Americans for the Arts just announced a new study, some new findings, and a new mapping tool that seek to define the number and location of ‘creative industries’ in the United States, and how they cluster in cities, states, and towns. The study and mapping tool combine Dun & Bradstreet data and geo-economic analysis to […]
Archives for June 2004
The difference that makes a difference
While attending the National Performing Arts Convention in Pittsburgh this past June, I had the opportunity to duck into several of the separate annual conferences that were running concurrently (Dance/USA, Chorus America, American Symphony Orchestra League, and OPERA America). While I had been to many of these association meetings before, there was never the opportunity […]
Flop or success? Ask the accountant
Depending on how you measure, the Toronto run of The Producers has either been a terrible flop or a cash smash. The Toronto Star‘s Martin Knelman unbundles the question in yesterday’s edition, suggesting that ‘flop’ is often in the eye of the beholder (and the accountant): Should a show really be considered a flop when […]
More from Miami’s PAC
The Miami-Dade Performing Arts Center currently (and perpetually) under construction has bumped up its final project cost again (username: ajreader@artsjournal.com / password: access), much to the frustration and chatter of county government and citizenry. I’ve touched on the huge and complex project before (first in this weblog entry last September, and then again last November), […]
Selling Strads in bulk
A weblog reader sent some thoughts on the controversy of Herbert Axelrod and his valuation of his Stradivarius violins donated/sold to the Smithsonian and the New Jersey Symphony (touched on in a recent post). The perceived over-valuation seems to be fuel for the tax-reform fire currently smoldering in DC. This reader suggests that the claimed […]
Come on, get happy
A great short piece in the NY Times Magazine explores the darker side of happiness, as described in a recent journal article in Psychological Science (can’t link you there…sorry). Says the Times article: The happier your mood, the more liable you are to make bigoted judgments — like deciding that someone is guilty of a […]
Tax reform poster children
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette discusses emerging efforts to review in-kind contributions to nonprofits and their restrictions within the IRS tax code. It sounds like a deadly dull conversation, far less interesting than the NEA budget advances, but alert managers should take careful note. As the conversation is forming, arts and culture organizations are looming large in […]
When in doubt, look to the frogs
The Sunday New York Times was chock-a-block with interesting angles on arts management issues. Two of particular connection were an article on the slow vanishing act of architect Daniel Libeskind from the World Trade Center redevelopment; and another on the phenomenon of theater workshops of new works, and their tendency to kill full productions rather […]
Some tidbits while my brain cools
It was a long and fascinating week at the National Performing Arts Convention last week, likely to launch a hundred future blog entries. First, it all needs time to settle. In the meantime, some tidbits and pointers from some of the conversations in Pittsburgh that might be worth your attention: The San Francisco Symphony demoed […]
Off to Pittsburgh
I’ll be traveling to Pittsburgh all next week (June 8 – 13) for the National Performing Arts Convention. During the massive, cross-disciplinary event, I’ll be co-leading (with Alberta Arthurs and Steven Tepper) a research team of 20 graduate students, deployed across all the convenings to observe, capture, and document the big ideas and common challenges […]