Updates from the Arts + Business Council - December - Arts + Business Council for Greater Philadelphia

“We deserve to be here and there.”
“We’re not meant to fit into a mold, but we are meant to model.”
“Your spheres of influence are a legacy. What stories will be told once you’re not here?”
“Your gift is not for everyone but share it anyway.”
“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

These nuggets of wisdom are a glimpse of Kendall Isadore’s powerful speech that kicked off the Arts Administrators of Color Network’s Annual Convening last month. Kendall is an educator, creator of the Black Kings/Queens Matter movement, and one-third of the renowned trio, The String Queens. Also, at the Convening, Ruby Lopez Harper offered a holistic approach to networking. She challenged us to intentionally choose who we engage with and to embrace the power in saying, “not today.” As a board member of AAC, I’m proud of the spaces we’ve made for artists and arts administrators of color where we can just be; where we can collect ourselves and nothing else. The Convening reminded me of this.

Ruby is FIRE. She is a Mexican, mother, wife, dancer, photographer, poet, and social justice warrior. She is the new Executive Director of Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+), which provides a safety net for artists to support strong and sustainable careers. I know you want to learn more – and you can – because she’s leading workshops on board recruitment and retention and fundraising as part of the Arts + Business Council’s upcoming Business on Board season starting on January 10, 2023.

Are you interested in supporting the arts by serving on an arts and culture nonprofit board, or do you want to brush up on your knowledge of the sector? Learn from Ruby and a suite of other incredible experts through Business on Board while making connections with a diverse cohort of like-minded professionals in the area. Full scholarships are available for applicants who identify as a person of color.

And there’s still room in our FREE Digital Drawingboard: The Generational Divide virtual workshop on Tuesday, December 6, from 9 a.m. – 11a.m. Hear from Rebecca Kowalewicz, Vice President, Digital, of Clearbridge Branding, on how different age groups respond to digital content – from the alpha to silent generations. Read her Forbes article: Three Tips For Marketing To Generation X.