State of the Art 2023: What’s Trending - DEI, Money for the arts and Women Arts Leaders

 

First, I want to say how important it has been this year to recognize all the people who may not have gotten as much respect as they deserve. Inclusion, diversity and equality are not just politically correct words, but together they bring us together by recognizing that every person deserves their place in the sun. I am lucky to be a cheerleader for those in the visual arts. But whatever your interests are, I urge you to be a champion for those you know and admire.

It has been booming time for government funding. I am struck by the amount of money that it is pouring into the arts. At first, I thought it was due to the pandemic and the arts being struck so severely. But I had another idea. Do you think it is possible that people are gaining confidence that the arts actually can bring solutions to so many of the current social issues?  Those of us in the arts have always known that arts and culture can go where others cannot. Still, I am impressed with how much money is being directed our way, much of which is earmarked for the underserved and for education.  

Making sure it is fairly distributed is another matter. Grass roots organizations are now truly being recognized for how essential they are, and how collaborative they know they have to be to survive. Grass roots organizations have always had to be nimble to survive and excel. Now large organizations like American for the Arts are going through a transformation process and seems to be jumping on that band wagon. Just look at the old corporate logo and the new more open logo above with more emphasis on the arts and less on who is an American. 

Here are just some examples sums coming to the arts:

Federal Funding: A 15% funding increase to both the NEA/NEH of $27 million to bring the total to from the Senate to $207 million. A $26.8 million increase to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). A first-time ever budget allocation of $10 million in the Department of Defense to support creative art therapy programs at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. More than $66 million in direct project funding, also known as congressional earmarks, was awarded to over 68 arts organizations across the country. Level funding of $36.5 million was allocated to the Department of Education’s Assistance for Arts Education programs.

California: California Arts Council is pushing for $1 per capital for the arts which would bring them from $26M to $40M per year allocation from the state. Over $600 million was spent so far on pandemic recovery. Cultural Districts will get $30M plus Art in Parks $25M. There is also $20 in Cultural Institution relief funding still to come and an upcoming $925,000 for Artist Fellowships. Biggest news is for art education with the passing of Prop 28 = $800M for school districts through Create CA . Much of this money will trickle down to San Diego!

San Diego and Imperial Counties: $4.5M for Creative Corp.

Encinitas: $7M Pacific View Art Center

And you can’t complain about the fact that Women are still trending in the Visual Arts in San Diego.  There are a whole new crop of women taking important positions in the Visual Arts in our County: Jessica Berlanga Taylor, new director of UCSD Stuart Collection,  Jessica York new Executive Director of the Mingei,  Elizabeth Yang-Heelewell new EEO of New Children Museum, Felicia Shaw new Executive director of San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition, Lauren Lockhart new Executive Director of the La Jolla Historical Society and Gina Lopez new Chief Executive Officer for  California Center for the Arts Escondido and Christie Mitchell  new executive director of the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library,

They are joining Women Museum Directors Maria Mingalone at OMA, Roxana Velásquez at SDMA, Deborah Klochko at MOPA, and Kathryn Kanjo at MCASD. There are so many women running municipal and sales galleries in the county including Sonya Sparks at Sparks Gallery, Ellen Speert at PHES Gallery, Karen McGuire at Cannon Gallery, Alessandra Moctezuma at Mesa College Gallery, Melissa Inez Walker at Distinction Gallery, Julie Weaverling at Front Porch Gallery, Lynn Susholtz at Art Produce, Blanca Bergman at Art Unites, Sandi Cottrell at Art Walk, Jennifer de Poyen at Space4Art, Julia McMeans at ArtsBusXpress, Wendy Wilson at the Bonita Museum, Julie Fister at Studio Ace and Dinah Poellnitz at Hillcrest Country Club.  Both Madison and Adelman Galleries are run by women.

There are women writers in the arts like Julie Dixon Evans, Lonnie Burstein Hewitt, Lisa Deaderick, and Elizabeth Rooklidge, plus lots of great curators like Daniella Susella and Chi Essary and PR agents like Toni Robbin.  There are legions of women art administrator who are working for the SD County cities, and libraries and the airport like Bonnie Domingos at the Central Library, Giang Myers at the new County Office of Art and Culture, Lara Bullock at the City of SD Commission for Arts and Culture and recently appointed curator for the SD Art Prize.  Naimeh Tahna Woodward runs the Encinitas Friends of the Arts and Collette Murphy does arts admin at the City of Encinitas.  Let’s not forget Naomi Nussbaum who runs Synergy Arts Foundation, and their sister non-profit The San Diego Visual Arts Network coordinated by me, Patricia Frischer.

