Monday, February 9, 2015
The Executive Committee is also a place to "try out" ideas without subjecting them to full board scrutiny. Discussions about board dues, new programming ideas, even new trustees, c…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:19AMMonday, February 2, 2015
Virtually every arts institutions is concerned with money today--because of cuts in government funding, aging donors,...
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:18AMMonday, January 26, 2015
Lack of clarity as a leader results from lack of clarity in the plan going forward. Initiating a comprehensive planning effort can help the imprecise arts manager develop a clear game plan a…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:47AMMonday, January 19, 2015
Every teacher I know will tell you about the immense satisfaction that comes from watching a former student...
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:34AMMonday, January 12, 2015
A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course. It allows a teacher to have access to an unlimited number of students who participate in online training; the students watch videos, read assignments …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 10:08AMMonday, January 5, 2015
It is indeed true that there is less demand for classical music than there was in recent decades, that it is harder to balance our budgets and that numerous orchestras (and other arts instit…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 01:29PMMonday, December 15, 2014
While there certainly is an element of luck involved when searching for these heroic few, the organizations that have built a cadre of dedicated supporters almost always have a few who simpl…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:12AMMonday, December 8, 2014
The arts environment is deeply challenging here in the United States, but it is more so in other countries where government funding is falling, sometimes precipitously.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 10:55AMMonday, December 1, 2014
Arts organizations must work tirelessly to engage more and more people, to entice them to attend performances and exhibitions, to make it fun and interesting to become donors and volunteers,…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:45AMMonday, November 24, 2014
I am grateful to the many patrons who continue to support their favorite arts institutions, especially those who are willing to risk the most when things are at their worst.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:48AMMonday, November 17, 2014
Seattle lost a vital theater company when the Balagan Theatre announced on September 24 that it was permanently suspending operations.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:32AMMonday, November 10, 2014
I am a voracious consumer of arts news; I read as many news stories, reviews and features as I can in newspapers, websites and other electronic outlets. Yet, as a new arts season has begun, …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:49AMMonday, November 3, 2014
Developing a potent strategic plan is not easy. Simply survey a large sample of plans for arts organizations, and one will find...
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:16AMMonday, October 27, 2014
If arts organizations did far more thorough and forward-looking strategic plans, ones that really anticipated the world in which the organization was going to operate, we could provide our a…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:18AMMonday, October 20, 2014
If the highest quality arts are to be accessible to everyone, after all, some of these regional differences must be eliminated in the coming years.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:42AMTuesday, October 14, 2014
There is a great deal of discussion about the need for building tomorrow's audiences if the arts world is to survive. In response, most arts institutions devote substantial efforts to arts e…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 10:47AMMonday, October 6, 2014
I often teach that arts organizations should design their 'ideal board' and then work to build that board over time. By 'ideal,' I...
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:20AMMonday, September 29, 2014
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has joined the growing list of arts institutions that have locked out (or threatened to lock out) its artists unless substantial wage concessions can be obtain…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 12:46PMMonday, September 22, 2014
The Concertgebouw is considered by many to be the finest orchestra in the world; Is it really possible that a world treasure will be forced to close? Did anyone see this coming?
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 10:01AMMonday, September 15, 2014
A few weeks ago, a seasoned arts professional called me "the patron saint of artistic directors." He did not mean it as a compliment.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:04AMMonday, September 8, 2014
The major problems facing the arts today are not the lack of great artists but the dearth of sophisticated planning, marketing, fundraising and board development skills.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:37AMTuesday, September 2, 2014
Anyone who cares about the arts must be happy that this great institution will open its new season this month. But did the remarkable firestorm surrounding these negotiations do enough to st…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:13AMMonday, August 25, 2014
This is my last week as President of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It has been a remarkable honor to serve in this position for well over 13 years. I have had incredibl…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 09:16AMMonday, August 18, 2014
Whenever a show makes this big move it is a cause for celebration. It suggests that the producing theaters created something of value, something that for-profit producers believe will be of …
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:17AMMonday, August 11, 2014
It is easy to get depressed about the future of the arts in America when one reads countless stories of arts...
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:27AMMonday, August 4, 2014
Working with so many arts organizations that are facing financial challenges, I often hear board and staff discussion about the need for a mega-gift. "If only we had an angel" is a…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:21AMMonday, July 28, 2014
Summer is a good time to think through all the celebrities your board, staff and artists know or have worked with and think about ways to use one or two in the upcoming season.
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:32AMMonday, July 21, 2014
The American View: It would be so great to be working in a European arts institution. After all, those organizations get such a large portion of their budget from the government. The Europe…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:55AMMonday, July 14, 2014
Too many talented arts executives - whose organizations have achieved a great deal under their leadership - fail to promote...
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:33AMMonday, July 7, 2014
The men and women who run the shows, move the sets, carry the props, light the lights, manage the sound, dress the performers and on and on are among my favorite colleagues in every arts job…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:54AMMonday, June 30, 2014
Send a clear, concise well-formatted email that focuses on highlights from the season, including some photographs, to donors (and key prospects), volunteers, board members, subscribers and k…
SOURCE: Huffington Post at 08:53AM 
