Monday, November 18, 2013
One of the tell-tale signs that a troubled arts organization is off course is when one or several board members announce they are revising the bylaws of the organization.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:31AMTuesday, November 12, 2013
I am not a fan of having numerous standing board committees for arts organizations. But there is one committee that is crucial, and that is carelessly assembled all too often: the governance…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:37AMMonday, November 4, 2013
As governments worldwide cut their level of subsidy to arts organizations, these same organizations are increasingly turning to the American model of private arts funding. And a substantial …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:26AMMonday, October 28, 2013
Especially for those arts organizations that are reducing staff, board members must be willing to prioritize their requests, be willing to forego the occasional set or committee minutes or p…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:58AMMonday, October 21, 2013
Are we witnessing a major transition in the arts from regional organizations to fewer mega-organizations with the sophistication to mount large scale productions, to market them well and to …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:24AMTuesday, October 15, 2013
When a founder retires, the transition can be especially challenging. The organization was created specifically to support the vision of the founder. How does it support the new leader, and …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:19AMMonday, October 7, 2013
Having spent most of my arts management career working to erase deficits of arts organizations, I must suggest that most organizations that face deficits do not face structural deficits.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:10AMMonday, September 30, 2013
While I never want to dissuade board members from serving as ambassadors for their organizations in their communities, I truly dislike the notion of a set elevator speech. I do not like the…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:37AMMonday, September 23, 2013
When money concerns affect creativity, one is always likely to be more conventional, more easily accessible, more conservative, more boring.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:24AMMonday, September 16, 2013
I have written a great deal about the requirements for a successful turnaround of an arts organization....
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:13AMMonday, September 9, 2013
Yes, social media can amplify the impact of any of these activities but a single tweet or Facebook post is not enough to bring wide acclaim.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:45AMTuesday, September 3, 2013
We are living in a very competitive world -- there are so many forms of entertainment available. If we are not interesting to our group of friends and supporters, they have many other places…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:38AMMonday, August 26, 2013
It is an honor to be a part of this remarkable fraternity (sorority?) of dance people -- directors, managers, dancers, choreographers -- bound together by a love of dance and shared experien…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:24AMMonday, August 19, 2013
If half as much effort that is devoted to trying to fix things was devoted to fundraising, most of the problems facing the organization would disappear. In fact, rarely have I observed a bo…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:28AMMonday, August 12, 2013
For the vast majority of arts organizations, most of their audience members and donors are still employed and are enjoying strong returns on their investments. They have rising levels of di…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:32AMMonday, August 5, 2013
Turning around arts organizations is mostly about changing the psychology of an organization. If we can get people who are closest to us to believe in our work and proceed with confidence, …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:35AMMonday, July 29, 2013
At this difficult time when so many orchestras are facing economic turmoil, the Kansas City Symphony is balancing its budget and just signed a three year contract with its musicians.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:21AMMonday, July 22, 2013
They all agreed that the most important thing they learned at the Kennedy Center was courage, the courage to ask for money, the courage to embrace a new funding paradigm, the courage to do s…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:33AMMonday, July 15, 2013
Arts institutions -- and all not for profit organizations for that matter -- must make it engaging, fun, enlightening and inspiring to participate. They must earn their donors.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:28AMMonday, July 8, 2013
As the pressures facing arts organizations increase, it has become more important than ever that the selection of a Chair of the Board be made with care.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:19AMMonday, July 1, 2013
I have become increasingly convinced that special, targeted fundraising campaigns can be effective ways to galvanize board and staff and to ratchet up the level of fundraising.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:34AMMonday, June 24, 2013
Every child should have the opportunity to make a habit of arts participation. Every city and state should be able to boast about its cultural patrimony and use it to attract businesses and …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:58AMMonday, June 17, 2013
Does the Arts Council "reduce from the bottom," zeroing out grants to the smallest grantees (effectively putting them out of business), or does it make drastic cuts to the largest …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:25AMMonday, June 10, 2013
One of my DeVos Fellows at the Kennedy Center asked an important question in class recently. She wanted to know, "What do...
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:11AMMonday, June 3, 2013
The Emergency Mayor of Detroit is considering selling off a large portion of the collection of the Detroit Institute of Art to pay off the city's $15 billion debt. Kevyn Orr has said he is …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 10:32AMTuesday, May 28, 2013
The current media agreement in force in the United States has severely limited the amount of orchestral music (and opera performances) on public television, radio and the Internet. Most orch…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:49AMMonday, May 20, 2013
The situation facing the Nashville Symphony is sad and frustrating. Unfortunately, it is also not atypical. Symphony officials recently announced that it would default on the bonds for its p…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 10:10AMMonday, May 13, 2013
Every once in a while I attend a performance that is so remarkable that I forget about ticket sales, fundraising, budget cutting or any other aspect of my job. A recent performance of Le Cor…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:11AMMonday, May 6, 2013
This multiplier effect has been discussed for decades. We know that arts organizations are critical for local restaurants, parking, taxis, hotels, etc. Yet it is equally clear that the eco…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 07:39AMMonday, April 29, 2013
The New York City Ballet was in residence at the Kennedy Center recently. I stopped by rehearsal on the afternoon...
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:22AMMonday, April 22, 2013
I write frequently about the benefits of joint ventures between arts institutions. They can lower cost, improve the quality...
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:28AM 
