Gia Podcast

We asked a simple, generative question: Which systems have we replaced, and with what alternatives? A clear chorus answers: we’ve lost too much to speed and spectacle, and we’re committed to building slower, more human infrastructures of care. Across voices, we hear a shift from optimization to stewardship, from extraction to relation, from technology to meaning. “We’ve emphasized education and the arts and rethought our political infrastructure for something more humane.” —Radha M. This is a practical imagination. It doesn’t trade in slogans; it drafts replacements—communication that protects dignity, mobility that privileges access, governance that codes care, and practices that rehearse the futures we want. Which system will you replace—and what will you grow there instead? Learn more about Deem at www.deemjournal.com

We asked a body-level question: What does “enough” look and feel like—of time, resources, rest? What emerged isn’t a finish line but a practice. Voices move from accumulation to sufficiency (“needs—with a handful of wants”), from schedules to presence (“time, not clocks”), from lone resilience to shared accountability. “Enough” shows up as a calmer nervous system and a commons that redistributes care—room to breathe, margin for the unknown, and infrastructures that make slowness livable. “Enough isn’t a destination—it’s a practice.” —Sophia F. The invitation is practical and collective: how do we design for capacity, not just velocity, so everyone has time to belong? This week, what single ritual could you add—or what metric could you retire—to build your capacity to rest and respond? Learn more about Deem at www.deemjournal.com

Across these voices, freedom isn’t a destination; it’s a practice. It appears as chosen absence—leaving the phone behind and meeting the world unmediated. It shows up as chosen presence—tending a youth garden with a child, anchored to land and purpose. And it arrives as chosen attention—making space for curiosity even while money, health, and deadlines hum in the background. Two tensions thread the tape. First, freedom versus feeling free: several voices name the gap between the performance of ease and the structural conditions that make ease possible—or impossible. Second, solitude versus community: for some, freedom is sensory quiet and softened obligations; for others, it’s the company of people whose unguarded expression rubs off, reminding us freedom can be contagious. “So feeling free doesn’t always mean freedom or equate to having freedom. Feeling free is just a feeling.” —Robert S. Freedom is evolving and improvised, found in small choices that let us reclaim scale and self amid obligation. If freedom

What assumptions have we inherited that limit the transformative potential of philanthropy? And how can funders release ourselves from the constraints of these limiting beliefs? In this episode, GIA is joined by Mandy Van Deven (Elemental), Zaineb Mohammed (Kataly Foundation), and Erin Williams (Constellations Culture Change Fund and Initiative) to explore some of the narratives that underpin common practices in philanthropy and provide examples of funders that have adopted ways of thinking and being that accelerate progress toward a more just and joyful world. Building from The Myths of Philanthropy series that was published by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, the Association of Charitable Foundations, and VITA, this conversation challenges cultural funders to imagine what becomes possible when we shift the narrative: from scarcity to abundance, from rigid structure to iterative practice, and from donor darlings to a flourishing ecosystem. Listeners will walk away with bold insights on how narrative s

In this podcast episode, GIA President & CEO Eddie Torres sat down with Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, former Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, to reflect on her transformative tenure. Recognized as one of the most impactful leaders in NEA history, Dr. Jackson discusses her visionary efforts to embed arts and culture into broader civic and governmental initiatives, from supporting Indian Country and Puerto Rico to advancing interagency collaborations on arts, health, and civic infrastructure. Join us as Dr. Jackson shares profound insights from her extensive career, celebrates the power of creativity to drive social change, and envisions a future where the arts continue to inspire, connect, and empower communities nationwide.

In this last and final episode, we’re bringing this series full circle by confronting what’s at stake as we choose either to sustain the systems that uphold inequity or to dismantle and reimagine them. Together, we’ll reflect on how narratives shape our beliefs, influence civic discourse, and define our paths to collective action. This is the call, the challenge, and the opportunity. Episode transcription, speaker information, and resources can be found at https://www.loveradicalgiving.org/ep06

In this episode, we’ll see how radical, collective giving can do what traditional philanthropy has not—restore, empower, and finally give back to the communities long asked and forced to sacrifice. This is Appalachian Futurism, a tribute to the past and a blueprint for a new way forward. Featuring the song “Marching to the Freedom Land” by Will Boyd feat. Kelle Jolly Episode transcription, speaker information, and resources can be found at https://www.loveradicalgiving.org/ep05

Grantmakers in the Arts is participating in the Racial Equity Coding Project, which was kicked off with a culmination of research led by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) with Callahan Consulting for the Arts (CCA). The project has given funders an opportunity to examine and refine their own coding practices and to consider new data collection measures for the future. In this third episode, we are glad to be joined by Eddie Torres, president and CEO, Grantmakers in the Arts. He closes our series with his reflections as the leader of a philanthropy-serving organization, and his hopes for the next steps of the project. He also offers a unique opportunity for you to get involved! Email Eddie at eddie@giarts.org for more information.

