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- Arts And Culture Events In Downtown Chicago Contributed $395 Million To City’s Economy In Last Three Months
The figure is a 20% increase over the second quarter last year. There were slightly under 1.5 million visitors in that period, and foot traffic in the Loop on weekdays is still below pre-pandemic levels. – Chicago Sun-Times
- A Coachella For Broadway Theatre?
For decades, theater fans have flocked to Broadway hoping to catch their favorite performers onstage. But what if, instead of seeing one show, they could spend an entire weekend surrounded by stage stars — watching concerts under the stars, singing show tunes around a campfire, dancing at a Broadway rave? – People
- How Congressional Republicans Attacked American History At The Smithsonian This Week
Whether “love” is really the metric by which one should assess a historian’s credibility seemed outside the scope of the discussion. Nuance was treated like a threat. – The Atlantic
- Scientists Discover We’re Speaking Fewer Words Every Year. What’s That About?
Each year the number of words spoken daily seemed to decline by about three hundred and thirty-eight. That translates into around a hundred and twenty thousand words a year—about the length of “Sense and Sensibility.” And Mehl noticed that the decline was even steeper for people under twenty-five. – The New Yorker
- Brazil Gets A New Professional Orchestra
“São Paulo’s Teatro B32 has announced the creation of the ECO Orchestra, a new professional ensemble that will present its inaugural season between September 2026 and June 2027. American conductor Ira Levin has been appointed Artistic Director.” – Moto Perpetuo
- Dance Is A Subjective Art Form. So How Do Judging And Scoring In Dance Competitions Work?
“Because every competition’s scoring rubric is slightly different, dancers may not always understand why they received a certain score or ranking. … What do competitors and coaches need to know about the competitive-dance world’s many judging systems, and how can they glean useful information from the often-mysterious numerical scores?” – Dance Magazine
- Lefty Firebrand And Former Congresswoman Katie Porter Is Leaving Politics To Be A Book Influencer
After very disappointing finishes in California’s Democratic primary races for Senate in 2024 and governor in 2025, Porter says “I am closing the door on being a candidate.” She will turn one of her social media accounts into a book-oriented channel called Katie Porter Turns the Page. – The Sacramento Bee
- Art Institute Of Chicago Lays Off Its Entire Custodial Staff, Will Outsource
“The cultural institution announced it will no longer employ 23 custodial workers on June 29. … The employees’ last day is Aug. 14, but a museum spokesperson said they will have the opportunity to re-apply for their positions with the new company, GDI Integrated Facility Services, based in Canada.” – Chicago Sun-Times
- Louvre Reopens Gallery Where Crown Jewels Were Stolen — But It’s Empty
The Apollo Gallery had been closed to the public ever since last October’s broad-daylight theft of the French crown jewels on display there. Now it’s open again, with nothing on display. Fortunately, the room itself is pretty spectacular. – AFP (MSN)
- European Union Okays Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger — With Conditions
“The European Commission … said that even with a Paramount-Warner combo, enough competitors would exist across markets like film production and streaming in its 27-nation bloc. Still, when it comes to distributing movies to theaters, the Commission warned of high concentration,” leading to worse terms for cinema operators. – AP
- Federal Terrorism Trial Of Salman Rushdie’s Attacker Begins
“Hadi Matar, the man who stabbed Salman Rushdie in the eye on stage in 2022, is standing trial for a second time – this time facing (federal) terrorism charges after being found guilty (in New York state court) of attempted murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison last year.” – The Guardian
- Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts seeks Director of Production and Presentation
Organization
The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) is located on the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Built in 2024, this ultra-modern, 49,900-square-foot facility includes six venues, three of which are dedicated performing arts spaces: the Concert Hall, the largest venue with a capacity of 490 and acoustically engineered as a premier listening environment by Jaffe Holden; the Edward J. Ray Theater, a flexible black box space used for theater, immersive art installations, jazz, cabaret, comedy, experimental music, and electroacoustic multichannel programming; and the Thomas W. Toomey lobby, a public, non-ticketed gathering space with a stage that hosts pre-concert programs, special events, rentals, receptions, and celebrations. In addition, PRAx includes an outdoor concert space, a 3,000-square-foot art gallery, and a demonstration garden and gathering space featuring plants from six discrete ecosystems in the state. The mission of PRAx is to activate the power of the arts across disciplines, and the “x” in the name stands for a vision of an arts space where arts, humanities, science, and technology meet.
