"If our economic models depend on drawing exponentially more looky-loos than participants then is it really reasonable to expect those lured to our events by aggressive marketing or buzz to be sincerely interested in the arts experience and aware of the rules of the game, so to speak?" [read more] … [Read more...]

"A universalist ethic inclines us to believe that orchestral music is, itself, a universal thing and our place in the arts ecosystem is related to that. It leads us to focus on how this music is True in some larger sense of the word. With that in mind we see our lack of diversity (our whiteness) as an injustice. Everyone should have access to this Truth. On the other hand, the … [Read more...]

As the digital world pummels us with more information and choice, many of us react by walling off the things we simply won’t pay attention to. It’s a survival strategy. We increasingly define ourselves by the things we choose to pay attention to, and bestowing attention is a form of currency we are reluctant to squander. [READ MORE] Image: Flickr user colmmcsky … [Read more...]

In her article for The Atlantic, “The Death of the American Dance Critic”, Madison Mainwaring expertly illuminated the current landscape of American concert dance and dance criticism. The situation she described is bleak: skilled (sometimes brilliant) dance writers blog with no pay, dance artists lack vital dialog with a critic’s enlightened eye, and a general readership is … [Read more...]

"I argue that in the US arts and culture sector we have for too long ignored or denied the costs of so-called progress in the arts–meaning, for instance, the costs of professionalization, growth, and the adoption of orthodox marketing practices including so-called customer relationship management and I suggest five ways that arts organizations may need to adapt their … [Read more...]