AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- The Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, seeks an Executive Director.
Position Summary
- The Howard Theatre seeks a strategic, entrepreneurial, and externally compelling Executive Director to lead the organization through its next phase of growth.
- This is a formative leadership opportunity for an executive who will shape the organization’s next chapter. The next Executive Director will not inherit a mature nonprofit operating platform. They will help create one. The Howard has an extraordinary legacy, renewed Board energy, strong public symbolism, and real momentum behind a mission-led future. At the same time, it is still converting that potential into a durable institutional model, stronger philanthropic support, and a clearer public identity. The Executive Director will be the day-to-day driver of that transition.
- The Howard’s strategic direction is clear. The organization aims to reestablish the Theatre as a premier cultural hub and a platform for Black artistic excellence, talent discovery, education, and civic life. The Howard intends to move from a largely producer-driven venue model toward a mission-led performing arts center, with signature programming, stronger audience ownership, a disciplined advancement effort, and a higher-functioning governance model.
- The Executive Director will lead that work in close partnership with the Board of Directors and alongside Union Stage, which is expected to remain an operating partner for the foreseeable future.
- This position is ideal for a leader who combines fundraising ambition, programming judgment, public presence, and strong execution. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable in a donor meeting, a board room, a partnership negotiation, and a community-facing cultural setting.
Reporting Relationship
The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors of The Howard Theatre Foundation, working closely with the Board Chair and Executive Committee.
The Opportunity
Historic Howard Theatre exists to preserve, protect, and celebrate one of America’s most important cultural landmarks. Its mission is to:
• Preserve the physical theatre—its architecture, legacy, and landmark designation as a Save Our American Treasures site.
• Preserve the cultural history of performance, storytelling, and innovation that define the Theatre’s legacy.
• Educate the community through partnerships, heritage tourism, and programs that connect history to modern audiences.
• Present diverse, world-class performances that unite artists and audiences of all backgrounds.
Its vision is to be recognized nationally and internationally as a beacon of creativity, inclusion, and excellence in live performance—where the Theatre’s historic spirit meets future-facing innovation.
The strategic plan identifies a set of tangible institutional opportunities:
• Build a stronger mission-led artistic identity rather than functioning primarily as an event venue.
• Expand signature programming, education, and community-rooted initiatives that reflect the Howard’s role in Black artistic and civic life.
• Launch an independent institutional marketing platform, including a Howard-branded website, audience data ownership, and a stronger public narrative.
• Build the fundamental components of a development operation, including donor systems, sponsorship packaging, major gift cultivation, and Board-supported fundraising.
• Strengthen Board engagement, accountability, and recruitment as the organization grows.Key Responsibilities
1. Provide institutional leadership and execute the strategic plan
Serve as the chief executive of the Foundation and translate Board strategy into a practical, sequenced, measurable operating agenda. Build alignment around priorities, pace, decision-making, and accountability. Help the organization move from aspiration to implementation.
2. Build the Howard’s fundraising engine from the ground up
Partner actively with the Board to raise ambitious levels of philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and public sources. Develop donor strategy, prospect pipelines, sponsorship opportunities, cultivation activity, and stewardship practices. Support the Board in becoming a stronger fundraising body and serve as a visible ambassador in major gift and institutional conversations.
This is a frontline fundraising role. The Executive Director must be ready to carry a portfolio, make asks, host cultivation activities, and help build a culture of philanthropy from day one. The strategic plan is explicit that core development building blocks are not yet in place and must be established quickly.
3. Shape the first phase of Foundation-led programming
Lead the early development of Howard-produced and Howard-sponsored programming that communicates institutional identity, artistic intent, and public momentum. Work with the Board and partners to clarify which activities are mission-led, which are partnership-based, and which are primarily commercial. Over time, hire and supervise programming leadership to expand this portfolio.
4. Build the institutional brand and audience relationship
Lead the launch of an independent Howard marketing platform, including website, audience data strategy, email and CRM systems, public narrative, and institutional communications. Ensure that the Howard is known not only for individual events, but as a cultural institution with a distinct purpose, point of view, and role in Washington.
5. Strengthen governance and Board performance
Support the Board as it continues evolving into a more disciplined, high-functioning governing and fundraising body. Clarify committee roles, prospect expectations, policy priorities, Board recruitment needs, and performance standards. Help shape a Board culture that is ambitious, accountable, and aligned with the scale of the institution’s aspirations.