Roughly 30% of the content in PRAx reflects transdisciplinary goals, and the organization runs an extensive array of residency and fellowship programs that match artists and writers with scientists and researchers; in 2025-26, PRAx made 93 awards across more than 20 such programs. PRAx is home to the Center for the Humanities, the Spring Creek Project for Nature and the Written Word, and an integrative, discipline-crossing program called PRAx CoLabs.
Despite the specialization of that slice of the programming, which can involve complex or experimental technical setups, most content in the performing arts (70% of the total) will look familiar at a production level. PRAx presents live music in all genres, talks and readings, some theatre, rental and University events, discussions, and workshops. The “PRAx Presents” series of approximately 45 events annually features exceptional professional artists from around the world. PRAx also serves as the home venue for the School of Visual, Performing, and Design Arts at OSU, presenting three shorter “seasons-within-a-season” wherein University ensembles and University Theatre perform their term-end concerts. In total, including PRAx Presents, Student Arts Season concerts and rehearsals, guest presenters, and a robust lineup of workshops and classes that are part of the PRAx Experiences program, PRAx staffs more than 180 events per year. The vast majority of work at PRAx is presented, not produced, by them, and staff move readily from one type of event to another on a near-daily basis. Artists-in-residence at PRAx or allied programs have included esperanza spalding, Andy Akiho, Thomas Lauderdale, and many others.
PRAx recognizes that new work is one of the engines of the arts sector. The organization is committed to using its platforms to lower the barriers to creativity, access, and affordability. As a university-based arts center, PRAx serves the tripartite mission of research, teaching, and outreach. PRAx is partnered with the Associated Students of Oregon State University to keep student tickets to any concert at $5. PRAx is supported by a stable mixture of funds, including direct University support, significant endowments, longer-term grants, and ticket revenue.
PRAx operates with 23 professional staff and around 40 student staff. Due to the unique nature of PRAx’s transdisciplinary mission and the emphasis on residencies and fellowships, some of the professional staff work in units more allied to the research side of the University than the presenting side, making PRAx an especially lively and creatively engaging place to work. PRAx has a 10-member board of advisors led by board chair Patricia Valian Reser. The Director of Production and Presentation has 24 direct reports, including one professional faculty member, three classified employees, and 20 student workers, and reports to the Managing Director.
Position Summary
The Director of Production and Presentation (DPP) serves as the artistic and operational authority responsible for the comprehensive execution, strategic alignment, and day-to-day success of PRAx. This role operates at the intersection of artistic vision and technical excellence, providing oversight of all production and rental operations while ensuring that each presentation achieves the highest standards of aesthetic integrity, operational efficiency, and audience impact.
Charged with stewarding a robust portfolio of more than 180 annual events, the DPP leads a highly complex production ecosystem requiring advanced project management, cross-functional integration, and sophisticated logistical coordination. The position orchestrates the seamless alignment of multiple operational domains, including but not limited to lighting, audio engineering, stage operations, technical direction, artist hospitality, event services, and ensemble management. This coordination encompasses the full lifecycle of production—intake and interpretation of technical riders, strategic resource allocation, staffing design, and real-time execution—across a dynamic and frequently overlapping event calendar.
The DPP brings a deeply informed artistic perspective to all venue operations, ensuring that technical decisions in sound, lighting, staging, and spatial design are guided by—and elevate—the creative intent of each production. In doing so, the role safeguards PRAx’s commitment to both aesthetic distinction and flawless implementation, integrating artistic vision with precise technical delivery across diverse programming.
As a leader of people and systems, the DPP establishes the conditions for departmental success through the oversight of production staff and operational units. This includes responsibility for developing and managing production budgets, constructing detailed daily and long-range schedules, procuring and specifying backline and technical assets, and driving continuous innovation in presentation practices. The role requires not only operational rigor but also a forward-looking creative sensibility to ensure PRAx remains a vibrant and evolving destination for artists and audiences alike.
While PRAx primarily functions as a presenting venue for touring artists and university ensembles, the DPP navigates a nuanced balance of collaboration and autonomy. In instances where visiting artists do not provide dedicated designers or engineers, the DPP and their teams assume expanded creative authorship, shaping the visual and sonic identity of each performance and reinforcing the distinct signature aesthetic of PRAx.
Beyond hosted programming, the DPP also plays a critical leadership role in the conceptualization and execution of original, high-impact institutional events, including season launches, festivals, and donor engagement experiences. These initiatives demand a heightened level of creative direction, strategic planning, and interdisciplinary collaboration, with the DPP often originating core production concepts and guiding them through to realization.
As a member of PRAx’s senior leadership team, the Director of Production and Presentation contributes to organizational strategy, institutional visioning, and long-term planning, ensuring that production capabilities not only support but actively advance PRAx’s mission and artistic ambitions.
Decision Making/Guidelines
The Director of Production and Presentation exercises broad, complex decision-making authority spanning artistic interpretation, technical execution, financial stewardship, operational planning, and institutional risk management. This role establishes and continuously calibrates the frameworks through which artistic intent is translated into fully realized productions, overseeing critical determinations related to production design, budget allocation, schedule architecture, workforce deployment, venue systems utilization, and regulatory and safety compliance.
Functioning as the central integrator of PRAx’s production ecosystem, the DPP directly influences the success trajectory of every event presented within the organization’s portfolio. Outcomes—whether exemplary or deficient—are closely tied to the precision, foresight, and judgment exercised within this role. Decision-making failures carry material consequences across multiple dimensions, including financial performance, physical safety, operational continuity, and institutional reputation.
From a financial perspective, the DPP’s stewardship of production budgets and resource allocation directly impacts cost containment, revenue optimization, and the long-term sustainability of programming. From a safety standpoint, the role bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that all production environments adhere to rigorous standards governing technical operations, crowd management, and workplace safety, mitigating risk to artists, staff, and audiences alike.
Most critically, the reputational and organizational implications of this role extend across a wide and complex network of stakeholders. The DPP serves as a primary nexus of communication and alignment among touring artists, artist management teams, internal production and administrative staff, university partners, and external collaborators. Effective execution requires not only technical fluency but also advanced relational leadership—balancing competing priorities, managing expectations, and ensuring clarity and cohesion across all parties involved. As a result, the external perception of PRAx is significantly mediated through the performance of this role.
The quality, consistency, and professionalism of interactions and outcomes shape enduring relationships with dozens of artists, agents, vendors, and institutional partners. In this way, the Director of Production and Presentation functions not only as an operational leader, but as a key steward of PRAx’s brand, credibility, and long-term institutional standing within the performing arts ecosystem.
Position Duties
25% Artistic Leadership
- Interpret and synthesize technical riders alongside supplementary materials (e.g., archival recordings, video documentation, and prior production notes) to develop a comprehensive understanding of artistic intent, translating these insights into actionable production strategies that support approximately 85% of PRAx’s presenting activity.
- Provide creative and operational leadership for institutionally produced events (approximately 15% of programming), shaping event vision, conceptual framework, and artistic execution from early ideation through realization.
- Partner with programmers across PRAx series (including PRAx Presents, Student Arts Season, Spring Creek Project, Center for the Humanities, Corvallis-PRAx Presenters, and others) to ensure that artistic ambition is balanced with production feasibility, technical capacity, and resource alignment.
- Lead all advance processes with visiting artists and their representatives—including managers, agents, ensemble leaders, and partner organizations—facilitating clear alignment on artistic, technical, and logistical expectations. Strategically engage departmental leadership in these conversations when complexity or specialization requires deeper coordination.
40% Administrative Leadership and Planning
- Design, publish, and actively manage an integrated master schedule for daily PRAx operations, ensuring that cross-departmental coordination is proactive, precise, and communicated well in advance (typically 30+ days prior to execution).
- Oversee the planning, sourcing, and allocation of backline and technical assets, ensuring availability aligns with artistic requirements and operational efficiency.
- Collaborate with executive leadership (Executive Director, Managing Director) and programming staff to develop and refine the annual production calendar, proactively identifying and resolving logistical constraints such as overlapping events, complex load-in/load-out sequences, and venue capacity limitations.
- Maintain full accountability for the production budget, including forecasting, resource allocation, and ongoing financial stewardship to support both fiscal discipline and artistic excellence.
- Contribute as an active member of the PRAx Senior Leadership Team, informing institutional strategy with production insight and operational perspective.
15% Training, Contracting, and Supervision
- Design, implement, and continuously refine comprehensive training programs for student staff, cultivating both technical proficiency and professional standards aligned with PRAx’s production values.
- Oversee contracted technical services related to audio, lighting, and equipment maintenance; strategically engage external specialists for event-specific needs based on artistic complexity, scheduling demands, and operational efficiency.
- Provide direct supervision and leadership to production department heads, maintaining a detailed working knowledge of timelines, workflows, and interdependencies across audio, lighting, and stage operations to ensure seamless execution.
15% Live Event Operations and Execution
- Maintain an active presence in live event operations, either through direct participation or supervisory oversight, across all phases including load-in, rehearsal, performance, and strike.
- Function as a senior operational resource during live events—serving in roles such as stage manager, production lead, or flexible “free safety”—to address emergent challenges, ensure safety and quality standards, and support successful execution during high-volume or high-complexity periods.
- Facilitate production logistics as needed, including transportation of equipment, personnel, and/or artists in University-owned vehicles.
5% Other Duties as Assigned
Minimum/Required Qualifications
- A Bachelor’s Degree
- 5 years’ experience in project management, logistics, production management, venue operations, or related areas
- 2 years’ experience in the performing arts
- Supervisory experience
- This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in an arts field
- Master’s Degree
- Project Management Certification
- 5 years’ experience in a performing arts venue in a leadership role.
Working Conditions/Work Schedule
- This position has a flexible schedule that includes many evenings and weekends. A certain amount of the work (especially time-sensitive administrative and organizational duties) may be required to be performed outside the venue, but as the head of a department in a live performance venue, the incumbent is expected to be on-site and accessible the equivalent of a 40-hour work week for most weeks, with some weeks that may require more on-site presence and others less depending on the performance schedule.
- The position regularly works on catwalks, scissor lifts, and in and amongst rigging, as well as in environments that may be loud, dark, bright, or high-sensory environments.
Compensation and Benefits
PRAx offers a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, including an annual salary range of $80,000 to $90,000. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; paid leave and holiday programs; and a 70% tuition reduction available system-wide across Oregon, rather than only at OSU. Employees may choose between participation in the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), which combines a pension and investment account funded by the University, or the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP), a portable defined-contribution plan administered through TIAA.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/patricia-valian-reser-center-for-the-creative-arts-seeks-director-of-production-and-presentation/
OSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability, protected veteran, and other protected statuses.
PRAx is mindful that arts presenting may create barriers to access that are structural, canonical, or systemic, and has committed to using its artistic platforms to lower those barriers. Alongside all the staff of the PRAx, the Director of Production and Presentation will be responsible to that mission.