Partying with No Purpose

 

If you are anything like me and the rest of the world, you have been isolated for the last 3 years. I really appreciated the time to slow down and re-evaluate. I had time for yoga, for reading books, and doing my taxes early.  No parties meant no small talk, no indigestion from overindulgence, no hangovers. BUT NO FUN!

Now I am ready, mask in hand, to gather to celebrate our survival and to be reminded that we need more than one other human in a room that is not a zoom.  I am having a private cookie frosting party to prepare for my reception and the annual SDVAN holiday party, this year at the Cardiff by the Sea Library (Wed. Dec 14^th). I am helping to prepare the Encinitas Friends of the Arts Membership appreciation party at the Encinitas Ballet Academy (Dec 8^th). We have even started to plan the 20^th Anniversary party of San Diego Visual Arts Network with Synergy Arts Foundation, our sister organization next September 16^th, a big bash for our double decade.

But it will be a quiet Thanksgiving for me with only my husband Darwin and hopefully a pair of duck breasts. One more chance to give thanks for a loving relationship that sustains our lives and makes all the fun possible.

With our wishes that you are with people special to you and that you are grateful for every breath.
With added wishes for a world that is tolerant and peaceful and full of art.
With additional gratitude to all those that supported the San Diego Visual Arts Network with their kind donations in 2022 both in-kind and financial.   

ArtsVote – Make Your Vote Count

 

by Patricia Frischer

California for the Arts has issued the US Congressional Art Report Card for 2022. This year marks a midterm election year, which means all 435 U.S. House of Representatives, 6 Delegates, and one-third of the U.S. Senate are running for election on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. There will likely be state and local elections taking place that day as well.

We encourage you to be an ArtsVote champion by pledging to make your vote count and encouraging others to turn out to vote. Download your customized State Voter Factsheet with key deadline dates, times, and locations to update your voter registration, find out if you can vote absentee, or vote early in person at ArtsActionFund.org/ArtsVote.

The following have Pro-Arts Grades:
US House of Representatives in San Diego County
Mike Levin CA 49^th
Scott Peters was 52^nd Now Running for 50th
Sara Jacobs was 53rd – Now running for 51st
Juan Vargas was 51^st - Now Running for 52^nd

US Senate in CA:  Alex Padilla and Diane Feinstein both have Pro-Arts Grades

The following DO NOT have Pro-Arts Grades
Darrell E, Issa was 50^th - Now running for 48^th  Against Stephen Houlahan
Michelle Steel was 48th - Now running for 45th

To find out who your US House of Representatives is,  put your zip code in this link.

Of course, you also should know how candidates stand on the arts in more local races;  Mayor of your city, your City Councilpersons, your CA State Congress Representatives and Senators. And maybe most important, the San Diego County Supervisors who are all now known to support the arts with their bold move to re-create a county level Commission for Arts and Culture. We hope they announce the full-time staff member for that commission soon.

Yes, it takes time to find this information, but once you know who these people are and who might be running for office this fall, you can attend debates and forum and put forward questions about who supports the arts.

One caveat: The first goal of politics is to get people to act in unison: the second is to get them to stop!

Questions for candidates:

1.         Identify one particularly important cultural, creative, or artistic asset in your district. What is its significance to the community?

2.         If elected, how do you plan to identify, connect with, and support cultural, creative and artistic assets in your district?

3.         What role should municipal government play in funding cultural and creative efforts? Please state your reasons.

4.         Will you advocate for a county-wide conversation about various municipal arts funding and fund management paradigms? Explain your position.

5.         What are the under-utilized municipal assets in your district that could help support the creative, cultural, and artistic efforts of your constituents? How would you make them more easily accessible?

Californians have an opportunity to positively impact every public school in the state by voting Yes on PROP 28. It will fund high-quality instruction in visual arts, media arts, music, dance, and theatre if passed!

October is National Arts and Humanities Month but we celebrate the arts every hour, every day, every week, and all and every year!

...and sent to us by Lonnie Burstein Hewitt, this little glimpse into the robot Ai-Da, the artist of the future at the UK House of Parliment!