6. Lead through partnership and complexity
Work effectively within a hybrid operating structure that includes key external partners, most notably Union Stage. Build strong working relationships, define responsibilities clearly, and protect the Foundation’s strategic and institutional interests while advancing collaboration where it serves mission and growth.
7. Build the first phase of staff capacity
Recruit, supervise, and develop the Foundation’s early team and outside consultants. Establish strong management practices, realistic workplans, and clear performance expectations. The Executive Director will begin with broad scope and should be comfortable leading before a full staff infrastructure is in place.
8. Represent the Howard publicly
Serve as a persuasive and credible ambassador for the institution with donors, artists, civic leaders, elected officials, media, education partners, neighborhood stakeholders, and the broader cultural community.Priority Outcomes for the First 12 to 18 Months
The Board expects the Executive Director to deliver early progress in five areas:
1. Foundation-led programming and public momentum
Develop and begin executing the first coherent slate of Foundation-led programs that signals artistic direction, mission, and relevance.
2. Fundraising infrastructure and early gifts
Build a practical donor pipeline, launch cultivation activity with the Board, package sponsorship opportunities, and close early major gifts and institutional support.
3. Independent audience and marketing systems
Launch the Howard-branded website, establish core CRM and email systems, and begin building direct audience relationships.
4. Board-staff-partner alignment
Establish disciplined working norms across the Board, Foundation leadership, and operating partners, including clearer responsibility for execution and decision-making.
5. Early institutional team build-out
Recruit initial staff and/or consultants in ways that expand the Foundation’s capacity without overbuilding too quickly.Candidate Profile
The Board understands that few candidates will bring equal depth in every dimension of this role. The strongest candidates will show a compelling mix of the following:
Required strengths
• Senior leadership experience in a nonprofit cultural, performing arts, civic, or mission-driven institution of comparable complexity
• A strong track record in frontline fundraising, especially major gifts, sponsorships, and Board-partnered development
• Demonstrated ability to build systems, teams, and discipline in a growing or transitional organization
• Excellent public communication skills and the presence to serve as an institutional ambassador from day one
• Sound strategic judgment and the ability to translate broad plans into clear priorities and measurable action
• Experience working effectively with Boards, high-level volunteers, and external stakeholders
• Strong financial literacy, including budget oversight, planning, and resource allocation
• Deep alignment with the Howard’s mission and a credible understanding of the role Black cultural institutions play in artistic life, public memory, and civic identityEspecially valuable
• Experience in presenting, producing, or curating multidisciplinary performing arts programming
• Experience building institutional brand, audience engagement, and public profile
• Experience leading in a founder-like, turnaround, or scale-building environment
• Strong relationships in Washington, DC, or the ability to build local fluency quickly
• Experience navigating complex partnership structures where authority is shared across organizations
• Experience working with artists, cultural leaders, and communities historically rooted in Black artistic traditions and institutionsSearch Priorities
This is a national search. The Board is open to candidates whose public profile is still emerging, provided they can demonstrate the fundraising instinct, institutional presence, and ambassadorial skill required to represent the Howard immediately and grow that presence over time.
Candidates do not need to come from venue operations. The more important question is whether they can build a strong cultural institution, raise money with confidence, shape mission-led public activity, and work effectively with the Board and the operating partner in a complex environment.Compensation
Salary range: $150,000 to $180,000, commensurate with experience. A benefits package will be provided.
All applications and/or inquiries should be sent via email only to:
Dmitry Samogray, DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management
dasamogray@devosinstitute.netMS Word or PDF (preferred) attachments only.
Subject Line: HOWARD THEATRE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR applicationNo phone calls please.
File names of all resumes and attachments should include applicant’s last name. - Creativity Is a Team Sport
Good Morning,
MIT researchers have landed on something: AI makes individuals more creative and groups less so (MIT). Creativity, it turns out, is social infrastructure.
Exhibit A: the Boston Symphony, where conductor Andris Nelsons and CEO Chad Smith haven’t had a meaningful conversation in two years (Boston Globe) — a world-class collective that stopped talking (Boston Magazine). Contrast Vienna, where Alessandra Ferri says she runs the State Ballet on vision rather than strategy (Hube) — leadership as chamber music, not an org chart.
Madrid renters facing eviction turned their apartment block into a stage and every news channel into an audience (The Guardian) to protest their landlords. In Moscow, art has moved into kitchens and living rooms — private shows, oblique theatre, a rerun of the late Soviet years (The New York Times) as the political climate has turned oppressive.
And Salzburg has unveiled 300 gold statuettes of Mozart, each with his favorite dog, Pimperl (AP).
All of our stories below.
