This is a fabulous first entry, Neeta! You are clear and on-target as usual, and I’m happy that I’ll be able to follow ArtServe’s progress in this easy format. I’m excited for the future of ArtServe in Michigan! I’m adding this page to my RSS feeds right now!

While I am excited about the possibilities of the new ArtServe, I continue to feel a disconnect with the lower half of the lower peninsula. In Cadillac, as in many regions of the north, each community seems to need to “go it alone” in order to get arts advocacy and cultural tourism off the ground. Wouldn’t it be great to get together once or twice a year with the heads of arts councils, etc. and just have a round table discussion? The trouble with many ArtServe activities is that they occur during work hours. Many of us in the north wear many hats, including being arts educators by day, and we cannot justify missing two to three days of school. When you teach the arts, your classroom stops dead when you are gone, because there aren’t substitute teachers who teach the arts. In order to be gone, you must sacrifice days of instruction or rehearsal. Are there ways of coming together on Saturdays or Sundays? Just a thought or two…

Your comments are insightful and genuine. I look forward to reading your future blogs. Thanks for all your effort and energy.

dear neeta
thank you for the open forum . I sincerely hope that more venues for creativity open up for us instead of closing or are afraid of innovation . I have been creating art on a serious level since the late 60’s and have been part of much going on throughout those years.
good luck with your ventures and keep me posted
eileen aboulafia

Sounds great! Looking forward to reading more.

We in the Upper Peninsula often feel left out of things. The Michigan tour guides don’t mention anything north of highway 2, for instance! I live in the Keweenaw Peninsula, which has a very strong and vibrant arts community. But I find myself more connected to Wisconsin than to lower Michigan. I recently curated an exhibition called “Celebrating the Upper Peninsula as Home”, which is travelling around the UP and northern Wisconsin. We would like to have sent it to lower Michigan, but had no contacts. I just hope that you will make more of an effort to publicize and help artists in this faroff corner of your state. We need more attention and appreciation from you.

Best wishes for success as you move forward!

Neeta, thank you for your refreshing open minded broad vision for the arts.I am a musician and a social worker.My alma maters are Cass Tech, Wayne State U and U of Michigan.I strongly agree with your belief that creative expression is the answer to many of the social problems we see in Michigan and the world. I am co founder of a new organization; Orchard Lake Philharmonic Society. Check us out at www.OLPSmusic.org. Our mission is to make sure any adult who wishes to continue to play an instrument after high school has a concert band, jazz band or orchestra in which to play. We are dedicated to the goal of keeping musical interaction in the life of each individual. I appreciate your suggestions of where we can apply for a grant to cover the cost of music, music stands, and percussion instruments.Also, how can we support your mission?
Norma Keil

BRAVO!!! APPLAUSE!!! What you have done is HUGE!!!
THIS IS EXCITING!!! ENORMOUS CONGRATULATIONS!!!
SINCERE BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS!!!
ARTSERVE IS GOING TO MAKE HISTORY!!!

Welcome aboard, and thank you for advocating for the arts.
Michigan has a wonderful and full art base to promote and enjoy.
God bless you.
I have a thought to throw out there. It seems to me that Michigan should have a guild that gives you a card or something after you have spent so many years in the arts. After 10, 15, 20 years of submitting and applying I would think one would know if they should be in a show or not. If a fifty year old artist is being juried by a 21 year old it doesn’t make much sense.
It doesn’t give the younger artist much to strive for.
Just a thought.
Sincerely, Diana Alva

Neeta, congratulations on your new position at ArtServe. I also love this beautiful State of Michigan, and know that there are so many talented artists here. I’m new to blogging too, and finding it a great way of networking with other artists. I look forward to reading your entries, and seeing all these wonderful ideas develop. May you have great success!
Nicki Thompson

Neeta–
Okay, I must admit that this is my very first experience with a blog adn of,course, I am elated that it is through ArtServe Michigan. I now understand what it is all about!

I thoroughly appreciate your opening letter and I look forward to the on-going dialogue with arts supporters around Michigan. I am thrilled that we can all now have immediate gratification and someonewho will listen when we may have a great new idea about how to get the message out and how we can strengthen and support our cultural our organizaiotns of all sizes, eduators and artists–and let’s not forget our elected officials need to know everything we know.

You have my undying support and I am confident you and ArtServe staff and board can now make a real difference!
Can’t wait till your next blog entry.
GO ARTSERVE Michigan
asi

Congratulations Neeta,
I join in your positive outlook for the arts, culture and state of Michigan. I applaud the individual artists and teachers who continue to make a difference one person at a time. I genuinely support the local arts councils – for it is there that artists and advocates come together to compound their efforts. I think this forum and regional and statewide roundtables will help encourage, connect and enlighten all of us - from lower to upper Michigan and back.
Thanks and best wishes to you and the ArtServe organization. Jennifer Tobin, Canton Arts Coordinator www.canton-mi.org/villagetheater

neeta
as an artist i am always trying to conquer the misconnception that we are free wheeling , non business like, creatures of middle earth types for whom money does not matter. quite the contrary, we are in need of a real business like approach to our arts in michigan to include artists opinions. i can see that you are approaching art serve as a true get it done person, and you are including the artists thoughts and opinions. For of course what would art serve be without the art part? thank you so much for all that you have done and will do

glad to be one of your readers and hopefully part of overall good progress and growth.
best to you and to art serve..

