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- Venice Biennale Gets Its Groove Back
Somehow, this grand festival of creativity has vitality, often substance, and a sense of context wider than the usual web of art-world connections and hierarchies. – Washington Post
- Houston’s Rothko Chapel Starts Big Expansion Project
Over the next two years, the site will see construction of an administration and archives building, a new program center, a guest bungalow for visiting speakers and fellows, a plaza for events, as well as a meditation garden. – ARTnews
- First Prize In This Year’s Venice Biennale
The exhibition’s top prizes both went to Indigenous artists, with the Golden Lion for the main curated exhibition going to the Mataaho Collective, which consists of four Māori women artists. – ARTnews
- Why Many Of Us Are Going Back To Pre-Digital Analog Tools
From vinyl records to film cameras, all manner of apparently written-off technologies have been making a comeback, including modular synthesizers – one of the earliest types of this now-ubiquitous electronic instrument. – The Conversation
- On The Influence Of Small Magazines And Big Ideas
Another meaning of the word “magazine” is a store of munitions. My own addition to the arsenal of the free press, Standpoint, was founded in 2008. I was editor for just over a decade, during which we made the magazine essential reading across the political and cultural spectrum. – The Critic
- The Women Who’ve Founded Dance Companies In The US Since 1929
“Keeping track of these female-founded ballet companies is vital in understanding the pivotal and often unknown role of women in shaping the American ballet sector,” said DDP Research Consultant Aanika Khansaheb. – Dance Data Project
- What’s The Logical Endpoint Of Pop Culture’s Insane-And-Dangerous-Ballerina Trope? A Ballerina Vampire, Of Course!
“Unlike Black Swan, the darkly funny Abigail — which follows a band of kidnappers as they discover that their prisoner, supposedly an adolescent ballet student, is actually a centuries-old vampire — doesn’t aim for profundity. But entertainment-world depictions of ballet, even in campy romps like Abigail, carry weight.” – The New York Times
- Fatal Error: Universities Have Stopped Teaching HOW To Think
Modern education concentrates on teaching subjects, leaving the method of thinking, arguing, and expressing one’s conclusions to be picked up by the scholar as he goes along; mediæval education concentrated on first forging and learning to handle the tools of learning. – The Critic
- Florentines Begged Me To Run For Mayor, Says Former Uffizi Gallery Director
“(Eike Schmidt) said he felt compelled to throw his hat into the ring … after being encouraged to run for mayor by Florentines, who he said stopped him in the street to vent their frustrations over issues such as rising crime, a shortage of affordable housing, graffiti, … overtourism — and fast-food stands.” – The Guardian
- The Last Small Town Movie Critic (Great Read)
“He fulfilled his dreams, save for being Spider-Man. He wanted to write and direct plays and movies. He wanted to do stand-up comedy. He wanted to be Roger Ebert. He just did it in one place.” – Poynter
- Another Way AI May Completely Change (Or Even Ruin) The Web As We Know It
“The advent of AI threatens to destroy the complex online ecosystem that allows writers, artists, and other creators to reach human audiences. To understand why, you must understand publishing” — not mean “publishing” as in producing books and magazines, but any online mechanism for bringing content to users. – The Atlantic (MSN)
- Publishers Have Found An Interesting Way To Fight Children’s Book Bans
Publishers, writers, and progressive organizations across the children’s book industry aren’t letting the book bans hold them back. Instead, they’re turning the bans into a rallying cry to publish even more diverse characters and points of view. – Fast Company
- St. Louis Public Radio Claims Immunity From Lawsuits For Defamation. You May Not Believe The Reason.
