National Performance Network
48
7
"Up" is the number of experts who agree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in the
field. "Down" is the number of experts who disagree that the nonprofit has had the most impact in field.
Headquarters Location: New Orleans, LA
Founded: 1985
Mission: The National Performance Network (NPN) is a group of diverse cultural organizers, including artists, working to create meaningful partnerships and to provide leadership that enables the practice and public experience of the arts in the United States.
Tags:
national, arts & culture, artist support, resource services, leadership development, information services, performing arts, visual arts, exhibitions, financial services, residency programs
Summary
Stories
Expert Reviews
Leadership
From the Nonprofit
Leadership
MK Wegmann.
MK Wegmann, President & CEO, National Performance Network, has 30 years experience in organizational development and artists’ services. NPN supports the creation and touring of contemporary performing and visual arts, and in its home in New Orleans, serves as an intermediary and fiscal sponsor for artists and organizations working in recovery efforts. From 1978-1991 she was Associate Director for the…
See full bio.
Financial Data
Overhead Ratio:
20.65%
Total Revenue:
$1,292,200
From the Nonprofit
The nonprofit has not added any comments yet. If you are a representative of this nonprofit and would like to leave a comment, please email us at
feedback@myphilanthropedia.org
with your request.
Contact Info
Address:
866 Camp St
New Orleans, LA 70156, USA
Twitter:
Story:
What is the history behind the National Performance Network, and what do they do?
In 1985 founder David R. White, then executive director of New York’s Dance Theater Workshop, called together a group of 14 artist-centered presenting organizations to address a national dilemma—artistic isolation and economic restraints that constricted the flow of creative ideas within and among communities, independent artists, and locally-engaged arts organizations in the United States. The result was a robust network of adventurous, dedicated presenters, and a centralized source of national funds for the presentation of artists’ performance residencies.
In 1998, after a yearlong planning process, NPN separated from Dance Theater Workshop, and under the leadership of San San Wong, became an independently incorporated not-for-profit organization. In 2000, MK Wegmann was appointed president and CEO, and the national office moved to New Orleans. Today, the National Performance Network is comprised of 61 artist-centered presenting organizations — the NPN Partners — that represent every region of the country and support more than 500 artists each year.
(Learn more about what the National Performance Network does at:http://www.npnweb.org/about/history/)
Expert Reviews of National Performance Network
Evidence of Impact Summary:
The National Performance Network is lauded for its broad and local advocacy efforts in the arts. Beyond advocacy, their decades of funding to arts groups were cited as tremendously impactful to the field.See expert comments.
Organization Strengths Summary:
Most experts consider the network's leadership to a major strength. A variety of operating capabilities were also cited as assets.See expert comments.
Areas for Improvement Summary:
The most frequently cited area for improvement involved expanding programming and growing operating capacity. Other experts cited a mix of different programming and operating areas.See expert comments.
Expert Comments: Evidence of Impact
Select the boxes to display the results according to expert type.
