see belong annual report2012 make From the Director Strong partnerships remained SBMA’s focus and mode of operation again in 2012. Particularly satisfying and engaging was the partnership formed around the exhibition We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, which took place from September 15 – November 11, 2012. This exhibition featured a collection of paintings, sketches and educational materials from the book of the same name by award-winning artist and author Kadir Nelson. It told the story of the Negro Leagues: of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It was a perfect mirror for the social and political history of Black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball. (excerpted in part from the brochure for the exhibition). We Are the Ship served as the centerpiece for a collaboration the SBMA initiated with the University of Notre Dame Multicultural Student Programs & Services Office, The Center for History, The Civil Rights Heritage Center, and the South Bend Silver Hawks. Each partner carried out related programming and the resulting series, entitled Triple Play: Race, Baseball, Art, was aimed at creating awareness, education and action about the topics. Lecturers were brought in during the run of the show to talk about the works of art and the Negro Leagues. Speakers included: Artist, Kadir Nelson; Dr. Raymond Doswell, President of Curatorial Services, Negro League Baseball Museum; Dr. Geralyn Strecker, Professor of American Literature in U.S. history at Ball State University; Dr. Hasan K. Jeffries, Associate Professor of African American History at Ohio State University; and Phil S. Dixon, one of America’s foremost experts on baseball history. A second, very significant, partnership that was new in 2012 is SBMA’s Regional Affiliate status with the Scholastic Art Awards competition and exhibition. SBMA was asked by the Scholastic Art Awards (SAA) Board, to become the Regional Affiliate for the Scholastic Art Awards annual competition and the SBMA board voted to move forward with this very positive alliance. The volunteer-run competition had become too challenging to sustain without the infrastructure of a parent organization. SBMA was the natural and logical choice for this role, in that we have been committed to being a partner in the presentation of the exhibition for almost 30 years. The Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition recognizes junior and senior high school student achievements in the visual arts. Started in 1923, the Scholastic Art Awards program is the largest and oldest juried exhibition of its kind in the U.S. Works in the SBMA regional exhibition represent students in grades 7 - 12 from 17 surrounding counties in Indiana and Michigan. Award-winning work from regional competitions is sent to New York City for the nationals, where scholarships are awarded to the winners. SBMA is excited about and committed to the challenges of becoming the Regional Affiliate. This competition is historically important to the youth and families of the community and, should SBMA not have become the affiliate, there was a real risk of losing the competition and exhibition to the Fort Wayne region. Not only is this exhibition the most heavily attended exhibition in the SBMA annual schedule, but it is also directly and intrinsically connected to our mission of supporting arts education for youth and adults in the region. There is not a single arts program for high school and middle school students, which has the broad reach or lifelong educational impact of the Scholastic Art Awards and SBMA is looking forward to helping keep it alive in our region. Susan R. Visser Executive Director Annual Report 2012 | 1 Development and Cultivation 2012 was a year with successful initiatives aimed at broadening overall audience participation in museum activities, and providing meaningful entry experiences for the “first time” Museum goer. That first visit holds the potential to create a connection that will carry far beyond one event and translate into future support of our many programs and exhibitions. Corporate sponsorships were aggressively and thoughtfully pursued for 2012 museum programs, initiatives and exhibitions, including in-kind contributions. Corporate relationships continued to be developed with positive results. These relationships will be nurtured well into the future to sustain these meaningful partnerships and the successful programs they have brought to fruition. Beaux Arts Ball: Encore! Encore! was an entertaining fund raising event attended by nearly 200 people on November 10, 2012. Honorees included Doug Kinsey who received the Carlotta Banta Artistic Achievement Award, and June H. Edwards who received the Carlotta Banta Friends of the Arts Award. Attendees dressed in outlandish costumes inspired by memorable art, and vied for valuable prize packages