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- Win the case, lose the institution
Good Morning,
A federal judge ruled Thursday that DOGE’s cancellation of more than $100M in NEH grants was unconstitutional (AP) — a win, and a largely moot one. While the case worked its way through court, the administration eliminated more than half the NEH staff, terminated 97% of grants, and fired 22 of 26 advisory board members (Chronicle of Higher Education). The ruling feels beside the point.
The same pattern surfaces in PEN America’s new report on book bans, which finds nonfiction titles are now being removed at twice last year’s rate — activism and social movements the most-targeted theme (The Hill, The Guardian). The legal wins are real. The action is happening upstream of them.
The Venice Biennale is staging its own version. Several major pavilions — Austria, Belgium, Egypt, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea — closed Friday in protest of Israel’s participation (The New York Times). And Hyperallergic reports that the Israeli pavilion artist threatened jurors with personal liability lawsuits days before they all resigned — institutional pressure that didn’t require winning anything in court.
Elsewhere: Chicago Sinfonietta, founded in 1987 specifically to develop diverse talent, is pausing operations until 2027 (WBEZ). Pulitzer-winning critic Manuela Hoelterhoff has died at 77 (The New York Times). And David Attenborough turns 100 — still here, still narrating (AP).
All of our stories below.
- David Attenborough, Everyone’s Favorite Nature TV Host, Is Now 100
“(He’s) the man who has brought frolicking gorillas, breaching whales and tiny poisonous frogs into living rooms around the world for more than 70 years. … Attenborough has illuminated the beauty, ferocity and sometimes downright weirdness of nature in a hushed melodic voice that conveys his own awe at what he is witnessing.” – AP
- America’s First Baroque Dance Company Is Now 50
“While early music enjoyed a strong following (since) the 1970s, historical dance needed help catching up — and the New York Baroque Dance Co., founded in 1976 by Catherine Turocy and Ann Jacoby, was seminal in jump-starting research, performance styles, and popularity.” – Early Music America
- Claim: Figuring Out Consciousness Isn’t Difficult
Amid the current cultural backlash against progressive ideas, today’s debate on consciousness reflects our human fears of belonging to the same family as inanimate matter and losing our dear, transcendent souls. – Noema
- How Gawker Reshaped Our Media Landscape
Gawker, which shut down 10 years ago this August, was guilty of lapses in judgment — former staffers interviewed for this story admit as much. It could be withering, puerile and gratuitously nasty. But, at its best, it rebelled against media piety and the growing, often indiscriminate power of the digital world. – The Hollywood Reporter
- Retrospective Maps Brion Gysin’s Avant-Garde Canon
- Vice News Is Coming Back (Though Not Quite Like It Was)
“The hip current events platform targeted at Millennials, which sought to be ‘The Economist for young people’ during the decade (2014-2023), is now being resuscitated by company founder Shane Smith, both as a social-platform-first outlet for his podcast and news reports and as a brand partnership vehicle.” – The Hollywood Reporter
- Portland, OR Has An Arts Tax. Now It’s Time To Reform It
“Without this much needed arts tax reform, including indexing it to inflation, we risk losing the very institutions that make Portland vibrant, and we also risk losing the next generation of arts lovers by failing to sustain arts education in our schools.” – KATU
- Warner Bros. Posts $2.9B Loss In First Quarter
The New York-based media company released its first-quarter earnings report Wednesday, which included a $2.9-billion loss. That amount includes $1.3 billion in restructuring expenses, including updated valuations for Warner’s declining linear cable television networks. – Los Angeles Times (Yahoo)
- How Trump Took Over The NEH
A little over a year later, after the Department of Government Efficiency eliminated more than half of the NEH staff and tried to terminate 97 percent of its grants, Trump fired all but four members of the 26-person advisory board, called the National Council on the Humanities. – Chronicle of Higher Education
- How Our Machines Are Getting In The Way Of Art
From the original, nineteenth-century form popularized by Balzac, Zola, and Stendhal to the “lyrical” variant of today, the verisimilitude that realism pursues—not just lifelikeness, but worldlikeness—is meant to convince us the novel is, for want of a better term, natural. – Boston Review
- Hungary: Will Péter Magyar Purge The Corrupted State Media Viktor Orbán Left Behind?
