WCA blog

Act Now! Ask Your Senators to Join the Senate Appropriations Letter Supporting the Office of Museum Services

Great News! In conjunction with Museums Advocacy Day, Senator Gillibrand (D-NY) is circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter in the Senate encouraging her fellow Senators to join her letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging $50 million for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This is similar to a separate effort in the House of Representatives – championed by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY), Louise Slaughter (D-NY) and Leonard Lance (R-NJ) – that we alerted you to last week.  This is another great opportunity, and we need your help once again!

CLICK HERE to ask your Senator to SIGN THE GILLIBRAND APPROPRIATIONS LETTER Today!

“The strength of this letter will be determined by how many Senators sign on to it, and they are most likely to do so when asked by a constituent,” said AAM President Ford W. Bell.  ”If enough Senators sign on, it could lead to increased funding for the IMLS Office of Museum Services, which has been level-funded for several years.  I applaud the leadership of Senator Gillibrand on this issue.”

The letter highlights the many educational and other vital services museums provide to their communities and asks the Appropriations Committee to support $50 million for FY11 (a $14.8 million increase over FY10) for OMS. These funds will help to protect collections nationwide and to help museums continue to meet the increasing demands for their unique programs and services.

P.S. – If you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to ask your Representative to Sign-on to the Tonko/Slaughter/Lance museum letter today!

To get involved in more advocacy for museums visit www.speakupformuseums.org today

Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women Action Alert

Dear Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women Partners:

Women across Massachusetts need your support in ending wage discrimination. Currently, Massachusetts women earn just 76 cents for every dollar earned by men. “An Act Further Defining Comparable Work” (S689/H1880), a bill in the Legislature’s Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, has the potential to close this gap.

§         The Act will require employers to set wages according to gender-neutral factors such as responsibility, working conditions and skill level.

§         This legislation is at a critical juncture; it is currently in the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. The MCSW has urged the committee to bring this bill to a vote so that it may be reported out favorably by the committee and move forward in the process.

§         The MCSW has been working diligently for its passage, and now we need your help. Please ask your members to call their legislators today and ask them to make sure that this bill is voted on, and ask them to report their call and the legislator’s response to Mcsw@state.ma.us <mailto:Mcsw@state.ma.us> .

§         Losses due to wage discrimination often mean the difference between a living wage and poverty. Had comparable work been the enforceable law of the state, the women cafeteria workers in the Everett School District, plaintiffs in the pay discrimination case Jancey v. School Committee of Everett, would not have lost an average of $259,000 over a 30-year lifetime of earning.

We especially need constituents of Senator McGee and Representative Coakley-Rivera, chairs of the joint committee, to let them know how important this legislation is to the women in their districts. In addition, if you can identify constituents in these districts who are willing to come to the State House to personally visit their offices, please let us know as soon as possible.

Senator Pat Jehlen (D 2nd Middlesex) and Representative Alice K. Wolf (D 25th Middlesex District) are the lead sponsors of the legislation, SB689/HB1880 “An Act Further Defining Comparable Work”.

Here is what we need legislators to hear when you contact their office:

Hi, my name is _____________ and I live in _______[town]________________.  As member of [union, advocacy group, etc.] and a constituent, I ask you to support the pending pay equity legislation “An Act Further Defining Comparable Work” (S689/H1880), by urging Rep. Coakley-Rivera and Sen. McGee, Chairs of the Labor and Workforce Development Committee to bring the bill to a vote so it can be reported favorably out of committee.

“An Act Defining Comparable Work” will help to close the gender wage gap in Massachusetts. The bill would help to boost overall household income, and means the difference between stability and poverty for many women of the Commonwealth.

Please urge all members of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development to vote “An Act Further Defining Comparable Work” favorably out of committee and move the bill through the legislative process.

Thank you.

WOMEN AND WATER RIGHTS: RIVERS OF REGENERATION
Exhibition and Related Programming

February 23 to March 25, 2010
Katherine E. Nash Gallery
Regis Center for Art, University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Art has the responsibility to help society deal with its hidden conflicts and contradictions…to imagine what could exist and give it shape…open up a space for critical thinking.
- Herbert Marcuse
The Women and Water Rights: Rivers of Regeneration (WWR) project addresses the precarious state of the world’s fresh water supply and the global need for gender mainstreaming in water management. Through an art exhibition and related programs, WWR underscores the message that water access is a universal human right.

Motivation
We are facing a global water crisis:* 18% of the world’s population lack access to safe drinking water, and 42% lack access to basic sanitation. More than 2.2 million people die each year from diseases associated with these conditions. As water scarcity grows, so will these numbers. By 2025, it is estimated that two thirds of the world’s population will live in areas facing moderate to severe water stress.

See http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/factsheet.html <http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/factsheet.html>

WWR calls attention to the United Nation’s International Decade for Action, the Water for Life!  agenda, and the UN Millennium Development Goals, the achievement of which hinge on integrated management of water resources. A target of the MDG’s is to halve by 2015 those peoples without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.

