Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley

December 12, 2006 – 7:00 am

Dear Friends:

Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley will close its doors on December 31, 2006. Though the organization will no longer be in operation, the content of our website will remain available.

To access that content, please click here.

In addition, if you would like to contact former Cultural Initiatives staff members, please click here.

It has been a great pleasure to serve Silicon Valley for the past decade. We hope that the next ten years will bring even greater achievements for the region’s creativity, culture, and community.

Sincerely,
The Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley Board and Staff

By admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

What’s New

February 19, 2006 – 1:23 am
Upcoming Event Cultural Initiatives, the Santa Clara County Office of Education and Montalvo Arts Center
invite you to:

The Arts in Your Classroom IV
Professional Development Conference for K-8 Educators

Friday, March 3, 2006
8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
@ Montalvo Arts Center
15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga
Previous Events: Cultural Initiatives Holds Graduation Celebration
for 9 Santa Clara County School Districts

On June 7, 2004, Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley convened Santa Clara County school district leaders, educators and arts educators, funders, public officials, parents and community stakeholders for its Creative Education Program Celebration. The event celebrated the achievements of districts that have worked in partnership with the nationally recognized Creative Education Program for up to five years, to restore superior arts education in public elementary schools. Those sites completing the Creative Education Program are: Campbell Union School District, Cory School (SJUSD), Farnham School (Cambrian SD), Franklin-McKinley School District, Lakeside Joint Union School District, Los Alamitos School (SJUSD), Los Gatos Union School District, Oak Grove School District, Palo Alto Unified School District, Saratoga Union School District.

Click here to read an editorial about the event from the San Jose Mercury News. (108 KB, PDF format)

Click here to download the press release in PDF format. (84 KB)
Just Released! Immigrant Participatory Arts: an Insight into Community-building in Silicon Valley

Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley has just released the results of a groundbreaking study that examines participation in the arts by immigrants in Silicon Valley. Immigrant Participatory Arts: An Insight into Community-building in Silicon Valley by Dr. Pia Moriarty finds that the dominant reason for the existence of amateur arts groups in immigrant communities derives from a strong desire of parents to maintain the structure, values, language, and traditions of their families.

Click here for more information and to download the PDF file.

Click here to download the press release in PDF format (88 KB).
Recently Published Creative Community Index:
Measuring Progress Toward a Vibrant Silicon Valley

Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley, in partnership with the City of San José Office of Cultural Affairs, Americans for the Arts and the Knight Foundation, has just published a quantitative measure of cultural participation and creativity in Silicon Valley.

The report includes more than 30 indicators designed to gauge the health and vitality of cultural activities in our region and examines the importance of creativity to the vitality of Silicon Valley.

Click here for more information on the Creative Community Index.
Click on the following links to download past issues of our newsletter
Newsletter Issue 007: February 2003
Newsletter Issue 006: October 2002
By admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Community & Neighborhood Arts

February 1, 2006 – 4:42 am

about this initiative

Cultural Initiatives is committed to fostering broad community participation in the arts across the region and into our neighborhoods. Currently, Silicon Valley is home to more than 400 arts organizations and numerous other arts education, craft, and cultural participation programs. Most of these organizations are volunteer driven, operating on annual budgets of well under $100,000. Less than 25% have a paid full-time director overseeing the organization.

Our vision is that our region’s varied communities and neighborhoods will be well-supplied with valuable programs and suitable facilities where people participate enthusiastically in widely available arts and cultural activities.

To this end, Cultural Initiatives has undertaken a major research project to better understand the role of cultural participation in Silicon Valley. Our research has resulted in the publication of a Creative Communities Index, a quantitative meausre of the health and vitality of our local arts and cultural sector.

“Creative Community Index”
Measuring Progress Toward a Vibrant Silicon Valley

Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley, in partnership with the City of San José, Office of Cultural Affairs, Americans for the Arts and the Knight Foundation, has just published a quantitative measure of cultural participation and creativity in Silicon Valley. The report includes more than 30 indicators designed to gauge the health and vitality of cultural activities in our region and examines the importance of creativity to the vitality of Silicon Valley.

Click here for more information and to request a copy of the Index.

Immigrant Participatory Arts: an Insight into Community-building in Silicon Valley

Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley has just released the results of a groundbreaking study that examines participation in the arts by immigrants in Silicon Valley. Immigrant Participatory Arts: An Insight into Community-building in Silicon Valley by Dr. Pia Moriarty finds that the dominant reason for the existence of amateur arts groups in immigrant communities derives from a strong desire of parents to maintain the structure, values, language, and traditions of their families.

Click here for more information and to download the PDF file. (1.6MB)

 

Would you like to receive our quarterly newsletter? Click here
Note: Information you provide will not be sold or distributed outside of Cultural Initiatives.

By admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Creative Education Program

January 27, 2006 – 3:02 am

Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley is pleased to announce that the staff of the Creative Education Program has been hired by the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Starting July 1, 2006, they will continue their work under the Instructional Services Branch of the SCCOE, with a goal of moving into the county’s remaining elementary school districts and expanding its reach to grades pre-K-12.

To contact the former Creative Education Program staff, click here.

The Creative Education Program provides cash grants, technical assistance, and professional development to public elementary schools in Santa Clara County. Our primary goal is that all K-6 students participate in weekly, sequential, standards-based, in-school arts instruction in one or more disciplines (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts).

Six program areas catalyze the Creative Education Program:


Each grant site makes a five-year commitment to create, improve, or expand arts education programs for its students. The Creative Education Program provides four years of seed money for planning, pilot, and implementation, with the grant site gradually assuming financial responsibility for the program by the fifth year.

A team of experienced Arts Education Mentors provides up to 20 hours per month of customized consulting to assist each site in realizing its goals and objectives. A countywide network of professional development opportunities enables teachers, administrators, artists, and parent volunteers to gain valuable knowledge and skills in the best practices for successful arts education programs.

In January of 1998, Cultural Initiatives convened the Arts and Cultural Education Task Force of 40 educators, funders, arts professionals and civic leaders to design a comprehensive arts education program.

Click here for a complete copy of the 1998 Arts & Cultural Education Plan.

Click here to receive our quarterly Creative Education Update.

Click here to download a sample copy of the
Creative Education Update.

By admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

About Us – Partners

January 25, 2006 – 9:12 am
Applied Materials Foundation
Cisco Systems Foundation
Councilmember Ken Yeager,
City of San José
Kate Cochran
Community Foundation Silicon Valley
The Nathan Cummings Foundation
Philip and Jennifer DiNapoli
Ann and Don Gralnek
The Michael and Joan Hackworth Family Foundation
Susan and Phillip Hammer
The Harris Family Fund
William Randolph Hearst Foundation
Hewlett-Packard Company 		 The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Kathleen Janicki
Junior League of San José, Inc.
James and Rebecca Morgan Family Foundation
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation
Scott Russell
Saal Family Foundation
The Morris Stulsaft Foundation
U.S. Department of Education
Bob and Susan Wayman
The Steve and Anita Westly Foundation

Would you like to receive our quarterly newsletter? Click here
Note: Information you provide will not be sold or distributed outside of Cultural Initiatives.

By admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

About Us – Board

January 15, 2006 – 5:45 pm
Susan Hammer, President
Former Mayor, City of San Jose; Former Member, State Board of Education
Kim Walesh, Vice President
Assistant Director, Office of Economic Development, City of San José; Director and Co-founder, Collaborative Economics; Board Member, San Jose Leadership Council; Advisor, Joint Venture Silicon Valley and Community Foundation Silicon Valley; Alumni, Community Leadership San Jose/Silicon Valley
Robert Wayman, Treasurer
Executive Vice-President & Chief Financial Officer, Hewlett-Packard Company
Mai Bui
Blue Pumpkin Software; Chair, Association for Viet Arts; Co-Founder, Women’s Art Support Group; Member, Americans for the Arts; Member, Emerging Leaders Panel, The Association for American Culture
Virginia Chang Kiraly
Venture Partner, Mirador Capital; President, Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo; Board Member, Asia America Multitechnology Association; Board Member, Las Lomitas Education Foundation; Board Member, The Tech Museum of Innovation
Ann Gralnek
Independent consultant in philanthropy; Senior Advisor, George Frederick Jewett Foundation,William M. Keck, Jr. Foundation, J. Philip and Jennifer Di Napoli Foundation
Michael Hackworth
Cofounder, Chairman, and former CEO, Cirrus Logic, Inc.; Vice Chairman, The Tech Museum of Innovation; Board Member, Read-Rite Corp.; Virage Logic, Inc.
Christine Harris
Board member, Salzburg Seminar; Outreach Committee and Co-Chair, Connections Beyond the Classroom, Menlo School; Former Board Member, Children’s discovery Museum, Parkinsons Institute, Villa Montalvo Center for the Arts
Kim Polese
CEO, SpikeSource; Board Member, Marimba, Inc.; Board Member, TechNet; Board Member, Do Something 
Dr. Harry J. Saal
Chairman, Octago, Inc.; Former Chairman, Community Foundation Silicon Valley; Founder, Network Associates, Inc.
By admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