- Reality Settles Out of Court
Good Morning,
A federal judge has approved Anthropic’s $1.5 billion settlement with book authors — the largest copyright payout in U.S. history, about $3,000 per pirated title (AP). So the price of ingesting a book is now settled law. The price of flooding the market with fakes isn’t: Amazon is filling up with AI-written “biographies” credited to authors who don’t exist (The New York Times). Artnet’s critic reads it all as one story — synthetic culture as the third leg of America’s reality distortion field (Artnet).
Two consequential handovers: Oskar Eustis will leave New York’s Public Theater in 2028, among the last of the long-serving artistic directors who built the city’s nonprofit stages (The New York Times). And Dia’s Jessica Morgan — taking a pay cut to do it — will run Tate (The Guardian).
New York Magazine sorted Hollywood’s 100 most powerful directors into castes: “IP Guys,” “Middle-Class Auteurs,” “A24 Boys on the Rise” (Vulture). The org chart of an industry that swears that one doesn’t really exist.
All of our stories below.
- The 100 Most Powerful Directors In Hollywood (Per New York Magazine)
They’re divided into such categories as “Big Fish in Small Ponds,” “The Old Guard,” “Masters of Genre,” “Solid Commercial Filmmakers,” “Middle-Class Auteurs,” “Animation Specialists,” “IP Guys,” “A24 Boys on the Rise,” “The Haute Bourgeoisie,” “Wunderkinds,” “Trusted Hands,” The New Hotness,” and “The Most Wanted.” – New York Magazine
- Reality Is Breaking Down
The rapidly degenerating digital culture is the third leg of the stool of the “reality distortion field” that has engulfed the U.S. – Artnet
- Vanderbilt University’s New San Francisco Campus Will Include An Arts College
“The Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang College of Art, Architecture and Design will be ‘a cornerstone’ of Vanderbilt’s planned campus on the … site it is purchasing from California College of the Arts.” Huang College, backed by $75 million from a co-founder of Nvidia, will emphasize how the arts intersect with engineering and technology. – San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
- The Complications Of Freedom-To-Read Campaigns
The freedom to read is a feel-good cause, and maybe an issue typically associated with concerned parents and school boards could use a little glamour. But Dua Lipa’s project highlights how the public discourse around bans has become detached from the ground reality of access to books. – The Atlantic
- Bayreuth Is A Religious Experience. It’s Also Really Uncomfortable
People have been complaining about and returning to this festival from the start. So why does it still have such a hold on us? – The New York Times
- Kevin Puts And The Art Of Opera
“I played a lot of Mozart piano concertos as a student. His slow movements are not just him gushing emotions. There’s a perfect balance of structure and harmonic direction. That’s my model for my own music. I like a sense of structure. You’re listening to something that is logically constructed, with heartbreakingly beautiful melodies and harmonies in the midst of it.” – San Francisco Classical Voice
- Oskar Eustis, Longtime Director Of New York’s Public Theater, To Step Down In 2028
“He plans to (depart) on July 31, 2028, his 70th birthday. His departure will signal a transition … not only for the Public, but also for theater in New York, where Eustis is among the last of a group of long-serving artistic directors who for decades oversaw the city’s biggest nonprofits.” – The New York Times
- Writers Guild Adds A Motion To Block Paramount/Warner Merger
In a motion filed early Wednesday in federal court in Oakland, the WGA‘s legal team argued that the transaction “is presumptively illegal in the market for writing services for anticipated top grossing films,” noting that the combined companies would have a 35% share of that market. – Deadline
- Judge Approves Largest-Ever Copyright Infringement Case
The Anthropic payout will deliver $3,000 per work across an estimated 500,000 works, shared among the authors and publishers who hold rights to them. While the settlement is believed to be the largest in the history of U.S. copyright law, many authors and creators still don’t view it as a win. – TechCrunch
- The Rise Of AI-Slop-Written Biographies
The book is flattering, fabricated and absolutely packed with em dashes. It bears all the signs of A.I. slop. I clicked on the author, one John Crane Miller. His bio page described him as a “seasoned biographer and cultural analyst,” and his portrait was a widely used stock photo. – The New York Times
- Director Of Smithsonian’s American History Museum Grilled By GOP House Members
In a House Subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency hearing titled “Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian’s Efforts to Reshape the Past,” National Museum of American History director Anthea Hartig faced such questions as “When did you know you were a woman?” and “Was Mickey Mouse racist?” – ARTnews
- Australia’s Musical Theatre Crisis
Exactly who or what is to blame for the closures is hard to diagnose. Producers have cited astronomical transportation costs as a major factor, perhaps unwilling to blame audiences’ increasing reluctance to pre-book. Industry-wide fixes are even trickier to identify. – The Guardian
- Are Opponents Of The Paramount/Warner Merger Defining The Movie Market Wrong?
