206 stories by "Michael Kaiser"
We need new audience members now more than ever as so many people have not had a comprehensive arts education and others are more likely to enjoy electronic entertainment.
While earned income isn't growing, many arts institutions are also having a harder time raising money than ever before since, as audiences erode, there are fewer natural development prospect…
My favorite memory of my 30-year arts management career was attending a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance...
While those who study organizational development and psychology have developed myriad ways to analyze the culture of institutions, I have my own simplistic way of evaluating culture: I find …
It is not necessarily true that there is more going on than there was 20 years ago, but there certainly is far more information directed at all of us, constantly, and without pause. All of t…
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…
Virtually every arts institutions is concerned with money today--because of cuts in government funding, aging donors,...
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…
Every teacher I know will tell you about the immense satisfaction that comes from watching a former student...
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 …
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…
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…
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.
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,…
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.
Seattle lost a vital theater company when the Balagan Theatre announced on September 24 that it was permanently suspending operations.
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, …
Developing a potent strategic plan is not easy. Simply survey a large sample of plans for arts organizations, and one will find...
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…
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.
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…
I often teach that arts organizations should design their 'ideal board' and then work to build that board over time. By 'ideal,' I...
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…
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?
A few weeks ago, a seasoned arts professional called me "the patron saint of artistic directors." He did not mean it as a compliment.
