2022 Individual Artist Preconference Recap
Year of Our Lorde
with Lillian Osei Boateng and Lauren Ree Sloane
Recorded November 18, 2022
In this podcast, we are revisiting the 2022 Individual Artist preconference, The Year of Our Lorde. Taking place on October 9, 2022, funders in support of individual artists travelled from across the country to convene at Gibney Dance Studio in New York City. Their goal was to discuss the needs of individual artists and how funders can support them better in the context of mental health and wellness. They asked themselves whether mental health and healthcare is a priority in funding, and whether the philanthropic sector is overlooking the needs of, and/or romanticizing, the struggle of artists.
We are joined by GIA Support for Individual Artists (SFIA) Committee member Lillian Osei-Boateng (Doris Duke Charitable Foundation) and SFIA Committee co-chair Lauren Ree Slone (MAP Fund). They will provide a recap of the day, some of their hot-takes, and what they hope you will continue engaging in dialogue around.
To listen to the full episode, click here.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Welcome to a podcast by Grantmakers in the Arts, a National Membership Association of public and private arts and culture funders. I'm Sherylynn Sealy, GIA's senior program manager. In this podcast, we are revisiting the 2022 Individual Artist Preconference, The Year of Our Lorde. Taking place On October 9th, 2022, funders in support of individual artists traveled from across the country to convene at Gibney Dance Studio in New York City. They met to discuss the needs of individual artists in the context of mental health and wellness. They asked themselves whether mental health and healthcare is a priority in funding and whether the philanthropic sector is overlooking the needs of and/or romanticizing the struggle of artists.
Today we are joined by Lillian Osei Boateng, program manager for the arts at Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and also, GIA Support for Individual Artists Committee member and lead high organizer and Lauren Ree Sloane, director of grants and research at the MAP Fund and GIA support for individual artist committee member and co-chair. They will provide a recap of the day, some of their hot takes, and what they hope you will continue engaging in dialogue around after this podcast. All right, so I will kick it over to you two to introduce yourselves. Lillian, Lauren, take it away.
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Thanks, Sherylynn. Really excited to be here and revisit what I feel like was an amazing day for all the attendees and the participants at the preconference. Definitely thought it was one of the stronger preconferences that I've attended in a while at GIA, and the topic was just so timely. And everybody was really excited to be participating and to learn about the different aspects of this work that are happening across the country, and to hear from funders and artists about how they're dealing with this issue.
Sherylynn Sealy:
That's great. Lauren?
Lauren Ree Sloane:
Yes, this is Lauren. I am delighted to get to join both of you in revisiting this conversation and keeping it alive. I think a bunch of rich material certainly surfaced throughout the day. Both things that have been percolating, I would say for many years actually, as well as things that are emerging more for us right in this moment around the topics of wellbeing for artists as well as wellbeing for folks whose work it is to support and take care of artists.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Yeah, exactly. That's great. And that kind of leads me to my next question. You mentioned that this was a topic that's been percolating for years, so what led the committee to want to focus on this topic? You can kind of both weigh in here for this first one.
Lauren Ree Sloane:
Yeah, this is Lauren again. I'm happy to jump in and kick us off. So I would say it is a core value and fundamental dimension of the work we do, certainly within my organization at the MAP fund, to continuously question how we are providing respect and care for every artist that encounters the program, those who receive resources and those who do not. At the moment, we want everyone to be able to interact with staff and to cultivate a kind of environment where artists are respected, they're heard, they're seen, they're witnessed in the reality of their experiences. And with the multiple ongoing pandemics, a lot of the work that we have been doing has been mutual aid work, has been collaborative across multiple institutions. We are receiving artist stories and artist stories of challenge, of pain, of fear, of multiplicity of experience.
So it has been at the forefront of our work noticing what is happening with artists, certainly with respect to wellbeing of every kind. So it's been a deep and present part of our work, certainly and a highlight on these areas in the past couple of years in particular. And it felt like as we talk about how to transition to whatever a post pandemic moment is, if the such thing exists, what that can look like moving forward to do a better job of caring for everyone in the ecology.
