Ruah

A friend writes about the Vagina Monologues, the Guerilla Girls, and John Paul II in one article. Way to rock it. We can do better than the Vagina Monologues.

During the spring, 2008 Wisconsin Arts Board grant review panels, panelists identified the widespread need among many of Wisconsin’s arts groups for professional development in three areas:   leadership succession planning (both staff and board), evaluation, and grant proposal writing.
 
In response to the panel’s related recommendations to us, the Wisconsin Arts Board will offer – for the first time ever – a series of workshops focused around the issues of:
 
* Leadership Succession Planning for organizations,
 * Strong Evaluation Practices 
*  Effective Grant Proposal Writing
 
The experts in writing grant proposals to the Wisconsin Arts Board (its staff) will present the grant proposal writing workshop. 
 
For the other two workshops, significant resources have been invested in order to bring you the top national leaders in the fields of arts-organization-focused  Succession Planning, and arts program Evaluation.  
 
All grant applicants to the Wisconsin Arts Board are strongly encouraged to register for the Succession Planning and Evaluation workshops in particular.  
 
Our partners in six communities around the state will host this workshop series throughout the Autumn:  
* Stevens Point  – October 20-21 (Charles M. White Memorial Library, downtown at 1001 Main St)
* Madison  – October 21-22  (location to be announced)
* Milwaukee  – October 22  (Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, 123 E. State St); and
                        October 23 (UWM School of Continuing Education at the Grand Avenue Mall, 275 W. Wisconsin Avenue, 7th floor)
* Eau Claire  – December 2-3  (Eau Claire Regional Arts Center, 316 Eau Claire Street)
* Ashland  – December 3-4  (Northern Great Lakes Center, 29270 County Highway G)
* Green Bay  – December 4-5  (Harmony Cafe, 1660 W. Mason St.)
 
For a full schedule and details regarding the workshop series nearest you, please visit: www.artsboard.wisconsin.gov/static/fall_08workshops.htm
 
These workshops are underwritten by the National Endowment for the Arts through its Challenge America program.   For that reason, registrations from past grant applicants to the WI Arts Board and the WI Humanities Council will be given priority.   
 
Please note:   Space is limited for these workshops.   Please register as soon as possible (after Wednesday, September 17th when the registration form goes “live”) by submitting the registration form located on the WI Arts Board website:   www.artsboard.wisconsin.gov/static/fall_08workshops.htm
   
As is the case for all Wisconsin Arts Board meetings, each workshop location is accessible to people with disabilities.  Interpreters are available for people with hearing impairments.   We must know at least two weeks in advance of the workshop if an interpreter will be needed.
 
We look forward to seeing a representative from your organization when we come to your region of the state.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at artsboard@wisconsin.gov or 608-266-0190.

If you haven’t heard of Gabriel Olearnik yet, you will. He’s a Polish poet masquerading as a lawyer (em, sorry, solicitor) in London, and has written, in my opinion, some really tremendous poetry. You can find his work online at Dappled Things. If you’re on the other side of the pond than I, you might be interested in this job: