Last month, I began writing for ArtsFwd, the online arm of EmcArts, a social enterprise for learning and innovation in the arts. My first article asked the question: What’s the Value of Transmedia Storytelling for Organizations? It received some notice, and others, like Simon Staffans, offered expanded thoughts about it.

April’s post went up last week, and this month I’m taking on the paradigm of artists as employees by re-imagining the artist residency. From my the article:

Why Aren’t More Organizations Bringing Artists into the Office?

What if every organization with a budget of over $500,000 offered one staff position to an artist? The position would be 40% administrative responsibilities and 60% artistic ones. This would funnel the hours and energy of artists’ day jobs into arts organizations. It would enhance the administrative staff with an artistic point of view. Most importantly, it would create a residency that generates new art in the organization’s space.

This dynamic would break down an organization’s creative and administrative silos. It frames the artist as a person who deserves a salary and benefits.

10,000P courtesy of Mark Krause

Administrators and artists, alike, are responding with strong feelings about this suggestion: Who funds this kind of program? How do organizations make up the slack for the time allocated to the employee’s artistic pursuit? Will other employees feel slighted, burdened or jealous?

These are all great questions. I’d love for you to visit ArtsFwd.org, read the entire piece, and chime in with your thoughts. The only way we’ll reform old systems and innovate is by discussing and collaborating on new ideas. Then, we need to put the ideas into action.

Let me know what you think!