September 2009 – Part Two

"The Arts Access Award from Arts Presenters/MetLife has continued to raise the visibility of Victory Gardens Theater: its commitment to Access and its mission of inclusion both onstage and off. The grant was extremely helpful in producing Love Person by Aditi Brennan Kapil, a bilingual play in ASL and English, on our Mainstage this spring, as well as adding to the support of our Access services, available for each production in the season." – Sandy Shinner, Co-Director of the Access Project and Associate Artistic Director, Victory Gardens

Theater Victory Gardens Theater received the 2008 Award for Excellence and Innovation in Arts Access

News of the Month

Sandra Gibson is Blogging! – On September 22, Sandra Gibson, CEO & President, Arts Presenters will be joining an online forum on national arts policy as a panelist to discuss the needs of the arts field, whether or not the Endowment is meeting those needs and how the agency might better address those needs. » Read more

Meet the New CMO – We are excited to announce the recent hiring of Kari Ardolino Rudgers as the new Chief Member Officer at Arts Presenters. Kari joins us from the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (a trade association representing professionals in the pet industry) where she served the organization as the Director of Membership and Communications. Prior to her role at PIJAC, she was the Director of Program Management and Director of Production at AOL and spent several years in Los Angeles, working for Disney, ABC Television, and Warner Bros. Kari has a BA in theatre and speech from the College of William and Mary, and an MFA in theatre management from the Yale School of Drama. Outside of work, Kari enjoys spending time with her family and volunteers as an advocate for pediatric brain tumor research.

Performing Arts Exchange – Arts Presenters is once again holding a session at PAE this year on Friday, September 24 at 3pm. Come meet our new CMO Kari Ardolino Rudgers and hear all the latest news on Arts Presenters from Sandra Gibson and Scott Stoner. » More info

Artists from Abroad – The Visa Webinar: The Basics You Need to Know – Learn to navigate the rules and requirements of the U.S. artist visa process from Jonathan Ginsburg, immigration attorney and author of the visa section of www.artistsfromabroad.org. Understanding the visa petition process can help you save time, money, and result in fewer sleepless nights! This webinar will cover the basic procedures for successfully completing the visa petition process and consular interview requirements. If your organization engages foreign artists, you won't want to miss this! September 23, 12-1:30pm ET. » Register here

Facebook and Twitter – Join us at www.facebook.com/APAPConference and www.twitter.com/APAPConference and connect with our network for members in the performing arts.

APAP Conference 2010

New Conference Speakers Confirmed – Rocco Landesman, Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts, Wynton Marsalis, legendary jazz artist, and Paula Moreno Zapata, Minister of Culture, Colombia have been added to the growing list of dynamic speakers at the conference. Check apapconference.org for all the latest speaker news.

Rocco Landesman Wynton Marsalis Paula Moreno Zapata

Webinar for Prospective Attendees – Save the date! On September 24 at 2pm ET, APAP will host a webinar for prospective attendees to provide an overview of the conference program, exciting professional development sessions and information on travel subsidies available to attend the conference. With almost 400 exhibitors to visit and over 1,000 showcase performances to sample, there just isn't a better, or a more efficient way to do business. » Register here

NEA Travel Stipends Available to Attend APAP Conference NYC 2010 – Stipends of $250 and $500 will be available to defray any travel costs associated with attending the 2010 conference. Non-profit members of APAP can apply for travel assistance by 11:59 pm ET, Monday, October 5. Recipients will be selected on Tuesday, October 6. » Apply now

Impact of the Economy

Financial Management for Nonprofits – The Nonprofit Finance Fund and The Chronicle of Philanthropy will be offering free webinars this fall that provide advice for managing your organization through the recession, starting October 1. » More info

Government Affairs

Health Care Reform – While the White House, House of Representatives and the Senate continue debating the merits of the four existing health care proposals, Arts Presenters continues to meet with congressional offices and administration officials to raise awareness of the role of nonprofits as employers and the importance of providing incentives to small nonprofit employers that are comparable to those offered to for-profit employers. We are also advocating for affordable health insurance options for artists. For a comparison chart on the existing health care proposals, read more here.

Advocacy and Action Alert: Health Care Reform – Please contact your Senators and Representatives and urge them to ensure that nonprofits are included in any provision designed to encourage smaller employers to provide health insurance coverage. » Take action