Friday Featured Flickr Group: Art Directory

Okay, since I am supposed to be a "serious artist," isn't it about time I got down to business and shared one of the serious art groups I am part of? Okay, fine. Here goes. This week I bring you Art Directory, a colossal meta-group with over 30,000 pictures in it. That should keep you busy for a while!

one part of the stimulus package that I hope they do not change

H.R.1

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Introduced in House)

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National Endowment for the Arts

grants and administration

For an additional amount for 'Grants and Administration', $50,000,000, to be distributed in direct grants to fund arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn: Provided, That 40 percent of such funds shall be distributed to State arts agencies and regional arts organizations in a manner similar to the agency's current practice and 60 percent of such funds shall be for competitively selected arts projects and activities according to sections 2 and 5(c) of the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 951, 954(c)): Provided further, That matching requirements under section 5(e) of such Act shall be waived: Provided further, That the amount set aside from this appropriation pursuant to section 1106 of this Act shall be not more than 5 percent instead of the percentage specified in such section.

Let's look at that again, shall we? The purpose of the funding is "to fund arts projects and activities which preserve jobs in the non-profit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn." Support for the people employed in the arts is not a pork barrel spending project. Someone needs to tell the senators who are against the stimulus package because of "extraneous" programs like this that museums are not staffed by a team of elves and fairies who disappear into the ether at closing time. They employ actual human beings who deserve to get paid for all the work they do. I should know. I used to work in one.

Source:
The Library of Congress

Further Reading:
Economic Recovery and the Arts (PDF)

Say it ain't so, Domino

Remember how I was just saying on Monday that everything I like gets discontinued? Well, here is another thing to add to that list: Domino Magazine. First Suede, then Budget Living, then Adorn. . . is everything I like just too good to last?

Maybe you're saying, "Tiffany, why can't you just read Architectural Digest or Interior Design like everyone else?"

I do read those magazines. Sometimes.

But sometimes they feel like the journalistic equivalent of the Merchandise Mart, an impenetrable fortress of design with a capital "D" with no room for whimsy and no regard for the way people who are not multimillionaires actually live. Domino was much more approachable. And just like Lucky, it had stickers in it that you could use to mark the items you like. Domino was the kind of magazine I had hoped to write an article for someday. Yes, I know there are plenty of other shelter magazines out there. But just like there will never be another Suede or Budget Living or Adorn, there will never be another Domino.

Related Links:
Domino Magazine is Dead U.S. News and World Report