WNYC recently broadcast a segment that touched on the “grey-ing” of the non-profit arts sector. It’s a familiar subject that most artists have heard plenty about: The audience for the arts is gradually getting older and unless an effort is made to engage a younger demographic, many art institutions will die with its patrons.

But this debate focuses specifically around arts leadership: Are seasoned veterans more equipped to run arts institutions than younger administrators with new (and potentially controversial) ideas? What can the arts industry do to cultivate younger leaders and what is their place in the institutions’ future.

Here’s the summary of the debate from their website:

If it’s too loud, you’re too old. That’s the old rock ‘n’ roll saying. But many believe veteran experience counts in running arts organizations. Others say fresh blood is needed at a time when the arts need to reach younger audiences. In this week’s “Soundcheck Smackdown,” Lee Rosenbaum, a veteran cultural journalist who blogs for Artsjournal.com; and Barry Hessenius, author of the study “Involving Youth in Nonprofit Arts Organizations,” square off on the topic.

Listen to the full audio here.

A while back I wrote an article for the Fractured Atlas Newsletter (RIP) entitled “Defining Success.” In it, I wrote about the need for artists to develop new ways to measure their accomplishment outside the paradigm of “blockbuster” and “hobbiest.”

Kevin Kelly takes a go at developing a practical definition and his conclusions are worth a read. He eloquently puts into words some of the ideas that have been churning around my marketing consultant brain for a long time. He addresses The Long Tail and where the creative individual fits into the equation. Kevin puts forth the idea that in order for an artist to find sustainability, she needs to find “1,000 true fans.”

You don’t need to aim for the short head of best-sellerdom to escape the long tail. There is a place in the middle, that is not very far away from the tail, where you can at least make a living. That mid-way haven is called 1,000 True Fans. It is an alternate destination for an artist to aim for.

Check out the full article here. I’d call this post a must-read for those trying to “make it” as an artist.

Lani Puppetmaker has compiled a fantastic list of art retreats from around the country. For artists looking to escape their everyday existence, change their paradigm, and focus on their creativity, the retreat can be an enlightening and awakening experience.

The list is extensive, but by no means complete. If you know of other art retreats, send them along to Lani and she’ll add them to her list.

Putting together a solid website is key for artists and arts organizations who want to promote themselves effectively and affordably. But not every artist knows where to even begin, much less create a website that’s compelling or that helps to build their audience. The Virtual Arts Incubator (a project of the Fine Arts Fund of Cincinnati) has put together a straight-forward checklist of how to build an arts website that works as a marketing tool.

I don’t think that the list is comprehensive (what, no mention of MySpace or other social networks?) and some of the advice is pretty basic. But for artists and collectives that are just getting started, the article can serve as a good jumping off point. Some of the tips that stick out are:

• Define goals: What is the purpose of the website? What do we want people to do when they are there?
• Use the website to build an e-mail list: Generate leads for e-mail marketing by placing a prominent link to join your newsletter list.
• Keep navigation simple and intuitive: Use labels, such as “calendar,” “buy tickets,” “children’s concert series.” Avoid acronyms.
• Include a “call to action” with e-mail marketing. Ask e-mail recipients to click on a link to do something (”click here to purchase tickets online”).

Read the full article here.

Are there other tips that members have about how to build a website? Share any success stories (or failure nuggets) in the comments below.

And for more general marketing advice, check out our new online courses. They’re live, free for members, and ready for prime-time.

Dealing with creative property in the digital era is going to be one of the key issues facing artists in the coming decade. A new seminar (happening in London… *sniff*) is aiming to address the subject head-on.

Are you a writer, musician, film maker or visual artist? Or maybe you work as a manager, promoter, or executive in the music, publishing, film/TV or visual arts industries? Whether you are creative, a creative entrepreneur, or working at any level in the creative industries, you’ll undoubtedly have seen, or experienced, how the internet is ‘changing everything’. You’ll probably have heard that the web is killing culture and your industry along with it. But the internet creates exciting new ways to distribute and promote creative works and should be seen by the creative industries as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Free culture - giving versions of creative works away, and even allowing others to copy, distribute, sample or create derivative works from them - is at the heart of these new opportunities. This approach seems alien to many in the creative world who assume that free culture cannot generate income, but a freer attitude to cultural distribution will help you connect with a new audience, to develop a more engaged audience and even to make new business connections.