About Us – History

January 6, 2006 – 4:17 am
May 1997 San José City Council approves the “20/21 Regional Cultural Plan”
Related Article (24k pdf)
Related Article (20k pdf)
Jan. 1998 Arts and Cultural Education Task Force convenes. Forty educators, funders, arts professionals and civic leaders take part in designing a comprehensive arts education program.
July 1998 Cultural Initiatives files Articles of Incorporation with State of California Arts and Cultural Education Task Force presents their first report
Feb. 1999 Cultural Initiatives receives its 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status
Cultural Initiatives forms Arts and Cultural Education Pilot Implementation Committee to implement task force recommendations
April 1999 Creative Education Program awards $90,000 in recognition grants to 15 schools and two public agencies for outstanding arts and cultural education programs — reaching over 30,000 children
May 1999 Cultural Initiatives announces Creative Education Initiative, seeks letters of intent for full proposals
June 1999 San José Museum of Art hosts press event to announce formal launch of Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley, with Dr. Harry J. Saal as Board President
Oct. 1999 Creative Education Program awards first round of school grants to 15 sites in Santa Clara County, totaling $400,837
Jan. 2000 Cultural Initiatives names John Kreidler, formerly of the San Francisco Foundation, Executive Director
Feb. 2000 Cultural Initiatives forms Community & Neighborhood Arts Program, beginning with study of indicators of cultural and creative activity in Silicon Valley on behalf of the Knight Foundation
Oct. 2000 Cultural Initiatives launches is.C3, an interactive cultural simulation game on CD-ROM, at a special preview event at McKinsey and Company.
Related Article (32k pdf)
With the Smithsonian Institute, the Creative Education Program sponsors a one-day conference for K-12 teachers and arts providers to explore cultural collaboration opportunities, raising awareness for teachers on available arts resources
Jan. 2001 Collaborative Economics publishes the Creative Communities paper, commissioned by Cultural Initiatives and guided by cultural and creativity indicators advisors.
Related Article (605k pdf)
March 2001 Cultural Initiatives announces landmark partnership with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation; receives first year grant of $2.1M.
Related Article (16k pdf)
June 2001 Creative Education Program announces second round of schools grants totaling $770,000.
Aug. 2001 The Creative Education Program partners with the Bay Area California Arts Project to offer the “Summer Arts Intensive” providing elementary teachers with hands-on arts experiences and training in standards-based lesson design.
Oct. 2001 Cultural Initiatives launches the da Vinci Forums, a quarterly series featuring thought-provoking artists, authors, and opinion-leaders leading discussions about the nature of art, culture and community. Co-sponsored by the Tech Museum of Innovation and the Community Foundation Silicon Valley, the inaugural Forum features Sir Peter Hall, renowned urban historian and author of Cities in Civilization.
Related Article (17k pdf)
Nov. 2001 Cultural Initiatives adds Kim Polese, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of Marimba Corporation, to the Board of Directors.

Creative Education Program launches a series of symposia to exchange current research, best practices, and viable models for in-school arts education. The first symposium features renowned arts education researcher James Catterall.
Related Article (17k pdf)
Related Article (17k pdf)
February 2002 Cultural Initiatives continues the da Vinci Forums with former US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky.  Twenty-five business and community leaders were riveted by his discussion of poetry and its broad appeal and meaning and its ability to build social bonds across divided communities.
Related Article (16k pdf)
Related Article (152k pdf)
March 2002 The Creative Education Program hosts a symposium on School-Based Arts Education Initiatives; features a panel of presenting organizations that include the East Bay Community Foundation, the Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education, and the Cultural Education Collaborative of North Carolina.
May 2002 The Creative Education program hosts the “Arts Integration Success Stories & Arts Provider Expo” symposium for school grant sites and arts and cultural education organizations.
July 2002 Cultural Initiatives releases the results of a ground-breaking survey on the health of the arts and cultural sector of Silicon Valley. Commissioned by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the “Creative Community Index” is released at a public event at the Tech Museum of Innovation, featuring a keynote address by Carnegie Mellon Professor Richard Florida.
Related Article
Related Article
Aug. 2002 The Creative Education Program offers the second annual Summer Arts Intensive series, continuing its collaboration with the Bay Area California Arts Project.
Sep. 2002 Cultural Initiatives adds four new Board members: Todd flynn, CEO, Bluebridge Corporation; Ann Gralnek, independent consultant in philanthropy; Christine Harris, Co-Chair, Connections Beyond the Classroom; and Kim Walesh, Principal and Founder, Collaborative Economics.
Nov. 2002 Renowned film, Broadway and television actor Giancarlo Esposito is the guest speaker at the da Vinci Forums.
Jan. 2003 Cultural Initiatives adds Laura Jason as the new Associate Director.
Related Press Release
By admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

About Us

January 5, 2006 – 2:45 pm

In May 1997, the research and planning efforts of over 1000 committed leaders from the arts, public, business and government culminated in the development of a comprehensive plan for the cultural transformation of Silicon Valley. This plan, entitled 20/21: A Regional Cultural Plan for the New Millennium, is a blueprint for sustainable change in the cultural vitality of our community. Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley was created to help implement this plan by working with a network of public and private cultural agencies and organizations to provide the necessary resources and leadership to turn the plan into a reality.

Click to view the Cultural Plan Executive Summary.

Click to view our 2001 Annual Report .
To receive a copy of the 2001 Annual Report, please call 408.283.7000.

Would you like to receive our quarterly newsletter? Click here
Note: Information you provide will not be sold or distributed outside of Cultural Initiatives.


 Click on the following links to download past issues of our newsletter
Newsletter Issue 007: February 2003
Newsletter Issue 006: October 2002

By admin | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off