Show:
Show:
X
Foundation Professionals (F)
X
Researchers and Faculty (R)
X
Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
X
Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
Impact |
|||
|
F
|
They impact the funding and creation of new performance work pairing artists with presenters, providing creation and residency funds for smaller artists to reach more national audience. | ||
|
F
|
They provide consistent support to organizations and artists that create new work and to the organizations that present that work. | ||
|
F
|
This organization has a 25 (or so) year history of supporting innovative, edgy artists, and cultural leaders. Their long-standing commitment to social justice, equity, and inclusion both locally and nationally is exemplary. | ||
|
N
|
This group has been a leader in the field of sustaining individual and group artistic creation among those working in the field of art for social change. Through the disbursement of hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last 25 years, they provide funding for project that due to their political nature are not usually supported by mainstream arts funding sources. The organization has a long history of supporting marginalized artists/arts groups with a strong history of work on the national cultural landscape in the area of freedom of speech and artistic expression. Recently they extended reach to include Latin America and Japan, allowing a cultural dialog to develop among artists and arts groups in these countries who are engaged in creating work around contemporary political issues with US artists. | ||
|
N
|
The National Performance Network has provided leadership nationally and regionally in policymaking in the arts. It challenges its members and peer organizations to support artists who actively engage audiences outside of the performance arena - through residency activities, long-term engagement, workshops and discussions. Moreover, it is one of the only organizations that provide commissioning funds to artists, particularly to artists whose work is more emerging or regionally significant. Membership also creates a shared value system among the presenting organizations, artists and producers that stresses equitable working relationships (including salaries and wages); diversity of thought and culture; and the empowerment of the local to affect regional and national change. Without this group, many of its member organizations would not be able to present as many artists or support as many residencies in their season and would not be able to leverage funds to make significant contributions to artist commissions. | ||
|
N
|
They have set a national standard for presenter/artist relationships. They continue to push the field of performance art by providing emerging and established artists a space to create that is built on their needs. | ||
|
N
|
In the intersection between touring artists and presenters, this is a go-to organization. Their influence is felt both widely and deeply within their field. | ||
|
N
|
Over its 25-year history, this organization has supported the creation and touring of socially-grounded performance, played a catalytic role in developing the careers of hundreds of diverse artists, and fostered deeper engagement between visiting artists and local communities. | ||
|
N
|
National Performance Network now celebrating its 25th anniversary is a partnership entity made up of over 60 ethnically and geographically diverse arts organizations nationwide. They are committed to innovative, politically adventurous, and underserved artists and their work with a strong emphasis on equity and true democratic values. The strength of the network is in its membership and its programs which disseminate support and information for creation and touring. | ||
|
N
|
NPN has served as a core national and international nexus for emerging and mid-career artists and a group of contemporary and alternative arts centers who support this work. They have provided professional development, networking, financial support to support the advancement of their constituents. | ||
|
N
|
This organization is addressing the challenges of touring the performing arts throughout the country and, increasingly, abroad. They have developed contracts and standardized practices that benefit presenters and artists. As a "third party" they can address the needs of both constituents. Their practices have been adopted beyond their membership and, through their professional development programs they are reaching a broad constituency throughout the US. Through their Visual Arts Network, they have now successfully created a program that bridges visual artists and curators. | ||
|
N
|
They support creating environments for raising the awareness of the visual and performing arts. They provide opportunities for the continued growth of artists and the development of their work. They offer support for the creation and touring of work. | ||
|
O
|
This organization has a unique structure - limited membership, significant re-granting, all artistic decisions made by its members (not the national office), and uses it to full effect. Hundreds of touring and residency engagements each year are supported, as well as the creation of new work and now, through the Forth Fund, continued rehearsal and development to ensure that new performances are fully ready to tour. They enable a healthy dialogue among artists, presenters, curators, and funders about the place of art in contemporary society, in a context of addressing racial, class, and gender issues. | ||
|
O
|
This organization has been instrumental in allowing small presenting organizations to connect with high quality groups and performers. It has made touring feasible for a lot of quality small performers. | ||
|
O
|
They provide stellar leadership in the area of service to performing artists and arts organizations. Its annual meeting is an opportunity for the member companies, performing arts organizations and individuals in the field to network, view contemporary work and discuss issues of cultural policy and parity. Most importantly it provides performance and presentation and well as professional development subsidy to its membership. | ||
|
O
|
National impact through effective touring programs, commissioning, and support for community based residencies - local impact in New Orleans as fiscal sponsor and partner for many important cultural programs following Katrina. | ||
Expert Comments: Organization Strengths
Select the boxes to display the results according to expert type.