Full details about the seminar can be found here.

As independent artists, we often find ourselves giving away our work for free, but its usually treated as a stepping stone towards paying work. But as the digital revolution makes sharing, remixing, and mashing up easier and easier we’re going to have to deal with the issue of ownership and whether any of the work that we share with the world belongs to us.

What do you think about giving your art away for free? Does it make the world a better place or is it just the same old story of society placing little to no value on art.

“We are trying to help create ‘globally literate students,’ ” says Suzi Myers, co-artistic director of World Dance Theatre and resident dancer. No small feat considering the red tape nightmare that is most American public school systems. “It was a challenge, to say the least.” But the members of World Dance Theatre don’t shy away from challenges. Especially when they don’t know ahead of time the enormity of the hoops through which they must jump to accomplish their goals. “We were sort of flying blind. I think that was helpful. We kept going because we didn’t know that we couldn’t do it,” she recalls.

World Dance Theatre was founded two years ago by five dancers from around the globe with one common mission — to highlight cultural similarities while celebrating their differences through dance. The group has been touring internationally, performing authentic folk dances for audiences everywhere. It didn’t take long for the members to realize the power behind what they were doing. “We would receive standing ovations from residents of tiny villages in Spain, in Argentina. They had tears in their eyes because we were giving them something they had never experienced before. And we did it without a spoken word. It was remarkable,” Suzi remembers.

They knew it was time to drive the message home — literally. In order to expand their reach, World Dance Theatre decided to develop a residency program and take it on the road to schools in the United States. “We wanted to reach the children — to teach these kids that there are differences among people, but also similarities, things that make us all part of the human race. If we could teach them to unify through dance, it could lead to more global understanding,” Suzi asserts.

So World Dance Theatre learned the ABCs of navigating a system that is not known for its user-friendly interface though trial and error, lots of determination, and a foot in the door thanks to a teacher-acquaintance of one of the dancers. “We knew someone on the inside who helped us reach the right people,” says Suzi. “We pitched our program until they were foaming at the mouth. So it became a matter of vendor numbers and contract numbers and reference letters and …it has been pretty intense,” she laughs. Nevertheless, World Dance Theatre has managed to dance its way into several schools to date. “We’re still working on getting all of our paperwork, but we’re there right now, in the schools, making a difference.”

On a classroom level, the program takes information off the page and brings it to life. But in a broader sense, Suzi believes she and the rest of World Dance Theatre are doing their part to equip children with the skills that will help them learn tolerance of others and open-mindedness to things unknown. “Every corner of the world has dance and music in one form or another. It’s our common denominator. If we can understand each other on that level, maybe we can begin to understand each other on deeper, more profound levels.”

Visit www.worlddancetheatre.com to learn more.

“I see technology as a tool that can be integrated seamlessly with the human mind,” says Fractured Atlas member Treva Wurmfeld, a filmmaker, sculptor, and performance artist who was featured at the 2006 benefit. Her work explores the relationship between biology and technology and how human beings are adapting to a world in the midst of rapid change.

“As humans become more dependent on computers, it is important to explore the possibilities of the brain unmediated by technology,” says Treva of her work. “I spend a lot of time on sail boats where people are turning to electronic equipment for navigation, rather than using the natural elements.”

“Like being on a boat at sea, however, technology tends to isolate humans,” she continues. “It would seem as we grow more dependent on technological devices that mimic our own functions we grow lazier and less in touch with our own bio-feedback.”

Treva’s most recent project is the documentary Destination Therapy, in which she follows Dr. Howard “Bud” Frazier of the Texas Heart Institute as he designs and implements the next generation of Total Artificial Hearts. “It will completely replace the human heart and take over the functions of both ventricles,” she explains. “Patients on this device would not have a pulse. Rather, they would have blood flowing continuously through their circulatory system.”

The subject of the film mirrors the themes found in Treva’s other work. “The artificial heart is the scientific pursuit of mimicking anatomical function. It represents the anthropomorphizing of technology and how it integrates into natural systems.”

