Just as I was publishing an item on The Dish about a show scheduled at Intermedia Arts, I saw on Twitter that Intermedia Arts is in crisis. From their website, currently:
Over the past several weeks, Intermedia Arts has experienced sharp reductions and significant delays in funding. As a mid-sized arts organization, we rely on foundations and funders for our general operating support—foundations and funders who have lost enormous amounts of their assets in our current economic crisis.
So, What Are We Going to Do About It? Intermedia Arts has spent more than 35 years creating art for social change and giving voice to the experiences of underrepresented communities. The work that we do supports hundreds of artists, arts participants and arts organizations each year. In order for that work to continue, we have to make huge changes in the way we operate, and we have to make them immediately:
- In January 2009, Intermedia Arts will be laying off all full-time staff members. The work that we do as an organization will be done by our Executive/Artistic Director, Theresa Sweetland; our board of directors; current staff members working as independent contractors; and community volunteers.
- As of January 9th, we will be closing our gallery and eliminating our gallery and poetry library hours.
- We are currently working with other local arts groups and organizations to discuss ideas for sharing resources and sustaining our programs. We will also discuss the ways in which our building could be most valuable to the arts community as Intermedia Arts re-structures our operations and rebuilds our capacity.
- Intermedia Arts has organized a meeting of small and mid-sized arts groups—SOTA: State of the Arts. This is about Intermedia Arts, yes, but is about so much more: it’s about the state of the arts in our community, and about the action we all need to take—right now—in order for small arts to survive.
It’s huge. It’s fast. It’s dramatic. But we—our staff, our board, our artists, partners, and funders—all of us, are absolutely committed to ensuring the future of Intermedia Arts.
They’re currently taking suggestions/ideas/statements of support and donations. It’s no surprise to me to see Intermedia Arts taking this kind of action as an organization that has a heavily collaborative relationship with the community they serve. I know a lot of non-profit and arts organizations are struggling right now; Intermedia Arts is particularly important to me as an organization that primarily serves and promotes minority artists.
Intermedia Arts is holding a community townhall this Friday. You don’t have to RSVP, but they request that you do.
5:30PM Friday, December 19, 2008
Free childcare available!For over 35 years, Intermedia Arts has served as a resource for our community. The work that we do supports hundreds of artists, arts participants and arts organizations each year. Intermedia Arts is a vital part of our culture and our community: we cannot—we must not—allow this work to disappear.
We are calling on all friends, fans, supporters, members, artists, participants—anyone and everyone who cares about the future of Intermedia Arts. This a call to action. Please make it a priority to be here, in person, for this Community Townhall. You will hear from artists, community leaders, Intermedia Arts’ staff and board. You will have a chance to ask questions and offer suggestions. You will find out what you can do to keep Intermedia Arts alive.
Intermedia Arts is in crisis. More importantly, small and mid-sized arts organizations all around us are in crisis. But crisis does not equal failure, and crisis does not mean collapse. It is our response to this crisis that will determine our future. You are our community; we need you to rally with us as we design our future together.
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Thank you for your post and for helping spread the word about the Townhall on Friday!
This is about Intermedia Arts, yes, but it is about so much more—it’s about the state of the arts in our community, and about the action we all need to take—right now—in order for small arts to survive. This is a call to action. It is up to us—Intermedia Arts’ staff, board and you, our community—to look beyond the current crisis and ask ourselves what kinds of resources, artists, galleries, performance spaces and community programs we want available to us, our families, our friends and our children when this crisis is over.
In addition to our upcoming community townhall,
We are currently working with other local arts groups and organizations to discuss ideas for sharing resources and sustaining programming, as well as to determine the ways in which our building could be most valuable to the arts community as Intermedia Arts re-structures our operations and rebuilds our capacity.
Intermedia Arts is organizing a meeting of small and mid-sized arts groups—SOTA: State of the Arts. None of us can do this alone.
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[...] Arts Townhall Dec.19, 2008 in Arts Earlier this week, Intermedia Arts decided to hold a townhall meeting to address the financial situation within their organization and in the Twin Cities arts community [...]