In these days of economic struggle, the sound of a sax man may soothe our sorrows…

Almost every large and small arts organization is challenged these days to find a way to remain financially afloat.
The old model for non-profit survival is just that—old. The days when a good idea or demonstrated need automatically drew the support of wealthy patrons and foundations, is rapidly eroding in the face of sharp drops in the financial markets. Government grants are being sharply cut as cities, counties and state governments face gigantic deficits, even bankruptcies.

Of course, none of this is news, because we have all been living with financial upheaval for months, but the effects of the recession have now begun to reach even the most senior, established, nonprofit organizations.
The most familiar song of do-gooders is “Who can I turn to?”, when literally everyone seems needy. The answer is simple but difficult to embrace. Now is the time when we must turn to our own creativity and heighten our own passion for the causes to which we have individually committed our support.
Let’s take the example of the nonprofit arts. These days, it is difficult to reach through the tangled trio of life-or-death necessities: hunger, housing and health care, to fight for dollars to fund arts organizations. Yet I believe we must do so, because life without the arts lacks zest and joy.

When we are at the depth of despair, it’s often a film, a concert in the park, a family day at the museum or a sax man’s performance on a downtown street corner that lifts our spirits, helping us to exhale as we take one more step on the heavy-laden paths of our lives…

There is no debate about the priority of basic human services over the arts; in a time of famine, people need to eat. But should people without disposable financial resources be sustained only with food for the body, and never be nourished by food for the soul?

That is where our creativity and passion come into play. First, arts organizations need to realize that we have entered a new day and second, they should not feel ashamed about doing whatever it takes (within reasonable ethical boundaries) to help their organizations to survive. What’s the best way to raise funds in today’s economic environment? Is it raffling a house, auctioning a painting , or hosting a fundraising house party? It’s important for large and small arts organizations to stay alive until the advent of better times. Finally, I believe that passion is the magic ingredient that will keep non-profits both vital and dynamic. Even a small group of true believers can help an organization attain sustainability, especially in these difficult times.

So, I am convinced that it’s time to throw out the old formulas, while maintaining a vigilant lookout for the next hot idea on the horizon, anything that might help to keep our communities rich with goodwill and good works–works of art, that is…

This article was published on sfgate.com on July 6, 2009

As a woman who has largely made her living by broadcasting other people’s bad news, I am still surprised at the resilience of the human spirit.
Life’s twists and turns dictate that we all must survive various ups and downs. I don’t know anyone who has not faced some serious challenge in his or her lifetime. And each generation believes that its own era is the most difficult in history, just as I’m sure the current era will prove to be an historically great challenge for all of us living today.

No other cohort in history has simultaneously experienced the risk of both nuclear annihilation and climate change. Even the great depression did not rattle the foundations of our society as much as our present circumstances have done, most certainly because we have all experienced such good lives that we have come to expect the goodness to last forever. Most troubling for me is the possibility that, even as an American, my granddaughter’s future might not be as bright as mine has been. Were it not for our ability to dream and to hope, that possibility could be as depressing as a hard, cold, dusty lump of coal.
Those of us with loved ones and a satisfying career, are truly blessed. Those who have learned to enjoy the beauty of nature and the talents of gifted artists are also very fortunate.

During a life spent in the media, I have been exposed to all facets of the arts. Museums have become special sanctuaries, because they bring so much history and so many rare objects to the public, all for very little cost to visitors.
Shhh! Don’t tell anyone, but at the moment I’m carrying on a virtual love affair with a wonderful painter from somewhere near Santa Cruz, even though he is really an East Coast guy. This is an artist I know only through his work.

There is something about Richard Mayhew’s bright, almost shocking contemporary canvases, in contrast with the meditative calm of his earlier work, that makes me forget the troubles of the world for a few shining moments. The bright spot for me has been the joy of discovering the luminous contemporary work of an artist who has been painting for nearly fifty years. Along the way, he stymied any critic who tried to categorize him. In October, the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) will mount a major retrospective of this illuminating artist’s life’s work.

Mayhew recently donated one of his early oil-on-canvas paintings to MoAD. For the benefit of the museum, the painting will be sold at auction on Wednesday. It is a moody, ecstatic piece called Spring Transition. If you are a fan of Mayhew’s work and would like to support MoAD, contact Katie at the museum (415) 358-7217.
 

Whether you seek calm on the walls of a museum, or escape into concert halls or theatrical stages, it’s good to know that there are places like these to help center your thoughts and emotions. We are truly blessed and very fortunate to live in an area with such a bounty of cultural riches and living artists. So get out there and enjoy!

Richard Mayhew, Spring Transition, collection of the artist

This article was originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle at sfgate.com, June 23, 2009