Ayad Akhtar gives the Nancy Hanks Lecture and SD Design Week Collectors.

by Patricia Frischer

Sarah Grossman Polychromist posting in front of PANCA's wall mural (SD Art Prize recipient 2021)

I am writing about the following two video presentations because they are  so interesting and I feel I want to draw attention to both. The first is a 30 minute talk by Pulitzer Prize recipient Ayad Akhtar which was so insightful; the second, one of my favorite subjects, art collectors. 

34th Annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy - Featuring Ayad Akhtar
Presented by Americans for the Arts at the Kennedy Center. 

This beautifully written and spoken speech touched on the universal and the particular as well as the dangers of our online obsession's and was moving and inspiring. Don't miss one of the best half hours of the year.  

Please note the introduction start at 51 minutes and the actual lecture  at 59 minutes

I’m No Guggenheim How a Novice Designed an Art Collection from the  San Diego Design Week 2022 features Jennifer Findley of JFiN Collective with collectors tips and a description of her own Op-Art collection in her home designed by La Jolla architect, Dale Naegle. Jennifer then interviews local social-media personality, Sarah Grossman (instagram Polychromist) who matches her wardrobe to colorful art works. Sarah, herself, has not started to collect the art to which she is so drawn.

What the NFT?

by Patricia Frischer

Gary Lang, NFT at Quint Gallery

NFT stands for “non-fungible token.”  NFTs are a category of assets called digital. You may have heard of Bitcoin which is also a digital asset as a form of digital money.  NFTs are digital collectibles assets. So, they can be purchased, sold and traded. The “fungible” part means it could be exchanged like money for anything equal to it. But the “non” part means it is one of a kind and has no equivalent. Like a great Picasso painting is non-fungible because it is unique.  Each one is unique and so has a certificate of ownership and there in lies the value. 

Now it gets tricky. The blockchain is just a database. It stores pieces of digital info in chronological order called blocks. The control of blockchains is spread out and not centralized in one authority. This allows for exchanges with no middle man but directly between owner and buyer.  You use the blockchain to store and sell your NFTs.

Since we are talking about digital information, there is no physical asset. No canvas, no stone. The only exchange document is in a public blockchain ledger open to computers worldwide. This record is your proof of ownership and a record of the value. Because the value is public, that is what actually drives the price in a free economy. Uniqueness with scarcity can drive a price up if there is desire.

Artist can make a digital image or even variation of an image, that is unique, never produce a product and sell that specific digital information. Although the NFT art works can be viewed on a digital screen, what is really being traded is the value. Anything you can create digitally is included. The artist has no manufacturing, storage, or shipping costs. And no middleman although we have seen artist with NFTs use gallery to help promote these works.

Modern artists are leveraging the exclusivity factor of NFTs to build audience especially online. That means that they have to create or ride a trend. Commissions could be a perfect slot for visual art NFTs. The customer could have input and the work would be individualized just for them. Exclusivity is always appealing at the top of the market. Check out Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) (b. 1981) and his NFT art work Everydays: The First 5000 Days which was sold in 2021 at Christies Auction for $69,346,250.

But one of the most exciting aspects is how this might drive creativity in digital art. One-of-a-kind ideas of how to use this changing digital medium and being the first to introduce that technology could be a real advantage.

If you are an artist, you might want to try this out. OZY present Here’s how to Mint Your Own NFT 

Uninformed and Not Stupid?

 

Shepard Fairey Arts Vote

I had an interesting discussion with my husband this month about the difference between ignorant and stupid. I often chastise myself for thinking someone is stupid because they don’t believe in science or have a twisted view of truth. I try hard to see their point of view and be empathetic to how they might feel. But this is a hard task especially in our world that seems to be more and more polarized. I know these people are smart about lots of other things in their lives. But what I realized is that they may be uninformed once it was pointed out to me that they might just be ignoring certain ideas.

A case in point was in part 7 of the Jan 6 hearings. The family man who listened only to social media to get his news and based his opinions on a very narrow set of targeted statements. He ended up at the “steal the vote” rally and got riled up with the rhetoric and found himself eventually arrested for invading the capitol building. When he shut off the limited social media sources he was reading and really started paying attention to all points of views, he started to develop his own opinions. He saw that he had been misled and that ignorance had a high price i.e.  jail time, loose of his job and his family home.

About this time, you might be asking, “What does this have to do with visual art?” I think that one of the most attractive traits of a good artist is curiosity. And if you are truly curious, you do not ignore life around you, but delve into it. I should like to send a little congratulations to all out there who are curious, who notice the world, who are tolerant and who use their art to communicate some of what they are learning.