See: http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/pdf/pb_water_gender_upd.pdf <http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/pdf/pb_water_gender_upd.pdf>

As women play a central role in water provision and management, women must be central in planning for the future. A focus of WWR is to examine how the inclusion of women in the management of local, regional, and global water resources would improve the social, economic and environmental results. WWR will emphasize how the arts both reflect and alter societal attitudes leading to cultural and economic change.

Components
The WWR exhibition at the Nash includes work by national and international artists who are investigating water rights as subject and material in their work, using new technologies as well as traditional media.  It features an invitational and juried exhibition of artwork from artists residing in the five states that form the basin of the Upper Mississippi and an international call for video work. In addition, an international mail art exhibition of adult and student locally and globally resulting from a worldwide call in the adjacent Quarter Gallery in the Department of Art.

Symposium: Global Policy – Local Action, March 4 and 5, 2010 will bring together experts to discuss their perceptions of accountable guardianship that will ensure water as a fundamental human right. Locally and globally, what is the connection between women and water? How might viable change to present practice be initiated? Invited participants represent various arenas, including native, social, and historical practice, legislative mandates, agricultural practice, and industrial restrictions.

Water Dance: A celebration of water through poetry, visual art, music and dance, March 3, 2010 is for Twin Cities school audiences.  Students are invited participate in an open mic poetry reading/poetry slam, experience an international art exhibit, and enjoy student performances.  Festivities include performance of choral compositions written by students in collaboration with composers at the Perpich Center for Arts Education. High school and college choral and choreography students will perform the works at the Ted Mann Concert Hall.

A WWR online catalog is planned to document the exhibit and provide a study guide. In addition to a public screening, the goal includes development of a distribution list of art institutions and schools.

A Traveling Exhibition 2010-2012 will extend the life of the project by moving to venues nationally and internationally that have pledged their interest.

Co-Sponsors
The University of Minnesota Department of Art
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) and the Jane Addams Peace Association, Minnesota Metro Branch Arts Committee
Women’s Caucus for Art (WCA) Minnesota Chapter

The Office of International Programs, University of Minnesota
The Consortium for the Study of the Asias, University of Minnesota
The Women’s Center, University of Minnesota
The Puffin Foundation
The Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota/ River Life Program

Dear Colleague:

The deadline for nominations is Friday, January 29, 2010.

If you have questions, please visit our website or contact the President’s Committee at (202) 682-5409.

Patrik Tanner
Program Assistant
Coming Up Taller Program
President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Suite 526
Washington D.C. 20506
p. (202) 682-5571
f. (202) 682-5668
ptanner@pcah.gov

The third workshop at the Muriel Wright Residential Center, San Jose, California taught by SBAWCA artists was completed with an exhibition during Works San Jose Annual Fundrasing, Friday December 4, 2009. The five SBAWCA artists who participated as instructors in the workshop are: Cheryl Battiato, Fabienne Bismuth, Alejandra Chaverri, Dana Eaton and Conni Rizzuto.  Fabienne Bismuth was the leader of the “Sculpture-figurative bas relief workshop.”

Thanks to Cheryl Batiatto, who wrote a grant to the Association of Clay and Glass Artists of California, ACGA, the workshop received funds to cover the materials for the completed taller with the teenagers.

Link with details about the workshop below:
Muriel Wright Residential Center-Fall, 2009 Workshop

Political journalist Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!  and WYPR radio personality Sheilah Kast have been confirmed for Constitution Day on Sept. 12, presented by Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland (ACLU-MD). Press release is attached.

Jessica Weglein, Interim Media Relations Writer/Publicist
Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA)
1300 Mount Royal Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21217-4191
410-225-2503 | jweglein@mica.edu <mailto:kmurray@mica.edu>  | www.mica.edu <http://www.mica.edu>

Dear Open Arts Network Partners -

It’s been a while since I sent out one of these emails!  We hope you’re all doing well, despite the recent economic downturn.

Quick ten-second update:

- Over 70 organizations are now a part of the Open Arts Network, which has recently received another year of funding from the NEA.  I have been to a few different cities around the country recently, and will be traveling more in the future, so let me know if you are interested in having me speak to your members at a workshop or other event.

- Fractured Atlas is doing well (we were recently featured on NPR!) with our over 8,000 members in 49 states (come on, North Dakota!), DC, and abroad.

- We are about to hire our 10th employee — a new program associate — and one of our current program associates, Emily Watts, will become our Director of Liability Insurance.

- Arwen Lowbridge, current managing director, will be resigning her position in a week and Tim Cynova, formerly of Misnomer Dance, High 5 Tickets, and Parsons Dance, will be taking her place.

- A few months ago, we merged with NYC Performing Arts Spaces (www.nycpaspaces.org), a database of rehearsal and performance space in New York City, and hope to bring this service to other cities and other artistic disciplines in the future (email me if you’re interested in participating!).

- Our Liability Insurance programs are growing extensively — take a look at some of our new offerings on our website under the Programs & Services menu.

- We will launch version 2.0 of our online course system, Fractured U., late this summer, which will boast ten new courses.  Keep an eye out for those!

Finally, some bad, but important news to report….

Fractured Atlas is having a temporary enrollment freeze on all health insurance plans in New York state.

