Author: Arts Services Inc. (ASI)

What a year it’s been! Despite all of the challenges and setbacks that this year has brought, the WNY arts and cultural community has managed to maintain or even improve upon our efforts of increasing accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and equity.  Back in January, we took some time to reflect on the previous year and noticed a trend in questions about what it means to promote a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility in the nonprofit sector and beyond. That is why we decided to dedicate 2020 to igniting conversations on these topics and how they come into play within…

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Arts Services Inc. (ASI) is excited to partner with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) to bring the popular NYSCA/NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur program back to Western New York in March 2021. This professional development program will be presented free of charge to selected participants. The NYSCA/NYFA Artist as Entrepreneur Program is an intensive, multi-day professional development program that delves into the fundamental principles of sustainability in the arts. Featured topics will include strategic planning, finance, law, marketing, and fundraising, with additional material drawn from NYFA’s popular textbook The Profitable Artist (Allworth Press, 2018). The program includes a…

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We announced the winners and honorees of the 7th annual Spark Awards on Monday, November 16 at 7:00 pm. The presentation was streamed for free through our YouTube page found here. The presentation featured each of this year’s honorees through pre-recorded speeches. It also announced the winners of the Artist of the Year and Arts Organization of the Year Spark Awards that evening. The 2020 Spark Awards honorees and winners are: Arts Organization of the Year 1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center (winner) O’Connell & Company Unique Theatre Company Artist of the Year JoAnn Falletta (winner) Chris J. Handley Edreys…

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Arts Services Inc. (ASI), on behalf of the Central Terminal Restoration Corp. (CTRC), invites artists in all appropriate mediums (3-dimensional designs to be potentially movable to allow cars to pass through only when needed) from throughout Western New York to submit proposals for an outdoor placemaking and welcoming project located on the driveway entrance of the Buffalo Central Terminal in Buffalo, NY, off of Memorial Drive and Paderewski Drive. CTRC is seeking a design to replace the cones at the top of that driveway entrance ramp. Project Background and Goals The Buffalo Central Terminal is in the heart of the…

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For this month’s Accessibility in the Arts spotlight, we sat down with Dawne Hoeg, Director of the Stitch Buffalo, to learn more about the organization, they’re work, and the community they serve. Stitch Buffalo, located on Niagara Street in Buffalo, advances social justice for refugee women in Buffalo, NY by creating opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and economic empowerment through textile arts. ASI: Tell me a little about the history of the Stitch Buffalo: When and how did it begin? DH: Stitch Buffalo was founded in 2014 and began with the simple desire to gather and create. It has now grown…

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Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 1:30 pm With Michael Falk This session will introduce Michael’s tenure as the creative director at Drawn from Valor, a nonprofit animation studio that creates art and animation to help children and their families process trauma & PTSD, as well as how art and animation helped to significantly alleviate his symptoms of chronic PTSD and have been vital to the healing process. It will also explore ways the arts industry can help veterans find creative balance and provide opportunities for growth using his nonprofit The Rock or Something Foundation as the example. Michael C. Falk…

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Friday, November 6, 2020 at 3:15 pm With Jennifer Swan-Kilpatrick / ASI, and members of the Cultural Alliance of Niagara and Greater Buffalo Cultural Alliance It’s easy to feel disconnected and alone during these challenging times. The overall economy has taken a massive blow and the arts have taken a back seat in the public eye. But you’re not alone. The entire arts and culture industry is struggling with this. This session will talk about what networks and resources are available, what steps they are and have been taking, and how you can get involved or advocate for your own…

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ASI/GBCA Advocacy Workshop Wednesday, October 28 – 6PM ASI and the Greater Buffalo Cultural Alliance (GBCA) will present their fall gathering and public workshop on Erie County advocacy and arts funding on Wednesday, October 28 via. Our program will explore what advocacy means, how we use it, and how nonprofit professionals can interact with elected officials to represent the goals and interests of their organizations. We will cover Erie County’s arts funding budget process, including its timeline, important dates, and next steps (including any changes or impacts that we may see because of COVID-19). Wednesday, October 28; 6PM Via Zoom…

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Friday, November 6, 2020 at 11:00 am With Brandi Cane / Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology and Brad Hahn / Explore Buffalo Whether through an in-school arts class, a field trip to an arts or cultural site, or being part of an after school program, for many young people and their families this is the first, and often only, exposure they have to the arts. And from these experiences, they decide whether or not they wish to engage in, benefit from, and become a regular part of the arts community. Join Brandi and Brad as they discuss how you…

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Saturday, November 7, 2020 at 3:15 pm With Bronwyn Keenan and Michael Mwenso / UB Arts Collaboratory Covid-19 had a sudden and profound impact on the arts. Lost revenue resulted in permanent closures of arts and cultural organizations–estimated at one third worldwide. The Brookings Institution estimates losses of $150bn in creative industry revenue and calls for more federal support for cultural workers. As that support has yet to be forthcoming it begs the question: how, as a community, can we confront these challenges and together build a sustainable model for creative people and cultural organizations in Western New York? Bronwyn…

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