Kathy DeShaw, USA's CEO was in town on Monday to host a workshop for about 35 Alaska artists who have previously received awards from the Rasmuson Foundation, one of USA's partner organizations, to show them how to use the site.
"I'm doing road shows all over the country," she said. The Anchorage stop fell between appearances in Austin, Texas, and Arkansas.
The website lets artists raise money for new creative work by "crowdsourcing," which is to say high-tech public begging. The idea combines social media and micro-philanthropy. When it began in May 2010, only previous winners of USA awards took part. (The foundation gives away $50,000 each to 50 artists each year.) By December they had opened it up to winners of any national art award and in March winners of lo
cal and regional art awards were allowed to post. As of last Monday, DeShaw estimated that there were some 270 artists using the site.
Clicking on the site, www.unitedstatesartists.org/projects, you can scroll horizontally through artists' solicitations. The central feature is a "pitch video" in which the artist introduces him or herself and explains the project in mind. Other links let you find out more about the project and the artist. If you like what you see and hear, you can click to donate -- as little as $1 -- to the project.
It seems to be working. There have been some 385,000 visits to the site so far, DeShaw said. "When we started, about 75 percent of the projects reached their target for funding. For the last two months, it's been 95 percent. In July we actually funded 100 percent of the projects. Most artists go over their goal."
The typical "Kickstarter"-style social media fundraising effort hits about 40 percent of the time, so the USA Project site's 95 percent success rate is something artists should take note of, said Diane Kaplan of the Rasmuson Foundation.
Two Alaskans, filmmaker Andrew MacLean and composer John Luther Adams, both USA award recipients, used the site to reach their stated goals for different projects.
On Monday the Rasmuson Foundation sweetened the package by offering to match up to $2,500 each for up to 10 projects pitched on the site by Alaska artists.
In addition to raising funds from donors, the site also facilitates matching funds and helps artists build a donor base. One of the most attractive features, Kaplan said, was that it provides a no-strings way for a giver to give money to an individual artist and deduct the gift from taxes.
While donors can remain anonymous, they can also post a page of their own, describing their interests and ideas.
So in addition to creating a virtual "community of the finest artists working in America," DeShaw said, "we're also creating a place for people who love and support artists."
The group also will help eligible artists create their pitch video, built a face book page and get a twitter account.
By the way, the next round of Rasmuson Foundation awards to artists will be announced on Dec. 5. Good luck and congratulations to all the Projects web posters of the future.
Portland artist's work in UAA dance program
Award-winning Portland, Ore.-based multi-disciplinary artist Tahni Holt was in town earlier to set part of her piece "Sunshine" for this month's UAA Dance Ensemble in Concert performances.
Holt's work is described as "a thought-provoking work about resourcefulness in an environment of limited resources" in which the dancer/choreographer "explores principles of minimalism, glamour and mass production through invested choreography and nomadic piles of cardboard boxes, which frame the dance disparately from moment to moment."
The program includes work by UAA faculty members and other local choreographers. Performances take place at 6 p.m. Sundays and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Nov. 13 in the Harper Studio Theatre of the UAA Fine Arts Building. General admission is $12, but since these performances typically sell out, you may want to call 786-4849 for advance purchase. Parking is free at the performance times.
Classical bagpipes
It's spelled "piobaireachd" and pronounced "PEEB-air-och," the classical music of bagpipes. A free program will take place at 4 p.m. today at Anchorage Lutheran Church, 1420 N St. "MacGregor's Salute," "Lament for Hugh" and "Lament for Alasdair Dearg MacDonell of Glengary" will be among several pieces -- ranging from 8 to 20 minutes -- demonstrating this ancient, unique and rarely heard form of music.
Dust off your Handel
Rehearsals for this year's community "Messiah" performance start today at Central Lutheran Church, 15th Avenue and Cordova Street. Rehearsals will take place from 2-4 p.m. each Sunday in November.
Anyone can join in, but you must participate in at least three rehearsals plus the dress rehearsal to perform in the concert at 2 p.m. Dec. 4 in West High School Auditorium.
Bring a score. For more information, call 274-7464.
Tickets to the community "Messiah" will be $10.
Alaska book on Fish and Wildlife website
Nature writer Bill Sherwonit's book "Changing Paths: Travels and Meditations in Alaska's Arctic Wilderness" is featured in the online discussion forum "America's WILD READ," sponsored by Friends of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, W.Va.
Sherwonit began his four-week turn as the forum's guest moderator in mid-October; his final musings are scheduled to be posted today. The site started this year with the goal of connecting readers, writers, conservationists and other "nature enthusiasts" using books as the starting point. See it at wildread.blogspot.com.
Reach Mike Dunham at mdunham@adn.com or 257-4332.
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