I am also not so sure anymore how polarized we actually are. I hear this all the time but I may be a victim of the same sort of newsfeed type rants. I know the political parties are divided.  The issues of gun control, diversity, equity, inclusion, abortion rights, climate change, voting rights are highly contested. But I believe that most people in America are good at heart and not adversarial in nature. If we can add more curiosity to that good nature, then a common way might be found forward. 

ArtsVote California is your way to make sure your vote counts.

Summary of the New Ordinance for an office of Arts and Culture at the county level.

by Patricia Frischer

I am thrilled to announced that the Ordinance for a new office for SD County Arts and Culture has passed unanimously its SECOND reading. One more reading and it will have gained its place in the 2021/2022 county budget.

My colleague Naomi Nussbaum sums up this new agency,  “Some of us have been working on establishing arts & culture on the county level for decades, so we are deeply grateful to all the supervisors for actualizing this.  Some of us support our artists and arts organizations throughout the county and keep a firm pulse on their needs, challenges, and opportunities.  Because of COVID and the increasing cost of living in our county, we are seeing more artists and small arts organizations struggling to survive.  We are losing some of our creative community to more affordable places to live.  We believe representation at the County level will address some of the challenging issues facing our creative community, the two greatest being affordable housing and limited opportunities and adequate support.  I think we all agree that art & culture transcend barriers, encourage inclusivity, provide innovative solutions, and are vital to economic development of our County.  Let’s make San Diego County an international cultural destination.” 

Below is a summary of the ordinance combined with more information that we have received from the office of the Supervisors, especially Supervisor Vargas and Fletcher. This was originally compiled for the North County Arts Network and a Confab of arts leaders brought together by Larry Baza to bring back the SD County Arts and Culture Agency. It is our hope to support and advance the Supervisor’s vision for the Arts and Culture staff and Commission. 

There are three parts to the ordinance: 1) expanding and improving existing County programs, 2) addressing and improving equity in access to arts and culture, and 3) creating a county arts and culture agency.

Please note: the Film Commission is not part of the new office. 

#1 Expanding public arts programs. Updating the Community Enhancement grant programs to better assess which grants are being used to fund arts and culture organizations, (an extra $5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) will augment supervisorial Community Enhancement Funds in order to fund organizations related to arts and culture, one million dollars for each district.) Updating policies to make grants available to individual artists, and exploring the possibility of using County spaces as workspaces for local artists.

#2 The County to act as a regional leader to inform sector goals to improve racial and cultural equity in arts and culture. To promote greater cultural diversity and inclusivity and empower historically disenfranchised communities, it is important to elevate the work of smaller, emerging artists from communities that have not had access to arts and culture resources.

#3 County Arts and Culture Agency: The SD County Commission for Arts and Culture will be formed with nominations from the public and two chosen by each Supervisor plus 3 youth commissioners (age 16-24). Appointment will last only as long as the Supervisor is in office. Committees can be formed and each has to have at least one commissioner. At least one full time staff will be paid by the county under the offices of the Economic Development and Government Affairs (EDGA) (total budget of that office is $3.5 million). This position is appointed by the Chief Administrator of that EDGA. The remit of the Commission was set forward but we have yet to see the staff description. The Commission shall have the power and duty to:

(a) Study and evaluate equity in access to arts and culture in the region. (This could be data gathering)

(b) Promote equity in access to arts and culture in the region. ( This could cover all sort of things, promotion, funding smaller orgs, support of artists???)

(c) Conduct workshops for County personnel and community groups to explore specific subject areas and improve relationships. (This leaves the door open to educate and sounds like it is about collaborations, professional development workshops, getting paid staff for all cities)

(d) Conduct public hearings dealing with matters before the Commission. (Asking for input from the community to the Commission)

(f) Prepare and disseminate information on matters related to the arts community. (Again, pr and education of the issues)

(g) Provide liaison and assistance to citizen groups interested in the problems facing the arts community. (bringing in non-art org and business to help the arts community, dealing with homelessness and housing for artists, healing arts programs)

(h) Apply for and administer grants from all levels of government and private sources for carrying out the functions of the Commission. (The ability to fund raise, but no funding from the county noted except for admin)

My feeling is when we see the application for the staff position and an outline of those duties and responsibilities as well as the nomination application for Commissionors, we will have a pretty good idea of the direction of this new agency.  Although it might have certain flaws, these plans are a good starting place. 

