Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/315858
Ovations365.com O V AT I O N S 3 6 5 . c o m By Jonathan Dye, director of communications at Macon Arts Alliance When Macon Arts Alliance received a congratulatory call in April, the news came as a bit of a surprise. The caller, Michelle Sands from Congressman Sanford Bishop's office, offered congratulations to the Alliance for being selected for a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). When the shock wore off, excitement took its place. "Apparently, the NEA contacts elected officials before they notify grant recipients in each district," explained Jan Beeland, executive director of Macon Arts Alliance. "It gives representatives the chance to call and congratulate grantees, which was wonderful. We were so excited to be selected." Macon Arts Alliance was chosen to receive an NEA Art Works grant to support Art Matters: Engaging the Community through Embedded Arts Journalists. The new program, also supported by funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, is a new initiative by Macon Arts Alliance to increase arts journalism and criticism in Central Georgia. Founded in 1984, Macon Arts Alliance is the overarching arts non- profit for Central Georgia, and its mission is to foster and support the arts. But the community can't support arts organizations if people are unaware of the work those organizations are doing. Art Matters will seek to engage the community through high-quality arts journalism about local artists and arts organizations. The goal is hefty, and the arts alliance can't do it alone. Luckily, there is a resource only a few blocks away from MAA's downtown office. Mercer's Center for Collaborative Journalism (CCJ) was called "One of the nation's boldest journalism experiments," in The New York Times. The CCJ is a unique partnership between Mercer University, The Telegraph and Georgia Public Broadcasting, focused on collaboration by students, faculty and veteran journalists working together in a joint newsroom where students learn in a "teaching hospital" model. The CCJ is an experiment in collaboration, so a partnership with a community organization such as Macon Arts Alliance aligns with its mission. "We are very excited to participate in this innovative program with the Macon Arts Alliance," said Tim Regan- Porter, director of the Center for Collaborative Journalism. "The arts are a crucial component of Macon's history and identity, as well as a vital part of economic development. This NEA grant will help arts organizations in the area improve their presence in the community, it will provide students with valuable experience in the field, and it will further enhance our regional reputation as a cultural center." Art Matters is focused on storytelling in the digital age. Paid journalism interns will be embedded in various arts organizations served by Macon Arts Alliance. These journalists will receive a behind-the-scenes look at the people who do the hard work every day to make the arts happen in Central Georgia. The coverage created, whether it be traditional or digital media, will be disseminated to local news outlets, the CCJ's newsroom, Ovations365.com, and other publications. The access to artists and arts organizations offered by the program is extensive. Each publisher will retain editorial control of the content they choose to publish. The program will also provide funding for a critic-in-residence and a series of six public symposia that will pair an artist and critic to discuss the state of various art forms and their criticism. The critic-in-residence will not teach classes but will focus on community outreach and awareness of arts criticism. "The arts play an important role in bringing us together to share our common history, culture and context," said Beverly Blake, Macon program director for Knight Foundation. "This grant will not only inform people and highlight the vibrant art offerings in Central Georgia, it will support a new generation of journalists as they come to appreciate the power of the arts in building a connected community." Along with having an impact locally, Art Matters is also putting Macon's arts scene on the national stage. Michael Killoren, NEA's director of local arts agencies and Challenge America said, "On behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts, I congratulate the Macon Arts Alliance on their NEA grant to support Art Matters. This collaboration between the Alliance, Mercer University, Georgia Public Broadcasting and The Telegraph exemplifies the kind of smart partnerships and innovative thinking necessary to advance the field of arts journalism and strengthen the arts. I look forward to learning more as the project progresses." The program starts this summer. Journalists will begin to be embedded as early as August, and the program will continue through Summer 2014. Visiting artists and critics will be announced later this year. ART MATTERS Macon Arts Alliance announces NEA Grant and new partnership with Mercer's Center for Collaborative Journalism Tim Regan-Porter, director of Mercer's Center for Collaborative Journalism speaks at the April 23 press conference announcing the new program and grant awards. 64 l MACON MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY 2013