Sovereign immunity. St. Louis Public Radio claims immunity from lawsuits as an arm of the state of Missouri. – Riverfront Times (St. Louis)
- Actors Unions Make Deal For “Ethical Use” Of AI Voices
The deal also sets a minimum rate for AI replication of session singers’ voices, in the amount of three “sides” per project. (A “side” is equivalent to the payment for one audio track lasting up to 4 minutes and 30 seconds.) – Variety
- All The Ways A New Play Changes In Previews
“‘The key learning moments for a playwright,’ says writer David Eldridge, ‘are when you first hear actors read the script, and when the play meets an audience. We’re incredibly rigorous in the rehearsal process. But somehow, when you put it in front of an audience, it exposes unnecessary overwriting.'” – The Guardian
- Italy’s Government Blacklists Minneapolis Institute Of Art For Loans
“The Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA) has become musea non grata to the Italian government after a yearslong dispute over a Pentelic marble copy of a lost bronze by the ancient Greek sculptor Polykleitos depicting the ‘spear-bearer’ Doryphoros.” – ARTnews
- A New Leader For The Musée D’Orsay In Paris
Variously titled president or chairman in different news reports, the new head of the Orsay and its sister institution, the Musée de l’Orangerie, is Sylvain Amic, most recently director of the museums in the city of Rouen. He has quite a job ahead of him. – Artforum
- San Antonio’s Tobin Center Names A Resident Orchestra — And It’s Not The New San Antonio Philharmonic
The SA Phil is the fledgling orchestra founded by members of the San Antonio Symphony (which had been a Tobin resident) after that group’s board shut it down. The other group is called The Orchestra San Antonio (TOSA), and only 10 of its 60 members live locally. – San Antonio Report
- PEN America Gives Up, Cancels Its 2024 Literary Awards
“Facing widespread unhappiness over its response to the Israel-Hamas war, the writers’ group PEN America has called off its annual awards ceremony. Dozens of nominees had dropped out of the event, which was to have taken place next week.” – AP
- The Mellon Foundation Did a Nice Thing. Next Time, Look at Where the Action Is.
If the Mellon Foundation would start to look at the next-level budgets, they’ll find transformation is the purview of better-run organizations.
The best arts nonprofit arts organizations in the United States are not the ones who receive the most grant money. But they should be. A local nonprofit arts organization realized that it had never received a donation from the town’s most successful lawyer.
The volunteer in charge of contributions called him to persuade him to contribute. “Our research shows that out of a yearly income of more than $600,000 you give not a penny to charity. Wouldn’t you like to give back to the community in some way?”
The lawyer thought about it for a minute and replied, “Did your research also show that my mother is dying after a long illness, and has medical bills that are several times her annual income?” Embarrassed, the volunteer mumbled, “I had no idea.”
To which the lawyer said, “Well, I don’t give her money, so why should I give money to you?”
Last week, we talked about the wonderful news about the transformative gifts to 3 nonprofit arts companies by the Mellon Foundation. To recap: The Mellon Foundation, the meat of whose mission is…
We believe that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and we believe that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom to be found there.
…just granted three $1 million grants to leaders of theaters that are instituting a radical change for the better for their respective institutions.
They almost got it right, too, as two of the organizations really are doing transformational work for their communities. One, not so much. But good for them anyway.
I’ve just returned from Louisville. There, I experienced the amazing work of Teddy Abrams and the Louisville Orchestra, a company that has reduced its performances in the traditional big hall down to only 17. Instead, they perform hundreds of events in every county in Kentucky at theaters, gyms, libraries, rec centers, bars, and subsidized housing centers (a.k.a., “the projects”) in order to bring Kentuckians their own music right back to them, no matter what socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, or any other status they currently inhabit.
Their programs – which are not cynically tacked-on like almost every other arts organization’s are, just to receive funding – speak to their core attribute: a Grammy® Award-winning company (2023) who believes that celebrating and helping Kentuckians reach their potential as leaders in their own communities starts with them.
West Hills High School, Frankfort, KY. The Louisville Orchestra’s “In Harmony” tour continues with Michael Cleveland fronting with his phenomenal bluegrass band. Free for the community, and people were step-dancing in the aisles. The Louisville Orchestra has saved lives. That is not an overstatement. One high-school student told me this, at the outset of a concert held at her high school.
