SMU iReporter

SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts and Cox School of Business hosted a public forum on February 13 with the Cultural Data Project (CDP), operated by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and the national arts marketing consulting firm TRG Arts to discuss the value of in-depth data analysis to assess the condition of the arts in the United States. Before a group of 200 attendees that included executive leadership from more than 50 North Texas arts and cultural organizations, representatives from TRG Arts and the CDP talked about their work nationally, including the insight their data can provide on arts consumer behavior and the effect managerial decisions have on attendance, patronage and the overall health of the arts in America.

Both the CDP, based in Philadelphia, and TRG Arts, based in Colorado Springs, gather large amounts of arts data in the U.S. The CDP has been compiling information from cultural organizations since 2004. It is in the midst of a national expansion and now collects data from nearly 12,500 cultural organizations in 11 densely populated states and the District of Columbia about their finances, programs and operations. TRG Arts analyzes arts databases for 18 metropolitan areas in the U.S. with information on the arts patronage of more than 20 million households. In addition to examining the possibility of a relationship with each other and SMU, the CDP and TRG Arts discussed the breadth of their work.  Currently, Dallas arts organizations are not part of either the CDP’s or TRG Arts’ efforts.

“There is rich potential for exploring what these two national data sets can reveal about the arts in the U.S., especially when combined with U.S. Census Bureau data,” said forum moderator Zannie Voss, chair and professor of arts management and arts entrepreneurship in the Meadows School of the Arts and Cox School of Business.  “SMU is very interested in working with the CDP and TRG Arts on that national exploration.”

Rick Lester, president of TRG Arts, and Neville Vakharia, director of the Cultural Data Project, spoke at the forum along with Dr. Voss.

“We are very excited about the prospect of working with SMU to bring the CDP to Texas,” said Vakharia. “The CDP’s goal is to be a truly national resource for nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, and of course we can’t present a national picture of the arts without Texas’s vast and vibrant cultural sector.”

Lester discussed the benefits of sharing data among arts organizations, stating, “Data helps organizations stop guessing about what works and answer the question, ‘are we normal?’”

The new collaboration would also draw on the academic expertise of Meadows and Cox faculty in the fields of arts management, marketing, and statistics, led by Dr. Voss. “The research and analysis will result in an in-depth assessment of the industry that allows arts managers to make more informed decisions and improve the health of their organizations,” Voss told North Texas arts leaders. “Findings would serve as a catalyst for discussion within the arts about how to collectively seize opportunities and address critical issues.”

“Our community has made an extraordinary investment in the infrastructure of the arts with the near completion of the downtown arts district,” said Becky Young, TACA president and executive director. “It’s absolutely time to utilize the tools of the CDP and TRG Arts to maximize the participation in and support of the arts in North Texas. With these tools and with SMU’s talented faculty and interns, participation in our cultural activities will expand by leaps and bounds.”

Each January we come together to reflect upon the profound tragedy of the Holocaust where six million Jews were senselessly murdered - just because they were Jews. A special program of remembrance is planned for Thursday, January 26th at 6:30 p.m. to mourn the loss of each and every victim. Together with Rabbi Yitzak Cohen in the DHM/CET Garden of Remembrance and Tolerance, we will pray the Kaddish, read the names of victims, and light candles to illuminate the beauty of human beings once alive and vibrant. Your presence at this ceremony is a bold statement of unity and tolerance, one that keeps the eternal flame of hope burning, that lights the way to Never Again.

We invite you to make this gathering special and personal. Come with your friends, your family, your children - those you hold most dear - to experience this intimate gathering of hope and remembrance. Bring your blankets to huddle close together in the safety of the garden seating. A candle will be provided for each of you to light as you read the name of a victim aloud. These names have not been spoken in so many years. The more people who attend, the more names we can recite, the more victims we can remember.

Your RSVP is requested by January 24th to RSVP@DallasHolocaustMuseum.org or 214.741.7500.

The Princeton Review has released their newest college rankings and SMU has been listed as one of the top-10 Best College Towns in the nation. SMU is located in the prestigious Park Cities and is only a few minutes drive from downtown Dallas and trendy Uptown.

According to the Princton Review, the top 10 Best College Towns are:

1. Columbia University
2. Georgetown University
3. Tulane University
4. George Washington University
5. Boston University
6. New York University
7. Barnard College
8. Southern Methodist University
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
10. American University

The celebration of New Year's Eve and New Year's is an opportunity to let go of anything that happened in 2011 and look forward to the possibilities in 2012. However, while celebrating, it's important to keep safety in mind. Starting off 2012 in a hospital bed is not the most ideal beginning.

If you are planning on driving at all on New Year's Eve, pay very careful attention to your surroundings. This night is notorious for drunk drivers, and they're not going to have to the reflexes or reaction time to avert an accident. It'll be up to you to keep an eye out for danger and to be alert at all times, even while at a red light.

For those that plan to drink at a party on New Year's Eve, please don't drink and drive. Bring along a friend to act as your designated driver. If you're at a house party, give your keys to the host/hostess as soon as you walk through the door. Wait until you're absolutely sure that all the alcohol is out of your system before you leave the party. Remember, buzzed driving is the same as drunk driving.

If you're partying at a pub or club, don't go by yourself. There are always people looking to take advantage of the unwary and intoxicated. Never leave your drink unattended and be wary of whom you accept drinks from. When leaving the pub or club, don't go out on your own. If you're alone, wait for other people to leave and travel to your car with a crowd.

Have a happy and safe New Year's Eve. If you haven't heard, there's a big New Year's Eve party going down at Victory Park - Big D NYE. It'll have lots of music, fun and fireworks. So if you don't have any plans, check it out!

The deal was all but finalized and June Jones was set to become the next head coach of the Arizona State University football team. But, at the last moment, the school changed its mind due to loud opposition from the school's top boosters, and now Jones is left in an awkward situation.

It's unclear what will happen now with Jones and SMU. While many students and fans have expressed extreme unhappiness and displeasure with Jones for his attempt to leave the Hilltop, it can't be argued that the SMU football program would still be in the basement without him.

Today was also the day that SMU officially joined the Big East Conference, and President R. Gerald Turner did not forgot to praise Jones for his work.

"Our move to the Big East is good for SMU, for Dallas and for this region of the country and reflects the reemergence of our successful football program under the leadership of June Jones. [...] We look forward to this new era of competition."