If you are reading this, that means two things, the instructions that we sent you for accessing this blog actually made sense and you cared enough to give our new blog a glance…so thank you!
All of our program staff at the Oklahoma Arts Council have been glad to hear from many of you recently as we have been planning our Roster Artists Orientation and meeting (for Tuesday, May 20th).
We all agree that we want to find more ways that we can keep the lines of communication open between the Oklahoma Arts Council and our Roster Artists. We know that you have a wealth of information to share from your years of work in the field. Also, we have heard many of you express a need to have more opportunities to connect with the other artists on the roster. Hence, this Roster Artist Blog has been started.
I must confess, (as I’m sure you will gather if you have already sat through one of my most basic Power Point presentations) that I am not the most savvy person when it comes to technology, including the internet. So, this Blog is starting out as a bit of an experiment. (And I am sure that it will continue to morph into something better once we all start using it). But I hope you will find it to be of help or at least of interest in the work you are doing.
The idea came from a conversation I had with one of our Roster Artists in recent months. He was not being treated fairly at the school where he had been working, and was asking for some advice. “What do other artists do when they get in a bind like this?” he asked me. The truth is….I really didn’t know! So, one of my first intentions for starting the blog is to have a place where all of our Roster Artists can exchange information, resources and ideas. You all have a wealth of experience and creative talent to share with each other. The Blog can serve as a tool for our artists to provide peer support and advice about specific issues that come with residencies and performances. It will also help our programming staff so that we can be more aware of your needs as Roster Artists. And, hopefully, it will be a means for us to provide you with helpful information as well.
In beginning this Blog, one thing we would like to establish is an understanding that this Blog exists for the purposes of good. In other words, we do not want the Blog to turn into a place where people post messages full of negativity and online slamming or bashing of individuals, including the Oklahoma Arts Council. So, in a later Blog, we will post some basic rules for those using the Blog. While we want you to write candidly and honestly about any issues that affect you as Roster Artists, our goal is to keep things upbeat and helpful. So, please be considerate of your fellow Roster Artists and make sure whatever you post is constructive.
Alright, well, I have already Blogged enough for one day…but if you are still reading at this point, thank you…and be sure to check back in the near future.
Kind Regards,
Molly O’Connor, Arts Learning in Communities Director
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Hi Molly,
This is cool. A blog is a good way for you to post information to the group and get our feedback.
The artist conversation that sparked this blog idea – the one about being treated unfairly – reminds me of the sort of stuff that we talk about on the Children’s Music Network email list. On the CMN list people often post about contracts or other artist-client situations that seem unfair; and there are always several folks who’ve seen it before and can offer good advice.
Have you thought about starting an artists’ list-serve for OAC roster artists?
Hi Monty,
Thank you for visiting the blog and posting a coment. I didn’t realize until now that you left a question, so, forgive me for the delay in responding.
Good question about the list-serve. While a list-serve is a helpful tool for sharing ideas and resources, I know how list-serves can also be a lot of maintenance. I have had to drop subscriptions to several list-serves due to limited storage available with my email. In my experience, I have had my inbox flooded with emails from the list-serve that it required too much time to manage and keep up with the emails from the different groups.
With the blog, it gives you as artists a chance to share information without it being a nuisance. Still, we are just starting out, so over time we hope to improve the blog as a means for communication. Please feel free to share any other infroamtion you have about your experiences with list serves, blogs or other effective means for communication…..
Kindly,
Molly