the research to find out who these organizations give their money to. You may be surprised to see funding being given to groups in the anti-LGBTQ+ movement. If this is the case, hold them accountable by having a conversation. And if they’re unwilling to stop supporting hateful groups, stop funding them.

Add a wellness budget line into your program budget template. Now more than ever, activists (whether they are focused on LGBTQ+ activism or not) are facing extreme burnout. See them for the human beings that they are and support their well-being.

Support your LGBTQ+ colleagues. Your colleagues may or may not be out at work. Either way, they are experiencing high levels of anxiety and stress right now. Be understanding and supportive, which can show up in many ways. It can be as simple as asking “How are you feeling today?” or “I’ve been listening to the news, I’m here if you need a listening ear or someone to talk to.” If you’re in the office, you can offer a lunchtime walk. This offers both a wellness opportunity as well as creating a space for someone to open up outside of the office should they want to. And finally, be understanding if someone has an off day or doesn’t want to take you up on your offer for a walk or a chat. Some days are more emotionally and physically draining than others, but your colleague knowing they have your support is more helpful than you might realize.

Read the full call to action here.

From Candid.: The marginalization of African Americans has cost the U.S. economy an estimated $16 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) between 2000 and 2020, a report from The Investment Integration Project (TIIP) finds.

Funded by the Surdna Foundation and developed in partnership with TIIP’s Racial Equity Working Group, the report, Introduction to Racial Inequity as a Systemic Risk: Why Investors Should Care and How They Can Take Action (52 pages, PDF), highlights the need for the financial industry to address the long-term systemic risk of racial inequity and promote the equitable distribution of resources, power, and economic opportunity in the United States.

According to the report, advancing racial justice and ending racial inequity are good for business, and companies in the top quartile of racial and ethnic diversity are 30 percent more likely to have financial returns above their national industry medians. Moreover, closing the wealth gap between white people and all communities of color (who are forecast to represent 52 percent of the U.S. population by 2050) would add substantively to the country’s GDP and reduce healthcare costs by more than $230 billion annually.

The report presents a roadmap to advance racial justice, while protecting corporate bottom lines. Two key actions include ensuring racial equity in senior management and on corporate boards—currently only 17.5 percent of board seats at Fortune 500 companies are held by people of color—and working against practices that propagate racial inequity in the education, employment, finance, health, and carceral systems, while promoting the full and equitable participation of people of color in society and the financial system. The report also calls for improved corporate governance and management; impact investing to leverage corporate investment portfolios, articulate fundamental values, and transparently convey beliefs about the significance of racial inequity; and engaging on a national level to hold industry leaders accountable.

“Racial inequities are among the greatest systemic threats to the health and functioning of our economy,” said Rodney Foxworth, founder of Worthmore and Racial Equity Working Group co-chair. “TIIP and Surdna convening this working group and developing this report will help to give this issue the attention it deserves in the financial market and provide investors with the understanding and tools they need to ensure our economy can continue to function in a modern society, making possible a more equitable future for us all.”

Read the full article here.

From the 2023 IDEAS Festival: Join us [Saturday, June 24 at 4pm] for a Behind the Actor’s Studio-style interview with powerhouse practitioners in social change and cultural equity! Grantmakers in the Arts President Eddie Torres will be joined by Pregones/Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre Founder and Artistic Director Rosalba Rolón in a session that will engage personal narrative to illuminate pathways of activism in the performing arts. Listen in as Eddie and Rosalba grapple with the tension between the individual and the societal as related to decisions on cultural values and funding. Come curious. Leave inspired. Learn more here.

From Third Wave Fund: There is too much at stake right now. Every day there are escalating political attacks and legislative curtailing of bodily autonomy and human rights. It is critical that gender justice movements are able to focus on the work ahead, instead of jumping through hoops and bureaucracy in philanthropy.  

Organizations that make up these powerful movements need and deserve consistent support to build new skills, to build power, to grow their own vision, and to experiment, fail, iterate, and try again. And they need this space without the risk of losing their institutional partners or funding. That’s why in 2016 Third Wave started the Grow Power Fund, our long-term support fund that awards six-year grants meeting youth-led grassroots gender justice organizations wherever they’re at in support of their sustainability and long haul visions for community liberation. 

In our new report, Resourcing Movements for the Long Haul: Lessons from the Grow Power Fund’s First Six Years, we document key lessons from the Grow Power Fund’s first cycle of long-term funding. 

This report is an invitation to all funders to shift and transform your grantmaking practice to meet the needs that youth-led movement leaders are naming. We hope you’ll join us in evolving your funding, and transforming your relationship with movements to be enriched by mutual trust as we listen to our grantee partners to meet them where we’re needed the most.