Fixed costs can the bane of the nonprofit arts organization’s existence. Overhead expenses like rent or facility heat/light/security chew away at the bottom line, and are often the most difficult to support with contributed income (who wants to donate to keep a light bulb glowing in the basement?). So, I’ve often wondered how lean and […]

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 […]

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 […]

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,’ […]

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 […]

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,” […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]