- What Does A Future Vision For The Boston Symphony Mean?
It’s a story about many things, including music and money; excellence and equity; tradition and change. But mostly it’s about two questions: What should an orchestra be in a city like Boston in 2026? And even more important: Who gets to decide? – Boston Magazine
- Solving The Mysterious Deaths Of A Medici Couple 439 Years Ago
“In 1587, Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici and his wife, Bianca Cappello, died within hours of each other after days of agony. … Rumors of an assassination immediately spread, pointing to Francesco’s younger brother and rival, Ferdinando, as the perpetrator.” Or was it simply malaria? Here’s what DNA evidence reveals. – CNN (MSN)
- The Uncomfortable Truths About Vinyl Records
Vinyl record sales in the US have increased for 19 consecutive years, surpassing $1 billion in revenue in 2025. As vinyl’s popularity has surged, so has scrutiny of its environmental cost—and the music industry’s efforts to address it. – LongReads
ISSUES
- Oh, Great — Now They’ve Found Legionnaires’ Disease Bacteria At The Met Museum, Too
“The Metropolitan Museum of Art has tested positive for traces of the bacteria linked to a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, health officials announced Tuesday. The bacteria were previously detected at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, as authorities continue searching for the source of the outbreak.” – ARTnews
- Tasmania’s “Provocative” Museum Of Old And New Art To Open Branch In Bangkok
MONA, owned and run (in famously quirky style) by gambling mogul David Walsh in Australia’s island state, is slated to open its first satellite museum on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in the Thai capital in 2029. – Artnet
- Six Decades After It Was First Performed, Yoko Ono’s “Cut Piece” Is Still Frightening
Ono debuted the work at Carnegie Hall in 1964, sitting motionless onstage as people took turns cutting off her clothes with scissors. The Broad in Los Angeles is presenting Cut Piece twice this weekend across the street at REDCAT. The performer, known as MPA, is scared — but not of the scissors. – The Guardian
- Why Did Toledo Museum Of Art Cancel Its Exhibition Of Bongs?
The museum began work on “High Style: The Art of Cannabis Pipes” three years ago, thinking that increasing legalization and acceptance of marijuana made the timing good. Yet the show was cancelled this spring; museum management says it was for logistical reasons. The question: the logistics of what exactly? – The New York Times
- Major Collection Of Mexican Art, Including Kahlos And Riveras, Is Going On Tour. Angry Mexicans Fear It Won’t Come Back.
The privately-owned Gelman Santander Collection, whose 68 pieces include 10 paintings by Frida Kahlo along with works by Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco, and others, is scheduled to spend two years touring Europe. Some citizens, unconvinced that the art will come home, are suing to keep it in Mexico. – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo!)
MEDIA
- How Madrid Renters Are Using Art To Protest Landlords
When their homes came under threat, they instinctively reached for the tools they had to hand: their social and cultural capital. That’s how an apartment block in Madrid became a stage, broadcast on every news channel. – The Guardian
- Arts And Culture In Moscow Are Starting To Resemble The Late Soviet Years
Art shows in apartments or offices, open to friends only, featuring artists forbidden to exhibit publicly. Philosophy clubs in people’s kitchens and living rooms. Small theater companies careful to refer to sensitive topics (like the Ukraine war or Putin) obliquely or not at all. A pervasive climate of fear. – The New York Times
- Trump Administration Removes Mentions Of Slavery From Site Of George Washington’s House In Philadelphia
“The original panels” — removed on Wednesday following a court decision — “were put in place in 2010 and told the story of how nine slaves lived in the home along with George and Martha Washington in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was briefly the nation’s capital.” – AP
- Foreign Artists Are Skipping The US Because Of Broken Visa Process
The time it takes to process a visa has dramatically increased. The number of available interview slots at U.S. embassies is backlogged. Application costs have surged. And there’s an added layer of uncertainty: paperwork can be perfect, fees can be paid, and yet artists still can be turned away at the border. – NPR
- What Happens To Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center Without Robert Wilson?
