Photo Credit: Jie Yang TransCultural Exchange’s 2016 Annual Report The Artist Buildng at 300 Summer St. Unit 36 Boston, MA 02210 617.670-0370 www.transculturalexchange.org 2016 ANNUAL REPORT Executive Summary 2016 was a big year for TransCultural Exchange. We not only staged our biggest yet International Conference on Opportunities in the Arts, but we started to create an archive of all the presentations so that artists everywhere could have access to the information presented. We also moved our offices to The Artist Building at 300 Summer Street – putting us in the heart of downtown Boston, steps away from the subway, train, airport and harbor and into a building of artist studios with a printer, gallery, framer and lively café. And, we embarked upon an agreement with Laval University and the City of Québec City to take our 2018 Conference out of our home base – indeed, out of the US – and into Canada. We also said good-bye to some board and advisory board members (Lynne Allen and Johann Pousette), thanking them for their exemplary service and welcoming in Susan Cohen, Jan Hanvik, Beth Kantowitz and Greg Stone to take their place. Most significant by far was our 2016 Conference and its archive. Its title – Expanding Worlds – said it all. This year’s theme originally was chosen to build upon on the excitement generated by Engaging Minds - the last Conference’s exploration of possibilities for artists to explore new cultures, mindsets and technologies. As time went on, though, the title proved even more apt, as new sponsors signed on and the scope of the programming grew. For our first Conference, we had a little more than 70 presenters; this year, we had more than 150 – and many from regions not previously represented. What is most heart-warming about this phenomenon is that it is a result of what has defined TransCultural Exchange from its very start. Like many of our global artworks, for the 2016 Conference we put out an open call for proposals. And just like our art projects, the response was overwhelming, generous and beyond our wildest dreams. The outcome was this year’s remarkably rich line up, which necessitated a Conference first for us: the addition of round table discussions and workshops, along with even more venues for informal networking. As the excitement mounted, so did our need for help. First to come to our aid was Jean- Baptiste Joly. Not only did he offer to lend his expertise after attending our first Conference in 2007 (which led to the creation of TransCultural Exchange’s international advisory board – a godsend); but – just as brilliantly – last September he hosted our advisory board retreat at the unparalleled residency program he founded and directs Akademie Schloss Solitude. At that meeting were many who have helped us since our Conferences’ beginning. What emerged in the end was a clear synergy, including a firm commitment to continue to bring these Conferences to more of the world’s artists. To make this possible, TransCultural Exchange is strategically pursuing alliances with some of our longtime partners. And, although it is too soon to say more, by the year’s end, we hope to share our own ever-expanding future with you. As we are fond of saying: Stay Tuned: A New World Awaits. - Mary Sherman Executive Director, TransCultural Exchange . with heartfelt thanks to all our dear sponsors, who enabled us to produce this Conference and to TransCultural Exchange’s remarkable Board of Trustees, superb Advisory Board and all the speakers, moderators and volunteers who have come from so near and far to be with us over these three days. Most of all, though, I would like to thank the hundreds of artists and organizations TransCultural Exchange has worked with over the more than two decades of our existence. It is their work, inspiration and kindness that make our efforts such a delight. TransCultural Exchange’s Board of Trustees Lynne Allen Gordon Amgott Mira Bartok Thaddeus Beal Blake Brasher Susan Cohen Katherine Higgins Beth Kantowitz Mary Sherman Greg Stone TransCultural Exchange’s Advisory Board Ute Meta Bauer Jan Hanvik Maria Hirvi-Ijas Marie Fol Jean-Baptiste Joly Johan Pousette (outgoing) Caitlin Strokosch Margaret Shiu Tan FINANCIAL REPORT All financial decisions are made by TransCultural Exchange’s Board of Trustees. The mission of the Board of Trustees is to formulate policy for the organization, to monitor execution of that policy, and to support staff in the fulfillment of the organization’s purposes through oversight of finances, healthy governance, tax-exempt status, human resources, physical plant, collections, and all TransCultural Exchange’s activities and programs. Actual execution of programs, however, continues to remain the responsibility of the Director and staff. The advisory board, appointed in 2010, serves to help the director with the organization’s programming and provides support and