9.29.2008

MFA as the new MBA

I recently spoke at a brunch celebrating the Alliance Theater’s 30th anniversary. My remarks centered on the best selling book, A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink. After hearing Pink speak last spring at the national Arts Advocacy Day in Washington, I eagerly read his book.
According to Daniel Pink, “the MFA is the new MBA.” He claims that left brain skills (skills that focus on logic, analysis, mathematics) are necessary, but no longer sufficient in this rapidly changing world. Today, we are moving from an Information Age to a Conceptual Age. Pink argues that in the past century, so-called “knowledge workers” have ruled—lawyers, doctors, accountants and engineers who got paid for putting to work what they learned in school.
But now, US knowledge workers have intense competition in China, India and other countries. Big corporations are outsourcing computer programming, tech support—even accounting services. Hospitals are sending CAT scans to be read by radiologists overseas.
This new Conceptual Age requires more adept right brain functions: understanding the context around the facts, the relationships between ideas. . . the BIG picture. When I was growing up there was great stress on focus and specialization, which created angst for generalists like me. But according to Pink, this in-depth knowledge of a single area no longer guarantees success. In the future we will need those who can see beyond the individual puzzle pieces to envision the whole picture. People must learn to see connections between things that may seem diverse and separate, linking uncommon elements to create something new. And now more than ever, there’s a widespread search for meaning and purpose, something that people discover through the arts.

Not surprisingly, Daniel Pink is being enthusiastically embraced by those of us who value the arts, who know in the deep core of our beings that there is an intrinsic value to the arts which has gone unrecognized by mainstream society. Here is a respected author who not only gets it, but who has appeared on CNN and NPRr, who is going around the country declaring his message of innovation and change.
With our lives overflowing with information and data, knowledge alone is no longer enough. Communication, persuasion, and the ability to turn facts into a compelling story is the key to success.


Cindy

9.18.2008

A Trip to the CT Children's Museum

Last week I took my daughter, Jocelyn, to the Connecticut Children's Museum located on Wall Street in New Haven. We had a wonderful time. The museum is a great place for imaginative play consisting of eight "thematic and community inspired rooms".

Our favorite was the musical room.















In the spatial room we enjoyed blocks.
















In the "Great Green Room" from Goodnight Moon, Jocelyn took a very important phone call.
















And of course everyone enjoys the bees in the naturalist room.



















For more information about the Connecticut Children's Museum go to http://childrensbuilding.org/index.htm

-Winter Marshall

9.16.2008

Seeking Nominations for the 2008 Arts Awards

The Arts Council of Greater New Haven is currently seeking nominations for the 2008 Arts Awards. This year, the annual awards luncheon will celebrate "Ground Breakers" in the community-visual, performing and literary artists, arts educators, arts organizations, advocates and administrators-whose creative, colorful thoughts enrich our community in countless ways. This year's Arts Awards will be held on Friday, December 5, at the New Haven Lawn Club.

Deadline for nominations is Friday, September 19. To download a nomination form,
click here. Forms can also be picked up at the Arts Council offices at 70 Audubon Street, New Haven. You may also email your nominations to info@newhavenarts.org. For more information, please call the Arts Council at (203) 772-2788.

9.12.2008

How do you take your art?

In an effort to better understand how our community participates in the arts, we're conducting a simple online survey—and we need your input! Tell us about your favorite arts pursuits--concerts, plays, visits to musuems--and where you go to hear live music or catch an exhibit. And let us know what's lacking--what would make for a livelier arts community? To take the short survey, Click Here. Thank you for your help!

9.02.2008

Pilot Pen Happenings

From left to right: Ginny Kozlowski, President and CEO of the Greater New Haven Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB); Cindy Clair, Executive Director of the Arts Council of Greater New Haven; Daisy Abreu, Acting Director of the Town Green Special Services District and Linda Telier-Smith, Board Chair of the Greater New Haven CVB greeted Senate President Don Williams (Brooklyn, CT) at a recent legislative luncheon held at the Pilot Pen Tennis Tournament. The luncheon, co-hosted by the Arts Council, the CVB and Pilot Pen, gave arts advocates an opportunity to thank the legislative leadership for their support. The New Haven region is fortunate to have strong legislative champions who have vigorously supported state arts funding.

A panel of legislators advised arts supporters about how to best advocate for the arts in the upcoming legislative session. From left to right: Senator Toni Harp, Chair of Appropriations; Senator Donald Williams, President Pro Tempore of the Senate; House Majority Leader Chris Donovan; and Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney.

For the second straight year, the Arts Council teamed up with Pilot Pen to provide a stunning exhibit of local artwork for the pro tennis player's lounge. The display included work from local artists Barbara Hocker, Clint Jukkala, Claudia Cron, Keith Johnson, Hank Paper, Cham Hendon, Willard Lustenader and Rachel Hellerich. A special thank-you to Rashmi Talpade for curating the exhibit.