“’Bob was always saying he didn’t want Watermill to become an institution,’ said Charles Chemin, Watermill’s new artistic director. ‘He didn’t want to create a Bob Wilson school. But Watermill is filled with the vision of Bob Wilson, with his unique form of composition and his unique way of collaborating.’” – The New York Times
MUSIC
- The Difference Between A Book And The Idea Of A Book
There is the book a writer writes, which is to say the actual words on the page, and then there is what I call its hologram—the shimmering, ethereal version of the book that the author must pitch to their publisher, and which their publisher then pitches to the public. – LitHub
- The Future Of Writing In The Age Of AI
“It reminded me of what happened when the internet came of age and you saw a difference in the texture of novels: something about the research process that had become expansive and yet somehow just a little more hollow than the pre-internet novel.” – Yale Review
- PEN America’s Co-CEO Defends Article On Israel That Prompted Organization’s President To Resign
“The article, ‘A Silent Moratorium,’ explores the harassment and professional challenges that Israeli and Jewish authors have experienced since the (Gaza War). … The chief executives knew the article could be controversial, … but the idea for it had come out of conversations with writers starting last year, and it felt ‘critical’ to pursue.” – The New York Times
- No, AI Is Not Killing Reading
AI summaries differ in speed, scale, and uncertain accuracy, but not in their basic educational function. They compress and translate. They can provide a map before we enter unfamiliar territory. – AI In
- Utah’s Board Of Education Bans Stephen King’s “Different Seasons”
“It’s a collection that includes stories which inspired the acclaimed movies ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘Stand By Me’. Libraries in (four) school districts removed the book. Under a 2022 Utah law, that means it can be removed from schools statewide, since at least three districts banned it.” – Utah Public Radio
PEOPLE
- The Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, seeks an Executive Director.
Position Summary
- The Howard Theatre seeks a strategic, entrepreneurial, and externally compelling Executive Director to lead the organization through its next phase of growth.
- This is a formative leadership opportunity for an executive who will shape the organization’s next chapter. The next Executive Director will not inherit a mature nonprofit operating platform. They will help create one. The Howard has an extraordinary legacy, renewed Board energy, strong public symbolism, and real momentum behind a mission-led future. At the same time, it is still converting that potential into a durable institutional model, stronger philanthropic support, and a clearer public identity. The Executive Director will be the day-to-day driver of that transition.
- The Howard’s strategic direction is clear. The organization aims to reestablish the Theatre as a premier cultural hub and a platform for Black artistic excellence, talent discovery, education, and civic life. The Howard intends to move from a largely producer-driven venue model toward a mission-led performing arts center, with signature programming, stronger audience ownership, a disciplined advancement effort, and a higher-functioning governance model.
- The Executive Director will lead that work in close partnership with the Board of Directors and alongside Union Stage, which is expected to remain an operating partner for the foreseeable future.
- This position is ideal for a leader who combines fundraising ambition, programming judgment, public presence, and strong execution. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable in a donor meeting, a board room, a partnership negotiation, and a community-facing cultural setting.
Reporting Relationship
The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors of The Howard Theatre Foundation, working closely with the Board Chair and Executive Committee.
The Opportunity
Historic Howard Theatre exists to preserve, protect, and celebrate one of America’s most important cultural landmarks. Its mission is to:
• Preserve the physical theatre—its architecture, legacy, and landmark designation as a Save Our American Treasures site.
• Preserve the cultural history of performance, storytelling, and innovation that define the Theatre’s legacy.
• Educate the community through partnerships, heritage tourism, and programs that connect history to modern audiences.
• Present diverse, world-class performances that unite artists and audiences of all backgrounds.
Its vision is to be recognized nationally and internationally as a beacon of creativity, inclusion, and excellence in live performance—where the Theatre’s historic spirit meets future-facing innovation.
The strategic plan identifies a set of tangible institutional opportunities:
• Build a stronger mission-led artistic identity rather than functioning primarily as an event venue.
• Expand signature programming, education, and community-rooted initiatives that reflect the Howard’s role in Black artistic and civic life.
• Launch an independent institutional marketing platform, including a Howard-branded website, audience data ownership, and a stronger public narrative.
• Build the fundamental components of a development operation, including donor systems, sponsorship packaging, major gift cultivation, and Board-supported fundraising.
• Strengthen Board engagement, accountability, and recruitment as the organization grows.Key Responsibilities
1. Provide institutional leadership and execute the strategic plan
Serve as the chief executive of the Foundation and translate Board strategy into a practical, sequenced, measurable operating agenda. Build alignment around priorities, pace, decision-making, and accountability. Help the organization move from aspiration to implementation.
2. Build the Howard’s fundraising engine from the ground up
Partner actively with the Board to raise ambitious levels of philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and public sources. Develop donor strategy, prospect pipelines, sponsorship opportunities, cultivation activity, and stewardship practices. Support the Board in becoming a stronger fundraising body and serve as a visible ambassador in major gift and institutional conversations.