“I get straight A’s and I’m in a few AP courses, too. But I was lost, depressed, my home life was a bust, and I didn’t see that I had any future. Then I saw the Louisville Orchestra last year and started a love of music. I joined Band. It’s the one class I can’t wait to go to. Music keeps me sane. If it weren’t for events like this with the Louisville Orchestra, and I know this sounds pretty dark, I probably would be dead. I’ve been through a bunch of suicidal ideations in the past, but I learned that music is the one thing I’m very good at in this world. Having the opportunity to see great music here at my own high school lets me know I have a future.”
“In Harmony” toured the state and hit every county. “Once Upon an Orchestra” visits every library branch in Louisville and many more outside the city, working with orchestra members, small children, and books they already love. “MakingMUSIC” is a program for every single fourth- and fifth-grade student in the Jefferson County School District, where students work with musicians to gain confidence, trust, and a broader sense of a language that does not depend on lexicographical genius. The Louisville Orchestra, under the massively successful, strong, and unending search for real impact, is a rousing success, even from a conservative government.
“You always hear about the rural/urban divide,” said GOP State Senator Robert Stivers, the Senate President. “And a lot of people won’t go to the cities because it’s beyond their navigation point. A lot of people won’t come out of the cities, thinking ‘we’re uncomfortable with the country.’ What we’re doing and what [the LO] is trying to do is to bridge those gaps.”
Hey, Mellon! This is the kind of transformative leadership you say you want to support!
If Mellon were seeking a second, equally transformative company, they should really look at some smaller organizations who have already changed the landscape of the communities they serve. The best example I’ve found in my research is in Atlanta: Out of Hand Theater (OOH) and its transformative founder/leader, Ariel Fristoe. OOH takes their art directly to the people who can make a difference.
Ariel Fristoe (L), seen here at an Out of Hand Theater event with Ambassador Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta and preeminent civil rights leader. OOH doesn’t have a building. They all work from home, but a board member provides donated office space for group meetings, readings, etc. Their theater work has a charitable purpose. In Fristoe’s words, “Atlanta didn’t need another small theater company. It needed justice.” The core of their mission is to “work at the intersection of art, social justice, and civic engagement to create a more just world” and they measure their work against that vision. They perform in church basements, living rooms, schools, businesses, houses of worship, public spaces, and on Zoom. The point of their work is to change the conversation around social justice to, as one participant put it, “allow the divided, entrenched world in which we live to mitigate personal issues together, even when they don’t agree with each other, through acts of listening, hashing it out, and having all the little conversations necessary to reduce tensions and get things done.”
“When I’m talking about Out of Hand — whether it’s talking about banned books or the first Black woman who ran for president — it’s about working within a safe environment and having these conversations. We have to find ways to have these difficult conversations in a safe way. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to change hearts and minds. That’s all I know.”
— a participant in an Out of Hand Theater “Shows in Homes” event, where a story of the persistent erasure of Black history combined with a stirring discussion of banned books to create a sizzling night of real theater.With a million-dollar grant from the Mellon Foundation, OOH could take their transformational work deep into rural areas of Georgia, other areas of the South, and utilize (as they’ve already done) colleges and universities across the country to host these very same kinds of programs. Life everywhere would be better, more productive, and people might start to crack away at their binary, “them against us” thinking.
Hey Mellon. Out of Hand Theater and its transformative leader, Ariel Fristoe, should be your next phone call. Then call Teddy Abrams at the Louisville Orchestra. If you need contact info, just let me know at alan@501c3.guru.
There are other organizations, of course. Take a look at Steph Johnson and the Voices of Our City Choir in San Diego, which is comprised of people who are unhoused; Henry Reese, Diane Samuels, and City of Asylum in Pittsburgh, a company dedicated to freedom of expression by providing sanctuary to those who have suffered the oppression of right-wing regimes and allowing them to write and speak their stories; and Quinton Morris and The Key to Change in Seattle, where unserved and underserved students get free music lessons from some of the top classical musicians in the field to expand their own capabilities and give them a base point of success. Funding to those organizations would increase the scope of their work from transforming the lives of hundreds of unserved people to thousands.