Grantmakers in the Arts is participating in the Racial Equity Coding Project, which was kicked off with a culmination of research led by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) with Callahan Consulting for the Arts (CCA). The project has given funders an opportunity to examine and refine their own coding practices and to consider new data collection measures for the future. In the second episode of this three-part series, we are glad to be joined by Eleanor Savage, program director, Jerome Foundation and Tiffany Wilhelm, program officer/operations, Opportunity Fund. They discuss their experience with the Racial Equity Coding Project’s “By, For, and About” Framework, and the importance of including nuance in the process. Stay tuned for an opportunity to get involved!

In this podcast, the GIA Support for Individual Artist Committee co-chairs Ce Scott-Fitts, artist development director, South Carolina Arts Commission and Celeste Smith, senior program officer, Arts and Culture, The Pittsburgh Foundation will give you a snapshot of what the committee has been working on, and what you can look forward to for this year. You will also receive a sneak peak into the committee’s theme for 2022, mental health and health care for artists. We will also hear from special guest, Dr. David Fakunle, CEO, DiscoverMe/RecoverME; adjunct assistant professor, University of Florida. He will share his insights on the topic of health care for artists, and he will reinforce a much-needed perspective around how we value and support artists.

Grantmakers continue to reckon with the difficulty of gathering accurate data around racial equity funding. To address this, Grantmakers in the Arts is participating in the Racial Equity Coding Project. In the first episode of this three-part podcast series, learn about the project from Susan Feder, program officer, Arts and Culture, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; Adam Fong, program officer, Performing Arts, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; and Maurine Knighton, program director, Arts, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. They discuss why the project started, their experience with the earliest iterations of the coding measures, and how their reflections will inform steps forward. Stay tuned for an opportunity to get involved!

We’re circling back on the American Rescue Plan, and we are talking about progressive creative worker policies. Learn how these inspirational leaders are supporting arts organizations and individual artists. We are joined by Gonzalo Casals, commissioner, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; Deborah Cullinan, CEO, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA); Randy Engstrom, collaborative arts leader and board member of Grantmakers in the Arts; and Emil Kang, program director for Arts and Culture, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

As GIA reflects over the past year, we cannot help but look back at the work and recommendations that so many funders offered when we launched our coronavirus response programming in 2020. The conversation and insight that was shared with the GIA community ignited and energized funders to begin and continue their support for individual artists and arts organizations. But what has happened since then? We are glad to welcome back Laura Aden Packer, executive director, Howard Gillman Foundation, and James Hafferman, deputy director, CERF+, to the GIA podcast. They will share how things have been going since began our coronavirus response programming in Spring 2020.

In our recently released report, Solidary not Charity: Arts & Culture Grantmaking in the Solidarity Economy(https://www.giarts.org/solidarity-not-charity), we point out the importance of commitment to long-term work with multiyear grants, loans, and equity investments for solidarity economy institutions and networks. But how is this done with a racial equity and justice lens? Learn more from Anna Raginskaya, investment advisor, Morgan Stanley, and Quita Sullivan, senior program director for Theater, New England Foundation for the Arts and GIA board member.

The Biden administration signed the American Rescue Plan Act or ARP, which is a $1.9 trillion package in response to the COVID-19 crisis. How can funders and grantees use this opportunity to reimagine arts education? In this podcast we are joined by Jamie Kasper, director, Arts Education Partnership; Alex Nock, principal, Penn Hill Group; Aileen Ma, director, Penn Hill Group; and Nadia Elokdah, Grantmakers in the Arts vice president and director of Programs, to discuss the opportunity provided by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021. Click here to listen! Referenced resource: tinyurl.com/ESSERtables

In this podcast, Developing a Liberatory Consciousness in Funding, we’re glad to have Dr. Barbara J. Love, consultant, author, lecturer, and the founder of the framework, Liberatory Conscious, joining us. She will discuss how to develop a Liberatory Consciousness mindset that can lead us to more drastic change both within our institutions and outside of them. Intro music: "Barge" by Ketsa.

In this podcast, Activating Our Power After the Election, Eddie Torres, president & CEO of Grantmakers in the Arts, and Kristen Cambell, executive director of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), discuss the responsibility of funders to support advocacy, lobbing, and overall civic engagement after the election.

In this podcast episode, we are glad to have Deborah Fisher, executive director, A Blade of Grass, and Shaun Leonardo, American artist and performer best known for his work exploring the relationships between masculinity, sports, race, and culture. They will discuss how funders can center racial equity and they will provide a frame for addressing issues of policing, mass incarceration, and criminal justice with an arts and culture lens.

In this podcast episode, we are glad to have two guests from the John D. and Catherine T. MacAurthur Foundation. Listen to hear form Aisha Edwards, program officer, Criminal Justice Team and Lauren Pabst, senior program officer, Journalism and Media Team. Through this discussion we will dive into the ways MacArthur has prioritized criminal justice and incarceration justice efforts via media and narrative support and partnerships.

In this podcast episode, we are glad to have the Walidah Imarisha, a writer, educator, poet, and the artist who coined the term “visionary fiction.” We are also glad to have Lisa Yancey, an entrepreneurial strategist, president of Yancey Consulting, and author of the Thrivability Report which discusses sustainability versus thrivability for historically disinvested arts and culture organizations! We are glad to have them joining us. In this episode we will discuss ways to radically build towards a new normal, how to think differently about the future, and ways to put it these ideas into action.