Sherylynn Sealy:
That's great. Thanks, Lauren. Lillian, did you want to add on?
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Yeah, I just wanted to say that it's something that percolated for the committee during our sessions when we talked about what we were seeing in the field in terms of how artists were being affected by the pandemic, but also just with our jobs and a lot of the burnout and stress that we were feeling coming out of the pandemic. We had to work double time to try to provide for the field and the artists who had been just decimated by the pandemic. So many had lost their livelihood and revenue streams, and it is affecting them in so many ways. But definitely we were seeing that mental health was one of the ways that people were really being challenged and damaged, kind of a main outcome.
And it's not something that we'd ever really discussed. It's something I feel like sometimes is pushed into the shadows and thought of as an afterthought, but we really wanted to bring it to a forefront. I say this is the time. This is the opportunity we have here to bring this to the forefront and have a discussion about it and include artists and funders. And we already heard some things about different entities, we'll talk about later, the funding groups that were starting to address these issues. So we found it was just kind of the culmination of a great timing and opportunity to just bring this to the light.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Thank you both. So you both touch on a plethora of different things and with the conversation of mental health wellness, particularly for artists, thinking about, I'm using air quotes, I know this is a podcast but I'm using air quotes, post pandemic, pre pandemic, and all of the different entry points into the conversation. Of course, this preconference is only one day. So what are some of the topics that you focused on for the day? And really can you just give a quick recap of the day and what went on just for folks who weren't there and to kind of bring them up to speed?
Lauren Ree Sloane:
Okay, absolutely. We had an opening welcome, a grounding into the space with a brilliant keynote introduction from Dr. Toya Jones. We shifted into an artist panel, which included three brilliant artists from Pittsburgh. And then we shifted, we took a little bit of a break. We shifted into a funder conversation with four amazing colleagues from both New York City, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh as well. We then had a bit of an open mic check-in with our MC, brilliant Caridad De La Luz.
Lillian, do you want to take it from there?
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Yeah, that was great, Lauren. After the open mic check-in, which was just to get the pulse of the day and how people were reacting to what they heard from the different panels, we moved into a networking lunch. We got to just free chat and meet each other and respond to what we've been hearing and learning from one another. And after that we did some small breakout groups where we got to really take the time to unpack everything that we'd heard from the panels, talk about what questions were coming up from us, learn from one another. The small groups are facilitated by the artists and Caridad. And then after that we did a group share out, which was led by Caridad just to come back into the group and share everything that we just discussed. And then, Caridad helped us do another workshop of commitments and things that we wanted to leave the space with and take into the work that we do.
And some just promises and things that we wanted to make from one another or to ourselves, to our communities based on what we learned from the day. And then we had Clymene Aldinger and JoVonna Parks from CLYMOVE Dance, do a beautiful dance performance for us, relating to mental health. Clymene is a licensed therapist and counselor in addition to being a choreographer. So she just brought a lot of the work that she does into the room, into the performance. And then we had our closing and thank yous before we wrapped up the day. But I think everybody left feeling really moved and energized and excited that it happened.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Yeah. No, that's great. Thanks for that recap. So staying with you, Lillian, because you kind of just walked us through the full day and along the way toward the end, you talked about Caridad leading everyone who was in attendance through kind of like a reflection and a look at some of the major points. And so I'm wondering from your perspective, particularly during the small group section and that ending point with Caridad what were some of the major points that you noticed rose to the surface for everyone?
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Yeah, that's a great question, Sherylynn. And I think a couple of things, that this work is really hard. There's a lot of barriers to doing this type of work, to finding support, ways to support artists with their mental health, but that it can be done. That sometimes groups coming together, funding groups coming together in partnership to do this work makes it easier or gives you more latitude to get things done. And you have strong partnerships, you can really make things happen with this work. That artists are really suffering. There's a lot that they're dealing with that often goes unsaid, but that funders, if they take the time, they can really connect on this issue and find ways to help address it.