Show:
Show:
X
Foundation Professionals (F)
X
Researchers and Faculty (R)
X
Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
X
Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
Program Focus |
|||
|
F
|
It is very artist centered and has a strong and diverse membership. | ||
Leadership |
|||
|
F
|
The leadership is exemplary, and always attempting to be responsive to changing circumstances. | ||
|
N
|
One of the strengths of the National Performance Network is its fiscal conservativeness, allowing the funds that are raised to directly benefit the constituency it was created to serve. As a board member and a partner in the network, I have observed how the CEO, MK Wegmann has managed the budget in such a way as to maximize every dollar as well as working to assist the network members capitalize on their participation in the network. Often times to her own detriment, she has stood up for the individual artist in times when supporting them was tantamount to being a "subversive", particularly during the culture wars of the 80s. At no time did she acquiesce to the radical right that lobbied hard to eradicate all support for artists and arts groups that demanded the elimination of censorship in government arts funding. She remains a strong advocate on the national cultural policy scene for giving artists a voice. | ||
|
N
|
They have a strong and dynamic leader in MK Wegman. Her leadership style empowers her staff to take ownership of the organization and mission. Their Board/organizational structure allow for strong regional representation and they are explicit about the need for racial parity among their membership as well as cultural equity for the field. | ||
|
O
|
The organization is blessed with strong leadership from its staff - CEO MK Wegmann has brought the organization back from the brink of extinction and helped elevate it to national prominence. The structure also ensures that its members participate actively in its annual meeting and regional gatherings. | ||
Leadership & Program Design |
|||
|
F
|
They are smart in how they carry out their work. Their leadership is visionary and driven and committed to the right values. They do a really good job and their annual conference is my favorite. | ||
|
N
|
Their leadership is a strength. MK Wegmann is a national asset and her mentorship of younger arts leaders is important to the continuity of the field. In addition, their standardized contract structure takes money out of the conversation between presenter and artist, this allows for the structure of the engagement to be based on mutual needs. | ||
Program Design |
|||
|
F
|
They have the most innovative, streamlined model to move art and artists around the country, and to take it to places where it otherwise wouldn't be seen. | ||
|
N
|
The NPN leadership continues to challenge other policymakers and granting agencies to look outside of the "mainstream" or "major" institutions, and support organizations who directly serve artists and communities. It is also one of the few national organizations that headquarters in the South which spotlights that significant art can be created and supported outside of major coastal hubs. | ||
|
N
|
They have very strong grant and professional development programs and a very important annual convening that is artist-centric and grounded in the work and needs of its constituents. They are located in New Orleans and now also serve as a local nexus for this Gulf Coast community, which has experienced the devastating effects of hurricane Katrina and now the catastrophic oil spill in the region. They have done great planning, have had a focused performing arts mission and function as a network, around a set of principles and needs. They have raised visibility for an important group of contemporary artists, whose work in some cases has not easily found support or presentation. Additionally, they have brought along the presenting community in supporting these artists with technical assistance and financial incentives. Finally, their exchange work with La Red, a Latin American network similar to theirs has strengthened and helped to sustain that network and the artists served. | ||
|
N
|
A whole sector of the field, small/mid-sized presenting organizations, would not exist if it wasn't for National Performance Network and its continued work. Creation Fund is one of the few opportunities for commissioning money for artists. This is especially important for artists outside of cultural centers, whose aesthetic is not "mainstream", and for marginalized communities. The model is exciting because it is not the arbiter of taste and aesthetic, but the member organizations are. | ||
|
O
|
They are in the process of extending their model to visual artists with Visual Artist Network, expanding their impact. | ||
Leadership, Staff & Operations |
|||
|
N
|
The organization has really strong leadership at the staff level with many highly skilled and experienced people in key departments such as financial management and program development. | ||
Diversity |
|||
|
N
|
One of NPN's greatest strengths has been its commitment to diversity. I have personally witnessed the organization transform over the past 15 years from one in which people of color were a minority "caucus" but are now an integrated majority of the members. | ||
Staff & Programming |
|||
|
N
|
Because the staff sits at many important national tables of influence it is able to delivered critical information to the partners regarding policy, funding, new initiatives, research, etc. on a regular basis. Their annual convening allow for valuable exchange among partners and access to new works from every region of the US. | ||
Leadership & Finances |
|||
|
N
|
This is a very strong organization. All examples provided, I imagine, are areas of strength. While I do not know the inner workings of this organization, the ways in which I have been engaged have been powerful, dynamic, and professional. This to me reflects strong leadership, staff, marketing, operations, and finances. | ||
|
O
|
They are led by extremely capable and talented professional staff and have strong fiscal management practices. | ||
Collaboration |
|||
|
N
|
They have had a significant impact on grassroots arts organizations and underserved communities. | ||
Leadership & Advocacy |
|||
|
O
|
They have strong leadership, are effective advocates, and have a diverse board. | ||
Expert Comments: Areas for Improvement
Select the boxes to display the results according to expert type.