Next year, Mellon Foundation, look deeper. Go to Atlanta. Go back to Louisville. See who’s really transforming the lives of the people. Then send Out of Hand Theater and the Louisville Orchestra an award befitting of that kind of work. Imagine the good in the world when you do that. (And that doesn’t just go for Mellon. Ford, MacArthur, Gates, Carnegie, and all the others: pay attention. Don’t just give money to people because you’ve had dinner with them.)
Incidentally, you may be wondering why your nonprofit arts organization doesn’t deserve this kind of funding. The two organizations listed here do their service work because that’s at the core of what they do. It’s not a tacked-on education program you placed there just to get funding. Look at your mission and look at theirs – now do you get it?
You’re going to want a bunch of these for your board. If you need 25 or more, visit https://bit.ly/bulkbookstore. 
- U.S. House Passes TikTok Sell-Or-Be-Banned Rule — In Way That May Force Senate To Pass It
“While lawmakers in the House advanced a similar bill last month, this effort is different for two reasons: It is attached to a sweeping foreign aid bill providing support for Ukraine and Israel. And it addresses concerns from some (Senators) by extending the deadline for TikTok to find a buyer.” – NPR
- What Is The Deal With LACMA’s Plan To Share Art With An As-Yet Unbuilt Museum In Las Vegas?
“Rather than enlarging its physical footprint, LACMA aims to broaden its cultural reach, influence and presence in the West, and globally — a benign Manifest Destiny for the California visual arts scene.” – Los Angeles Times (MSN)
- Are the Arts Inimical to our Democratic Ethos?
The starting point of my new book The Propaganda of Freedom is the core tenet of the cultural Cold War as prosecuted
- Biggs Museum seeks their next Executive Director
The Executive Director will serve as the chief executive officer of the museum, providing comprehensive strategic leadership working in concert with the board and the staff in support of the museum’s founding principles. They will ensure The Biggs achieves its vision and goals within the standards and best practices as an American Alliance of Museums accredited institution, including championing the next phase of expansion.
The Executive Director will embrace DEAI and articulate a comprehensive and community-centered programmatic vision for the museum. They will be responsible for the oversight of all day-to-day operations including administration, resource development, financial management, programming, care of the collections, and ongoing community engagement. They will partner with and support the museum’s talented and ambitious staff, maintain a close working relationship with the Board of Trustees, and build positive community relationships to increase visitation and revenue.
They will champion fresh thinking and approaches to art; and seize opportunities to be creative, experimental, and innovative to meet people where they are. Reporting to the board, the Executive Director will be the voice of the museum and actively engaged in the community and across the museum field.
Roles and Responsibilities
Strategic Planning and Vision
- Guide the vision and design of a feasibility study and capital campaign planning to support the recently approved building expansion Master Plan, in partnership with the building and development committees of the Board and the museum’s Deputy Director.
- Lead the development of the strategic interim and future staffing, capital, and facility maintenance plans, to support institutional direction, facility expansion, and programming needs in collaboration with the board and internal and external stakeholders.
- Oversee and guide the vision for the expansion of the museum’s collection in partnership with the Curatorial staff and the Board.
- Engage as an active voice in the arts sector, working in partnership with community organizations, other Delaware art institutions, and national partners in support of the work of the museum.
- Facilitate the vision and implementation of new philosophies, ideas, and approaches to exhibitions, collections, educational programs, and museum events to increase museum visitation and build the museum’s brand.
- Embrace other strategic planning and vision responsibilities as needed.
Revenue Enhancement and Community Engagement
- Serve as an advocate and public spokesperson for the museum, implementing a cohesive, disciplined communications and public relations strategy that includes online marketing, social media, press releases, newsletters, and other communication tools to raise the museum’s activities and brand throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
- Leverage the networks of the board to maximize contributed revenue and partnership opportunities for the museum’s annual operating and capital projects.
- Collaborate with the development committee of the board to establish fundraising expectations and ensure regular reporting in partnership with the board President, and the museum’s Deputy Director.
- Provide strategy and leadership to the museum’s revenue activities, including the implementation of earned revenue and fundraising plans, and activities including active member and donor cultivation.
