Research Report: National Arts & Culture 2010

Kate Amend is the editor of the Academy Award-winning documentary features The Long Way Home (1998) and Into The Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport (2001) for which she received the American Cinema Editors' Eddie award. She teaches fiction and documentary production courses for USC. Amend edited the 2001 Oscar-nominated documentary short On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom and the Peabody Award winner Beah: A Black Woman Speaks. She is a frequent advisor at the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Storytelling Lab and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers' Academy. Amend is on the Board of Directors of the American Cinema Editors and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2005, she received the inaugural award for Outstanding Documentary Editing Award from the International Documentary Association.

Caron Atlas is a Brooklyn-based consultant and cultural organizer working to support and stimulate arts and culture as an integral part of social change. She is the project director of Place + Displaced, Fractured Atlas's community mapping project, and also of the Arts & Community Change program of the Pratt Center for Community Development. Additionally she directs the Arts & Democracy Project of State Voices and is a faculty member in New York University's Art and Public Policy program. Caron worked many years at Appalshop, the Appalachian media center; was the founding director of the American Festival Project, a national coalition of activist artists; is a consultant to foundations, including Ford and Nathan Cummings; and also worked with, amongst others, National Voice, Animating Democracy, and the Cultural Blueprint for New York City.

Joanne Scheff Bernstein is an educator, consultant, speaker and author in the field of arts and culture management and marketing. She is an adjunct associate professor of Arts Management at Northwestern University, taught at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management for eight years, and was a guest lecturer in the graduate arts management program at Bocconi University in Milan. As a marketing and strategic planning consultant, Joanne works with diverse non-profit arts organizations including theaters, dance companies, operas, symphonies, chamber music groups, presenting organizations, and museums. She is currently interim executive director of Lake Forest Symphony. Her most recent book, Arts Marketing Insights: The Dynamics of Building and Retaining Performing Arts Audiences, was published in November, 2006. She also co-authored a comprehensive text with Professor Philip Kotler entitled Standing Room Only: Strategies for Marketing the Performing Arts, published in January, 1997. Joanne Scheff Bernstein is a graduate with distinction from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

David works in the areas of management, planning and fundraising. Since founding DB&A in 1981, he has helped arts organizations raise tens of millions of dollars. Prior to forming DB&A, he served as Assistant Director of the Vermont Council on the Arts and Executive Director of the New England Bach Festival. David has taught history and economics on the secondary and post-secondary levels, founded an alternative school, and served as Development Director for a private college. He was a Peace Corps volunteer and trained VISTA volunteers. He received a B.A. from Bethany College, WV in 1964 and a M.A. from Antioch New England in 1968.Among the clients David has worked with are the Orchestra of St. Luke’s (capital campaign, annual fundraising, development counsel), the American Composers Orchestra (development counsel, capital campaign), Chamber Music America (capital campaign, annual fundraising, development counsel, program development), and many others.

