[NEohioPAL]The Economy Stinks and so does a lot of other things

[LissyGulick at aol.com]

Dear Ones,
    Following this thread has been extremely interesting -- and I hope to 
contribute another dimension to the discussion, hopefully to spur us artistic 
types into some creative brainstorming and problem-solving re: our economic 
dilemma.
    I am a rabidly-loyal native Clevelander and locally-known performer (see 
link below). As well, for the past 25 years, I have had the privilege (and 
usually, pleasure!) of serving on the board of a charitable foundation which 
has lent heavy support to the arts in northeast Ohio (I am the foundation's 
resident squeaky wheel when it comes to supporting the arts in northeast 
Ohio).
    Our final 2002 grant-making meeting was one of the longest, and THE most 
heavy-hearted, that I can remember: because the foundation's portfolio had 
taken a dive just like every one else's, we were not able to fund, or fully 
support, the organizations (arts and others) that we most wanted to. We had 
to reduce or in some cases eliminate grants we would otherwise readily have 
funded; worse, we had to turn down requests from several new artistic 
organizations. As the local-artist and arts-activist, that really HURT!
     But faced with the choice between funding EITHER a beloved arts 
organization, OR a crucial social-service provider-- I had to think like the 
rabidly-loyal Clevelander. 
    The question now is, how can we step into both roles at the same time? 
Can't we put on both the local-artist's and the loyal-resident's ballcaps (as 
well as our thinking caps) and generate some creative solutions?  
    For starters, using the model of an umbrella organization such as Greater 
Cleveland Community Shares, I am wondering if at least some local producing 
entities could form some sort of consortium, under one roof. Expenses and 
talent could be shared and pooled instead of duplicated. One medium-sized 
foundation grant to one such an entity would go a lot farther, and have far 
more impact, than the same money split among, say, three producers -- and 
(wearing my "foundation" ballcap) it sure beats having to turn down a fourth!
    

Yours in the faith,


<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/lissygulick/Lissy_Gulick.html">Lissy Gulick
</A>
http://www.geocities.com/lissygulick/Lissy_Gulick.html

>From jfd at nccw.net" <jfd at nccw.net  Thu Mar 27 10:20:32 2003
From: jfd at nccw.net" <jfd at nccw.net (Joanne Frances Durante)
Date: Thu Mar 27 10:20:32 2003
Subject: [NEohioPAL]Thank you!
Message-ID: <01C2F44F.F0D9E240.jfd at nccw.net>

3327: 1043

Bravo and thank you to all the actors who read for our writers in the 
Performance Writing program at the Dobama Theatre Wednesday night...and to 
all the other actors who volunteered to help!  Your generous gift of time, 
talent, and inspiration was very much appreciated by us all.

A very special thank you to Fred Sternfeld for this list, which has made it 
so easy for our theater community to stay connected.

Alyssa Lane
Bob Sprafka
Donald Krosin
Grace Butcher
Greg Bucur
Lisa Beth Allen
Lissy Gulick
Maud Holm
Maya Robinson
Neil Oblonsky
Nicky Bucur
Renee Eilers
Rich Sommer
Sharon Poucher
Victoria Korkosz
Zev Valancy

Joanne Durante
440.729.6481