The New Face of Arts Leadership in the West Symposium Proceedings Boulder, CO October 20-22, 2005 Presented by the Western States Arts Federation 1 The New Face of Arts Leadership in the West Symposium Proceedings Boulder, CO October 20-22, 2005 Presented by the Western States Arts Federation Distribution of these proceedings was made possible by Americans for the Arts. The New Face of Arts Leadership in the West Symposium Proceedings Symposium Director Anthony Radich Proceedings Editor Mary Headrick Contributing Editors Sonja K. Foss Anthony Radich Lisa Boyd Laurel Sherman Katherine Aid Graphic Design Cristina Arnal The Western States Arts Federation 1743 Wazee Street, Suite 300 Denver, Colorado 80202 Tel. 303-629-1166 TTY: 303-607-9019 Fax: 303-629-9717 www.westaf.org Table of Contents About the Project Sponsor i Introduction by Len Edgerly iii Symposium Participants v Presentations and Discussions Keynote Address: Diversifying the Face of Leadership: Scripts and Improvisations 1 By Brenda J. Allen and Shane Moreman Introductions 15 Topic I: Language as it Relates to Ethnicity, Leadership, and People Working in the Arts Presenters: Paul Flores 31 Sunya Ganbold 35 Annette Evans Smith 39 Respondents: Samuel Aguiar Iñiguez 42 James Early 43 Topic II: Perspectives on Diversity in the Arts Today A. Issues Related to Biracial Individuals and Cross-Group Prejudice Presenter: Orit Sarfaty 51 Respondent: Shane Moreman 54 B. The Challenges of Working with Large Institutions Presenter: Ming Luke 59 Respondent: Tony Garcia 63 Topic III: Leadership Styles in Ethnically Based Communities Presenters: Erica Garcia 69 Shawna Shandiin Sunrise 73 Nan Elsasser 77 Topic IV: Emerging Leaders in the Arts A. Leadership Succession Presenter: Charles Lewis 81 Respondents: Amanda Ault 83 Juan Carrillo 84 Table of Contents (continued) B. The Vision of Young Leaders and Artists/Creating a Life Balance Presenter: Tatiana Reinoza 89 Respondent: Danielle Brazell 91 Summary and Final Comments 97 Appendix List of Preliminary Readings on Leadership, Youth, and Multiculturalism 107 References and Works Cited 109 Symposium Process and Agenda 113 Participants’ Biographies 115 Symposium Observers 123 About the Project Sponsor WESTAF with multicultural values and placing it on a path to evolve into a truly multicultural The Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) organization. The trustees then institutionalized the work of the task force and transformed the WESTAF is a nonprofit arts-service organization group into a permanent advisory committee. dedicated to the creative advancement and The Multicultural Advisory Committee now preservation of the arts. Founded in 1974, the regularly meets and advises WESTAF on a wide organization fulfills its mission to strengthen variety of issues. Cultural Identity in the West the financial, organizational, and policy infra- was the first in a series of planned convenings structure of the arts in the West by providing on topics related to multiculturalism and the arts innovative programs and services. WESTAF is in the West. The New Face of Arts Leadership located in Denver, Colorado, and is governed in the West is the second in that series. by a 22-member board of trustees drawn largely from arts leaders in the West. The organization serves the largest geographical area and number of states of the six mainland regional arts organizations. WESTAF’s constituents include the state arts agencies, artists, and arts organizations of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. WESTAF is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. WESTAF is engaged in information-systems development, arts-policy research, state-arts- agency development, and the convening of arts experts and leaders to address critical issues in the arts. In addition, the organization is committed to programmatic work in the areas of performing arts presenting, visual arts, literature, and folk arts. Programs in these areas include activities such as the convening of leaders from an arts discipline; the development of model programs; and the sponsorship of long-term, region-wide programs that fill a gap in the arts infrastructure of the West. WESTAF has also developed a number of Web-based programs designed to benefit the future well- being of the arts communities of the West. In 2000, WESTAF created a multicultural task force to provide inspiration and guidance for the organization’s commitment to multicultural policies and values. After eight meetings in loca- tions across the West, the task force presented a report and recommendations to the WESTAF Board of Trustees, which adopted the recom- mendations with the stated intent of infusing i ii Introduction another 10,000 years. “If this had been a room in my