donated by the area’s finest businesses. Elegant cuisine was served, and everyone enjoyed the sounds of The Marquis with Terry Austin. A fantastic time was had by all. The event was a success thanks to the work of the committee: Kari Black, Judy Bock, Dayle Brown, Mary Ann Butkovich, June Edwards, Natalie Klein, Mitzi Sabato, Stephanie Scharf, Bob Shields and Marika Smith, and all the corporations and area merchants who rallied to the cause. Thank you to all! 2012 at a Glance • 31,272 individuals • Over 50 volunteers • 11 exhibitions were • Over 2,200 people visited the South Bend contributed over 3,000 hosted in the Warner, attended “Meet Me On Museum of Art. hours to all phases of the Art League, Jerome J. the Island” and “Meet • 41,316 visits were made Museum’s operation. Crowley Galleries and the Me In the Gallery.” to our web site. • Over 100 volunteers were Warner Rotunda. • Over 3,600 people • 3,700 students, teachers active in the Art League. • 12 works of art were attended our “First and chaperones toured • 29 docents contributed acquired for the Friday” events. the Museum. over 650 hours to the Permanent Collection. • 30 individuals were • 1,026 students enrolled Museum. • Over 700 were in active on the Board of in classes. • 189 new members joined attendance for events that Trustees. used our gallery rental • 1,231 people–youth to the museum, and 13 • 7 full time and 5 part program. adult–participated in members upgraded their time staff members outreach programming. level. • 115 guests attended were employed by the “Beaux Arts Ball,” our Museum. • We hosted 6 Family • Over 100 businesses 2012 fund raising event. Days including contributed cash and/or • 32 faculty members Eggstravaganza with in-kind support. offered classes. 1100 children and adults total in attendance. 2 | South Bend Museum of Art Marketing and Events In 2012 the Museum’s marketing strategy focused on SBMA: See, Belong, Make, Art, promoting exhibitions, membership, classes/educational programming and events. Electronic and social media (website, Facebook, Twitter, Constant Contact) were utilized as the dominant means of communication and promotion of Museum activities, directing recipients to our website, southbendart.org. A monthly e-newsletter kept 2500 subscribers up to date with Museum happenings. Activities were posted on event and arts-related websites and press releases sent to local media outlets. Paid advertising included radio and print, promoting classes,exhibitions and events; media sponsorships were obtained to secure promotion of specific events and exhibitions, notably the Scholastic Art Awards, and the American Series exhibition, We Are The Ship. Print materials such as class schedules and event postcards supplemented these efforts. The SBMA took advantage of marketing opportunities with local organizations/venues: the Morris Performing Arts Center window display promoting We Are the Ship; the display window of the Bittersweet branch of the St. Joseph County Public Library; the Convention & Visitors Bureau Museum Alliance brochure promoting area museums; Downtown South Bend’s poster distribution; a booth at the Sunburst Races, and participation in the Barnes & Noble Booksellers book fair with artist demonstrations, all aimed at generating interest in SBMA programming. Opportunities for coverage on local TV, e.g., WNIT’s Experience Michiana, morning TV news and radio interviews increased our reach to a wider audience. The Museum hosted a variety of events on First Fridays aimed at increasing attendance in our galleries, awareness of our programming and developing new friends, members and donors in the community. Several of these were in conjunction with Downtown South Bend’s monthly theme or in partnership with local organizations: • Cosponsored by 88.1 WVPE, the Meet Me series kicked off the season with Meet Me in the Gallery, which attracted close to 900 people for the opening of the Scholastic Art Awards in February. • April showers brought May Rain Barrels, painted by local artists and auctioned to benefit the SBMA and partner, the Indiana University Center for a Sustainable Future. • Meet Me on the Island, cosponsored with 88.1 WVPE and Century Center in June, attracted over 1,300 to Island Park for an evening on the river of art, music and mingling. Tickets are provided to members as a benefit of membership. Annual Report 2012 | 3 Marketing and Events, cont’d. • Several First Fridays offered exhibition receptions with a featured artist presenting a gallery talk, which was recorded and made available to SBMA docents to increase their familiarity with the artwork involved in tours. In conjunction with Downtown South Bend’s August First Friday theme, Dog Days of Summer, SBMA ceramic studio artists created unique pet bowls, for sale in the Museum’s shop, The Dot Shop, and offered photo pet portraits in the gallery.