Dear California ArtBeat Friends,

We here at the California Arts Council office in Sacramento are very pleased to have a new and user-friendly website for you to peruse. And we are delighted to have arrived at an actual name for what we called the "Update"--now the California ArtBeat. It was time for a new look and an easier way to get information to you without our e-newsletter being 20 pages long. We like suggestions, so send us your best ideas on how to better serve your needs.

The entire staff is now putting the finishing touches on the March 4th Arts Conference at the beautiful, historic Memorial Auditorium on J Street between 15th and 16th Streets in downtown Sacramento. The programs are printed, conference bags are being stuffed, lighting and sound systems are being finalized, and last-minute details tended to. This conference is sponsored by TARGET, and we thank this generous company and Bernard Boudreaux, Senior Manager, Community Relations, for supporting the Conference and the Arts.

Our speakers for the day are indeed futuristic ....

-- Derek Woodgate, well-known "futurist," is excited to be with us for his special interest is in the Arts.

-- Dr. Tomas Ybarra-Frausto will bring stories of California's immigration growth. His background is varied, his experience in transnational cultures rich, and his knowledge of our changing nation deep.

-- Joe Hayes from the Public Policy Institute of California will bring us up-to-the-minute facts on California's demographics.

-- Dick Deasy has much to relate from his recent research about Art in Education and the kind of language we might use to draw more people to the arts--we need imagination!

-- Jonathan Katz is known to many of you through the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. He is the consummate facilitator, communicator and leader of groups such as ours. He will get us all thinking in a new way.

We are looking forward to hearing each one of these speakers, and then sharing all your thoughts on meeting the future's art challenges. Can't wait to see you all on March 4th at "The Future--What's Next?" and on March 5th at California Arts Advocates' Advocacy Day.

Muriel Johnson
Director
California Arts Council

With experience as an executive on the board of two major corporations and over 15 years Senior Vice-President-level management and operational responsibilities in international businesses, Derek is widely recognized as a global specialist in marketing, innovation, business and futures-based consulting.

The Sonoma County Poetry Out Loud competition took place on February 22 at Chops Teen Center in Santa Rosa. Karen Hong, the 2007 California state champion, wrote remarks for the event. Read below to see what advice she gives to students. State finals are March 14 in Sacramento.

Arts in the Media page keeps up with news, features and editorials on arts-related issues from major news sources

• San Francisco culture czar prioritizes affordable housing for artists
  San Francisco Sentinel
• Children's improvised play deemed important--and on the decline
  National Public Radio
• Editorial: S.J. school gets red-carpet love for arts focus
  San Jose Mercury News
• Philharmonic Stirs Emotions in North Korea
  New York Times
More

Arts Insider News keeps the arts community up-to-date with arts-related information that might not be included in major news outlets

• Nominations needed of arts-friendly companies
• Luis Cancel Appointed as San Francisco Director of Cultural Affairs
• NEA Announces New Deputy Chairman for States, Regions, and Local Arts Agencies
• Nancy Hanks Arts Policy Lecture featuring Daniel Pink
• "Picturing America":NEH offers teachers and libraries free resources--Deadline April 15
More

The California Arts Council is often notified of other financial opportunities like grants and initiatives, and we pass the information along to California ArtBeat readers

• Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation Melody Program
  Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation
  Deadline: 2008-08-01
• ING Unsung Heros Education Award
  ING (managed by Scholarship America)
  Deadline: 2008-04-30
• NEA Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth
  The National Endowment for the Arts
  Deadline: 2008-06-09
• Three-City Initiative grants (incl Los Angeles)
  Dana Foundation
  Deadline: 2008-08-14
• Rural Initative Grants for Arts Education
  Dana Foundation
  Deadline: 2008-06-04
• 2008 Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships
  Poetry Foundation
  Deadline: 2008-03-31
More

Take a look at the vast number of arts-related competitions available for Californians

• California Arts Council Annual Conference
  Sacramento Memorial Auditorium
• Community Poet Laureate Convening for National Poetry Month
  Sacramento
• Awards Benefit for California Lawyers for the Arts
  William Turner Gallery, Santa Monica
• National Arts Advocacy Day (AFTA)
  Washington DC
More

Take a look at the vast number of arts-related competitions available for Californians

• Development Director
  Museum of Craft and Folk Art
  San Francisco
• Executive Director
  Virginia Avenue Project
  Santa Monica
• Development Director
  Children's Museum San Diego
  San Diego
More

Take a look at the vast number of arts-related competitions available for Californians

• Derivative Composition
  
  
• Juried Art Exhibit
  
  
• Seventh Annual Juried Art Exhibition
  Art Source Gallery
  Boise, ID
More

Reports and studies on the arts as they relate to education, the economy, communities, quality of life, and other aspects of our lives

• Arts, Culture, and the Social Health of the Nation
• Arts Programs in US Hospitals
• Creative Industries Report
More

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The information in this section is provided as a service only, and the California Arts Council does not endorse or support the organizations listed. Questions and/or concerns about listings may be directed to the web editor.

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