A reader comment to a previous post let me know about the Canadian $20 note, and its specific emphasis on the arts. I already had a warm spot in my heart for my northern neighbors, after spending two days talking with them about ‘the healthy arts leader‘ and the importance of a supported and engaged […]
Archives for 2005
Reconnecting science and art
A short piece in New Music Box reminds us of the close and symbiotic connections between art and science, despite the efforts of the past few centuries to separate the two: In the modern world, we have seen scientific knowledge assume a status as the most valuable or authoritative kind of knowledge, while artistic knowledge […]
A hammer or a sponge
I was part of a fascinating conversation of ‘new business models for the arts’ the other day. The general set-up was that the nonprofit corporate form is showing some wear, and that the downsides of the model (its tendendency toward undercapitalization, organizational isolation, plodding governance structures, cumbersome and demanding funding sources, etc.) are coming to […]
The Simpsons spoof cultural facilities
Anyone who watched ”The Simpsons” last week got a hilarious view of the cultural facility development process, featuring the voice of architect Frank Gehry. Summarized on this Simpsons web site: While in Shelbyville, the Simpsons watch a musical about the town, which includes a character from Springfield who isn’t particularly bright. Marge suggests to the […]
Teaching the unknowable
I’m on the road today to Pittsburgh for the annual gathering of Arts Administration degree program directors, faculty, and such (members of the Association of Arts Administration Educators). On the agenda, as always, are various panels, lectures, and breakouts about how to teach something that none of us can exactly define: proactive, effective, flexible, and […]
Do what we say, not what we do
One would expect the Central Intelligence Agency to think alot about thinking. After all, they have agents and analysts spread about the globe…drawing on whatever data, experience, and context they can to form actionable plans for complex issues. So, while other organizations might measure and assess the effectiveness of their construction process or supply chain, […]
Stocks, flows, and connectors…oh my
If you’re in a particularly wonkish mood, you might be interested in the release and public launch of the Cultural Dynamics Map, the first tangible outcome of a collaborative project I helped launch back in 2003 along with friends and compatriots Russell Willis Taylor of National Arts Strategies and John Kreidler of Cultural Initiatives Silicon […]
The answer, in a word, is ‘no’
Back in 1981, a report from National Economic Research Associates asked a pointed question about the new opportunities of cable television: Will Cable Save the Arts? The buzz about cable back then was that it opened a wealth of new channels and flows for all kinds of content. Broadcast television had been a horribly narrow […]
We are not alone
A short piece in the Christian Science Monitor shows that it’s not just cultural managers who are under stress from all sides…movie theater owners are feeling the pinch, as well. With razor-thin profit sharing deals with the major studios, mounting pressures to push blockbusters through their doors, and increasing competition for audience time, money, and […]
If you build it…you’ll be sorry
Friend and colleague Adrian Ellis received a nice profile in the New York Times yesterday, emphasizing his distrust of organizational growth as a sign of success. Instead, Adrian has focused much of his consultancy on providing a ‘reality check’ to organizations considering new buildings, new projects, or new funding initiatives. For some organizations, he’s become […]
