TRAINING, COACHING and FACILITATION

StEPs 4Culture

AdvisArts worked with 4Culture to develop, launch, and deliver StEPs 4Culture, a new two-year capacity building program for King County historical organizations. Based on the Standards and Excellence Program for Historical Organizations (StEPs) developed by the American Association for State and Local history with funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, StEPs 4Culture focused on five topic areas: Mission and Vision; Management and Governance; Audience; Interpretation; and Stewardship of Collections, Historic Structures, and Landscapes. In 2014 and 2015 a series of six interactive convenings and seven roundtable workshops helped more than thirty history and heritage organizations maintain healthy operations and attain national standards. In addition to deepening and improving professional practices within organizations, the program strengthened peer-to-peer knowledge and problem solving. Participants noted the value of access to new tools and skills, and highly valued building community and professional relationships with colleagues throughout the region, The program set the stage for continued incentives and future programs building a community of practice for history organizations in King County

StEPs 4Culture

Springboard, 501 Commons, Seattle

Springboard provides organizational development support and consulting to strengthen the functioning of small and mid-size cultural organizations in the Seattle region. Springboard was developed by 501 Commons in cooperation with Claudia Bach of AdvisArts. Between 2009 and 2019 over 50 organizations benefited from participating in Springboard. This cohort-based program helps arts and cultural organizations identify capacity strengths and challenges, set priorities, identify goals and take action to improve issues such as business systems, fundraising, audience development and board governance. With the help of 501 Commons consultants and supportive peers, Springboard participants have the opportunity to advance their organization’s mission with new skills and implementation plans.
Springboard, 501 Commons

Artist Trust’s EDGE and Native Creative Professional Development Programs

Since 2003, AdvisArts has worked with Artist Trust to meet the professional development needs of artists in Washington State through the EDGE program. Claudia Bach served as an advisor for the inception and development of EDGE and continues as an occasional instructor. The EDGE professional development program, supported initially by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, provides artists with an opportunity to gain professional career building information and skills through a multi-faceted curriculum with a cohort of fellow artists. AdvisArts worked with other professionals to design replicable curriculum content and materials responsive to the needs of adult learners, and provided seminar instruction for selected pilot program sessions. The program was also adapted to meet the particular needs of Native American artists in conjunction with the Longhouse, Olympia, WA.

The EDGE program is built on a foundation of workshops and roundtables AdvisArts developed and presented starting in 1993 for Artist Trust. These popular programs, presented in over 20 communities statewide, were offered in support of Artist Trust’s mission of providing Washington State artists with targeted tools for professional growth.

Artist Trust EDGE Program

Economic Development Commission, City of Seattle

The Seattle Economic Development Commission (EDC) was formed in 2013 to ensure that Seattle is a vibrant, resilient, equitable and competitive place to do business, and to bring together leaders from the private, nonprofit and public sector to purposefully shape this future. The EDC advises the Mayor, City Council and Office of Economic Development and other agencies, both public and private. AdvisArts provided planning, consultation and facilitation for the EDC’s inaugural year, including development of a ten year Vision Statement, a Framework for Economic Development, and strategies for action in all sectors. The initial work of the EDC focused on working productively across sectors and investigating areas for transformative change by building on the expertise and vision of business, civic, education and labor leaders.

Economic Development Commission, City of Seattle