Colby began her arts administrative career in 1985 as Administrative Director of Mark Haim & Dancers. In the 80’s she also worked for choreographer Patricia Hoffbauer and Nancy Duncan’s CoDanceCo. She served as Company Manager for Neo Labos Dancetheater (Michele Elliman, Artistic Director) from 1993-2000 and was the Founding Company Manager (1997-2003) of Seán Curran Company. Colby formed Elsie Management in 1995 specifically to provide representation to several friends at the annual APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters) conference.Since forming Elsie Management, Colby has represented over twenty-five performing arts touring companies from four continents, coordinating tours to over two hundred global venues. She has served as Project Manager, forming presenter and funding consortiums to support the development, creation, and touring of new works for nicholasleichterdance’s Sweetwash (2006), Shawn McConneloug and her orchestra’s SHE Captains (2006), Lingo dancetheater’s Relatively Real (2005), Shapiro & Smith Dance’s ANYTOWN: Stories of America (2005), and Movin’ Spirits Dance Theater’s Brown Butterfly (2003). She has served as Tour Coordinator for nine National Dance Project supported projects including DanceBrazil, Seán Curran Company, and Korzo producties/André Gingras. Colby has raised commissioning funds from over fifteen performing arts venues and twenty private and public foundations and organizations in support of new works for her clients. She has secured, organized, and produced over twenty showcases in New York City, throughout the United States, and globally for her clients. Colby has secured and produced over twenty New York City seasons at such theaters as The Joyce Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, Aaron Davis Hall, Central Park Summerstage, and PS122 for her client roster.Committed to the development of policy for the not-for-profit performing arts field, Colby served on Arts Presenters’ Ethics Task Force (2005), Dance/USA’s Definitions Committee (2004-2005), and directed the updating of NAPAMA’s Ethical Guidelines (2005). Presently, she is convening a Task Force to review AGMA’s newly drafted Ethics Code with NAPAMA’s Legal Affairs Advisor, Brian Goldstein. She is currently serving on the Trustees, Contract Clause, and 25th Anniversary Committees for Dance/USA and the Task Force on Ethics for the Western Arts Alliance. She was the initiating facilitator between Dr. Edward Fishkin, Medical Director at Woodhull Hospital and Medical Center and the performing arts community in the creation of ArtistAccess, the groundbreaking healthcare program for artists and arts workers begun in May, 2005 that has now been launched at other New York City hospitals.Colby graduated with a BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School in 1984, under the direction of Martha Hill. She was a member of Mark Haim & Dancers, the Limón Dance Company, CoDanceCo, and Seán Curran Company. Colby has also performed with Sara Rudner, Ann Carlson, Patricia Hoffbauer, and Mark Taylor, and has assisted choreographers Ann Carlson and Mark Haim in restagings. She trained extensively with Elizabeth Streb's Ringside Inc, performing as an extra in their 1994 Joyce Theater season, and assisted the company in their Kid Action program. Prior to moving to New York City, Colby attended the University of California at Irvine as a dance major, then under the direction of Eugene Loring. It was at Irvine that Colby created the student organization, START (Support The Arts), as an early fundraising effort. She graduated from Berkeley High School in 1979, where she was first introduced to modern dance as a member of Dance Production, under the direction of Marcia Sigman. She began her early ballet training with Patricia Schuster in Ridgefield, CT, before moving to the Bay Area where she trained as a scholarship student at the San Francisco Ballet from 1975-1978. For three years, she performed with the company in the annual stagings of Lew Christensen’s The Nutcracker, performing the roles of Clara, numerous children’s roles, and as a member of the corps de ballet. Instrumental teachers in her dance training included Alfredo Corvino, Risa Steinberg, and Hector Zaraspe.Now an avid cyclist, Colby has ridden her road bike over 3,000 miles for AIDS charities and served as bike support for the 2003 Breast Cancer Walk and the 2005 New York City Marathon. A member of the New York Cycle Club, Colby is a volunteer leader for the club’s spring A19 SIG training program. She lives in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope with her yorkie, Woodstock where she is actively supporting alternative projects for the Atlantic Yards. Her son, Colby Marple, attends Syracuse University.

Jessica Cusick is the Cultural Affairs Manager for the City of Santa Monica. In 1998, she established Cusick Consulting to build upon her more than twenty years of experience working in the arts for governmental agencies, the private sector, and non-profit organizations. The firm specializes in cultural policy, civic art and community development through the arts.Ms. Cusick’s initiatives have received awards from by the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Architects. She has also been recognized by the Women’s Caucus for Art for her work in the field of public art and on behalf of women artists and artists of color.Ms. Cusick has a degree in art history from the Sorbonne in Paris, and a Masters from New York University. She is author of numerous articles on the topic of civic art and has contributed to a variety of publications. Most recently she wrote the section on planning in Public Art: By the Book, published in 2005 by the University of Washington Press.Her teaching experience includes 12 years as an adjunct professor for the Public Art Studies graduate program at the University of Southern California as well as guest lecturer semesters with the University of Houston and Otis College of Art and Design.

Dianne Green is a consultant. She was Program Coordinator for "Giving Voice...." Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage at Smithsonian Institution. She was also Conference Program Content Management at the African Diaspora Heritage Trail, and Owner/CEO at Culture Transforms Community Enterprises. She was also formerly President at Dignowity Hill Neighborhood Association, Interim Executive Director at Network of Cultural Centers of Color, and conference consultant at Association for Performing Arts Presenters.

Robert Johnson is staff dance critic for The Star-Ledger in Newark, NJ; and reviews editor for Pointe magazine in New York City. As a freelancer, he has written about dance for many publications, including daily papers, trade magazines and scholarly journals. He has taught and lectured on dance history and criticism. A member of the Dance Critics Association since the mid-1980s, Robert served two terms on the board.