By focusing narrowly on the theatrical release market, the AGs and judge are like Norma Desmond clinging to a bygone era. The same is true of the deal’s union opponents in Hollywood who worry the merger could result in fewer of their films premiering on the big screen. – The Wall Street Journal
- Robert Cole, Who Made Berkeley’s Cal Performances Into One Of America’s Leading Arts Presenters, Has Died At 95
During his tenure as director (1986-2009), Cal Performances developed longstanding partnerships with myriad performers and organizations, from Merce Cunningham to Mark Morris Dance Group, from Laurie Anderson to Robert Wilson to Robert Lepage, from Les Arts Florissants to Jordi Savall to Philip Glass to the Kronos Quartet. – San Francisco Chronicle (MSN)
- Banning Books Is Not Enough: One Florida County Questions Whether There Should Even Be School Libraries
The school board of Clay County (mostly suburbs of Jacksonville) has ordered an unusually large selection, even by Florida standards, of titles off its public school bookshelves. Now some of its members are debating “what would be a high-level function for that space” instead. (One official suggested school stores.) – WUSF (Tampa)
- Marlboro Music Festival At 75
“The most important thing about Marlboro, musicians say, is that it removes the pressure of performance. Ensembles are free to rehearse and study as long as they wish. … The outsize focus on study and exploration raises the question of whether Marlboro is, at heart, a festival or a school.” – The New York Times
- Scottish Ballet Cancels Week Of Edinburgh Performances Because Lodging There Is Too Expensive
The company, based in Glasgow, will cut short its December run of Cinders in Edinburgh, canceling Christmas-to-New-Year’s-week shows, because — especially with an upcoming 5% addition to the hotel tax — the cost of accommodation for up to 150 performers and crew is simply too high. – STV News (Scotland)
- Judge Approves $1.5 Billion Settlement Of Author/Publisher Lawsuit Against Anthropic
“A federal judge has approved a $1.5 billion copyright settlement in which artificial intelligence company Anthropic will pay thousands of authors about $3,000 per book after using pirated copies of their works to train its Claude chatbot.” – AP
- The Next Director Of Britain’s Tate Galleries Will Be —
— Jessica Morgan, currently director of New York’s Dia Art Foundation. “Morgan will need to guide the organisation through a difficult financial landscape, raise poor staff morale and grapple with fluctuating visitor numbers.” – The Guardian
- Fired Trinity Wall Street Music Director Pleads Guilty To Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material
“Conductor and composer Julian Wachner has agreed to plead guilty to five counts of possession of child sex abuse material and to one count of possession of cocaine after he admitted to using cryptocurrency hundreds of times to buy (such imagery). … Wachner could be facing 10 years in prison.” – OperaWire
- Monumental Chilean Mural Painted Over By Pinochet Is Being Uncovered
Beginning and End, a 452-square-foot mural painted by Julio Escámez, was unveiled in 1972 by the Allende-aligned government of the city of Chillán, 250 miles south of Santiago. After Pinochet’s coup, he ordered the mural destroyed, and it was thought lost; in 2021, conservators discovered that it had been only painted over. – Artnet
- Disney Cutting Hundreds Of Creative Jobs
Disney is cutting several hundred positions, with Pixar and National Geographic among the divisions most affected by the move. – Deadline