Questions remaining:

1. What is the salary, title and description of the staff position? Are there any addition staff position in the arts and culture department?

2. What is the official title of the office? SD County Arts and Culture Agency?

3. Is there any budget for the office besides the staff position(s)?

4. Will this office be working with Andrew Strong's Office of Equity and Racial Justice?

6. Will this new office be working on a new Public Art Policy?

Support for the Arts at the County Level

The following is a letter I wrote to thank and support our county supervisors who are moving forward in supporting the arts with a designated staff and office for arts and culture when the June county budget is passed. Feel free to copy this and send it to your own district supervisor who are all holding information meetings about the upcoming budget. (see below for dates)

Dear County Supervisor Lawson-Remer, Fletcher, Vargas, Desmond and Anderson,

We would like to thank you each and your fellow county supervisors for the unanimous support you are giving the arts and culture community in San Diego. We truly appreciate the efforts of Supervisor Fletcher and Vargas in championing the move to allocating funds for building an administrative structure on a county wide basis.

At this time, we want to confirm that we are in support of the 2022 budget including the new Office of Economic Development and Government Affairs (EDGA) to coordinate regional efforts through the creation of a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). We are particularly happy that the Office of Arts and Culture and its staff are ideally placed in the new Economic Development and Prosperity division of EDGA which will be implementing the county wide coordination and arts and culture initiatives.

We are looking forward to seeing details of these strategies and the posting of these vital staff positions which need professional art experience at this high level.  These positions as well as the arts and culture commissioners need to be equitably available and filled. We applaud your effort to make this a vital part of your mission enabling diversity to flourish.

We are here to support you and the county in approving this budget and we are here to play any role in aiding or advising you through future white papers about this office by calling on the expertise of our many colleagues.

With kindest regards,

Patricia Frischer
Founder/Coordinator, San Diego Visual Arts Network
A database of 2500 visual arts resources and calendar, reports and support information produced to improve the clarity, accuracy and sophistication of discourse about San Diego's artistic and cultural life, dedicated to the idea that the Visual arts are a vital part of the health of our county. 

Monday May 23: District 3 Lawson Remer
REGISTRATION LINK

Tuesday May 31:District 4 Fletcher
MORE INFORMATION

Thursday, June 2 District 1 Vargas
REGISTRATION LINK

Monday June 6, District 5, Desmond
MORE INFORMATION

Wednesday, June 8 District 2, Anderson
MORE INFORMATION

 

Costumes and Scenery from the Ukraine for the Encinitas Ballet

 reported by Patricia Frischer

We recently got this very touching story from Sayat Asatryan who is the owner and director of the Encinitas Ballet company. I am reposting his story in his words below. 

Sayat Asatryan, Agent/ Director
Encinitas Ballet
Located at: California Institute for Human Science (701 Garden View Court, Encinitas, CA 92024) cell 760.632.4947
www.EncinitasBallet.com
www.NutcrackerHelp.com

We are so excited to announce that our Cinderella dresses and one backdrop have arrived from Lviv, Ukraine! 

It's so touching that designers were making our costumes for us at such a hard time despite the difficulties of the current world. Before the war, on February 23rd, everything was ready to be shipped to the United States, until the 24th, when the war started, and all the post offices had closed.

The backdrop was ready, but I told them to stop making costumes in order to ensure their safety, yet they continued to create our beautiful costumes because it was what helped them not think about the war, keeping them happy.

We found only one solution, to transfer everything to Poland. After a four-hour drive, the costumes were at the DHL office and were ready to be shipped to us. 

We received stunning costumes for Cinderella (Gabby Fish/Moriah McLellan) and the fairy godmother (Andrea Schefer/Elisa Shroeder). The hand -painted backdrop was done using my design and was sponsored by Christina Elmore. 

Sayat Asatryan, Agent/ Director
Encinitas Ballet

How are the arts doing?

 

The San Diego Museum Art Arts Alive blooms again in a kaleidoscope of color this April 28-May 1, 2022. Talented floral designers inspired by the Museum collection, offer a brilliantly colored backdrop for a weekend of beloved traditions and art-inspired activities. Thurs, April 28 Art Alive 2022 Premiere Dinner from 6:30pm–11:30pm, Fri, April 29 is Members’ Preview from 8am –10am. and Bloom Bash from 7pm.–midnight, Art Alive Floral Exhibition Fri.10am–5:pm Sat/Sun 9am to 5pm, and Sat/Sun Garden of Activities from noon–4pm. 