Mr. Kimbell is currently Executive Producer for the Off Broadway production of LANGSTON IN HARLEM, a new musical exploring the life of legendary poet and writer Langston Hughes. He is a Producer and advisory board member of SenovvA, Inc. headquartered in Los Angeles. In addition, he is consulting with Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, NH, helping the Company reorganize under new artistic leadership. He is also Artistic Director Emeritus of North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) in Beverly, MA. During his 25 years as Executive Producer and Artistic Director of North Shore Music Theatre, NSMT grew to become Massachusetts’ second largest performing arts organization – second only to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood combined. He retired from NSMT in 2007. Mr. Kimbell is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, the University of South Dakota [BFA] and Sacramento State College [MFA]. He has directed or produced most major musicals, much of the Shakespeare canon and – as a passionate believer in the development of new theater works – the premieres of over 60 plays and musicals. Prior to his career in professional theater, Mr. Kimbell was an illustrator for CBS, a line producer for a weekly arts program on PBS and an auditor for Boeing Airplane Company.

Nello McDaniel, Principal Director, supervises all ARTS Action Research project activity and publication development from AAR’s office in Brooklyn, NY. Prior to ARTS Action Research, Nello was Executive Director of the Foundation for the Extension and Development of the American Professional Theatre, an arts consulting company based in New York. From 1978 to 1982, he managed the Presentation and Touring Programs for the National Endowment for the Arts Dance Program. Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer and Performing Arts Director for the Western States Arts Foundation. In 1993, he was named Fulbright International Fellow to consult with the New Zealand Arts Council and numerous New Zealand arts organizations.

Sam Miller is the president of Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC). Building on an Urban Institute report that examined existing support structures for artists, LINC's efforts are centered on effecting broad-based change to increase direct support for artists, enhance artist/public interaction and improve the policy environment for creative work. Previously, Mr. Miller served as Executive Director of the New England Foundation for the Arts for ten years. Under his leadership NEFA launched important new projects in New England like the Creative Economy Initiative and Expeditions (a program which supports regional touring of interdisciplinary arts projects). Mr. Miller also pioneered a number of nationally significant programs at NEFA, including the National Dance Project and the Cambodian Artists Project, in partnership with Asia Society and the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh. Prior to NEFA, Mr. Miller was at Jacob’s Pillow where he served as Executive Director and President. He has also worked with Pilobolus Dance Theater, Pennsylvania Ballet, and managed various theater renovation projects in New England.

Lisa Mount refuses to specialize. As the Director of Artistic Logistics she works as a consultant with non profit arts organizations . Recent and current clients include New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Cornerstone Theater Company, the Neo Futurists, the Network of Ensemble Theaters, the Southern Arts Federation, and the Springer Opera House. As an independent artist she produces, directs, and appears in contemporary performance work, including the acclaimed community story play, Headwaters :: Stories From A Goodly Portion Of Beautiful Northeast Georgia at the Sautee Nacoochee Center. She also tours with the DeLuxe Vaudeville Orchestra as rhythm banjo player. Before embarking on her consulting career in 1997, Lisa served as the Managing Director of 7 Stages theater in Atlanta. She has served as the Board Chair for Alternate ROOTS, the Atlanta Theatre Coalition, and Georgia Shares, a workplace giving campaign. Lisa received the 1996 "Abby" Award from the Atlanta Arts and Business Council for Outstanding Arts Professional, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians by Georgia Trend Magazine in 2008.

David Sheingold is an independent consultant providing project development, strategic planning, meeting facilitation and fundraising services for artists and arts organizations. Client list includes: 651 ARTS, A.R.T./New York, Brooklyn College, Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography, Miami Light Project, NYC Performing Arts Spaces, ODC Theater, Pat Graney Company, Pew Charitable Trust,The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and The MAP Fund, among others. Sheingold has served as guest lecturer, moderator and panelist for the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program, Cornell University, Dance NYC, European Dream Festival, National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, New York University and The New School University, among others. Sheingold was the Senior Producer at Dance Theater Workshop (2004-2007).

Holly is a strategic planner, program developer and fundraiser with more than 25 years’ experience leading and developing nonprofit cultural and philanthropic organizations. Prior to founding Helicon, she was a Principal at AEA Consulting, an international arts consulting firm, where she guided strategic organizational, program and policy planning with a wide range of clients including the Doris Duke Charitable Trust, James Irvine Foundation, Missouri Botanical Garden and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Prior to her work at AEA, Holly was the founding president of Leveraging Investments in Creativity (LINC), a ten-year initiative to expand support for creative artists; Program Director for arts, urban parks and adult literacy at the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund; and interim director of arts and culture at the Ford Foundation and The Howard Gilman Foundation, among other leadership positions. She holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and a Management Certificate from Columbia University. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and teenage daughter.