“Since taking power in 2010, Orbán and his Fidesz party reshaped the country’s media to promote themselves and demonise their opponents, sending press freedom rankings plunging and leaving swathes of the country living in an alternative reality.” Soon after last month’s election, Magyar vowed to suspend and reform state media he compared to North Korea’s. – The Guardian
- Time For Ballet To Go Big Again?
His way of turning chaos into clockwork, of shifting the act of watching ballet to an out-of-body experience, might do a number on a choreographer trying to make a full-scale classical dance at City Ballet. Still, why hasn’t anyone tried? Why don’t choreographers make huge classical ballets anymore? – The New York Times
- Is Substack The New Book Tour?
Some experts say Substack’s rise fits into a longer arc in publishing, one shaped by the early wave of self-publishing tools like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and Smashwords in the late aughts. Those platforms opened the door for self-published authors, but didn’t solve the marketing problem. – Fast Company
- Report: Twice As Many Books Banned This Year From Libraries And Classrooms
PEN America’s report released Thursday called “Facts & Fiction: Stories Stripped Away by Book Bans” found that 3,743 unique titles were removed from school libraries and classrooms between July 2024 and June 2025. This included 1,102 nonfiction titles. – The Hill
- U.S. Book-Banners Step Up Attacks On Nonfiction: Study
“PEN America analysed the 3,743 unique titles removed from school libraries and classrooms in the (2024-25) July to June period and found that over 1,100 or 29% were non-fiction, more than double the year prior. The most common theme in the banned non-fiction books was activism and social movements.” – The Guardian
- Judge Rules DOGE’s Cancellation Of NEH Grants Was Unconstitutional
“The Trump administration’s cancellation of more than $100 million in humanities grants to scholars, writers, research groups and other organizations was unconstitutional, and the Department of Government Efficiency had no authority to end the funding, a federal judge in New York ruled on Thursday.” – AP
- More Mayhem At Venice Biennale: Artist Strike Closes Several Pavilions
“The Biennale was disrupted on Friday morning as some of the major artists at this year’s event shuttered their exhibitions in protest over Israel’s participation. … Some of the buzziest exhibitions at this year’s event, including those by artists representing Austria, Belgium, Egypt, Japan, the Netherlands and South Korea, were shut.” – The New York Times
- Historic But Shuttered Theatre To Become Winnipeg Symphony’s Once-And-Future Home
The Pantages, built in downtown Winnipeg in 1914, is getting $15 million from the Manitoba government for renovation. The venue was run by the Winnipeg Symphony from 2011 until it closed in 2018 due to physical plant problems, and the orchestra will be the primary (but not sole) tenant when it reopens. – CBC
- Manuela Hoelterhoff, Pulitzer-Winning Arts Critic, Is Dead At 77
“(She) spent more than 20 years with The Wall Street Journal. She served variously as a critic, arts editor, book editor and member of the editorial board. She won the criticism Pulitzer for her writing on television, books, opera, art and architecture.” – The New York Times
- Chicago Sinfonietta “Pauses” All Activities Until 2027 And Lays Off Its Staff
After this weekend’s concerts, the orchestra — founded in 1987 to develop diverse talent and reach underserved audiences — will present no more public programming until 2027. The organization’s only employee will be the CEO, who will focus on fundraising and sustainability planning. – WBEZ (Chicago)
- Is This Why The Venice Biennale Jury Resigned En Masse?
The jurors had clearly stated, a few days before they quit, that they would not consider the entrants from Russia and Israel. The Israeli artist in the event then threatened lawsuits, and the Biennale warned jurors that they could be personally liable for damages. – Hyperallergic
- Chief Marketing Officer – Seattle Rep via TOC Arts Partners
About the Opportunity
Seattle Rep—one of the nation’s leading regional theaters—is experiencing a dynamic new chapter. With a strong artistic foundation, a reputation for and commitment to innovation, and a renewed sense of organizational and artistic momentum, Seattle Rep is poised to deepen its community impact and connection and excite audiences with an ever expansive artistic energy and focus.
The Chief Marketing Officer will play a defining role in this next phase. As a key member of the senior leadership team, the CMO will shape how the organization connects with audiences—driving revenue, elevating brand visibility, and advancing a modern, data-informed approach to marketing in the performing arts. This is a rare opportunity to lead marketing for a major American theater at a moment of both stability and ambition—where thoughtful strategy, creative energy, and institutional alignment can meaningfully expand impact and reach. The CMO will join a senior leadership team committed to collaboration around strategies designed to support a thriving theater organization keenly focused on fulfilling its mission through excellence, excitement, and innovation. This is an opportunity for a marketing and communications professional who is excited to join a team that is passionate about the future of this company; who brings ambition and vision; who is able to work within the realm of possibility while also anchoring the work in data and understanding; and who is eager to embrace the realities and potential of 21st century marketing tools.
