Tonight: Expo reception + For-profit/Nonprofit Dialogue (9/13)

[indyarts at lists.artsandmedia.net]

Last night's panel on "$56 Million & Where's the Art?" at CounterPULSE 
was a thoughtful, informative and occasionally gripping dialogue. There 
were numbers and statistics, occasionally startling, but also 
inspiring. There was passion by the boatload. There was feedback and 
intrigue and no small amount of vision. Thanks to ShapingSF/Fall Talks 
2007 for making the event possible!

Tonight the conversation continues with another classic Expo 
double-header.

1) At 10:30pm, tune into KUSF-FM for ShapingSF Radio, where we will 
talk about the challenges of doing art (permits, police, NIMBYs, etc.) 
with Suki O'Kane of the Illuminated Corridor (outdoor film/music 
project), Lowgun Owlbeemoth of the Telepathik Friends Collective (noise 
music collective) and representatives of the all-ages/experimental 
music collective Club Sandwich. Listen online at http://www.kusf.org.

2) We also have a huge soiree at Cellspace tonight. There will be food, 
beverages, music and some lively, salon-style conversation with a 
number of notable local arts & culture innovators ... including YOU. 
Read on ...

**** Pandora's Trunk and Expo for the Artist & Musician present ...

      Exhibitor Reception & Arts Discussion  Salon at CELLspace
      Thursday September 13 2007 7:30-10:30 pm

      Schedule:
      7:30 Doors
      8:05-8:40 Intro & Discussion Session 1
      8:40-8:50 Cellspace presentation, Q&A
      8:55 Intermission with music
      9:15-9:50 Discussion Session 2
      9:50-10 more music or session spillover

      Tonight's event will be a party, a conversation, and a chance to 
speak up
      and think big about what's possible for artists and arts 
supporters.

      It's hosted by the fabulous Rachel Hospodar of Pandora's Trunk. 
She's
      put together a spectacular lineup of conversationalists, booked us 
some
      music, and has pulled together some good snacks and sips for all 
attendees.

      According to Rachel:

      "This salon is grows out of thoughts about business, the arts, and 
where the
      worlds of expression and profit meet.  The nonprofit structure is 
crucial to
      a lot of arts, media, and other commercially nonviable projects 
being able to
      exist, allowing freedom and legitimacy in seeking funding and 
assistance.

      "I’ve worked at a lot of nonprofits, though, and watched too many 
of them
      hamstring themselves through a refusal to acknowledge the lessons 
to be
      learned from for-profit business – accountability to your 
audience, a focus
      on what works, a pragmatic approach to the work itself with a 
greater focus
      on the big picture than on specific decisions.  I think that 
grassroots level
      small business has a lot to teach people on both sides of the 
for-profit and
       non-profit fence about what can and can't be done.

      Some talking points to consider:

      -Relationships between non- and for-profit entities, like Burning 
Man LLC
      and BRAF, like MOMA and their gift shop. How can entities form and 
nurture
       these kind of symbiotic relationships?  What's it like?

      -Artists and arts projects changing traditional approaches to 
marketing &
      business.  Are artists more likely to build compassionate business 
models?
      Innovative business models?

      -Nontraditional approaches to self-marketing (& the impact of 
corporate
      "guerilla marketing"?)  How to be a business while making clear 
your
      philosophies and goals.  This is what 501c3 status is for but 
maybe our
      audiences are sophisticated enough now that we can move beyond 
that.

      -Nonprofits changing for the future: re-imagining the structure of 
the way
      the arts are done.  (education? cultural outreach?)

      -what can we use the machinery of nonprofit to accomplish that we 
can't
      any other way?  When is the toll of functioning this way worth the 
benefits,
      and when is it maybe not?"

PANELISTS:

Melissa Alexander: the new Executive Director of Black Rock Arts 
Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the for-profit Burning Man 
organization

Chris Carlsson: Shaping San Francisco curator, CounterPulse 
boardmember, Processed World publisher, all-purpose contrarian

Miranda Caroligne: Local fashion firecracker and neophyte author

Marie Kare: Marketing genius behind indie craft sweetbox The Sampler 
(http://homeofthesampler.com)