I think people are really inspired by the work that Randi Berry is doing at the Theater Fund.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Oh, yes.
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Where they're able to get direct support for mental health to their constituents through just doing small micro grants, small amounts of funding, but vital amounts of funding to help them. And the work that Rick Luftglass is doing through the Tisch Illumination Fund, I think people are really inspired by that.
Sherylynn Sealy:
And Lauren, you facilitated the artist panel and the funder panel. So what are some of the major points from those sections specifically that you saw rose to the surface? And they can be kind of like general points to the masses or artist specific, funder specific.
Lauren Ree Sloane:
Thank you, Sherylynn. Yes. I think one of the things that was particularly striking to me about the artist panel, although not surprising, is that they're working from a positionality as redistributors themselves. The artist are wearing a million hats under the umbrella of artists. Artist is mother, artist is parent, artist is community leader, artist is yoga instructor, artist is everything. It is a worldview. And yet certainly among the artists that were on our panel, their positionality is not about themselves. It is not about their work and isolation. It is about how they are a member, a piece of a constellation of many different intersecting communities. And so very often when they're seeking resources, they're actually not seeking them solely for themselves. They are then redistributing those resources to their community members who may or may not have comparable levels of access to those funding streams.
And so I'm thinking a lot about that in light of the support that they need to function in those roles as community leaders in addition to the support they need with the vulnerability of creating their work and bringing it into the world, and how so many of our funding mechanisms are set up for individualized genius and are not set up to recognize the labor of everyone who is contributing to artistic vision.
I would also say one of the things that I'm thinking about very strongly from the funding panel specifically was two things. One is there's a great, great, great amount of experimentation taking place in the field right now within philanthropic practice, which leaves me quite heartened actually. The idea is throughout the pandemic, many of us responsible for structuring and running programs have said, what can we eliminate? What can we get rid of? How can we make this much, much easier to access? And I think this is also true in light of the potential of moving more specific resources to wellbeing. Many funders are trying to explore ways to deliver unrestricted resources period where artists feel welcomed and encouraged to actually use the resource for rest and understand that that is a vital part actually of production.
So I think that's a key thing that folks are trying. Folks are really trying to find ways to do this differently. I think the other piece, and Lillian referenced it, that is an essential component of our committee work, writ large, but certainly surfaced in this particular day was the necessity of collaboration across institutions, across the sector, collaboration among funders and panelists themselves rather than siloing that work. So I would say those are the big themes I'm thinking about still.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Yeah, that's great. And then for both of you, you were not only a part of the planning of the preconference and the production of the preconference, but as mentioned earlier, you are a part of the committee, and you have seen how this topic, the discussions have built, developed into this. And now it's time to take what was learned and shared from that day and continue the committee work forward. So you kind of just touched on this a little bit, Lauren, how do you think these conversations will inform the next steps for the support for individual artist committee? Lauren, if you want to kind of keep going so you don't lose your thought, and then we can kick it over to you, Lillian.
Lauren Ree Sloane:
Sure, of course. I can give you one concrete example of what we are about to explore, which is to work together as a committee to hold accountability together, to really, really take in to read, to reflect on the work of Anthony Consulting in generating the We are bound materials. We're taking a look at the recommendations specifically right now. And eventually we're going to look at ways to support each other in taking on those recommendations to finding the experiments we can try within our organizations and supporting each other in exploring that.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Thank you for that. Lillian, do you want to add anything on?
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Yeah, definitely. I was going to say we are bound too. Something that we're...
Sherylynn Sealy:
Oh, great.
