Cities from across the country making inquires

Reservations are now being accepted from cities, towns and villages from across the country that wish to host America: Now + Here, the unprecedented art experience born from the mind of renowned American artist Eric Fischl and produced and presented by Artrain, the nation’s mobile museum authority.

America: Now + Here is “a moveable feast” of work by contemporary American visual artists, poets, playwrights, musicians and filmmakers that will be presented from coast to coast across the U.S. The exhibition is slated for launch in spring 2010 from Washington, DC.

Inspired by the juxtaposition of emotions that Americans everywhere are experiencing—celebratory yet cynical, privileged yet vulnerable, patriotic yet conflicted—Fischl set out to create an exhibition that would give voice to these feelings and encourage others to speak up about their own sense of what it means to be American at this very charged moment.

The palette of contributing artists for America: Now + Here include many of America’s most acclaimed and revered, including visual artists Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, Vic Muniz, Fred Wilson and Julian Schnabel; poets Robert Pinsky, Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Joy Harjo and Vijay Seshadri; playwrights Edward Albee, Christopher Durange, Tina Howe and David Henry Hwang as well as musicians Laurie Anderson, Sting, Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash and Lou Reed.

Those interested in further information on requirements, program fees, available dates and touring schedule for America: Now + Here may contact Artrain’s community relations manager, Biz Gonik at 734.747.8300 or via e-mail at biz.gonik@artrainusa.org. 

Artrain welcomes pair to Board of Directors

Artrain’s Board of Directors recently welcomed two newcomers to the fold: Nina Fiddian-Green and David Kushner.

Fiddian-Green

Kushner

Fiddian-Green, a native of South Africa and resident of New York City, joined the Artrain Board in May and has served as the Director of International Communications for Glaceau at The Coca-Cola Company since 2007. With Coca-Cola, Fiddian-Green helped to spearhead the market launch and penetration of Glacéau vitaminwater worldwide, including Australia, Great Britain, France, South Africa, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Canada, as a key contributor to its global high-performance, cross-functional team. Fiddian-Green graduated from Wheaton College (Norton, Massachusetts) with a BA (Honors) in Art History.

Kushner is the founder and president of The Kushner Companies, LLC. He has more than 20 years experience as a CEO, leading national and international trade, professional and medical associations. His career spans more than 35 years of work in the areas of operational management, planning, membership recruitment and retention, education, philanthropy and meetings management. Kushner conducts business and resides in the Washington, DC metro area.

The long anticipated official website for America: Now + Here, americanowandhere.org was launched on Friday, August 7. The site design was handled by Lee H. Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership of New York City and built by Internet Applications and Solutions, Inc. (IAS) of Ann Arbor, MI. The new website features a streamlined design with easy to use navigation and features including artists/curatorial biographies, donor/sponsorship information, a "how to book" packet for prospective cities along the tour as well as the latest news and information on the tour.

For more than four decades, the U.S. government has sponsored the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) - the world's largest workplace fundraising drive. Each fall, beginning in September, Federal employees - civilian, military and postal - are invited to support eligible national and local charities. Each year more than 1.3 million employees pledge over a quarter billion dollars.

Employees choose the groups they wish to support from a list of charities that have submitted applications and been deemed qualified by the CFC. Approximately 2,200 national organizations and 20,000 local organizations qualify for the Campaign annually.

Artrain was pleased to participate in its second campaign as part of the Arts Federation. And we are thrilled to announce an increase in both the number of donors and the donation amounts! Artrain truly values this support from our federal employee donors.

Artrain at Americans for the Arts Conference

Recently, members of the Artrain’s staff attended the Americans for the Arts national conference in Seattle. American’s for the Arts is the national arts advocacy organization as well as an important service provider for arts organizations across America.  Their 5,000 members includes local, regional and state arts and arts advocacy organizations, arts programming organizations like Artrain, museums, artists and foundations, business and individual arts supporters.  AFTA researches and publishes arts economic, education and other studies. 

Artrain attended as exhibitors to promote its programs, its transition to the road as well as the America: Now + Here exhibition.  Additionally, time was set aside to focus on development while renewing and making new connections with arts agencies from across the country.

The Artrain booth was very busy with lots of old friends stopping by and being thrilled to learn more about the transition to the mobile museum units. Staffers were treated to stories from conference goers about Artrain’s impact on their communities and heard over and over again “We love Artrain and want you back!”  Staffers reported that it was gratifying to not only renew those relationships, but exciting to meet representatives from cities and towns that were being introduced to Artrain for the first time. Many of these organization reps were really interested in the services Artrain provides and the chance to have a museum come to their town. 

Contact with organizations interested in learning more about Artrain as well as bringing America: Now + Here to their cities was made and is being followed up on at this time as the booking process for AN+H ramps up with an immediate goal of securing commitments and reserving spots on the tour schedule.

Staffers reported that it was renewing and rewarding to be among arts providers and those that work creatively and tirelessly to assure that their communities, schools and residents have access to the arts.  They are the connectors between the artist and the people in their communities and are Artrain’s constituency. 

For more information on AFTA, please visit http://artsusa.org.

Parallel to the booking process, Artrain is actively seeking support from a variety of corporate, institutional and individual sources to fund the exhibition’s national tour. Seed funding has been provided by the Jon and Mary Shirley Foundation and the MetLife Foundation, as well as the exhibition’s Freewheelers National Advisory Council and Kingpins Gallery Circuit. Members of these leadership committees also are supporting Artrain’s efforts to raise the $4 million in funds necessary to tour this extraordinary show and to maximize the impact for its community hosts.

Additional information on how to make a contribution in support of America: Now + Here is available by contacting Artrain at 734-747-8300 or visiting http://americanowandhere.org.

Artrain is a national arts organization with roots in communities across the country. Initially building on the great democratizing power of America's rail system, and today by utilizing the country's roads and highways, Artrain delivers award-winning art exhibition and education programs to diverse audiences in cities and towns not usually reached by cultural institutions and touring exhibitions.  With a mission to enrich lives and build communities through the arts, Artrain provides exceptional opportunities for learning, growth and art appreciation and encourages the development of local cultural programs.  Winner of the National Medal for Museum Service, Artrain was founded in 1971.  More than 3.2 million people have visited Artrain during 845 community visits across the nation.