Fractured Atlas and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council share a common goal: to empower the people that give us art. A partner of our Open Arts Network, the GPAC provides a wide variety of services for artists and cultural organizations at a time when the arts in Pennsylvania are certainly in peril. Dek Ingraham, the GPAC’s Development and Membership Coordinator, gives us more information about their resources, activities and advocacy efforts.

Dek, please give us a brief history of how your organization came to be and what your mission is.

In the spring of 2005, ProArts and the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Alliance, two Pittsburgh-area arts service organizations, combined their complementary visions by merging as the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council. Our mission is to make the arts central to the lives of individuals by expanding the reach, influence and effectiveness of the region’s diverse cultural community. We will accomplish our mission through programs, services, advocacy, facilitating connections and promoting self-sufficiency and artistic endeavors.

What programs and services do you provide for artists?

We offer several grant programs to help artists produce work, help cultural organizations diversify their marketing, and help fund arts managers to continue growth in their careers. Our professional development workshops are taught in a variety of areas designed to help artists learn more about the business side of being a working artist. Public forums allow us to convene the arts and culture community to talk about important current issues, such as our recent economics forum. Our new online events calendar helps our members publicize their events and to see what the rest of the community has already scheduled to help them plan events with fewer conflicts. Ultimately, the Arts Council is a convener and resource for artists and arts managers to help them become more effective.

What’s a little-known fact about the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council that you wish was more widely known?

One of the services offered by the Arts Council is a full service ticketing program called ProArtsTickets. ProArtsTickets has returned more than $7 million in revenue to its client organizations since inception in 1998 and, as resources decline, is more necessary than ever. It also includes an innovative shared marketing database that allows any client to utilize best practices in database marketing. The ultimate result is a higher ROI on their marketing investment and more effective reach to potential new audiences.

What impact has the economic recession had on your organization and/or your members?

The advocacy efforts of GPAC have definitely increased as a result of the recession. At first our efforts focused on providing information and resources to help members of the local arts and cultural community deal with the situation. Once the initial period of uncertainty surrounding the economy passed, our focus really shifted towards the battle to keep funding for arts and culture in the Pennsylvania state budget.

Can you tell us about “artless Wednesdays”?

Artless Wednesdays in Pennsylvania launched on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 (Day 70 of the state budget impasse) as a statewide, weekly awareness campaign that will continue until the Pennsylvania Legislature passes a state budget. The goal of “artless Wednesdays” is to draw attention to what our communities might be like if there is no state support of nonprofit arts groups. Groups across the state have found a variety of ways to participate, including turning out the lights in their galleries, putting black cloth in their windows, and posting artless badges on their websites. After more than two months of little-to-no progress on the state budget artless Wednesdays offered a new opportunity to engage arts advocates and spur discussion on “Main Street, PA” and they definitely have.

When and how do you know that you are succeeding in your mission?

From tangible results such as increased membership, success in advocacy efforts and increased visibility of Pittsburgh arts and culture in the media, to the less tangible such as observing the spirit of camaraderie and mutual support generated at our events like The Work of Art Awards.

How can interested people get involved with the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council?

We have a membership category to fit anyone interested in the arts. Nonprofit organizations that produce/present artistic work or a society, guild or any other collective of artists can join as a Cultural Organization Member. Individual Artists have their own category as well. Any for-profit company or organization that produces, presents or sells artistic work or materials, hosts arts-related events and/or supports the arts community can join as an Arts Business Member. Our donors are also considered members of the Arts Council. Any individual or household that supports Pittsburgh’s arts and culture can join at various levels as an Arts Ally Member.

Do you have any conferences, workshops or meetings coming up that people should know about?

We don’t currently have any upcoming events because The G20 Summit and State budget battle have taken all of our planning capacity. We do, however, have an initiative that we have spearheaded to promote the arts in Pittsburgh during the G20 Summit called Pittsburgh is Art.

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If you are an arts organization based in the United States with 50 or more members, or if you have a defined constituency of 50+ artists who you support, you may be eligible to participate in Fractured Atlas’s Open Arts Network. Contact Adam Natale (adam.natale@fracturedatlas.org, 212-277-8023) for more information.