Last week, I was attending one of my personal favorite conferences, Social Theory, Politics & the Arts, in Columbus, Ohio. It’s a favorite because of the funky mix of presentations you’ll find there (although decidedly less funky this time around)…from tatoo art as social identity to the sociology of public art in Berlin to cultural policy development in Nepal to leadership succession in arts organizations.
Because this was thought to be the 30th anniversary of the event (but turned out to be the 29th), there was an opening plenary panel offering perspectives on the history and status of the many disciplines involved. I was asked to offer 10 minutes on the history and state of Arts Administration, and did so with about a thousand caveats. I’ve posted my comments in this weblog’s ‘Thoughbucket’ for any that care to read them.