- Assess and evaluate existing development programs and strategies to identify areas where fundraising can be strengthened.
- Oversee grant application calendar and work with museum staff to prepare and submit grant applications, monitoring compliance and reporting within grant parameters.
- Actively engage in community activities to represent the museum to civic and public leaders, educational and community organizations, and nonprofit partners and develop collaborative partnerships that increase both museum visibility and visitation and participation in its programs and events.
- Embrace other revenue enhancement and community engagement responsibilities as needed.
Financial Management and Operations
- Provide leadership and supervision of the museum leadership team, overseeing the day-to-day management of the museum staff, fostering a culture of open, inclusive communication that promotes a strong sense of community across the museum where colleagues feel empowered to do their best work, and model and support best practices.
- Assume primary responsibility for the preparation of a 3-year financial plan, and the annual financial budget and operating plans with the Deputy Director and chair of the finance committee, for board approval.
- Monitor the budget, presenting monthly to the finance committee in conjunction with the museum’s CPA Accountant, establishing the appropriate internal controls for all financial matters of the institution.
- Assess the museum’s financial performance and health providing the board with financial reports and related analysis quarterly, including compliance with annual audit requirements.
- Ensure proper standards of care for the permanent collections, as well as loaned items, based on professional standards and best practices as set forth by the American Alliance of Museums.
- Embrace other financial management and operations responsibilities as needed.
Governance and Board Relations
- Build and nurture a strong relationship with the board of trustees to facilitate and inspire them as enthusiastic and productive partners.
- Expand board membership, identifying expertise and skills needed to advance the museum’s operations, in partnership with the Board chair and nominating committee.
- Ensure the efficient and timely development and distribution of agendas and reports and provide board members with information to help them reach decisions that advance the mission and goals of the museum.
- Facilitate the flow of all information and connection between the board and the museum staff.
- Support monthly board, executive committee, and other committee meetings, ensuring effective outcomes and contributions.
- Ensure strong governance, informed oversight, and board succession, in partnership with the Board President.
- Embrace other governance and board relations responsibilities as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Executive Director will be a visionary, versatile, and engaged leader who values interacting with a diverse array of museum patrons, community members, and elected officials. They will have the capacity to adapt to frequent change while maintaining focus on the organization’s vision, goals, and priorities. Establishing clear performance standards for themself and their team, the Executive Director will identify and secure the resources needed to achieve results and hold themself and the team accountable while providing clear guidance and decision-making.
Driven by the pursuit of knowledge and open to innovation and new practices, the Executive Director will be knowledgeable of professional and ethical standards set forth by the American Alliance of Museums. Resourceful, and intellectually curious, the Executive Director will be an active advocate within the community and the entire Mid-Atlantic region; building relationships and partnerships that support the museum.
Other key competencies include:
- Leadership and Teamwork – The capacity to articulate a vision and create a sense of purpose and direction for internal and external stakeholders, build trust by demonstrating respect and integrity, and create an environment where team members are appreciated and supported, enabling their success.
- Resiliency and Goal Orientation – The demonstrated ability to overcome setbacks and develop and implement strategies to meet objectives while balancing timelines and desired outcomes.
- Decision Making, Time and Priority Management – The ability to systematically analyze information before making a timely decision with the aptitude to ascertain competing priorities, resolve difficulties, and maximize the use of time and resources to attain the desired outcomes.
- Personal Accountability – The willingness to self-evaluate and answer for personal actions and decisions, recognize and learn from mistakes, and listen and use feedback for personal improvement.
Qualifications
Senior-level management, demonstrating progressively responsible experience within an art museum or related cultural or educational institution is required. An advanced degree in a field that relates to the interpretation of the museum is preferred. Knowledge of American art or material culture and a commitment to visitor-centered programming is vital. The ideal candidate will bring strong business acumen and be an experienced relationship builder with a record of success in the design and implementation of annual operating and capital fundraising plans. Previous experience working with nonprofit boards, strategic planning, building projects, capital campaigns, and the effective management of human, physical, and financial resources is essential. A demonstrated commitment to and success in advancing diversity equity, inclusion, and accessibility is a must.