About Seattle Rep
Seattle Rep puts theater at the heart of public life. Founded in 1963 and winner of the 1990 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre, Seattle Rep is led by Artistic Director Dámaso Rodríguez and Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann. Over a season and throughout the year, Seattle Rep collaborates with extraordinary artists to create productions and programs that reflect and elevate the diverse cultures, perspectives, and life experiences of the Pacific Northwest. Seattle Rep enjoys a celebrated national reputation based on its commitment to excellence on stage, its continuing commitment to developing new work and investing in national and local artists, and its place as the premiere regional theater in the Pacific Northwest.
Seattle Rep is set in the unique park-like environment of Seattle Center, a public space developed as part of the World’s Fair in 1962. Overlooked by the Space Needle, Seattle Rep shares this extensive cultural campus with the Opera House (home to both Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet), the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and more, as well as open spaces that draw Seattle residents and visitors to numerous festivals and events throughout the year. Seattle Rep’s building houses two theaters – the Bagley Wright Theater, with a current capacity of 673; and the 282 seat Leo K. Theater. In addition, the Poncho Forum is a flexible space used for everything from rehearsal studio to educational programs space to public programs and readings. Seattle Rep’s production shops and administrative offices are also located within this building, creating opportunities for company collaborations and communications that are rare in a large theater organization.
Learn more about Seattle Rep here. https://www.seattlerep.org/
About Seattle
Seattle, Washington, is a city with perhaps the most beautiful setting in the United States. Known as the Emerald City because of its connection and access to nature – the city is filled with parks and green spaces – Seattle sits on the shores of Puget Sound, with the Cascade Mountains in view to the east, and the Olympics of the Peninsula to the west. Water views come into focus at almost every turn, with the Sound and Lakes Union and Washington defining the topography of this city of hills. For many centuries the area has been home to a large number of indigenous communities, including the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes, and is still home to one of the largest populations of urban native peoples in the country. As a Pacific rim city, Seattle also enjoys the influence of citizens of Asian ancestry, and the area’s reputation as a technology center continues to draw a diverse population to the city and environs.
Seattle’s evolution from timber and fishing economies, to aerospace and technology pioneers, to progressive eco-centric entrepreneurism has created a city with a distinct personality, where everyone from multinational corporate workers to maker-culture artisans benefit from the diverse food, art, and outdoor scene that represents the city’s unique story.
Culturally, Seattle is an exciting city that has impacted not only its citizens but the national culture as well. In music, through its reputation as a city who nurtured legends from Ray Charles and Quincy Jones to Jimi Hendrix to Nirvana; in visual art, through artists from Mark Tobey and Morris Graves to Fay Jones and Dale Chihuly; and through its history of cultivating a vibrant live theater scene. Seattle was a center of vaudeville in the early 20th century, and one of the leaders of the resident theater movement in the 60s as the Seattle Rep opened its doors, and for the next half century the theater community grew and evolved, as nationally celebrated playwrights from Steven Dietz to Cheryl L. West to August Wilson called Seattle home.