community,” Annette said, “I would have By Len Edgerly asked permission to speak from my elders first.” The New Face of Arts Leadership in the West This is not to say that the young dynamos at began with a bang the first night, when co-facili- the symposium were shy about finding their tator Shane Moreman busted the Baby Boomers own ways through what James Early of the in a smart and funny rant against my generation. Smithsonian called “this global moment.” The following day, Tony Garcia, executive direc- Shawna Shandiin Sunrise, a fifth-generation tor of El Centro Su Teatro Theater Company in Navajo weaver, told of a time when she was Denver, continued co-facilitator Brenda Allen’s dressing in full punk-rock regalia and had to fill eloquent Boomer response, grousing that “I’m in for her mother to teach a weaving class in not dead yet,” even though sometimes it seems Taos. The adult students were shocked at first the younger crowd can’t wait to move him out and understandably resistant until Shawna’s skill of the way in the organization he founded. Tony became obvious. “I helped them fix their knots,” has been described in the Denver Post as no she said simply. “After that, they saw me as who longer being an angry young man. “It’s true,” my mother brought me up to be.” Shawna and he told us. “I’m happy. I’d be happy to kick your others made vivid the tragedy of disappearing ass if I needed to.” The Boomer back-and-forth human cultures, especially through their lan- informed much of the symposium, and I loved guages. She had a chance to visit New Zealand, it. Viewing my generation from outside itself where the Maori culture has been affirmed and gave me a lift because I love to learn something brought back during the past 30 years. “When new about a topic I think I have down cold. we got off the plane, we took a bus to a hall This happens all the time in a long marriage. where we were greeted by 600 children singing in Maori,” she told us. “I listened to them for my A striking aspect of this gathering of young, mother. I listened to them with my mother.” diverse arts leaders was their assertion of the need to “honor the elders,” a concept Samuel Aguiar Iñiguez of Sacramento inspired which, decades ago, did not have a lot of me with his indefatigable work in the arts. He resonance for my gang, which made a fetish has created his own time-management system of not trusting anyone over 30. An eloquent based on daily, weekly, monthly, and annual spokesperson for the elders was Annette Evans agendas, which he uses to assure he will have Smith, who works at the Alaska Native Heritage time for his own art. At 33, he mentors younger Center in Anchorage. A Stanford graduate of artists by stressing the values his father taught Athabascan, Yup’ik, and Alutiiq descent, she him, such as “keep your word.” Organizations described herself as “a daughter turning into like WESTAF and the state arts councils are a mother,” and, sure enough, her first child, doing essential work. But we fool ourselves if Daniel Peter Smith, was born on May 8th of this we think that our disappearance would keep year, a healthy eight-pounder who arrived Samuel from creating his next film or play or looking at the world—not crying, just looking. At bohemian rap piece. He is simply unstoppable. the symposium, Annette declined our implied invitation to join an elite group of young leaders By the end of the two days, the Boomer topic who would change the arts world. “I am not has pretty well played out. In fact, when we a leader,” Annette said. “I will not be a leader divided up into five discussion groups, only until I am a grandmother.” And until then, she is two people attended the topic of “Baby carrying out the vision set forth by her elders: To Boomers: Problem or Opportunity.” One of them, keep her native languages and culture alive for Ricardo Frazer, Seattle hip-hop impresario iii and WESTAF trustee, noted that he had been enough are elders as it has a lot to do with a presenter at our 2004 symposium in Los knowledge and passing on that knowledge. Angeles, speaking on behalf of youth, but In a sense, you really have to be recognized the 2005 event’s even younger collection of by other people as an elder to be an elder. speakers made him feel he had aged several I still don’t really see myself as a leader. years. He spoke of mentoring and recom- mended, “Instead of moving a Boomer out I accept that. I also know that, in Boulder, I of the way, I think you should grab hold of a recognized Annette and other new faces of Boomer and ride that horse until it dies.” the arts in the West as already doing the work of passing on knowledge to the future for the WESTAF didn’t invent the power of youth and benefit of many generations, including mine.