This is a frontline fundraising role. The Executive Director must be ready to carry a portfolio, make asks, host cultivation activities, and help build a culture of philanthropy from day one. The strategic plan is explicit that core development building blocks are not yet in place and must be established quickly.
3. Shape the first phase of Foundation-led programming
Lead the early development of Howard-produced and Howard-sponsored programming that communicates institutional identity, artistic intent, and public momentum. Work with the Board and partners to clarify which activities are mission-led, which are partnership-based, and which are primarily commercial. Over time, hire and supervise programming leadership to expand this portfolio.
4. Build the institutional brand and audience relationship
Lead the launch of an independent Howard marketing platform, including website, audience data strategy, email and CRM systems, public narrative, and institutional communications. Ensure that the Howard is known not only for individual events, but as a cultural institution with a distinct purpose, point of view, and role in Washington.
5. Strengthen governance and Board performance
Support the Board as it continues evolving into a more disciplined, high-functioning governing and fundraising body. Clarify committee roles, prospect expectations, policy priorities, Board recruitment needs, and performance standards. Help shape a Board culture that is ambitious, accountable, and aligned with the scale of the institution’s aspirations.
6. Lead through partnership and complexity
Work effectively within a hybrid operating structure that includes key external partners, most notably Union Stage. Build strong working relationships, define responsibilities clearly, and protect the Foundation’s strategic and institutional interests while advancing collaboration where it serves mission and growth.
7. Build the first phase of staff capacity
Recruit, supervise, and develop the Foundation’s early team and outside consultants. Establish strong management practices, realistic workplans, and clear performance expectations. The Executive Director will begin with broad scope and should be comfortable leading before a full staff infrastructure is in place.
8. Represent the Howard publicly
Serve as a persuasive and credible ambassador for the institution with donors, artists, civic leaders, elected officials, media, education partners, neighborhood stakeholders, and the broader cultural community.Priority Outcomes for the First 12 to 18 Months
The Board expects the Executive Director to deliver early progress in five areas:
1. Foundation-led programming and public momentum
Develop and begin executing the first coherent slate of Foundation-led programs that signals artistic direction, mission, and relevance.
2. Fundraising infrastructure and early gifts
Build a practical donor pipeline, launch cultivation activity with the Board, package sponsorship opportunities, and close early major gifts and institutional support.
3. Independent audience and marketing systems
Launch the Howard-branded website, establish core CRM and email systems, and begin building direct audience relationships.
4. Board-staff-partner alignment
Establish disciplined working norms across the Board, Foundation leadership, and operating partners, including clearer responsibility for execution and decision-making.
5. Early institutional team build-out
Recruit initial staff and/or consultants in ways that expand the Foundation’s capacity without overbuilding too quickly.Candidate Profile
The Board understands that few candidates will bring equal depth in every dimension of this role. The strongest candidates will show a compelling mix of the following:
Required strengths
• Senior leadership experience in a nonprofit cultural, performing arts, civic, or mission-driven institution of comparable complexity
• A strong track record in frontline fundraising, especially major gifts, sponsorships, and Board-partnered development
• Demonstrated ability to build systems, teams, and discipline in a growing or transitional organization
• Excellent public communication skills and the presence to serve as an institutional ambassador from day one
• Sound strategic judgment and the ability to translate broad plans into clear priorities and measurable action
• Experience working effectively with Boards, high-level volunteers, and external stakeholders
• Strong financial literacy, including budget oversight, planning, and resource allocation
• Deep alignment with the Howard’s mission and a credible understanding of the role Black cultural institutions play in artistic life, public memory, and civic identityEspecially valuable
• Experience in presenting, producing, or curating multidisciplinary performing arts programming
• Experience building institutional brand, audience engagement, and public profile
• Experience leading in a founder-like, turnaround, or scale-building environment
• Strong relationships in Washington, DC, or the ability to build local fluency quickly
• Experience navigating complex partnership structures where authority is shared across organizations
• Experience working with artists, cultural leaders, and communities historically rooted in Black artistic traditions and institutionsSearch Priorities
This is a national search. The Board is open to candidates whose public profile is still emerging, provided they can demonstrate the fundraising instinct, institutional presence, and ambassadorial skill required to represent the Howard immediately and grow that presence over time.
Candidates do not need to come from venue operations. The more important question is whether they can build a strong cultural institution, raise money with confidence, shape mission-led public activity, and work effectively with the Board and the operating partner in a complex environment.Compensation
Salary range: $150,000 to $180,000, commensurate with experience. A benefits package will be provided.
