Spotlight On
October 17, 2005
Organization Name: The Field (Performance Zone Inc.)
Year Founded: 1986
Contact Person: Tanya Calamoneri, Co-Director
Address: 161 Sixth Avenue, 14th Floor; New York, NY 10013
Phone: (212) 691-6969
Fax: (212) 255-2053
Email: Tanya@thefield.org
Website Address: http://www.thefield.org
Mission/History:
The Field was originally established in 1986 by a group of artists who met weekly with the goal of improving their work and pooling resources. Over time, The Field has developed a variety of programs that serve the needs of artists who work in the fields of dance, theater, music, text, and performance art. The utility of Field programs is evidenced by the following: more than 2,000 artists participate in our programs each year; Field programs are replicated in 17 cities across the US by independent artists, non-profits, and state arts councils; more than 1,000 new art works are developed annually under our stewardship. As we approach our 20th year of operation, The Field has achieved recognition as New York's largest service organization completely devoted to the needs of independent artists.
The Field's mission is to serve these artists on a completely non-exclusive basis; everything we offer is open to artists from all aesthetic viewpoints, cultural backgrounds, and levels of development. Our priority is to create a climate where risk-taking and originality are championed, and where the broadest range of voices are included. By providing a baseline of opportunity for any interested artist, we strengthen artists' work in preparation for it being reviewed by funders and producers who select their participants/recipients. Artists who utilize Field programs go on to be produced locally, nationally, and internationally, receive support from prestigious organizations such as the Guggenheim Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts, and have their work profiled in critical articles and reviews in publications ranging from The New York Times to Dance Magazine. Independent artists also provide the critical mass of artistic activity that makes New York City the unique and vital cultural hub it is.
Current Programs:
To support independent performing artists, Field programs are directed toward the creation of new work and its dissemination. In terms of creation, The Field:
- assists artists in making clear, cogent work through peer-oriented feedback groups;
- produces performance festivals focused on the exhibition of new work;
- sends artists on retreats at arts colonies such as White Oak (FL) and Earthdance (MA) to create new material and develop new collaborations;
- provides free rehearsal and performance space grants in our new Chelsea Gallery District studio.
In terms of dissemination, The Field:
- provides artists with tools that enable them to understand managerial and administrative functioning via more than two dozen workshops on fundraising, booking, marketing, non-profit theory, legal issues, and arts management;
- houses a resource center tailored specifically to the needs of independent performing artists with resources including six laptop computers, databases of grantmakers, periodicals, and books, on-the-spot consultations with Field staff, as well as mentorship and in-depth career assessment and planning;
- enables artist members to solicit grants and individual contributions through the use of our nonprofit sponsorship program;
- produces a website (http://www.gotour.org) devoted to independent artists touring their work throughout the US;
- trains artists to become arts administrators and managers.
Funding Needs:
The Field's contribution to the vitality of New York City's arts ecology has been recognized through funding from various organizations. These include the National Endowment for the Arts (which approved a 50% increase in funding for Field programs in 2005), the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, as well as corporations such as JPMorgan Chase and foundations such as the Jerome Robbins Foundation, and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation. In the past year alone, The Field was recognized by significant new funding from Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Elaine Dannheisser Foundation, Deutsche Bank, and the Tides Foundation. That said, as a lean, efficient arts nonprofit, The Field continually faces challenges with regard to keeping our infrastructure up to date, paying our artist-employees a decent wage, and gaining a bit more breathing room to envision and implement change, capitalize on opportunity, and be even more responsive to constituent needs as they arise. Any general operating or project support would be welcome - please direct inquiries to Steve Gross, Co-Director at (212) 691-6969, ext. 11 or steve@thefield.org.
Every month, the "Spotlight On" highlights the activities
of a different 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located
in the tri-state region (NY, NJ, or CT). The selection
of organizations for the "Spotlight On" is based
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