Florida’s orchestral buffs are in a bunch about a rumored deal between the ever-under-construction Greater Miami Performing Arts Center and the Cleveland Orchestra. Rumor has it that, because South Florida lacks a resident symphony since theirs went belly up, the new PAC is planning to outsource that job to Cleveland. The deal might include an […]
Archives for 2005
Midway between cool and creepy
Mobile communications have a strange way of connecting us and isolating us at the same time. We’re constantly in contact range of friends and co-workers thanks to mobile phones and wireless PDAs and such. And yet by using these devices, we detach from our immediate environment. A next generation of devices and services is working […]
Gifts of the Muse
In February 2005, the Wallace Foundation released its long-awaited report (at least, long-awaited by me), Gifts of the Muse: Reframing the Debate About the Benefits of the Arts. The 100-plus page study takes a hard look at all the benefits we claim for the arts — economic, social, educational, therapeutic, etc. — and works to […]
Public Art and ‘Piles of Sheet’
Arts managers who don’t watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central (could there be any?) missed a particularly sarcastic perspective on public art, as this Monday’s show focused one its fake news segments on Christo’s new installation in New York, The Gates. The fact that the segment was titled ‘Piles of Sheet,’ […]
Searching, searching, ever searching
I was off-line yesterday, serving on a selection committee for an arts-related position in our local community (won’t say which). This interview team was the fourth such search and screen process I’ve been part of in as many months (for positions ranging from public library director to campus arts coordinator to administrative staff), and I […]
Get them young-ens’ acculturated
The Christian Science Monitor offers a short article on Broadway’s attempt to woo the next generation of theater goers. Not surprisingly, the tactics include deep discounts, hip marketing (temporary tattoos, anyone?), and an emphasis on family-friendly content. Says the article: ”The movement is more toward producing material that will appeal to a wider age range,” […]
Giving circles and community banks
Two news tracks suggest both a new boon and a growing threat to community-based giving. On one side, the popularity of giving circles (sort of like investment clubs for philanthropy) seems to be galvanizing the charitable impulse of many. On the other side, the aggressive moves of Wal-Mart into banking services might be threatening the […]
What do we buy when we buy music?
The supremecy of the Apple iPod among portable music devices is about to be challenged by a new batch of hopefuls. The new contenders are attempting a business model different than Apple’s — in which you actually buy extensive rights to each song for 99 cents (you can burn it, run it on multiple computers […]
Toronto Keynote: Managing Metaphors
Talking in Toronto
I had a wonderful time in Toronto over the past few days, talking with over 300 arts managers and other colleagues about defining and promoting the healthy arts organization, and the healthy staff therein. I’ll provide some background and summary in future posts, but I promised the group I would post my Monday morning keynote […]
