A Side Note:

This article is an editorial from Eric R. Rogers, Executive Director of Arts Place, Inc. in reference to the Indiana Arts Commission’s restructuring plan that was passed on April 15^th.

The article is the second in a two-part series devoted to the IAC restructuring.

As we reported in last month’s Main Artery, the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC) recently restructured its service delivery program.  Amongst the Regional Arts Partners, there was no question that the IAC needed to reduce costs given the significant budget cutbacks necessitated by State revenue shortfalls.  For that reason, the Regional Arts Partnership Consortium proposed a number of changes that would have reduced current IAC funding of partner programs and services by over 35%. 

While accepting some of the Regional Arts Partners concerns, the IAC approved drastic changes that will cut support for arts partner services and programs by more than 50%.  These changes will also markedly reduce the role of the partners in providing services on behalf of the IAC in their respective regions.  As compared to the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009, it appears likely that IAC support for Arts Place services, programs, and operations will drop by as much as 76% for the coming fiscal year.   

The proposals that were initially approved at the IAC's March 12^th business meeting represented a reversal of direction towards an outmoded centralized decision-making system.  While several modifications were made at the April 15^th commissioners’ meeting, the restructuring retains most of the centralized decision-making approach approved in March.      

Although many commissioners voiced their support for the Regional Arts Partnership, the IAC’s actions belie a disturbing governance and management trend.  Indeed, the recent policy changes reflect a significant difference of view between the IAC and the Regional Arts Partners on the best ways to deliver services, make decisions, and serve all the residents of Indiana. 

One particular challenge for the partners has been the IAC’s evolving view that technical assistance is an administrative cost.  Given this faulty proposition, it is understandable that the IAC staff argued that Regional Arts Partner administrative costs were too high. 

As anyone who has served as a teacher understands, teaching and administration are two distinct functions.  One of the most important services that the Regional Arts Partners have provided is helping artists and arts organizations meet their training needs, whether by directly providing this service or finding the individuals who can provide such assistance (usually pro bono).  Technical assistance is so integral to the work of Regional Arts Partners that for this writer’s part, the daily morning routine of opening email requires responding to several technical assistance inquiries with either advice or setting up appointments.

The Regional Arts Partnership was founded on several key concepts.  One of them was that decision-making should be made as close as possible to the people affected by those decisions.  Another of the concepts was that every community, whether a neighborhood in a large urban center or a rural county, should have equal access to state arts funding and services.  Centralized decision-making assures that these concepts will be compromised.   

The Regional Arts Partners will no longer have a significant role in assisting the IAC in cultural needs assessment.  As well, arts information services will no longer be considered a valued service of the Regional Arts Partners.  A significant component of technical assistance will be handled centrally. 

On the positive side, the IAC did relent in its decision to take technical assistance entirely away from the Regional Arts Partners.  This is fortunate for the field, as the partners have far more contact with the communities in their respective regions than any central administration could ever hope to achieve.  As well, the largest grants making category managed by the Regional Arts Partners (Arts Organization Support II) was left with the partners under the modified plan.   

The Regional Arts Partner representatives had strenuously objected to the proposal to change the designation of Regional Arts Partner to Regional Grants Agent or Regional Grants Administrator.  The Regional Arts Partners commit significant financial and human capital resources to the Regional Arts Partnership beyond the resources of the IAC.  To reduce the role of the Regional Arts Partners to agents or administrators would have undermined the collaborative nature of the program that has been a foundation of its success.      

James Surowiecki aptly demonstrates in The Wisdom of Crowds [1] that "decisions about local problems should be made, as much as possible, by people close to the problem… Instead of assuming that all problems need to be filtered up the hierarchy and every solution filtered back down again, companies should start with the assumption that, just as in the marketplace, people with local knowledge are often best positioned to come up with a workable and efficient solution.  The virtues of specialization and local knowledge often outweigh managerial expertise in decision making." 

Let's hope the Indiana Arts Commission quickly recognizes the fundamental flaws in its turn towards centralized planning and services.

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