Andrew Taylor on the Business of Arts & Culture
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''Business-like'' is not the problem
Posted: April 3, 2008
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Justin Macdonnell offers up the latest salvo in the perennial push-back against ''business'' thinking in arts and culture organizations. It's a topic that lives at the center of my working life (directing, as I do, an MBA degree in arts administration). And it's a question to which I continually try to bring clarity, nuance, and honest reflection (some here on my weblog, some to myself).
My thumbnail perspective on the intersection of artistic endeavor and ''business'' thinking is in this short opinion piece from 2006. And the question lies dead-center in the call to arms that launched this blog.
To be fair, my access to Macdonnell's perspective is filtered through the journalist's lens, which can tend to flatten the complexity and heighten the contrast of any opinion. But his basic premise -- to rebel against ''business-like'' behavior and emphasis by governing boards -- is a frequent battle cry by those frustrated with the current state of the arts.
If nonprofits select board members who are unqualified for the complexity and depth of governance, they suffer for it. Those board members' day job as business person, social scientist, artist, civic leader, philanthropist, or anything else isn't the cause of their inability to govern effectively. The process by which we find them, invite them, engage them, and frame and support their work is the cause.
Nor is the problem a shortcoming of a particular ''way of knowing'' the world that a board member might bring -- be it business practice, or academic research, or creative expression, or the like. All ways of seeing, choosing, moving, and evaluating can bring great value to cultural governance, as long as they are informed by humility, curiosity, commitment, and flexibility, and a willingness to adapt to the particular needs and vision of the organizational mission.
Certainly, the blind faith in business-focused leadership on governing boards has done damage to cultural organizations -- as have the wealth-focused or task-focused or status-focused board selection processes that emphasize broad categories or types or roles over individual competence and fit.
At the end of the day, every day, arts organizations must be more business-like, more civic-like, more innovative-like, more creative-like, more connected-like, and more expressive-like than they were the day before. It might be time to put away the straw man in a business suit, and focus on finding, fostering, and connecting the real and complicated people who can advance our important work.