I know this has been a time of uncertainty and struggle for so many organizations, and yet as I visit art schools and residency programs, funders and artists around the country, I am struck by the sense of possibility, and the opportunity to transform ourselves.

That's why I wanted to share news from last week's Grantmakers in the Arts conference. As a member of the Support for Individual Artists planning committee, I've been working for several months with other grantmakers around the country to identify the most critical needs of artists today. I am proud to say that GIA's Support for Individual Artists' pre-conference drew more participants than any other pre-conference - more than 80 arts funders who believe there needs to be greater support for individuals, for the creative process, and for the development of new work! It was really an honor to be among such incredible peers - Creative Capital, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Pew Charitable Trust, New York Foundation for the Arts, and so many others.

I was joined at the conference by Alliance board members Ann Brady, Diane Frankel, and Hunter O'Hanian, and the field of artists' residency programs was well represented by directors from 18th Street Arts Center, the Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation, International Studio & Curatorial Program, Atlantic Center for the Arts, and others. It was wonderful to have such strong representation of the field at the conference, as many discussions among grantmakers raised the idea of residency programs as a mechanism for supporting individual artists.

Throughout the conference, one common theme emerged - how funders can be more responsive, more holistic, more human in their grantmaking, so that funders are working to sustain artists and arts organizations in meaningful, healthy ways over the long-term. There was a real sense that this is a pivotal time, an opportunity to change the culture of traditional philanthropy, and I was proud that the Alliance had such a strong presence in this critical moment.

It was incredibly exciting to see that support for individual artists was not a marginalized group within larger arts grantmaking, but a strong collective voice that is impacting the field of arts philanthropy as a whole. I look forward to continuing my service on the Support for Individual Artists committee, and to helping shape GIAs agenda in the future.