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Excited about diving into and working more on and learning more about. It's definitely just from the little bit that I've read so far, provides so much information and the recommendations are so strong around what we can do to help artists and on each level, the artist level, the organizational level, the funder level coming out of this, the recommendations that are coming out of the work that was done during the pandemic. I think the other thing is that we'll probably be looking for maybe ways that we can partner around this work and people we want to reach out to continue these conversations and see what we can make happen together in this collaborative space.
I mean, I know for my part at Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, we provide support individual artists, and we try to bundle that with a lot of other support around financial management and goal setting. So I think maybe there might be an opportunity to look deeper into ways that we can help the artist around this topic as well. So possibilities are really endless, but we really want to always be working towards treating artists as a holistic beings and really trying to help serve every aspect of their lives and their careers.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Yeah. Lillian, I want to go back to something that you just said that I think is exactly the kind of direction that we're going in this conversation. And that was your attention to the discussions of the funder level, artist level, and organization level when we talk about the "We Are Bound" Report. And when we were kind of closing off the preconference, there were a few things that came up about that exact thing, the kind of different players within the funding ecosystem and when we keep artists at the center, all of the different people and types of institutions that are a part of supporting artists. Are there any aspects of the day that you'd want to parse out further as it relates to what I just mentioned?
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Definitely more time to hear, I feel like there's always more time to hear directly from artists. As you just said, they are the center of the performing arts ecosystem. And everything around them should be built to support them in creating the best work they can do and leading dignified lives. So it was just really great to hear from everybody on the panel. Just loved the work that they're doing and the courage that they were displaying and just being so open and personal with everything they did. And Mikayla and Alicia, it was really great to hear from them, to just more time to hear and for them to share what it is that they need, the ideal types of support that they need from funders in order to be able to thrive. So I would just love to hear more about that and continue that conversation.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Fantastic. And I heard some buzz around a few other things. Lauren, do you want to kind of chime in here?
Lauren Ree Sloane:
Sure. And one of the buzz topics is one that's very, very near to my own heart and working experience, which is more of an affinity kind of conversation among intermediary or regranting artist services organizations, which play sort of a connector role in many ways between private philanthropic foundations, the public sector, and the artists directly. And what it is to be sort in that position, both fundraising on behalf of artists directly as well as regranting dollars to the artists directly and what is possible and what the depth of information we get to learn by virtue of being in that particular positionality in the ecology.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Yeah, I appreciate that. And I think this goes without saying at this point in our conversation, that there is definitely an appetite for deeper discussion around those topics as they've come up both here today at the preconference, before the preconference, and within some of our meetings. So we're hoping for more to come on those topics, and we'll keep you posted on that. So kind of taking things to a more, I'd say more personal level because yes, you both are funders, but you wear all sorts of different hats outside of your role as funders, which kind of contributes to maybe how things land for you personally as an artist, arts administrator, volunteering, a patron, all of the different things. So what was your most compelling takeaway from the day? And we'll start with you, Lillian, on this one.
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Yeah, for me, I just love the kickoff from Dr. Toya Jones. She was a really powerful speaker. The work that she's doing in her community is just really amazing. And she just also shared some information, some data that shows that artists are more likely to be dealing with these types of issues, these mental health issues than others as we all know. I think many of us know that it's such a prevalent issue around the country for so many adults and people who deal with this. But then to see that that artists are even more prone to having these issues was really eye opening for me and just made me realize that really this is something that should be more of a focus in the funding community. So I was really appreciative of everything that she shared, and that was a big aha moment for me.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Absolutely. Lauren, any major compelling takeaways, one that you want to share with listeners?
Lauren Ree Sloane:
Well, I fear it's not up to the level of the word compelling, but the thing that I'm definitely holding, I am a movement artist. I am a dancer. I process information physically through the body. I relate to the conversation through the body. And I think the couple things that I'm holding are, one, there was something about the dynamic of the conversation throughout the day that actually with the depth and the charge and the necessity of addressing these topics, there was also a dimension that kept calling upon us to pause and reflect, to actually stop speaking for a moment and take in something brilliant that had just been offered to the room rather than running with that thing immediately.