Jack Thomas is the Producer and Interior Design for Bulldog Theatrical, which is a theatrical production of shows on Broadway and Off Broadway in New York, and in the West End of London. He was previously vice president of strategic development at Broadway.com, managing director at Andy Kings Events, director of strategic development at The Shubert Organization, and interim managing director/director of marketing at the Boston Shakespeare Company. He received his M.A. in Arts Administration from American University, and his Bachelors from Yale University.

Mary R. Trudel is a creative, award winning marketing professional who brings more than 20 years of experience in strategic counsel, branding, reputation management, media relations and program management to her consulting practice to help clients achieve measurable, sustainable social change. Before launching her practice in 2010, Mary was a Senior Officer at The Wallace Foundation heading communications for the Foundation's legendary arts unit. Mary is adept at coalition building and designing stakeholder engagement strategies for profit and nonprofit organizations. Her experience as a consumer products branding expert gives her insight into decision-making patterns, marketing fundamentals and creation of motivating messages and strategies. She now applies this expertise to helping create social change through social marketing and public will building. While at Wallace, Mary managed innovative citywide audience development programs and launched national arts learning collaborative initiatives in major cities by forging ongoing partnerships in each city with the department of education, the mayor's office, the arts and culture sector, and the public. She also handled communication of groundbreaking arts research products and developed events and outreach to share effective practices and ideas. She played a key role in the launch of the landmark RAND report "Gifts of the Muse: Reframing the Debate About the Benefits of the Arts" and other high profile research studies. Before joining Wallace, Mary served as group director, consumer marketing and technology, at Hill & Knowlton; executive vice president, consumer/consumer healthcare, at Ruder Finn Public Relations Worldwide; and president of The Rowland Company Worldwide. She developed the Go Red For Women national awareness campaign for the American Heart Association, and managed multi-office programs for Fortune 100 companies, including DuPont, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson and Volkswagen. Nationally recognized as an audience engagement specialist, Mary is active in the arts community through thought leader blogging on artsjournal.com and Americans for the Arts ARTSblog. In 2007, she co-founded ArtsCom, an organization dedicated to the exchange of ideas and the advancement of the arts. In partnership with the Alliance for the Arts, AFTA's National Arts Marketing Project and the Arts & Business Council of New York, Mary is producing a cultural sponsorship seminar as part of the Arts Forum at The New York Times. The seminar will highlight the brand enhancing effects of strategic arts sponsorships and feature the initiatives of Target Corporation and Disney Theatrical Group. Currently, she consults with groups such as the American Psychoanalytic Association, the Rainforest Alliance, the YWCA and The Creative Center (Arts for People with Cancer) on rebranding, marketing and development efforts. Mary currently serves as a board member of Theater 1010, a ministry of the Park Avenue Christian Church. She is a patron of Manhattan Theatre Company, one of the city's leading repertory companies. Mary holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Journalism from the City College of New York (CCNY), where she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She is a winner of numerous public relations industry awards for her work in consumer products and community relations and she was named a "PR All-Star" by Inside PR magazine. Mary began her career as a singer and attended the Manhattan School of Music.

She founded Consult’Her in 1982 to provide management consulting services to nonprofit organizations and small businesses. In over twenty-five years of operation, Wolverton has built a diverse practice that includes long-range and strategic planning, organizational assessment, project evaluation, marketing strategy, board development, staff development and human relations issues, executive search, executive and life coaching, conflict resolution, program development, fundraising strategy, and facilitation of group meetings and retreats.Her clients have included arts organizations in a multitude of disciplines, as well as advocacy organizations, social service agencies, small for-profit businesses and individual artists. In recent years, she has expanded her client base to include more public policy projects and consultation to funders. In 2002, she completed work with the Los Angeles County Arts Commission on a Regional Blueprint for Arts Education within the County. From 2001-2004 she conducted an evaluation of a three-year Visual Arts Initiative funded by the California Community Foundation, and a program evaluation of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission’s Arts Leadership Initiative. In 2005, she was hired by Warner Bros./ Corporate Responsibility to conduct an assessment and capacity building project for the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts.In addition, she has served on the Board of Directors of the Woman’s Building, PEN Center USA, and Collage Dance Theater. She is the author of seven books of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, and is an Associate Faculty Mentor in the MFA Writing Program of Antioch University Los Angeles.