City of Austin Announces 2012 Cultural Arts Grants

In its September e-mail newsletter issued this afternoon the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin reported that the City Council has approved cultural arts grants for fiscal year 2012. Grants are funded from a small percentage of the revenue collected by the City in the form of the hotel occupancy tax. Grant recipients. The announcement specifies "Pre-contract materials are due October 28, 2011. A pre-contract workshop will be offered at City Hall, Monday, September 19, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Cultural contractors should plan to attend one of the two sessions."

The full list is available here. Following is a partial list of grants of interest to Austin live theatre.

Recipient	Grant $000
Austin Children's Theatre	17.6
Buzz Productions	1.0
Conspire Theatre	2.6
Crank Collective	1.0
Dustin Wills	3.9
Graham Schmidt (Breaking String)	2.6
Rubber Repertory	9.0
Baron's Men	2.567
City Theatre	6.4
Vestige Group	8.361
Tongue and Groove Theatre	7.8
Austin Playhouse	47.0
Scriptworks	21.6
Austin Shakespeare	59.5
Austin Theatre Alliance	122.5
Ctr for Women & their work: kt shorb	6.859
Ctr for Women & their work: Natalie Goodnow	4.516
Center Stage Texas	7.625
Different Stages	21.783
Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Austin	18.4
Long Center for the Performing Arts	125.0
Hyde Park Theatre (HPT)	54.5
HPT: sponsoring Capital T Theatre	15.303
La Fenice	2.9
Polyanna Theatre Company	35.1
Proyecto Teatro Spanish Language Theatre	8.469
Rude Mechanicals	64.5
Salvage Vanguard Theatre	62.0
Scottish Rite Theatre & Children's Theatre	19.2
Teatro Humanidad Cansada	30.25
Teatro Vivo	18.027
Teatro Vivo capacity building grant	4.4
Texas Juggling Society	1.0
Uprise Productions	8.446
Theatre Action Project (TAP)	67.0
Tutto Theatre	18.8
Vortex Repertory Theatre	64.5
Vortex sponsored: Salvata, Samayoa	17.936
Vortex sponsored: Shrewd Productions	10.396
Zach Theatre	110.0
Zilker Productions	45.0

Update on City Arts Funding Revisions

The advisory Arts Commission of the City of Austin met in special session on Monday night, March 22, to consider changes to arts funding prepared by City staff in response to an opinion deliver by the City's legal office. After hearing citizen comments, the Commission voted unanimously to urge City Council members to reject the new criteria, which could have the consequences, inter alia, of cutting off grants for education and arts outreach.

Commission leaders and Latifah Taormina, Executive Director of the Greater Austin Creative Alliance (GACA) briefed arts organizations on March 23.

The story has broken in the press. Dan Solomon of Austinist.com surveys the issue and legal texts, as well as interviewing major players. Jeanne Claire van Ryzin, writing on the Statesman's Arts360 "Seeing Things" blog, does a brief summary but provides pertinent numbers and percentages regarding Austin's revenues from the hotel and occupancy tax.

Latifah Taormina provides an update today, March 23, by e-mail and on the NowPlaying Austin blog, opening, "It's working. . . . " Her piece includes notes about the action plan items suggested by arts organizations.

The Internet-based private news service InFactDaily.com reports that City Council members were taken by surprise by the deluge of more than 500 e-mails on the proposed changes in criteria for arts funding and they are displeased with city management. The article quotes acting mayor Mike Martinez, Randi Shade and Bill Spellman. Full text of report is reprinted by permission at the Austin Jazz Workshop website.

Distance Learning from the City: Videos of "Take It To The Next Level" Presentations

Received directly in the monthly e-mail newsletter from the City of Austin Cultural Arts division:

Take it to the Next Level on the Web

Several Next Level presentations are now available to watch online! Look for them on the Channel 6 website. Search for them on the "Videos" tab by title and date. [Warning: audio starts immediately!]

Now available:

Federal Tax Overview for Individual Artists (presented 2/18/10)
Presenter Andrea Beleno of Texas C-BAR explains the tax obligations of self-employed artists, covering tax issues on the local, state, and federal levels, so that individual artists can be in compliance with the applicable laws.

Teaching Artists Webposium (presented 1/29/10)
What do teaching artists need to know, understand, and be able to do to achieve success in a self-contained or inclusion classroom? The panel consists of artists and educators dedicated to making the arts accessible to all students. The panelists discuss practical classroom strategies, lesson plan modifications, as well as the necessary questions to ask in order for everyone (artists, students, teachers, para-professionals, and administrators) to be successful. Panelists included Judith Jellison, Allison Orr, Sherry Snowden, with moderator Russell Granet of the Dana Foundation.

Weathering the Economic Storm (10/9/09)
How is the Austin economic downturn affecting Austin's nonprofit arts and culture sector and the for-profit creative industry sector? How are Austin individual creatives faring? What has been the impact on fundraising (foundation, private giving, earned income revenues, business investment)? Listen to our four panelists discuss these questions - Victoria Corcoran, Bijoy Goswami, Peter Frumkin, Kevin Patterson, with moderator Robert Faires.

Upcoming: Tax Seminars for Artists and for Arts Organizations, from the City

Just announced by the City's Cultural Arts Division in its February monthly newsletter:

NEW! Take it to the Next Level Workshops

"Federal Tax Overview for Individual Artists"

When: Thursday, February 18, 12:30 - 2:00 p.m.

Where: Austin City Hall, Boards and Commissions Room

This workshop will focus on the tax obligations of self-employed artists. We will cover tax issues on the local, state, and federal levels, so that individual artists can be in compliance with the applicable laws. A focus on deductible expenses and record-keeping tips will help individual artists take the deductions they are entitled to while maintaining the documentation to support his or her tax return. Artists will leave the workshop not only with information on their tax obligations and reporting requirements, but also with information on the business development resources available to them in the Austin area.
Instructor: Andrea Beleno / Texas Community Building with Attorney Resources (Texas C-BAR) (sponsored by Texas ReoGrande Legal Aid)

Register Now! http://taxesforartists.eventbrite.com

"Establishing a Texas Nonprofit Corporation"
When: February 22, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Where: ACC HIghland Campus

Barry Silverberg, Director of the Center for Community-Based & Nonprofit Organizations at Austin Community College, will instruct attendees about (1) the decisions required prior to and in filing a Certification of Formation; (2) the fundamental requirements for operating a Texas Nonprofit Corporation; (3) the Texas Business Organization Code Chapter 22 that governs Texas Nonprofit Corporations; and (4) bylaws and other governing documents.

Register Now! http://txnonprofit.eventbrite.com

"Federal Tax Overview for Non-Profit Arts and Culture Organizations"

When: Tuesday, March 9, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

Where: Austin City Hall, Boards and Commissions Room

This session will provide an overview of federal tax issues that affect 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations. Our discussion topics will include approaches to the redesigned Form 990, with a focus on the IRS' inquiry into good governance practices; conflict of interest and executive compensation. We will also cover issues an organization should consider when undertaking an expansion or reduction of program services.
Instructor: Frances Leos Martinez / Texas Community Building with Attorney Resources (Texas C-BAR) (sponsored by Texas ReoGrande Legal Aid)

Register Now! http://taxesforartsorgs.eventbrite.com