The Coming Arts Leadership Brain Drain

Dana Banks, Dallas, TX, says:

I have been in the international high-tech corporate world for almost 10 years after earning graduate degrees in musicology and piano performance. Globalization and offshoring threw me on the street last year with a very bad taste for corporate life. Within a few days, I began researching arts administration as a means to combine my passion for the arts and a corporate business background in leading edge computer software management.

I attended a highly competitive and intensive two week seminar on symphony orchestra management presented by the American Symphony Orchestra League (ASOL) in Manhattan. When I arrived, I was shocked to find that I was the only person selected to attend that did not have a management position in a symphony orchestra or an arts administration degree. I was even more shocked by the lack of business skills and lack of music knowledge among these participants.

So I strongly concur with your remark that smart and ambitious people are not attracted to arts administration.

I have interviewed for several arts administration positions since then and have been shocked again by the lack of cultural esprit, the rude attitudes, cardboard personalities and absence of comprehension of originality among these arts managers.

Last month, I accepted a corporate position. At least I am being paid market rate for management. The process has taught me how to balance the reality of the corporate situation with a deep and sincere commitment to the arts---at least until I find an appropriate arts management position.

Chrissie B. DiAngelus, Creative Strategist, Piccadilly Arts, says:

This topic FASCINATES me and I'm so excited it's generating so many responses. I am 29 and it's not all about the money. Yes, with my experience, I could command $50-60K in middle management, but truthfully, even that is hard to find. But after a third layoff in 2003, I made the choice to take a cut in pay to experience the feeling of giving back and feeling valued.

Companies and staff discriminate all the time: If my resume looks too "small firm," Comcast ignores me and my obvious skill set. In the case of the arts, I could go on about the number of Marketing Manager positions I applied for over the last two years, knowing I could bring 80% of the skill set to the table and learn the rest. (Amazing, right? A GenXer who embraces learning!) Learning = the desire to stick around at an organization.

With 5-7 years of experience, several in the arts, you would think I could at least get a phone call...or have that phone interview lead to something more. No. Because I either looked too corporate (in skill application and needing a fat salary), too inexperienced (not meeting 100% of the qualifications), like a job-hopper (because I was laid off three times) or whatever other reason the arts staff chose not to explore me further. Why are other people making these decisions for me?

The end result? That marketing position is filled with someone older and experienced, only to be vacant 18 months later. Over and over, the same positions at the same places are listed on the Cultural web site. Meanwhile the same old-guard audience members grace the same steps. Frankly, I am over applying for these same old positions. These orgs have already made it painstakingly clear that they are old-world, unwilling to hire young/new talent. They don't want to invest in me and therefore I don't want to work there. How can they change the mentality that I now have?

Embracing diversity and developing new leaders means investing in an employee. Across the board, corporations and orgs don't know how to do this.