Since 2005, Fractured Atlas has offered group health insurance for NY artists through HIP and PerfectHealth, two separate divisions of EmblemHealth.  In the past few months, HIP has begun enforcing stricter underwriting on eligibility. Unfortunately, these new rules are a lousy fit for most independent artists and creative freelancers.  Making matters worse, they recently announced their largest rate increase in history. Meanwhile, PerfectHealth has requested that we stop accepting new enrollments while they undergo some internal restructuring.  All things considered, we no longer believe it’s in the best interest of our members to continue promoting enrollment in these plans.  For groups with members/constituents affected by this change, you can feel free to direct them to other health insurance options for the time being or, alternatively, you can direct them to us and we can help guide them in the right direction.

Please note, current enrollees in NY and those outside of NY state are NOT affected.  Their plans will remain in effect until they decide to terminate or as long as their plans exist.

Fractured Atlas remains committed to addressing the health insurance needs of the arts community and, to that end, we will be restructuring some of our healthcare services in order to better serve our members.  This isn’t always easy, but it’s always important, and we’re not going anywhere. Stay tuned for further updates as we review our options and figure out how we can best serve our constituents.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns — email me directly at adam.natale@fracturedatlas.org.

Best,

–
Adam J. Natale
Director of Membership & Program Development
Fractured Atlas
212-277-8020 ext. 203
212-277-8025 (Fax)
adam.natale@fracturedatlas.org

February 23 to March 25, 2010 Katherine E. Nash Gallery         Regis Center for Art, University of Minnesota
An exhibition of art and related programs that builds awareness,
provokes action, and poses solutions for the need to understand water as an universal human right.

We are at the threshold of a global water crisis. Because women play a central role in water provision and management, women must be central in planning for the future. Today, women from all geographies, cultures, and traditions are grappling with the questions and challenges of what must be done to sustain the water of the world, working from a variety of vantage points and perspectives. These expressions are a critical component to international dialogues about access to water and the need for creative solutions.

The unparalleled threat to the world’s water can only be met if we understand that we depend on the health of our ecosystem for our own lives. The global water justice movement is united in the belief that water must be seen as a basic human right and must not be denied to anyone. We believe water is a “commons.” The commons is everything we inherit and belongs to all of us. Our charge is to protect this water wealth. We must pass it on undiminished to future generations.
MEETING  at MCAD, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 2500 Stevens Av.S., Mpls, MN
* a report on the recent CAA and WCA conference in LA
* Updates on the Exhibit, Calls for Art, website womenandwater.net, new connections and logo
* Plus our Visioning process that will include more ways to connect WCA and WARM
* March 28th , Saturday, Meeting at MCAD, Minneapolis College of Art and Design at 10 am -noon, Room 101

Dear Women’s Caucus for Art (WCA), As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we are thrilled to announce that we are two steps closer to the creation of a Presidential Commission on Women.  But we’re not there yet, and we need your help. We have exciting news: Legislation to create a Presidential Commission on Women is moving forward in Congress.  We need your support. If you have not already signed on as a supporting organization, please join us now as a partner in this effort. We are also excited by the recent news that President Obama signed an executive order creating a White House Council on Women and Girls. In doing this, the new Administration has taken an important step in recognizing the responsibility that political leaders have to address the inequalities that women still face. The new White House Council is similar to the White House Office for Women’s Initiatives and Outreach that was created by President Clinton and subsequently closed by President Bush. It’s wonderful news that it will be reinstated. But, we still need a Presidential Commission on Women. It’s the next step. The White House Council and the Presidential Commission on Women are perfect companions and can work together to improve the future of women in this country. Here’s why the Commission and Council are different, and why they will complement each other so well:
A Presidential Commission on Women will be a vehicle for a national conversation among the best thinkers with diverse backgrounds to address problems faced by women in America today. The White House Council will work from within the Administration to advance the policies and agenda of the sitting president. So, the Presidential Commission on Women will have a more external focus.

A Presidential Commission on Women is bipartisan and would truly reflect the commitment of our new leadership to respect the opinions and input of a broad spectrum of leaders.

A Presidential Commission on Women would include a significant grassroots component, allowing hundreds of women’s organizations and millions of women to participate in the work of the Commission.
The bottom line is we need both. Since the announcement of the White House Council, there has been tremendous support for the creation of a Presidential Commission on Women – the next step. We have tens of thousands of petition signatures and dozens of supporting organizations – including the Ms. Foundation for Women, National Congress of Black Women, National Women’s Political Caucus, Women’s Media Center, and Young Democrats of America. Click here http://cts.vresp.com/c/?WomenCount/3b0408a40c/d7b6c01e03/9d75f1e495  to see the full list of supporting organizations. But we need more. Be a part of the movement that will participate in this important initiative as it moves through Congress – sign our petition here <http://cts.vresp.com/c/?WomenCount/3b0408a40c/d7b6c01e03/3c35a2bc70>  and become a supporting organization now. To confirm that you want to join the growing list of supporting organizations, please contact: dale@womencount.org.  Together we can make this happen! Sincerely,
The  WomenCount Team