All applications and/or inquiries should be sent via email only to:
Dmitry Samogray, DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management
dasamogray@devosinstitute.netMS Word or PDF (preferred) attachments only.
Subject Line: HOWARD THEATRE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR applicationNo phone calls please.
File names of all resumes and attachments should include applicant’s last name. - Creativity Is a Team Sport
Good Morning,
MIT researchers have landed on something: AI makes individuals more creative and groups less so (MIT). Creativity, it turns out, is social infrastructure.
Exhibit A: the Boston Symphony, where conductor Andris Nelsons and CEO Chad Smith haven’t had a meaningful conversation in two years (Boston Globe) — a world-class collective that stopped talking (Boston Magazine). Contrast Vienna, where Alessandra Ferri says she runs the State Ballet on vision rather than strategy (Hube) — leadership as chamber music, not an org chart.
Madrid renters facing eviction turned their apartment block into a stage and every news channel into an audience (The Guardian) to protest their landlords. In Moscow, art has moved into kitchens and living rooms — private shows, oblique theatre, a rerun of the late Soviet years (The New York Times) as the political climate has turned oppressive.
And Salzburg has unveiled 300 gold statuettes of Mozart, each with his favorite dog, Pimperl (AP).
All of our stories below.
- What Does A Future Vision For The Boston Symphony Mean?
It’s a story about many things, including music and money; excellence and equity; tradition and change. But mostly it’s about two questions: What should an orchestra be in a city like Boston in 2026? And even more important: Who gets to decide? – Boston Magazine
- Solving The Mysterious Deaths Of A Medici Couple 439 Years Ago
“In 1587, Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici and his wife, Bianca Cappello, died within hours of each other after days of agony. … Rumors of an assassination immediately spread, pointing to Francesco’s younger brother and rival, Ferdinando, as the perpetrator.” Or was it simply malaria? Here’s what DNA evidence reveals. – CNN (MSN)
- The Uncomfortable Truths About Vinyl Records
Vinyl record sales in the US have increased for 19 consecutive years, surpassing $1 billion in revenue in 2025. As vinyl’s popularity has surged, so has scrutiny of its environmental cost—and the music industry’s efforts to address it. – LongReads
PEOPLE
- The Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, seeks an Executive Director.
Position Summary
- The Howard Theatre seeks a strategic, entrepreneurial, and externally compelling Executive Director to lead the organization through its next phase of growth.
- This is a formative leadership opportunity for an executive who will shape the organization’s next chapter. The next Executive Director will not inherit a mature nonprofit operating platform. They will help create one. The Howard has an extraordinary legacy, renewed Board energy, strong public symbolism, and real momentum behind a mission-led future. At the same time, it is still converting that potential into a durable institutional model, stronger philanthropic support, and a clearer public identity. The Executive Director will be the day-to-day driver of that transition.
- The Howard’s strategic direction is clear. The organization aims to reestablish the Theatre as a premier cultural hub and a platform for Black artistic excellence, talent discovery, education, and civic life. The Howard intends to move from a largely producer-driven venue model toward a mission-led performing arts center, with signature programming, stronger audience ownership, a disciplined advancement effort, and a higher-functioning governance model.
- The Executive Director will lead that work in close partnership with the Board of Directors and alongside Union Stage, which is expected to remain an operating partner for the foreseeable future.
- This position is ideal for a leader who combines fundraising ambition, programming judgment, public presence, and strong execution. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable in a donor meeting, a board room, a partnership negotiation, and a community-facing cultural setting.
Reporting Relationship
The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors of The Howard Theatre Foundation, working closely with the Board Chair and Executive Committee.
The Opportunity
Historic Howard Theatre exists to preserve, protect, and celebrate one of America’s most important cultural landmarks. Its mission is to:
• Preserve the physical theatre—its architecture, legacy, and landmark designation as a Save Our American Treasures site.
• Preserve the cultural history of performance, storytelling, and innovation that define the Theatre’s legacy.
• Educate the community through partnerships, heritage tourism, and programs that connect history to modern audiences.
• Present diverse, world-class performances that unite artists and audiences of all backgrounds.
Its vision is to be recognized nationally and internationally as a beacon of creativity, inclusion, and excellence in live performance—where the Theatre’s historic spirit meets future-facing innovation.
The strategic plan identifies a set of tangible institutional opportunities:
• Build a stronger mission-led artistic identity rather than functioning primarily as an event venue.
• Expand signature programming, education, and community-rooted initiatives that reflect the Howard’s role in Black artistic and civic life.
