Fishtrap, Oregon Historical Society: Please give me a job.

Stumbling through my past, via blogs which I have completely forgotten and neglected, I find myself marveling over the  huge changes just a few small years can bring.

After completing my degree in Arts Management, I returned to my beloved Portland and, alas, could not find employment in the non-profit arts sector.  I was interviewed by the Portland Art Museum for my dream job - and lost out to, I'm told, someone from the Getty.

I wound up volunteering to write grants for a couple of organizations in town, which was interesting, but failed to pay the rent.  I was on my last financial legs when Donate Life NW came through with a real, grown-up job.  Just in time!

Overall, I have been happy at Donate Life NW.  My colleagues are generally pretty cool, and I have gotten to participate on numerous projects.  For example:

• I oversaw the development of our statewide Programs 3 year strategic plan, including the determination of goals relative to data and staff resources (revolutionary for this org)
• I have overseen the start-to-end program development of both a high school field trip and a statewide curriculum, including stuff like proposed budgets
• I have assisted in the composure of five-figure grant proposals... fingers crossed
• I have revitalized an aging program by identifying new opportunities & partnerships
• I have overseen a social media campaign and am now well versed in strategic SM managment
• I am, like, awesome at website updates
• I have spearheaded the development of a visual branding policy
• I have written loads of policy & procedure guides so as to help our regional staff and in-house staff to understand what the hell we're supposed to be doing in as efficient a manner as possible...
• I have independently designed collateral for statewide use in high schools, thankfully taking advantage of my Adobe training in some small way
• Basically, I'm an office wunderkind.  And people like me, to boot!

On the down side, my job gives few opportunities to connect with my own personal values (writing, art, history, culture, etc.).  I spend my days googling the structure of the cornea, and giving presentations to kids that basically revolve around their inevitable deaths (organ donation, if you're wondering).  I feel kinda sapped, two years in, due to this pesky feeling that I am not at all connected to our mission - a feeling totally incomprehensible to anyone not within the non-profit sector. Suffice to say, if you choose to have a career with meaning, it's inevitable that that meaning can't be too arbitrary.  I'm not denying that my current work is important, and very valuable - hell, it's literally about saving people's lives.  But... like most people, I wish I had a job that inspired me (if this is even possible).

Having been forced to re-launch my career outside of the sector for which I'd been aiming - it gets kinda discouraging, as the years go by.  The logistics of career-switching are daunting.  For example, as much as I would have given my lady balls for a job in Education with the Portland Art Museum, I can safely say that I would be unable to pay my current mortgage, had I gotten the job.   

But I keep my eyes open.  I tell myself that one day, the right job will be there, at the right time.

I kinda wish the time were now.  Oregon Historical Society is hiring a Curator, and Fishtrap wants a Program Coordinator.

Here is what my REAL cover letters to them would say:

Dear OHS:  I got a degree in Museum Studies and am a history nerd.  Seriously, I'd be a great hire!  My dad is a flippin' regional history expert and I grew up in a house filled with 19th century saddles. I helped edit his book on Oregon saddle history.  I'm pretty sure that I can figure out this job, so please interview me.  I admit that I do lack the formal curation experience, due to the goshdarned lack of jobs in the museum industry, but.  I have a degree and a brain, and I did work at the Smithsonian once upon a time - why doesn't anyone on the West Coast care about this?  - Let's talk.

Dear Fishtrap:  I love you.  You are beautiful.  Seriously, coordinating workshops for writers at the foot of a mountain paradise in Eastern Oregon???  I feel like I need to finish my book before you'll take me seriously, and that's okay.  I can wait.  I love you.

Would I were at the Oregon Arts Summit...

Ah, but poor artists cannot afford a $75 entrance fee! Darn it!

All I can do is longingly speculate about the day's agenda. It looks like a fairly predictable rig-a-ma-roll (sp?) of non-profit hot topics, but nonetheless - a dedicated Coffee and Conversation hour stirs a great deal of longing in my currently unemployed, arts administrator heart. Some groups and speakers of particular note:

EmcArts, based in New York - according to their website, "a nonprofit intermediary for many arts funders, and as a service organization for the arts field around innovation". But if you click on their Portfolio link, you get a whole lot of nothing. Double darn it!

An Audience Development Manifesto presented by an OSF guy!

Doug McLennan of ArtJournal! A full-fledged dork, I've subscribed for four years, and so Mr. McLennan is a bit of a rock star for me. I can't belieeeeeve he's in my local convention center, right now!!!!!!

Caldera. Can someone please tell me how to get a job here? It seems reserved for only those transcendent few.

The Portland Art Museum, talking about Object Stories. I love the OS concept and website execution. Sigh.

Oregon Ballet Theater, talkin' 'bout boards.

Hands On Portland talkin' 'bout volunteers.

A speaker from the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, which is a weird coincidence in that this center is located on a rural road outside of Lincoln City, which I JUST happened to walk by on Monday, as I hiked the Cascade Head trail.

Getting schooled in cultural policy...

#1: I like any article that starts talking about advanced cultural policy courses for US politicians. This one in article gives a concise, yet encompassing picture of why it matters, as well as why it's so darned hard to implement, state-side.

#2: I was intrigued by the link to ExchangesConnect, "an international online community managed by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational & Cultural Affairs that connects potential, current, and former exchange program participants so that they can discuss application processes, programs, and living abroad." I didn't know that such a site existed, let alone realized it could be put to use for artist exchanges. Which is cool.

Oregon Arts Watch

One stop shopping for arts and cultural journalism in Oregon - what a great idea!

Note to self that I can now keep myself in the loop with Oregon Arts Watch...

NEA Committee Proposes $17 Million in Budget Cuts

And here's the dismaying article all about it.

I've recently concluded Year One of Ph.d-y-ness, and have moved back to Portland - hence, the lag in communications. But I felt this was an important news item worth documenting...

And it just won't stop being exciting!!!

The President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities: theoretically sharing yet another report soon...

And a National Arts Policy Roundtable!!!

Quote from Artsblog:

"Last fall, 30 top-level decision makers and thought leaders from government, business, education, and the arts gathered at the Sundance Resort and Preserve for the Fifth Annual Americans for the Arts National Arts Policy Roundtable, to discuss this year’s theme – The Role of the Arts in Educating America for Great Leadership and Economic Strength.

Their conclusions are profiled in a new report issued this week by Americans for the Arts that calls for individuals across the public and private sector to recognize the arts as the transformational tools they are for making schools stronger and students more successful."

Obviously, this is an exciting week for those of us who like policy.