Boozhoo Neeta and fellow bloggers:
I decided to join in the blog because our organization has the unique distinction of staggering all three categories of: cultural organization, individual artists and K-12 educators.
My name is Patricia Shackleton and I am the executive director of Anishinaabegamig Cultural Learning Center. I hope all of you celebrated and enjoyed Michigan Indian Day on Friday September 28.
I am a member of Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and I am currently based out of the Lansing area. Ten years ago I moved to the Lower Peninsula - to the Lansing area to work at the Michigan House as a policy analyst for two years, (where I became more aware of the importance of advocacy). I decided to remain here (and completed an advanced degree and) because of Lower Michigan’s better economic climate.
ACLC is a native American 501.c3 charity recognized by the IRS in 2001 and United Way. We are the only native charity in the state. ACLC was one of three cultural demonstrators at the state convention, ‘Driving Michigan’s Economic Engine — using culture and tourism to fuel community prosperity.’ We finance a large part of its charitable giving upon artist donated art demonstration income.
We have a staff that is comprised of artists that have been recognized in several different venues as Michigan Folk Artists (in quilts, birch bark cutouts, wood and stone carving, and traditional story telling). Upon schools request our staff is dispatched for demonstrations that include traditional flute music, art classes and traditional dancing with participants. We have also been asked to teach in schools where no art program exists. I have taught over 2000 Michigan school children and I have noted that ACLC requests for demonstration are diminishing. This inhibits our organization’s ability to pursue and accomplish our mission.
I don’t have any ‘bright ideas’ (at least not yet…!) however Neeta, I share your vision and optimism of ‘the glass half full!’

An excellent update from a very Classy Lady. I had the pleasure and honor of working with Neeta for four years in Jackson and I was extremely pleased to hear of her selection to lead ArtServe Michigan. I believe that she can do whatever she puts her mind to. You Go Girl!

This is also my first entry into the blogosphere, so if this question is better presented elsewhere please let me know. Do you, or anyone reading these comments know of a first class software that will manage membership, volunteer coordination, fund raising, and newsletter mailing lists, as a start? I meet you in East Lansing at one of the Cool Cities programs when you were heading up the Jackson, Michigan project. You were very enthusiastic and supportive of everyone from the many different organizations you met, and a highlight of the meetings. I can’t imagine a better person for the coming months of effective change.

Neeta-
When I heard that you were selected as the new President of ArtServe, I was thrilled. Anyone who knows you is not surprised that in the first months you have moved ArtServe with an energetic roar. But underneath the roar is intellegence and wisdom as well as energy and enthusiasm. I am very pleased with the work you have done and the directions that you are taking the organization. These are indeed challenging times, but you are laying the groundwork for excellence.

visit the non profits in Detroit see first hand what we are doing and how you can help.
best Monte

It is great to see the fine work that ArtServe is pursuing. We really need to forge a strong leadership accross all state organizations to leverage each others assets and create an undeniable force greater than the sum of the parts.The creative inspiration the art community provides is the solution to our states crisis and the a key to our future.

Good luck, your success is critical to the survival to all of us in Michigan.

I am a native Ohioan but my first introduction into the Michigan Art scene was back in the 1950’s when we were in the third Ann Arbor Art Fair. We were blown away by the enthusiastic reception of our work by Michigan collectors. We decided to cast our future art careers in Michigan and found Charlevoix in 1965. We were the first studio artists in the area. We urged our artist/craftsmen friends to join us in this beautiful spot to produce our work and make a living. This initial group called Artists North met and started the creation of an art center which became a reality in Petoskey. Tourism and summer residents have made it possible for us to make a living. I have been a potter for about 60 years next year with most of the last 42 years living and creating work in Charlevoix. I do reflect the other comments about feeling out of the loop being so far north. I also got involved with the Upper Peninsula Artists and Craftsmen Guild but found it was hard to encourage the younger people to take up art as a living. Many of those members have died off and at present do not know if the Art Center at the Soo is still a viable center. The artists are scattered about in both northern Michigan and the UP so it calls for travel to even attend evebts ir neetubgs by local organizations. I hope that this new organization can address these desperate problems of the artists in the north country.

As a former elementary teacher for 13 years, and the last 20 as an elementary and college art educator, I am encouraged by this latest collaboration! I was very proud to be selected the Michigan Art Educator 2006 by the Michigan Art Education Association and the 2006 Western Region Elementary Art Educator by the National Art Education Association. I have attempted to use this honor to advocate the essentialness of the arts in education more than ever for the past two years. I teach a class at Eastern Michigan University, called “ART 300″, which is required of all elementary education majors by the College of Education. The description of the class is “Art Integration for the Elementary Teacher”. I have taught this class since 1991. I am always amazed at how little my students have experienced ‘the arts’ prior to taking my class. I am equally excited and thrilled when I see them leave my class with a new understanding of the importance of the arts and its integration into the academic classroom.

I must say I was very saddened to see that the Arts Education Leadership Conference was cancelled. I am assuming this was due to the difficulty with solving Michigan’s Budget Crisis? I have attended this event in the past and was always very glad I had gone and made more art connections. Will this be rescheduled any time this year?

Gail Trapp Bohner

To Patricia Shackelton:

Where is the A…….(I’ll never get the spelling!)Learning Center? I live in the E. Lansing, Haslett Area, and teach in Brighton. I include in-depth multi-cultural learning in my elementary art classes and would like to discover more resources. Is this center the Nokomis Center in Haslett, or is it a different place altogether? Thanks for any info!

Gail Trapp Bohner

Neeta….let the blog games begin..maybe we can start by discussing what, when and where Art Serve is going to impact on individual artist and community efforts to bring art to the people in these harsh economic times…words are not enough..