Earlier this year, EmcArts launched the New Pathways for the Arts Initiative, a program developed for local and regional communities which combines intensive innovation training for a small cohort of arts organizations with community-wide convenings around practices in innovation and adaptive capacity. "New Pathways" was designed to strengthen the ability of organizations to respond to change and to advance the development of new strategies that address well-defined opportunities and challenges facing local arts communities.
The first city in the country to adopt New Pathways was New Haven, CT, where the program is being led by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, with 14 arts organizations taking part. Starting in June, Denver will be the second city to host New Pathways, supported by funding from the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation.
I'm pleased to share news with you about a limited-time funding opportunity for agencies interested in bringing the New Pathways Initiative to organizations in their area. To encourage local funders in smaller cities, as well as regional funding consortia, to support organizational innovation in their communities, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation has provided a competitive national matching fund available to communities to take part in the New Pathways Initiative. Matching funds, of up to one-third of the total program costs, will be awarded on a competitive basis to communities that commit to co-funding and hosting the program locally or regionally in 2010 or 2011.
The New Pathways Matching Fund is designed to serve arts organizations operating outside of major metropolitan areas (pop. 350,000-1 million or so) that wish to host the New Pathways program, but may find that they need leverage to gain support from local funders. Highly collaborative arts communities that are committed to developing new strategies for the arts sector are encouraged to apply. To learn more about the New Pathways Matching Fund, including eligibility requirements, we invite you to view the attached Guidelines for Letters of Interest. EmcArts will accept Letters of Interest from funders and arts agencies that want to apply for matching funds through July 9, 2010. We will respond to all Letters of Interest and arrange a telephone appointment to discuss the potential for a New Pathways program in greater depth with you, or with local or regional leaders.
FMI: EmcArts Inc., 212.362.8541 x28; REvans@EmcArts.org; http://www.emcarts.org/