I was asked by a friend who knows how involved I am in the visual arts, how are the arts doing? I had just filled out a survey for Americans for the Arts, and so my first impulse was to think about all the challenges that the arts face. But what came out of my mouth instead was the arts are doing rather well in San Diego. We just got promised $7 million for a new art center in Encinitas, the Museum of Contemporary Arts in La Jolla just opened and is a knock out, The Mingei just re-opened as well and the new Institute of Contemporary Art Central and North seems to be thriving. There are new exhibitions opening every week and our SDVAN events calendar is full. Everyone seems to be working hard to make sure of diversity and equality of opportunities.  

Below are my answers to the survey. I have shortened and only selected a few of  the questions to post here. But I would love to hear your answers…so feel free to email me patricia@sdvisualarts.net

1. What is the greatest advancement or success of the arts and culture field in your lifetime?

Acceptance of the internet as a way to communicate and create greater involvement

2. What are the three greatest transformational aspirations for change in arts and culture in the next five years?

a. Recognition of the arts in our everyday lives for full integration, in school subjects, corporate spaces, private homes etc.

b. Support for organizations county wide instead of just pockets of support in large or well funded cities.

c. Tax relief for artists as essential workers, tax incentives for supporting artists and to make work live spaces available.

3. What are the three greatest concerns/fears you have about what could transformationally change in arts and culture in the next five years?

a. The election of power hungry and greedy politicians in all level of government

b. A backlash undoing some of the good of more equitable diversity measures taken to recognize minorities

c. Marginalization of the arts due to issues of war and climate change instead of embracing the arts to showcase these causes.

4. What is your highest priorities for the needs of the arts?

Fostering innovation is the highest of my high priorities. A large organization like Americans for the Arts is like a huge ship and I believe it needs to be nimbler if it wants to be more innovative. Applying that innovation to create more funding through more relationships with the business community will only be possible with cross sector collaborations. Business communities want national recognition to give big funding so these priorities are all linter-related.

5. What is the most completely transformational way you could imagine Americans for the Arts changing that would be exciting or valuable to you?

Funding for affordable housing for artist and an expansion of the creative corp.

Do's and Don'ts for Non-Techie Founders by Anand Bora

Anand Bora is a one of my most valuable friends. He has helped the San Diego Visual Arts Network make extensive improvements to our website and was involved in the DNA of Creativity project in  both the SDVAN View Art Now App and PAMM Polyaethetics: Mapping the Muses project. The View Art Now app allows all of our events on SDVAN to be located on a google map. PAMM makes visual the understanding of the mechanics of aesthetics and its interplay within Art, Culture & Science. When you read this article, I think you can see that the do's and don'ts can apply to much more that those founding a tech project. 

 Patricia Frischer

Since I started my firm Determinant Studios way back in 2014-15, I have been involved with different kinds of startup founders who have tried to give their all to their ideas, concepts and eventually their technological vision. This small write up is based on my experiences working with a lot of non-technical founders trying to build technological machinery in the digital world. This is just a pure assessment based on my experiences and enumerates the do’s and don’ts.

DO’s - Technology is a secondary tool, focus is first
Let me start with a couple of successful stories as we need the mood to be light before gobbling the bitter medicine. Sometime back, my firm was involved in building a small platform for a NGO whose target was to build a small web application which could accept donations for their cause. This NGO was very specific on what they wanted to do. The founder himself was a retired army personnel and had been funding the NGO from his own pocket for a few years. His sole idea was to bring an online presence for the NGO and make sure that the visibility is good enough for agencies which will be funding him. His work was predominantly in the field and his requirement wasn’t completely dependent on online donations. He worked to his strengths and slowly his online platform started generating revenues which helped him grow. The crux is that technology in this case is a secondary tool. Online donations and donation platforms are the present and the future. But the founder has to work to the strength and fundamentals of the business. The technology and upgrades to it need not drive home the advantages.

