May 14, 2010

On May Day, I watched for the first time the high energy starting ceremony of the American Visionary Art Museum’s 2010 Kinetic Sculpture Race. The teams that work for months to create outlandish amphibious vessels are known as much for their quirky themes and costumes as they are for their uncanny endurance skills. The community-based event is just one example of Baltimore’s interest in ephemeral public art. Contemporary art enters urban space in other ways, too—during the Transmodern Festival (April), the Evergreen Sculpture series (May) and Baltimore’s three-day Artscape festival (July) that features a midway with DIY artists’ projects.

MAP (Maryland Art Place)—the state’s oldest nonprofit contemporary art center—is only a 10-minute walk from the 2010 AFTA conference site. We’d like for the world to take note of Baltimore’s contemporary art scene. That’s why we’re launching a series of public art initiatives, beginning this summer with our first-ever project outside MAP’s galleries. At 6pm on June 23, MAP presents Everybody Suz-ercise! with Miami-based artist Susan Lee-Chun and a team of Suz-ercisers for the PAN Pre-Conference opening event.

The performance begins on the plaza at Market Place, just outside the doors of MAP, and proceeds to the edge of the Harbor where high mode team will finesse a choreographed routine on the green space across from the Aquarium. You can check out the faux fitness program created by The Suz @ www.TheSuzItsFauxReal.com.

Valerie Beaman

With arts budgets ranging from flat to drastically reduced, it is hard to imagine using this difficult time as a period of investment, but in Community Foundation of Central Florida, Inc. President and CEO Mark Brewer’s blog Investors versus Contributors, he spoke of the need for arts organizations to use this low time in our economy to do as businesses do – invest in infrastructure to be ready when the market returns. But how is this possible with lack of funds and reduced staff?

I was reminded of Mark’s post when I saw the recently released 2010 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey. The report cites the Corporation for National & Community Service’s statistics that cash giving in the United States has declined for the past two years, but the volunteerism rate is increasing. While not all business investors are focused on the arts, the Deloitte survey shows they are quite clearly focused on alleviating social needs of their communities – often with skills-based volunteering of their staff.

Over the next several months it is my intention to use the Green Paper document as a springboard for discussion regarding the vision for the future of the art therapy profession; obstacles to achieving that vision; and strategies to overcome those obstacles and make that vision a reality. I anticipate the topics will garner lively discussion and much feedback. It is my personal vision that this blog be a welcoming venue for dialog and a platform for exchanging ideas and connection. My goal includes relaying information about art therapy, current trends, and future opportunities, including input from art therapists practicing around the country and possibly the globe.