If you’re in a particularly wonkish mood, you might be interested in the release and public launch of the Cultural Dynamics Map, the first tangible outcome of a collaborative project I helped launch back in 2003 along with friends and compatriots Russell Willis Taylor of National Arts Strategies and John Kreidler of Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley. The map is a first attempt to apply the methods and modeling language of systems thinking to the world of arts and cultural production, consumption, support, and experience in the United States.
For those that have no idea what I’m talking about, there’s a brief overview of systems thinking and systems mapping on the newly launched website of our collaborative Cultural Dynamics Working Group, which will be the base of conversation for this project from now on.
The map and the process may not be for everyone — in fact, they may not be for anyone. But it’s one small effort to find a different lens to see the world of arts and culture, and to explore some new perspectives on how the dynamics of that world work.