• Launch an independent institutional marketing platform, including a Howard-branded website, audience data ownership, and a stronger public narrative.
• Build the fundamental components of a development operation, including donor systems, sponsorship packaging, major gift cultivation, and Board-supported fundraising.
• Strengthen Board engagement, accountability, and recruitment as the organization grows.Key Responsibilities
1. Provide institutional leadership and execute the strategic plan
Serve as the chief executive of the Foundation and translate Board strategy into a practical, sequenced, measurable operating agenda. Build alignment around priorities, pace, decision-making, and accountability. Help the organization move from aspiration to implementation.
2. Build the Howard’s fundraising engine from the ground up
Partner actively with the Board to raise ambitious levels of philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and public sources. Develop donor strategy, prospect pipelines, sponsorship opportunities, cultivation activity, and stewardship practices. Support the Board in becoming a stronger fundraising body and serve as a visible ambassador in major gift and institutional conversations.
This is a frontline fundraising role. The Executive Director must be ready to carry a portfolio, make asks, host cultivation activities, and help build a culture of philanthropy from day one. The strategic plan is explicit that core development building blocks are not yet in place and must be established quickly.
3. Shape the first phase of Foundation-led programming
Lead the early development of Howard-produced and Howard-sponsored programming that communicates institutional identity, artistic intent, and public momentum. Work with the Board and partners to clarify which activities are mission-led, which are partnership-based, and which are primarily commercial. Over time, hire and supervise programming leadership to expand this portfolio.
4. Build the institutional brand and audience relationship
Lead the launch of an independent Howard marketing platform, including website, audience data strategy, email and CRM systems, public narrative, and institutional communications. Ensure that the Howard is known not only for individual events, but as a cultural institution with a distinct purpose, point of view, and role in Washington.
5. Strengthen governance and Board performance
Support the Board as it continues evolving into a more disciplined, high-functioning governing and fundraising body. Clarify committee roles, prospect expectations, policy priorities, Board recruitment needs, and performance standards. Help shape a Board culture that is ambitious, accountable, and aligned with the scale of the institution’s aspirations.
6. Lead through partnership and complexity
Work effectively within a hybrid operating structure that includes key external partners, most notably Union Stage. Build strong working relationships, define responsibilities clearly, and protect the Foundation’s strategic and institutional interests while advancing collaboration where it serves mission and growth.
7. Build the first phase of staff capacity
Recruit, supervise, and develop the Foundation’s early team and outside consultants. Establish strong management practices, realistic workplans, and clear performance expectations. The Executive Director will begin with broad scope and should be comfortable leading before a full staff infrastructure is in place.
8. Represent the Howard publicly
Serve as a persuasive and credible ambassador for the institution with donors, artists, civic leaders, elected officials, media, education partners, neighborhood stakeholders, and the broader cultural community.Priority Outcomes for the First 12 to 18 Months
The Board expects the Executive Director to deliver early progress in five areas:
1. Foundation-led programming and public momentum
Develop and begin executing the first coherent slate of Foundation-led programs that signals artistic direction, mission, and relevance.
2. Fundraising infrastructure and early gifts
Build a practical donor pipeline, launch cultivation activity with the Board, package sponsorship opportunities, and close early major gifts and institutional support.
3. Independent audience and marketing systems
Launch the Howard-branded website, establish core CRM and email systems, and begin building direct audience relationships.
4. Board-staff-partner alignment
Establish disciplined working norms across the Board, Foundation leadership, and operating partners, including clearer responsibility for execution and decision-making.
5. Early institutional team build-out
Recruit initial staff and/or consultants in ways that expand the Foundation’s capacity without overbuilding too quickly.Candidate Profile
The Board understands that few candidates will bring equal depth in every dimension of this role. The strongest candidates will show a compelling mix of the following:
Required strengths
• Senior leadership experience in a nonprofit cultural, performing arts, civic, or mission-driven institution of comparable complexity
• A strong track record in frontline fundraising, especially major gifts, sponsorships, and Board-partnered development
• Demonstrated ability to build systems, teams, and discipline in a growing or transitional organization
• Excellent public communication skills and the presence to serve as an institutional ambassador from day one
• Sound strategic judgment and the ability to translate broad plans into clear priorities and measurable action
• Experience working effectively with Boards, high-level volunteers, and external stakeholders
• Strong financial literacy, including budget oversight, planning, and resource allocation
• Deep alignment with the Howard’s mission and a credible understanding of the role Black cultural institutions play in artistic life, public memory, and civic identityEspecially valuable
• Experience in presenting, producing, or curating multidisciplinary performing arts programming
• Experience building institutional brand, audience engagement, and public profile
• Experience leading in a founder-like, turnaround, or scale-building environment
• Strong relationships in Washington, DC, or the ability to build local fluency quickly
• Experience navigating complex partnership structures where authority is shared across organizations
• Experience working with artists, cultural leaders, and communities historically rooted in Black artistic traditions and institutionsSearch Priorities
This is a national search. The Board is open to candidates whose public profile is still emerging, provided they can demonstrate the fundraising instinct, institutional presence, and ambassadorial skill required to represent the Howard immediately and grow that presence over time.