Show:
Show:
X
Foundation Professionals (F)
X
Researchers and Faculty (R)
X
Nonprofit Senior Staff (N)
X
Other (consultants, journalists, policy makers) (O)
Funding |
|||
|
F
|
They should increase the baseline for creation funds. | ||
PR & Marketing |
|||
|
N
|
They need to make improvements in its public relations/marketing areas. Although it isn't an organization that needs to recruit, it is important that more socially-conscious people understand and support the work it does. Making its case is not the organization's strong suit! | ||
|
O
|
They should make stronger efforts to improve marketing and public relationships strategies. They should also make annual efforts to expand membership base and create a category for former staff of member organizations. | ||
Capacity |
|||
|
N
|
The organization's infrastructure and capacity is limited. It is a continuing struggle to grow the capacity of the organization while still maintaining the grassroots nature of the network. | ||
|
N
|
They need additional support to increase and enhance staffing to better serve all partners and programs. Particular attention is needed in the area of technology and effective use of the web to enhance information exchange and realize economies in their of re-granting process. | ||
Communication |
|||
|
N
|
They should build a connection between their residency structure and their values as an organization. Artists are not always aware of the network and how to get engaged. | ||
More Collaboration |
|||
|
N
|
Their conferences are by invitation only. However, I think they have a wealth of experience, expertise, and forward thinking management capabilities that could be shared with a wider audience. | ||
Finances |
|||
|
N
|
Their long-term planning and financial management could be stronger. | ||
|
O
|
They could use more sustainable income, like individual donations. They could also boost their ability to support in depth work done at home and in other communities. | ||
Integrate Programming |
|||
|
N
|
They created a new visual arts network after Katrina as a way to address the needs of visual artists in their community. The program is national, but should be more connected to the visual arts community and other organizations that could provide partnership and support. This effort is not as robust or national as the performing arts services. | ||
Recognition |
|||
|
N
|
I understand that part of their success is the result of a small, defined membership and yet, they are so effective and good at what they do, that I wish there were ways to include a larger constituency. Also, is there a way to increase the organization's national visibility? Again, this is a model company that is a leader, but still, not enough artists and presenters are utilizing their benefits. | ||
|
O
|
This organization is well-hidden inside the national arts and culture infrastructure, known primarily to those who have made use of its programs or engaged with it in cultural policy discussions. Increasing visibility will be difficult because its work is so completely behind-the-scenes. They also struggle, like most organizations, to find unrestricted operating support and the kind of capital that would enable it to pilot new programs before seeking outside support. | ||
Focus |
|||
|
N
|
In recent years, their focus has appeared to become too diluted. | ||
Infrastructure |
|||
|
O
|
They could use more infrastructure support. | ||
Leadership
MK Wegmann
President and CEO
President and CEO
From the Nonprofit
The nonprofit has not added any comments yet. If you are a representative of this nonprofit and would like to leave a comment, please email us at
feedback@myphilanthropedia.org
with your request.