Treva is influenced by other artists who explore this issue. “I draw a lot of inspiration from Mary Shelley,” she says. “Shelley supposedly wrote Frankenstein in a waking dream state between consciousness and unconsciousness. The oscillation between reality and fantasy – a blurry space between night and day – is what truly inspires me as both an author and spectator.”

For more information on Destination Therapy visit www.destinationtherapy.org.

Several years ago, Fractured Atlas member Joshua Frankel was touring Northern Ireland. One of the stops on the tour was an attraction called the Peace Wall. “I expected some sort of wall covered in murals commemorating the peace process,” says Joshua. “In fact, the ‘Peace Wall’ is a twenty-five foot high wall topped with barbed wire that separates Protestant neighborhoods from Catholic neighborhoods. With no opportunity to meet each other, impressionable children believe hateful tales about their counterparts on the other side and lifelong prejudice takes root.”

Joshua’s experience inspired him to develop the video installation Looking Glasses as a way to counteract this phenomenon. Looking Glasses will consist of two identical installations, each containing a camera and a display. A base installation will remain in New York’s financial district, while a satellite installation travels around the world, connecting the neighborhood to physically and psychologically distant locations.

“The lives of average Americans are affected more than ever by the lives of those around the world, and vice-versa” explains Joshua. “But, with few exceptions, they never have a chance to stand face to face. The installation will allow viewers to look each other in the eye. There will be no audio link, making communication across the installation a kind of game. The geographically distant viewers will share an obstacle, and in doing so they will encounter their common humanity.”

Joshua’s project has attracted the attention of State Senator Tom Duane, who is helping Joshua navigate the logistical challenges related to permits and utilities.

“We are currently raising capital for the project. I’ve been utilizing Fractured Atlas’ programs to help with fundraising. Every step of the way has been very smooth, clear and precise.”

The Asian Pacific American Film Festival was founded in the year 2000 by a small group of people that wanted to expand access to independent films being made by Asian Americans. In the seven years since, the festival has had tremendous success in bringing these unique voices to a broader audience.

“We’ve really grown in terms of the number of films we show and the number of days that the festival runs,” says Anna Petrillo, one of the board members of APA Film. “We’ve gone from three days to ten! In recent years we’ve presented screenings in conjunction with local museums, embassies, and universities.”

In addition to expanded programming, APA Film obtained corporate sponsorship from Verizon which allows them to run a contest that awards a $1,000 prize to an emerging filmmaker. Some of this growth has been possible thanks to the resources available through Fractured Atlas’ fiscal sponsorship program. “Being able to track our donations and expenses has helped us predict what kind of fundraising we need to do and also attract potential sponsors.”

As of this writing, the submission process for the 2007 festival is coming to a close and the program will be announced soon. “It’s still early,” says Anna. “But our audience can count on a great opening night event, several documentaries, excellent short programs, and amazing parties.”

Project Shaw is an ambitious undertaking that will present every play written by George Bernard Shaw as concert readings at New York’s legendary Player’s Club.

The driving force behind the project is Fractured Atlas member David Staller, the Artistic Director of Gingold Theatrical Group and a lifetime Shaw aficionado. “Shaw’s voice has been an anchor of reason for me during most of my life,” says David. “It serves as a reminder that it’s our responsibility to question and challenge ourselves, daily, as to what’s right and wrong; to define ourselves independently of societal expectations; to take responsibilities for the choices we make.”

David also believes that Shaw’s work is particularly relevant to a contemporary audience. “Each of his plays deal with the issues we’re still wrangling with today,” he says. “The most current topics on any news program are debated in his works.”

“The entertaining brilliance of these plays is that Shaw offers a 360º look at each argument,” continues David. “No point of view is clearly represented as the author’s. He wrote comedies to present ideas which would activate self-questioning.”

Since beginning the project in 2006, David has recruited some of the top talents from both film and theatre to participate in his readings including Malcolm Gets, Veanne Cox, Raul Esparza, Marc Kudisch, George S. Irving, Olympia Dukakis, Nancy Anderson, Ed Dixon, Cynthia Harris, Charlotte Moore and Simon Jones.

“Luckily,” says David. “Actors are eager to take a bite out of really good writing.”

For more information about Project Shaw, visit www.projectshaw.com.