ArtsKC

Promote the Arts for their individual, community, and economic benefits.1. Community resources: artskc provides community resources and connecting and convening opportunities for the Arts community. These include leadership networking discussions, hosting first friday events, opportunities to participate at local Arts festivals and other arts-related activities. During the covid-19 pandemic, artskc provided virtual meetings to over 1,000 participants on covid-19 relevant topics and specific resources. Post pandemic, it is continuing and furthering its efforts as a thought leader for the region. 2. Cultural portal for the Arts, now known as artskcgo.com: work began in fiscal year 2016 to launch a comprehensive cultural event calendar and resource directories that provide an easier mechanism for Arts organizations to promote their respective Arts offerings as well as for Arts patrons to access information on upcoming events. Phase one of this portal, in response to one of the needs identified by the Regional cultural plan process, was launched in fiscal year 2017 with the events calendar. Since that time artskcgo.com launched the business module, artists' directory, and the Arts education modules. This tool was a well-used resource to the Arts community as events were canceled or rescheduled as the covid-19 pandemic interrupted Arts events in the spring of 2020 and continues now to reconnect Arts events to participants. This platform serves over 300 Arts organizations and well over 550 artists in the region. Artskcgo.com also provides strategic connections by allowing other organizations to share the events calendar on their own websites. 3. Audience development practice: based on the wallace foundation event held in 2016 and in the implementation of the artskcgo.com in 2017, artskc spent significant time since then to research and implement ways to address small to mid-sized Arts organizations' needs as they pertain to audience development. Many of these organizations do not have full-time dedicated staffing that can focus on reaching new and diverse audiences for long-term sustainability. Artskc began this work with the goal of creating tools to help Arts organizations better market their works. From this research, a multi-pronged program emerged and is now being fully developed and implemented. This includes artskcgo.com, the marketing capacity program (mcp), the Arts marketers network and the audience development tool (aot), now known as the marketing intelligence dashboard (mid). In fiscal year 2022, artskc began a feasibility study to ascertain the viability of an access or discount ticketing program. This discount ticketing program, known as the drop, launched in fiscal year 2023 and is in a pilot phase. Artskc was also the key organization that led and funded the "who needs Arts" marketing campaign to raise awareness of the value of all of the Arts in the region to the community at large. This campaign is still being utilized.4. Other community events: events that foster support for local Arts, events and art collections and serve as a conduit for Greater Arts appreciation, audience attendance and support. During fiscal year 2022 artskc hosted or participated in many Regional and national events, such as continuing to participate in the Missouri Arts safety alliance, the national association of state Arts agencies, participation in the downtown Council 2030 plan steering committee, the kc chamber Regional transportation committee and other events such as these. In fiscal year 2023 it hosted and participated in several local, Regional and national events, such as the national league of cities, the richmond, va chamber of commerce, Kansas City candidate forums.