Candidates do not need to come from venue operations. The more important question is whether they can build a strong cultural institution, raise money with confidence, shape mission-led public activity, and work effectively with the Board and the operating partner in a complex environment.Compensation
Salary range: $150,000 to $180,000, commensurate with experience. A benefits package will be provided.
All applications and/or inquiries should be sent via email only to:
Dmitry Samogray, DeVos Institute of Arts and Nonprofit Management
dasamogray@devosinstitute.netMS Word or PDF (preferred) attachments only.
Subject Line: HOWARD THEATRE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR applicationNo phone calls please.
File names of all resumes and attachments should include applicant’s last name. - Creativity Is a Team Sport
Good Morning,
MIT researchers have landed on something: AI makes individuals more creative and groups less so (MIT). Creativity, it turns out, is social infrastructure.
Exhibit A: the Boston Symphony, where conductor Andris Nelsons and CEO Chad Smith haven’t had a meaningful conversation in two years (Boston Globe) — a world-class collective that stopped talking (Boston Magazine). Contrast Vienna, where Alessandra Ferri says she runs the State Ballet on vision rather than strategy (Hube) — leadership as chamber music, not an org chart.
Madrid renters facing eviction turned their apartment block into a stage and every news channel into an audience (The Guardian) to protest their landlords. In Moscow, art has moved into kitchens and living rooms — private shows, oblique theatre, a rerun of the late Soviet years (The New York Times) as the political climate has turned oppressive.
And Salzburg has unveiled 300 gold statuettes of Mozart, each with his favorite dog, Pimperl (AP).
All of our stories below.
- What Does A Future Vision For The Boston Symphony Mean?
It’s a story about many things, including music and money; excellence and equity; tradition and change. But mostly it’s about two questions: What should an orchestra be in a city like Boston in 2026? And even more important: Who gets to decide? – Boston Magazine
- Solving The Mysterious Deaths Of A Medici Couple 439 Years Ago
“In 1587, Grand Duke Francesco I de’ Medici and his wife, Bianca Cappello, died within hours of each other after days of agony. … Rumors of an assassination immediately spread, pointing to Francesco’s younger brother and rival, Ferdinando, as the perpetrator.” Or was it simply malaria? Here’s what DNA evidence reveals. – CNN (MSN)
- The Uncomfortable Truths About Vinyl Records
Vinyl record sales in the US have increased for 19 consecutive years, surpassing $1 billion in revenue in 2025. As vinyl’s popularity has surged, so has scrutiny of its environmental cost—and the music industry’s efforts to address it. – LongReads
THEATRE
VISUAL
- Studies: How AI Affects Creativity
We have found that although AI can enhance individual creativity, it reduces collective creativity. To explain why this occurs, we should first clarify what we mean by creativity. – MIT
- What If Americans Just Don’t Want To Participate In Community?
Over and over again, Americans choose to sever bonds that connect us with each other: We move away from our hometowns, we leave our churches, we quit our unions, we quit our parties, we stay in instead of going out, we donate instead of volunteering, we let friendships fade away. – Matt Pearce
- How Foucault Anticipated What’s Happening Today
“What Is an Author?” predicted a future where old ideas about authorship would give way to new questions about technology and power. “What are the modes of existence of this discourse?” Foucault asked. “Where does it come from, how is it circulated” and — perhaps most important — “who controls it?” – The New York Times
- The Canadians Who Want To Stop AI In Its Tracks
Canadians are hugely wary: a Leger poll found 85 percent of respondents want the government to regulate the technology. But that number doesn’t convey just how frightened many are. – The Walrus
- Silicon Valley’s Science Fiction Problem
Steve Wozniak, Apple’s co-founder, gave expression to this ethos in 2017 when he said: ‘We are the people who make fantasies real.’ It sounds inspiring, but it is important to know which parts of those fantasies they’re choosing, and which parts they’re leaving out. – Aeon