DO’s - Keep the UI simple and plan upgrades
Another one of our projects involved building a platform for a Fintech company which wanted to build a ‘Google’ of Wealth Management platform. Of course, ‘Google’ is not a Noun anymore which explains a lot. Google started with a simple search engine concept and grew to the enterprise we know of. A lot of non techie founders don’t realize how technology works and try to push in a short timeframe. Eventually, they have a product which is good but has a lot of holes. The maintenance of such a product keeps consuming time and money both and hurts in the long run. In today’s world, the UX/UI plays an important role in selling a product and increasing the customer base. Most founders I have met want their product to create a ‘WOW’. Sometimes, trying to achieve this Wow, turns out to be ‘wise of wreckland’ instead of ‘wise of wonderland’. A lot of this is because most founders think that doing simpler changes in the UI shouldn’t wreck the software and they keep asking for changes without following a process. The simplest approach to solve a problem is to break it down into small problems and solve one at a time. Similarly, a founder should always target a functional software with minimal working wireframes. This would ensure a good product plan and delivery. The product can be improved over iterations and with time

DO’s - Understand the process of building a software product
This must be the first lesson for someone who wants to get their hands dirty in creating a software product and coming from a ‘unsoftware’ background. It is really important to understand the process which will eventually lead to millions of lines of code and preferably dollars too. That said, there are hundreds of processes defined in the books for building a quality software product. The industry follows Agile methodology for a reason and that is what a founder should understand. Goals will be achieved only after understanding the process in a seamless way. In my experience, most founders have wanted results as soon as the developers started working on the product. One should realize that the Taj Mahal was built in 22 years and that is why it is a marvel we still cherish.

DO’s - Be involved in the process
A founder understands clearly what the eventual goal has to be. The vision and the clarity of thought is necessary to materialize an efficient and robust software product. A constant input channel to the dev team needs to be maintained to bring out the best. Most founders multitask in their day to day responsibilities. But their main focus should always be the product and the product itself until it reaches a stage where he is the last person to say ‘wow’. That pure dedication to the building process culminates into the results. Of course, I know that the founder has too many things on plate, but the product should always be the focus. I have worked with founders who have been focused more on other things than the product. Needless to say, the eventual product took a hit.

DON’T - ASSUME
The biggest menace I have experienced working with so many non techies is ASSUMPTIONS. It is important to understand that any action or change done to a pre-decided goal will always alter the timeline of delivery of work. Most bigger companies have a set process because they want to mitigate the risk of changes and alteration of deadlines. The process takes control of building the software and eventual delivery of the product. But in reality, when a new platform or software is built, the founder is too focused on creating the best product as the first version. In turn, a lot of changes are being done without any plan. This leads to a lot of technical debt inside the product code and eventually a low quality software. Ideally, even addition of a small horizontal line should be discussed with the dev team to avoid any impact on deadline or quality of the software.

DON’T - Undervalue or undercut your development team
With the current situation of WFH, it has become so easy for software developers to jump companies. If you think that this is a job bubble, then I think you are mistaken. Anyways, I am trying to refer to the problem of rising engineering costs and maintaining a good engineering team. It is important to keep the dev team in confidence and create a win-win situation in such a way that the ecosystem of mutual growth is realized. It is a harsh reality that a founder is always short on funds until an investor comes on board. Running the business until that time with keeping everyone in confidence is a huge challenge but it should never result at the expense of the dev team. A happy team can do wonders in the long run.

DON’T - Hire high cost supplementary work resources
A mistake I have seen many founders get into is to hire high cost personnel to get the job done in quick time. One should know that gastritis can happen from food in a food stall or from food in a five star hotel. It is all about the sanity of the body to digest the food. Sometimes we think that hiring a dev team with support staff might get us the product quickly and help us scale quickly. This notion is an invocation of ‘harakiri’ for a lean startup looking to build the product in the right way. Keeping the costs low has to be one of the most strategic decisions so that the firm survives the long run. Management has to be the onus of the founder and the founder should only identify and hire people who can support the venture in an economical and efficient way.

DON’T - Create WOW with just Design
It is important to understand the use-case of the product and realize the end customers of the product. Before Macintosh OS was released back in ‘84, the world was engineering and functional in it’s own way. Apple revolutionized the concept of user interface design and brought in a new spectrum of creativity in the field of software engineering. Every now and then you look at an iphone and appreciate the technological marvel and the ease of use it has. But little do we realize that the best of designers and billions of iterations and loads of time would have been required to achieve that feat. Most founders of startups are short on time and money and in today’s world both are precious.