Advocate for the Arts by educating the community, building relationships with government officials, and supporting the development of public funding for the Arts. 1. Advocacy overall: this strategic initiative has been a priority of artskc since 2015, but our most effective impact has been in fiscal years 2021, 2022 and 2023. With the leadership of an expert and influential advocacy committee, chaired by strong board members and coupled with countless hours of outreach by the artskc staff and volunteers, artskc has achieved much since 2015. A formal advocacy agenda has been developed for five full years with the position that the Arts contribute toward inclusive prosperity in workforce development, entrepreneurship, and affordable housing. In fiscal year 2019 and fiscal year 2020, artskc partnered with Regional agencies to elevate the importance of the design and integration of public art in the kci plans. In fiscal years 2021 through 2023, it has worked with key leaders in one of its key focus areas for development of a strategic plan for Greater Arts infrastructure within this county. We are currently focused on the activation and support of asset mapping and other key strategies in the other counties being served. As advocates for the Arts, we know the Arts are uniquely positioned to contribute to the improved quality of life of everyone in our region. Other program areas under this initiative include:2. Annual awards luncheon or major event: in past years, artskc would host an annual luncheon in which individuals, Arts organizations, schools and elected officials are provided awards and recognized for their contributions to the Regional Arts ecology. More than 900 people typically came together each year to recognize and thank these individuals and organizations for their stellar support for the Arts. Due to covid-19, this luncheon was not held in fiscal year 2021. In fiscal year 2022, artskc shifted to a new format that was known as the Arts moves us celebratory events. This included a full-length documentary, in partnership with the Kansas City pbs, on the value and importance of the Arts for the region, among other events. Fiscal 2023 key event was the thought leadership event. This event, attended by more than 200 people discussed the important intersection between art and well-being. 3. Hosting and sponsoring advocacy events: artskc provides meeting space and resources for the hosting of events that raise the awareness of the economic value and quality of life that the Arts provide to the Kansas City region. It typically hosts one event per year. Artskc, with mca, coordinates a group of residents and civic leaders to attend the Missouri Arts legislative day in jefferson City, Missouri. Typically, more than 40 people participate each year. Fiscal years 2021 and 2022 were both held remotely due to covid-19. In fiscal year 2023, participation was in person with artskc hosting the local attendees.4. Arts education advocacy: in fiscal year 2016 artskc began exploring how it could help further the cause and promote the value of Arts education. Research was done and partnerships formed. In fiscal years 2017, 2018 and 2019, artskc provided grant support for Arts education work, in partnership with the ks/mo kennedy center partners in education group. This is currently a bi-state collaboration with two Arts organizations and two schools. This collaborative hosts an annual Arts integration symposium in july each year and offers professional development curricula during the school year for teaching artists to work with educators in both Arts enhancement and Arts integration. In fiscal years 2018, 2019, and 2020 artskc contracted with a researcher to undertake evaluation of the curricula and document the benefits of Arts integration in schools. The third and final year of evaluation was put on hold due to the impact that covid-19 has had on the public-school system. The final report was received in fiscal year 2022 and showed that Arts integration does make a significant difference for our children.5. Arts & economic prosperity study: in fiscal year 2016, artskc was the organization that gathered Regional Arts and economic prosperity data, in partnership with the americans for the Arts (afta) national study. This data was based on the calendar year of 2015 and was the fifth (5th) study done by afta. In fiscal year 2017, the data gathering work was completed and artskc worked with afta on the messaging to roll out the data for this study to the region. The study generated data on the economic impact of spending by the kc region's not-for-profit Arts and culture organizations and their audiences. Artskc also participated in the 2012 Arts & economic prosperity study iv. This data illustrates growth over the last five years. This data is vital to advocacy work to educate elected and government officials and the community about the Arts' economic impact. The roll out of the data in fiscal year 2018 was done in conjunction with johnson county Arts Council and the Kansas City office of cultural and creative services, providing a Regional approach. Several presentations occurred in fiscal year 2019 around this data. It also has the afta Arts economic impact calculator on its website and the use of this tool was also promoted. Little activity occurred in fiscal years 2020 or 2021, but artskc has again taken the lead role in the sixth such study with afta. The work for this study continued into fiscal year 2023.

Support artists and Arts agencies with capacity building programs and grants.1. Artskc fund, also known as the grant-making program: this grant-making program provides grants and artist awards to Arts organizations, Arts education organizations, Arts programs and individual artists. Funds are received through workplace giving campaigns, individuals, businesses, foundations, municipalities and civic organizations. In fiscal year 2017, grants to support Arts education efforts were added. More than $7 million has been granted to artists and Arts organizations since the program's inception in 2007. New grant categories were developed in fiscal year 2022 and launched in fiscal year 2023. There are now 5 grant categories and in fiscal year 2023, granted out close to $510k in grants.2. Mentorship services for Arts organizations and artists: artskc provides one-on-one direct assistance to Arts organizations and artists on how to seek grant funding and in making the Arts community aware of upcoming Arts grant opportunities. 3. Now showing: close to 50 companies support the now showing program where they can select artwork from more than 250 artists for display and sale at their local businesses. This promotes art in non-traditional areas as well as providing places for these artists to display and sell their works. Due to the covid-19 pandemic in early 2020, many of the companies closed their offices and put their exhibitions on hold. Artskc staff worked closely with these companies in the past two years as they re-opened their offices and started showing artwork again. Participation increased in fiscal years 2021 and continued into fiscal year 2023 as more companies re-opened.4.fiscal sponsorships: artskc supports the growth of local artistic ventures by serving as a fiscal sponsor for Arts organizations or events to expand artistic reach. The fiscal sponsorships have included sponsoring the fab Arts collaborative, brush creek art walk, bob motley completes the field of legends project, the national storytelling network, the national Council on education for the ceramic Arts, the print society of Greater Kansas City, movementkc, thinking up!kc, the Kansas City artists coalition and fiscal support for the performing Arts marketing group (pamg), also known as kc live Arts. A new fiscal sponsorship that began in fiscal year 2021 is the parade of hearts. This fiscal sponsorship was completed at the end of fiscal year 2023. This was a more than $2.7 million project in which over 150 full-size hearts were created by over 120 artists and others and were on public display with the goal of increasing community participation. Net proceeds from these activities will support not-for-profit work in many areas such as health and wellness, support small business efforts, the Arts, culture and tourism. New parade of hearts endeavors continued in fiscal year 2023 but artskc was not the fiscal sponsor.5.diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives: artskc works to build a more inclusive Kansas City through the Arts by leading dialogues designed to prepare the next generation of diverse Arts leaders. Artskc has collaborated with local and national partners in these endeavors. New programming was launched or assumed in fiscal year 2022 to address this critical need in the community, such as assuming the lead role of hosting the accessible Arts of Greater Kansas City (aagkc) group and increased training opportunities at both the board and staff member levels. Artskc is now the lead organization for aagkc.