But to say, wait, let's all sit with that. Can we feel that in our musculature for a minute? And so that's a little bit abstract maybe, but there is, I think in the work that we do, this desire to move money quickly, to move it easily, to get it out there, to take care of our mandate to support artists well, especially artists in crisis in this moment, there is that sense of extreme urgency.
And I think actually calling upon the wisdom of pause, the wisdom of listening to the body and respecting it and taking a moment to say, okay, let's take this in. Let's feel it properly, and now let's move from a grounded place that is truly supportive and not a fight light position necessarily.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Thank you for that. That was compelling, Lauren. What are you talking about? So that's great. Thank you both. Yes. But very, very moving points from both of you. And I think that just speaks to the heart that you both have for this work and your commitment to it. So I appreciate you taking the time to share that kind of personal perspective and connection to the work for both of you. Thank you. All right. So staying with you, Lauren. What hot take from the day would you like to leave listeners with? This is the mic drop moment of the podcast. So Lillian, you're next. I hope your mic is in hand and ready to drop. So take it away, Lauren.
Lauren Ree Sloane:
Okay. No pressure at all, Sherylynn. Oh, my gosh.
Okay. My maybe hot take is a lot of folks are working in silos on all of these topics. There are folks working on safety net in New York. There are folks working on safety net in San Francisco. There are folks working on a new data commons to reduce labor for artists. People are plugging in all kinds of ways, but not necessarily aware that other folks are doing it. So one thing is we're going to find a centralized way to share more information about the incredible activity happening across the country and our United States' territories. I think also to that end, like let's plug in y'all. It is time to get rid of stuff. It is time to act. It is time to speak up that you want to make changes in your funding structures. And we are here to collaborate with you to do that.
Sherylynn Sealy:
Yes, I love that, Lauren. Thank you. I heard the mic drop from where you're calling in from. That's great. All right. Lillian, bring us home.
Lillian Osei Boateng:
Yeah, thank you. Think it's just that this is the time to really address this issue. We have to take it out of the shadows, get rid of the stigmas around it, and be present and forthright and really bring it to the light and address it head on because I think we do have a responsibility to continue to work to make whole artists, strong artists, driving artists, driving field. So this is not something that should be talked about in shadows, but let's really come together, collaborate, partner, spend the dollars, bring the support, and do what you can to help with this issue because it's just so prevalent. It should be. It's one of the top issues of our time so let's get to work on it.
Sherylynn Sealy:
That's right. Let's get to work. And I just, yep, that was it. Just heard that mic fall to the ground. Love it, both of you. That was fantastic. Thank you both Lillian and Lauren for that lively and informative conversation. The major points that I heard from both of you are now is the time. You know what they say, there's no better time than the present. It's a gift. Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate. There is so much happening in silos. And if we are to come together and work together, so much beauty can be made. And lastly, thinking broadly about the topic of mental health, healthcare, wellness, that is a topic that everybody from all walks of life can relate to in some way, shape, or form. And so I think there's a lot of passion, a lot of energy, and a lot of synergy to be forged and brought to this conversation within that topic.
So thank you, thank you, thank you. And to our listeners, if you have not done so, be sure to visit the support for individual artist page on the GIA website. And also be sure to recommend your funder colleagues for the support for individual artist committee 2023 year. Our call for interest is coming up, so look out for that. If you haven't seen it, ask a friend. If you've seen it, tell a friend to tell a friend. And if you have any questions about this podcast or upcoming programming, feel free to reach out to me, Sherylynn Sealy at sherylynn@giarts.org or visit our website, giarts.org. Be sure to follow Grantmakers in the Arts on Twitter and Facebook at GIA Arts, as well as Instagram at Grantmakers in the Arts for exciting new updates. And last but not least, we leave you with Audrey Lorde famous words. "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." Thanks so much for listening, everyone.
