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The Artful Manager

Andrew Taylor on the business of arts & culture

You are here: Home / Archives for Andrew Taylor

Beauty and the Balance Sheet

September 12, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

Photo of man drawing on glass

The balance sheet may be a “beast of boredom” for many in the world of the nonprofit arts. But I propose that it’s one of the most essential and evocative lenses on our work. The balance sheet (aka, the Statement of Financial Position) sets the scene that shapes our capacity and constraint. And it describes a foundational difference between for-profit and nonprofit endeavor.

How We Move and Act in Time

August 25, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

Hourglass

This will be far off in the strange-o-sphere for many, but I’ve been working to describe lived human experience in a way that’s useful to practicing, learning, and teaching Arts Management. I’ll explore why this might be useful in a future post. But for now, here are the building blocks. I’d be grateful for specific […]

Which Style of Arts Manager Are You?

August 19, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

Which Style of Arts Manager Are You?

The new episode in the ArtsManaged video series explores the PAEI Framework by Ichak Adizes, which defines four styles of management, or “concern structures,” that might be dominant in you or in members of your team. The styles – Producing, Administrating, Entrepreneuring, and Integrating – each contribute essential impulses and actions to a thriving enterprise. […]

Naming the Useful Delusion

August 18, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

Photo of clock wrapped in fabric

I’m slowly coming around to realize that the bulk of our management thinking, training, and practice is built on a useful delusion – that moving through time is like moving through physical space. This may sound philosophical or existential, but it’s inescapable, and also rather central to Arts Management as “the practice of aggregating and […]

Understanding Backward, Living Forward

August 12, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

Blurred photo of a dancer in motion

Anyone who teaches, trains, or develops managers in the arts – or anyone who strives to improve themselves in the work of Arts Management – faces a trick and a trap.

Three Lenses on Marketing the Arts

July 26, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

The Three Lenses on Marketing the Arts

The latest edition in the #ArtsManaged video series explores marketing in the arts, and the useful framework of “search,” “experience,” and “credence” goods. Understanding the nature of the opportunity you offer your potential audience, and how they might evaluate and decide upon that opportunity, is a core bit of business to attracting and retaining a […]

An emotion is a bet your body makes

July 21, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

Gambler with Poker Chips

Emotion is a core element of expressive action — both in the conception and creation of new work, and in all of the collective human effort that brings that work into the world. We often pretend that emotions are appropriate and essential to the artistic work and experience, while the business side of that work […]

Art and Accounting, Best Friends Forever!

May 30, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

Art and Accounting, Best Friends Forever!

I’m in Lugano, Switzerland, for the Global Cultural Districts Network convening (it is odd, unnerving, and glorious to be traveling again). And I just had to take the opportunity of this location to talk about art and accounting! Why? Because about 40 miles south of here, and about five and a quarter centuries ago, art […]

The Weird World of Nonprofit Governance

April 21, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

The Weird World of Nonprofit Governance

The latest episode in the #ArtsManaged video series explores governance, that weird world of collective leadership that inspires and requires so many books, articles, workshops, and difficult conversations. Why is governance so hard? Here are three discomforts, and one dangerous comfort, that might make it so. TRANSCRIPT One of my favorite descriptions of what a […]

What’s an Artist?

March 31, 2022 by Andrew Taylor

ArtsManaged: What's an Artist?

Defining an artist is both simple — an artist is a person who makes art — and treacherous. In the context of Arts Management, cultural policy, or public practice, your particular definition will necessarily exclude most people from the circle, and celebrate a narrow few within.

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Artful Manager: The Book!

The Artful Manager BookFifty provocations, inquiries, and insights on the business of arts and culture, available in
paperback, Kindle, or Apple Books formats.

About Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor is a faculty member in American University's Arts Management Program in Washington, DC. [Read More …]

Recent Comments

  • Andrew Taylor on Two goals to rule them all: “Absolutely, borrow and build to your heart’s content! The idea that cultural practice BOTH reduces and samples surprise is really…” Jun 2, 18:01
  • Heather Good on Two goals to rule them all: “To “actively sample novel experiences (in safe ways) to build more resilient perception and prediction” is about as useful a…” Jun 2, 15:05
  • Andrew Taylor on What’s in a name: Arts Management?: “Thanks Ken! Grateful for your insights on this. I agree that it’s like screaming into the wind to decide upon…” Feb 19, 13:41
  • Ken Foster on What’s in a name: Arts Management?: “Hi Andrew. Totally agree with your focus of concern on the “Arts” word rather than the second word. I have…” Feb 17, 13:52
  • Andrew Taylor on What’s in a name: Arts Management?: “Thanks Jim! I’m so glad to have the link to your book review in JAMLS. Somehow I missed it the…” Feb 15, 15:17

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