advice. A freelance webmaster, a part-time assistant and an intern assist the director, each volunteering at least 50% of their time to the organization. In addition, the organization draws upon its vast global network for conference speakers, workshop hosts, and past local conference partners for both Conference and attendant exhibits and program support. Still, none of TransCultural Exchange’s activities would be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. This year Boston University again served as the lead academic sponsor of the 2016 International Conference on Opportunities in the Arts: Engaging Minds. This sponsorship is part of a two-year agreement, which lends TransCultural Exchange the academic rigor of a major international institution. It also offers both our organizations new possibilities to expand our activities, enable more artists to interact with their international peers, showcase Boston’s strengths to the global community and provide more art students with the knowledge and networks to easily transition from academia to a career in the arts. We are deeply indebted to Boston University's College of Fine Arts Dean Benjamín Juárez and to the Director of the School of Visual Arts Lynne Allen (now Dean of the College of Fine At) for spearheading the initiative to make this possible. Much credit also goes to TransCultural Exchange's Board of Trustees and Advisory Board who proposed such an alliance and without whose extraordinary guidance, insight and support we would not be here today. TransCultural Exchange also would like to thank all of the 2016 International Conference on Opportunities in the Arts: Engaging Minds' sponsors for their help and support. These include the National Endowment for the Arts, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Boston Cultural Council, French Cultural Center of Boston, Français, Délégation du Québec à Boston, swissnex Boston, SWISS airlines, Acme Art Studios, Vermont College of Art, Massachusetts College of Art & Design, Northeastern University, Mrs. Ralph Ghormley, Richard Lappin and Julia Rabkin, Georgina Pennington, the Bank of America's Matching Gift Program, Mercantile Bank, Second Street and Associates, and a number of donors who wish to remain anonymous. In addition, we would like to thank the Microsoft NERD Center for use of their space for our gala. A summary of the year’s expenses and income follows. Copies of TransCultural Exchange’s 2015 tax forms are publically available on GuideStar, Common Giving and with the Massachusetts State House’s Office of Public Charities. 2016 Total Expenses Personnel Actual Volunteer Total TOTAL PERSONNEL $45,108 $107,050 $152,158 NON-PERSONNEL EXPENSES In-Kind Accounting $74 $7,200 $7,274 Advertising & PR $320 $0 $320 Bank Fees +Conference Refunds $175 $0 $175 Insurance $664 $0 $664 Legal $804 $0 $804 Meals/Entertainment $6,607 $20,500 $27,107 Office Supplies $1,077 $0 $1,077 Parking $183 $0 $183 Telephone $1,720 $0 $1,720 Refunds, Conference $561 $0 $561 Postage $184 $0 $184 Printing Costs $4,720 $0 $4,720 Programs/Residencies $2,693 $0 $2,811 Space $1,901 $43,560 $45,461 Stationery $0 $0 $0 Survey & Evaluation $54 $0 $500 Travel $9,284 $48,941 $58,225 Website $3,664 $14,400 $18,064 NON-PERSONNEL EXPENSES $34,685 $134,601 $169,286 Total Expenses $79,793 $240,651 $321,444 Type of Income Actual In-Kind Total Earned Income - Conference Fees $25,788 $0 $25,788 Individual $12,902 $7,240 $20,142 University $9,100 $42,700 $51,800 Bank Interest $57 $0 $57 Corporate $364 $7,200 $7,564 Foundation/Non-Profit $1,300 $62,061 $63,361 Fundraiser (amazonsmile) $15 $15 Government $5,000 $1,000 $6,000 Volunteer $0 $121,450 $121,450 Total Income $54,526 $241,651 $296,177 Minus 2016 Expenses $79,793 Total 2016 Income -$25,267 Add 2015 Carry-over $122,437 Total 2016 Carry-over to 2017 $97,170 EXHIBITION ACTIVITIES Level of Confidence TransCultural Exchange presented Level of Confidence at the 2016 International Conference of Opportunities in the Arts. Level of Confidence is a face- recognition camera that has been trained with the faces of the 43 disappeared students from Ayotzinapa School in Iguala, Mexico. As you stand in front of the camera, the system uses algorithms to find which student's facial features look most like yours and gives a "level of confidence" on how accurate the match is, in percent. The piece will always fail to make a positive match, as we know that the students were likely murdered, but the commemorative side of the project is the relentless search for them and their overlap with the public's own facial features. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s interactive installations exist at the intersection of architecture and performance art. His main interest is in creating platforms for public participation, by perverting technologies such as robotics, computerized surveillance or telematic networks.