Image: Anu Cheeran

I would like to compare building software with a piece of clay being molded into a beautiful pot. Every line of code needs care to build the perfect product. If you keep adding materials and keep changing the shape, it will result in something undesirable. The founder is the sculptor who is directing the show and needs to be careful at each step.

Happy founding and best wishes.
Anand Bora, Determinant Studios

Arts and Culture Center for Encinitas

Conceptual image of a yarn bombed art center by Patricia Frischer

I am not a patient person in general. I like immediate gratification. But some projects are more like life-time dreams. Many of you know, I have been working toward bringing back a San Diego County Arts Council, but some might not know that I have also been waiting for an Arts and Culture Center to come to the City of Encinitas.

Although the entire region of San Diego is important to me, as I age, I want to make sure that my own neighborhood is well served by the arts. That is why I joined the Encinitas Friends of the Arts (EFA) when it first started in 2014. The EFA has a stellar record and this week, after 8 years, we finally got the go ahead to make the Pacific View school property, a stunning site, into that arts and culture center.


It was an unanimous vote from the entire city council which is most gratifying. Our thanks go to Mayor Catherine S. Blakespear and City Council Members Kellie Hinze, Tony Kranz, Joe Mosca and Joy Lyndes. The city which owns the property, will pay for the renovation and be responsible for maintenance, security, staffing and the EFA will help with fundraising and programming along with the city staff and the Encinitas Commission for Arts and Culture.

Imagine a place where seniors pass on skills to the young who in turn help their elders learn about technologies. Where the design of a garden is not only for physical sustenance, but for spiritual joy. Where the discarded trash is given new life. Where diversity is celebrated and healing is non-verbal. Imagine an art center full of these small miracles that bring communities together, defines them, makes them stronger. Imagine such a jewel in the middle of our art district, an ace in the hole for prosperity and growth. This is our vision for the Arts and Culture Center Encinitas as a Center for Innovation through Art.

Having an arts and culture center for Encinitas will define the Cultural life of our community. At the heart of this new development is Art Education for all.  We are prioritizing Communal experiences and Cross sector development with a strong need to encourage Innovation by creating a gathering place for both locals and cultural tourists. We want to activate this much-loved building into a valuable art education resource; 

*Create the economic growth for which the arts are well known.
*Add value to our community by celebrating 500 artists and 90 arts organizations willing to contribute their expertise. 
*Create new jobs for a state-of-the-art facility
*Take advantage of state and national funding for the arts as never before. 

Naimeh Woodward, the president of the EFA says, “The EFA has been a solid partner for the city for over 7 years. In fact, we just renewed our MOU with the City for the next two years and recently agreed to take on the task of promoting cultural tourism including calendar of events for the community.”

The activation of the site which originally cost $10 million, could be anywhere from approx. $4 to $8 million, but Woodward has Assembly Member Tahsa Boener Horvath word to consider matching the City’s funding up to $3.5.  With that sort of backing, other funds should be forthcoming.

There has been lots of controversy and rumors about delays in this activation. But now is the time to do what the arts are best at…bringing a community together to heal and prosper.

Sad, sad, sad

You can read the EFA full vision of the Arts and Culture Center in Encinitas at this link: https://www.sdvisualarts.net/sdvan_new/pdf/ACCVision22.pdf

Gator Aid

 by Patricia Frischer

Alley, happily ever after in all her upcycled glory.

Alley in situ

We walked down our alley and saw the saddest road kill ever. It was a completely squashed and mangled green mess. I took a photo and posted it to some friends. I got so much feedback on the formerly plush creature, that on our walk the next day I brought a body bag.  Beyond believe, there was a pulse. This was an Intensive Care Unit case. Blind and missing a limb, emaciated beyond belief, amazingly, our little alligator had not bled out. 

The following treatments were administered: 

• cataract surgery so our patient can now see
• bionic leg replacement 
• Botox and plastic surgery on various wounds especially the tail and belly 
• reverse liposuction i.e. putting the fat back in
• complete spa treatment including bubble bath, hot rocks and massage, organic dye job i.e. food coloring. 
  
  Alley the Alligator now resides on my car dashboard with a much higher view of the world.

Alley in body bag.

Alley covered in dirt, cobwebs and various unidentifiable crude front

Alley covered in dirt, cobwebs and various unidentifiable crude reverso

Spa treatment begins with a paint brush.

The whole process with music to celebrate the rebirth!

 

 

Alley, wet but clean.

Alley, fluff dried.

 

Alley in all her glory, new eyes, legs and stuffing.