Members
The following are current members of the Arts and Culture Group. If you are interested in joining this group, contact Margo Gray.

Michelle T. Boone, co-chair,The Joyce Foundation
Sydney R. Sidwell , co-chair, Lloyd A. Fry Foundation

Cleopatra B. Alexander, The Albert Pick, Jr. Fund
Frank Baiocchi, Polk Bros. Foundation
Michelle L. Bibbs, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
Paul Botts, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
Richard Cahan, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
Evette M. Cardona, Polk Bros. Foundation
Janet Carl Smith, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
Suzanne Connor, The Chicago Community Trust
Donald A. Cooke, McCormick Foundation
Kassie Davis, CME Trust
Amina Dickerson, Kraft Foods, Inc.
Shawn M. Donnelley, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Members
Marcia Festen, Arts Work Fund for Organizational Development
Sunny Fischer, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
Elisabeth Geraghty, Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation
Esther Grisham Grimm, 3Arts
Deepa Gupta, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Peter Handler, The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation
Joan W. Harris, The Irving Harris Foundation
Sarah Herda, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts
T.J. Houlihan, McCormick Foundation
Kristin A. Huml, The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust
Iris Krieg, Leo S. Guthman Fund
Jan Lewis, Leo S. Guthman Fund
Mark Murray, Field Foundation of Illinois, Inc.
Rose Parisi, Illinois Arts Council
Elspeth A. Revere, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Jennifer Siegenthaler, Terra Foundation for American Art
Eva Silverman, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
Nikki Will Stein, Polk Bros. Foundation
Judith M. Stockdale, Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
Norm Strasma, Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley
Arthur Sussman, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Dimitra Tasiouras, Illinois Humanities Council
Encarnación Teruel, Illinois Arts Council
Richard Turner, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Corporate Contributions
Charles C. Twichell, Prince Charitable Trusts
Kristina A. Valaitis, Illinois Humanities Council
Diane Whatton, Harris Bank Foundation
Benna B. Wilde, Prince Charitable Trusts
Jan Ellen Woelffer, Chicago Tribune Foundation

Upcoming Programs

The State of the Arts in Chicago: Visual Arts | REGISTER
Thursday, October 30 | Marwen, 833 N. Orleans St., Chicago | 8:30 - 10:30 am
This series of meetings, sponsored by Donors Forum's Arts and Culture Funders Group, will each focus on the state of four different arts sectors in Chicago: visual arts, theater, music, and dance. In evaluating the condition of each of these arts, the sessions will examine issues including how changing demographics in the city are affecting this sector, particularly cultural arts organizations; how the sector is dealing with organizational challenges such as leadership transition, board development, and fiscal management; what new revenue structures can organizations in this sector access; and what are the advantages that organizations in this sector can gain through for-profit versus non-profit status. These sessions may also provide updates about recent research in the different sectors. (Depending on availability, some of these sessions may be held at an organization that is part of the sector being discussed.)

Program Archive
The notes from previous programs contain valuable knowledge and information on arts and culture-related topics.

2008 Retreat
The group planned five sessions for the coming year. The first will be a discussion on "For-Profit vs. Non-Profit: Options for Arts Organizations." The next four sessions will provide updates on the state of four different arts sectors: visual arts, dance, music, and theater. Michelle Boone and Sydney Sidwell continue as co-chairs.

Resources
Arts-Related Resources on the Web (10/05)
The Foundation Center's Philanthropy News Digest compiled a comprehensive list of web sites related to the arts and arts funding.

PND Special Issue: Arts Funding (6/04)
June is Funding for Arts month at the Foundation Center, and PND has updated its collection of annotated links to some of the best arts-related resources on the web.

Leveraging Assets: How Small Budget Arts Activities Benefit Neighborhoods
This report, released by The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and funded by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, examines 10 Chicago neighborhoods where art activity is taking place and explores how such activity contributes to the cultural, social and economic vitality of neighborhoods.

Arts Funding IV: An Update on Foundation Trends (6/03, pdf)
The Foundation Center and Grantmakers in the Arts have released a report that focuses on trends in foundation arts grantmaking, breaks down giving patterns by discipline and by region and compares the changes in foundation funding to changes in other sources of support.

The Arts and Smart Growth. The Role of Arts in Placemaking
In this report the Funders Network explores the benefits of a cooperative relationship between smart growth and the arts.

National Arts Policy Database
The National Arts Policy Database is a comprehensive research/resource tool containing approximately 7,000 items documenting information on the arts and culture in the United States.

Americans for the Arts
The nation's leading arts information clearinghouse, has built a comprehensive database containing about 7,000 documents published since 1960 with information on the arts and culture in the United States.

Funding for Arts Month
The Foundation Center's collection of annotated links to some of the best arts-related resources on the Web.

For the Greater Good: Frameworks for Advancing State Arts Education Partnerships (doc)
Leaders in state arts education programs and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies share their successes and challengesand offer a model for future discussion for other arts education experts.

Review of the Chicago Arts and Cultural Community
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's examination of arts and culture grantees from the top 25 private foundations and corporate giving programs.

The Economic Impact of Nonprofit Arts Organizations and Their Audiences
Americans for the Arts reports that Arts groups generate 4.85 million full-time jobs and $80.8 billion in event-related spending, along with tax revenues totaling $6.6 billion for local governments, $7.3 billion for state governments, and $10.5 billion for the federal government.

National Investment in the Arts
The Center for Arts and Culture in Washington, D.C. examination of federal support systems for the arts, such as tax incentives and direct subsidy programs.

Grantmakers in the Arts
Affinity group resources.

Arts and Culture Funders Group Program Archives
Notes containing valuable knowledge and information shared at previous programs and meetings of this group.