Minutes: Arts in Bushwick meeting 12/01/08
Saturday, December 6th, 2008Attending: Tara, Steve, Chloe, Laura B., Meghan, Lee, Maggie, Laura C., Dan, Lindsey, Paul, Todd, Elena, Amy
Meeting called to discuss AIB operations and organizational sustainability; we need some rules, some codification of policies and procedures. We reviewed the AIB mission statement and its three main goals: to promote and organize artists in Bushwick; to do arts outreach and promotion; to explore issues of development without displacement, and the sustainability of Bushwick as a whole.
It was determined that a smaller group would work on rewording the mission statement and goals. One of the important elements to add to the statement is how AIB is different; that we operate outside of the mainstream gallery system, creating an environment which allows artists to be creative in promoting and displaying their arts.
We discussed our decision making process; we have options to go with voting or consensus. Either way we must determine who our stakeholders are so that know when we have reached consensus or majority. We need a better process of integrating newcomers and a process of leadership training in order to allow them to take lead roles in projects. Some of the questions raised were how do we balance between exclusivity and inclusivity? How do we attract and integrate new people? How to we coordinate and use volunteers?
One of the things we need to do is better understand the various roles that people play in the organization. In order for someone to hand off what they are doing to someone else, they need to define what it is they are doing. The following areas were determined to cover most of what we do:
- Fundraising & sponsorship (donations, grants, solicitation of money, including non-event based sponsorship opportunities)
- Press & media (mailing list, email blasts, press page on website, promotion. Note that promotion in terms of actually going out and spreading the word and/or paper must be done by everyone in order to be fair and productive)
- Budget & finance (treasurer, bank accounts)
- Community or neighborhood initiatives (we need to frame more clearly what we can and cannot do for the neighborhood as we do for artists; we need to define our capabilities and our limitations)
- Volunteer coordination
- Events (i.e., event leader(s) need to be identified for each event, and sometimes sub-event)
Since many folks have done pieces of all of these, homework for the week is to look at these areas and include the activities and/or concerns that you can identify for them, based on your experience. Please use the Google doc (if you do not have “edit access”, please make sure to sign in; if you still do not have access, email Laura C).
Other topics:
Budget: we are in ok but not great shape. We talked about being all-volunteer; while it is true that occasionally we have to pay for services and/or spaces, in general we try to avoid paying people. We do not have the money to pay everyone, unfortunately, and so this work is largely a labor of love. Given that, we need to help out those who have been over-burdened and are therefore burning out.
501C3 status: we are covered under the aegis of Fractured Atlas. There is little to be gained in trying to get our own non-profit status since it’s a big and annoying process. We do need to make sure we are handling our tax declarations properly; someone (Steve?) is going to check in with Fractured Atlas.
Website: Laura C. will hold a separate meeting for those interested in blogging and any committee chairs who need to post content to the site. Tentatively set for the week of 12/14?
Calendar: Email Laura C to get permission to edit the general calendar and also the internal operations calendar for anyone interested in assuming that responsibility. It can be multiple people, as long as we coordinate.
Access the general calendar HERE.
Access the Productions/Internal Operations Calendar HERE.
Performance Festival: will be held February 28-March 1 (2- days). It will be Laura B.’s birthday so everyone has to be nice to her. The coordinators are Chloe and Lee; contact them at performance@artsinbushwick.org. In order to recoup what will likely be high costs, tickets and passes will be sold at the suggested donation prices of $5/show, $10/day, $15/weekend. Thus far spaces identified include the Bushwick Department of Pubic Works, Chez Bushwick, Lumenhouse, maybe Ad Hoc. Check out the Google spreadsheet (if you do not have “edit access”, please make sure to sign in; if you still do not have access, email Laura C). We will maintain a calendar with deadlines; this will be updated by Chloe and Lee to start with then others as things progress.
::UPDATE:: Performance fest may be moved to weekend of 3/7-3/8
Next meeting: Wednesday, 12/10, 7:30-9:00, BDPW.