Compensation and Benefits
The Biggs Museum of American Art offers competitive compensation with an anticipated annual salary range of $150,000 and $180,000 with annual performance bonuses; a generous “cafeteria-style” benefits package including paid vacation, a 403(b) retirement program, and a professional development program.
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/biggs-museum-of-american-art-seeks-executive-director/. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, including the anticipated salary range, please contact:
Renée Danger-James, Vice President
1040 First Avenue, Suite 352
New York, New York 10022-2991
Tel (888) 234.4236 Ext. 212
Email Biggs@ArtsConsulting.comThe Biggs Museum of American Art is fully committed to diversity and inclusion as an integral part of who we are. As a non-profit board and staff who serve all our community, we commit to carrying forth this mission to educate and inspire the many beautiful people in the world. As we stand with you against racism in a spirit of compassion and respect, we strive to be the best museum we can be.
- Things We Learned From The World’s Largest Music Company’s Annual Report
Much of the publication obviously focuses on UMG’s extraordinarily successful 2023: A year in which it posted USD $12 billion in total revenues, with annual adjusted EBITDA just north of USD $2.5 billion. But there’s a bundle of other interesting facts and figures revealed within the report. – Music Business Worldwide
- Tending To The Legacy Of Dance Theatre Of Harlem
“Moving the organization forward would depend not only on the art that the company produced, but also on the legacy through its alumni. And that is a huge thing.” In April, an alumni platform will go live, a place, he said, “where we could galvanize and connect and become a community.” – The New York Times
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- The Toll That Questioning Someone’s Authority Takes
Growing research shows regular exposure to even relatively subtle prejudice and discrimination degrades physical and mental health, leading to outcomes like high blood pressure, chronic stress and depression.” – Phys
- Designers Are Rebranding: Say Hello To “Visual Strategists”
Look at the way most branding agencies describe themselves today and “strategy” now gets top billing. Design is out. Strategy is in. – Fast Company
- How Studying Music Makes Better Employees
It is well known many musicians work simultaneously in arts and non-arts roles, often to create some income security. Less understood is just how well the extensive skillset developed in music transfers to a non-arts, professional workplace. – The Conversation
- The War On Theatre
In the Educational Theater Association’s most recent survey, 85 percent of American theater teachers expressed concern about censorship. Even Shakespeare is at risk: In Florida, new laws led to the restriction of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to grades 10 through 12 and “Romeo and Juliet” could not be taught. – The New York Times
- Amazon Is Clogged With Fake Books. How Does This Happen?
Many of them gleefully share misinformation or repackage basic facts from WikiHow behind a title that’s been search-engine-optimized to hell and back again. Some of them even steal the names of well-established existing authors and masquerade as new releases from those writers. – Vox
- Opera Is Elitist? Er… Not So Much
We have entered a culturally risk-adverse period. Our present age of anxiety — which includes post-pandemic economic challenges to the arts, diminished attention spans and audiences seeking escape from all but virtual reality — has ushered in an atmosphere of caution in just about everything presented to the public. – Los Angeles Times
- AI Copyright Wars: US Copyright Office Shifts On The Rules
he is considered the author of the “selection, coordination, and arrangement of text generated by artificial intelligence.” This means no one can copy the book without permission, but the actual sentences and paragraphs themselves are not copyrighted and could theoretically be rearranged and republished as a different book. – Wired
- Christopher Knight: LACMA Will Provide Art For New Vegas Museum — What A Bad Idea!
As bad art museum ideas go, this one is right up there. But it fits LACMA’s similarly bad — and unprecedented — decision to build a new, hugely expensive permanent collection building on Wilshire Boulevard that features less gallery space than it had in the 1960s edifice it bulldozed to make way. – Los Angeles Times
- Beat Scene All About Cut Up or Shut Up (and Me, Weissner, & Ploog)<a href="https://www.artsjournal.com/herman/2024/04/beat-scene-all-about-cut-up-or-shut-up-and-me-weissner-ploog.html" title="Beat Scene
All About Cut Up or Shut