Job Description
The Chief Marketing Officer leads the strategy, execution, and performance of all marketing, communications, and audience engagement efforts at Seattle Rep. This role oversees a broad portfolio spanning brand, sales, digital strategy, communications, and patron experience, and is responsible for delivering both immediate revenue results and long-term audience growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Accelerate revenue growth through effective subscription, single ticket, and group sales strategies
- Reinforce audience engagement in a post-pandemic environment, with a focus on long-term loyalty and growth
- Evolve a contemporary marketing model, incorporating new technologies, platforms, and audience behaviors
- Help strengthen alignment across revenue functions, particularly between Marketing and Development
- Clarify and amplify the Seattle Rep brand, both institutionally and across individual productions and events
Strategic Leadership
- Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team spanning marketing, communications, patron services, and front-of-house operations
- Set clear priorities, goals, and performance expectations for the department
- Manage budgets, timelines, and resources to align ambition with execution
- Foster a collaborative, creative, and accountable team culture
Specifically, provide leadership and strategic direction of Seattle Rep marketing/communications/patron services teams in the following areas:
Marketing & Sales
- Develop and oversee subscription, single ticket, and group sales campaigns across all productions and programs
- Develop and implement dynamic pricing strategies and audience segmentation models
- Forecast, analyze, and respond to ticket sales trends to maximize revenue and attendance
- Oversee the planning and execution of show-specific campaigns for both produced and presented work
- Continuously refine the customer journey—from first interaction through post-show engagement—to drive loyalty and retention
Digital & Content Strategy
- Oversee all digital platforms, including website, email, SMS, social media, and paid advertising
- Partner with internal teams and external agencies to develop compelling, audience-centered content and campaigns
- Leverage data and analytics to inform strategy and optimize performance
- Stay at the forefront of digital innovation, evaluating new tools, platforms, and technologies to expand reach
Communications & Brand Management
- Steward and evolve the Seattle Rep brand across all external touchpoints
- Oversee public relations, media strategy, advertising, and community engagement efforts
- Serve as a key storyteller for the organization, shaping narratives that resonate with diverse audiences and stakeholders
- Ensure consistency, clarity, and impact across all communications
Patron Services and Front of House
- Ensure best practices in patron relationship building
- Support and advise on customer service policies and practices that remove barriers and encourage loyalty
- Work with the front of house team and other departments that impact audience experience, evaluate customer door-to-door experiences, and create opportunities and solutions to provide a best-in-field experience
- Support FOH teams in managing audience challenges, with training and solutions to empower them and build confidence
Lobby and Events
Oversee the lobby and events team in managing the public spaces at Seattle Rep, ensuring the highest level of visitor experience and optimizing revenue opportunities from rentals, food and beverage operations, and merchandise
Leadership Profile
Seattle Rep is seeking a leader who combines strategic rigor with emotional intelligence—someone who can deliver results while building strong relationships and a sense of shared purpose across the organization.
The successful candidate will be a visible and engaged presence, someone who leads from within the organization rather than at a distance. They will build trust through consistency, accessibility, and a genuine investment in the people and work around them.
They will bring a collaborative, enterprise-wide mindset, working fluidly across departments to align audience and revenue strategies. This includes strengthening the partnership with Development and other key teams, ensuring that marketing is fully integrated into broader institutional goals.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate confidence without ego—a leader who can operate as a strong peer at the senior level, advocate for ideas, and navigate complex dynamics with diplomacy and respect.
They will be both creative and disciplined: energized by new ideas, open to experimentation, and curious about the future of audience engagement, while also grounded in data, structure, and execution.
This is a role that requires resilience and steadiness. The pace of work is high, and the CMO must be able to manage pressure, support their team, and maintain focus in a dynamic environment.
Equally important is the ability to balance ambition with sustainability—championing bold goals while ensuring that strategies are realistic, priorities are clear, and teams are set up for success.
The CMO will bring energy, curiosity, and optimism—helping to shape a marketing function that not only drives revenue, but also contributes to the spirit, momentum, and forward-looking identity of Seattle Rep.
Preferred Qualifications
- 10+ years of progressive experience in marketing, communications, sales, and audience engagement, ideally within performing arts, entertainment, or live events
- Demonstrated success leading integrated marketing strategies that drive measurable revenue growth
- Strong expertise in digital marketing, analytics, audience segmentation, and campaign optimization
- Experience managing ticket sales campaigns, pricing strategies, and revenue forecasting
- Proven ability to lead teams and collaborate cross-functionally in complex organizations
- Strong financial and operational acumen, including budget management
- Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with a refined sense of brand and audience
- Experience managing external vendors and agency partners
- Familiarity with CRM systems (Tessitura preferred)
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving, and collaborative environment
Compensation
Seattle Rep offers a salary range of $145,000 to $185,000 based upon experience, and a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance; retirement plan options; and paid time off.
Application Instructions
The Chief Marketing Officer search is being conducted on behalf of Seattle Rep by TOC Arts Partners, a national consultancy aligning strategies, structures, and leadership toward a thriving cultural sector. The search is being led by VP of Executive Search Cynthia Fuhrman, in consultation with and support from the TOC Arts Partners search team.
To apply, visit the online application and submit your materials. Your cover letter should include any training or experience relevant to the job profile that you would like to highlight, why you consider yourself a good fit for this opportunity, and anything else you’d like us to know about your qualifications that may not be present in your resume. Applications will be accepted until this role is filled.
For general questions or nominations of prospective candidates, please contact searchteam@tocartspartners.com. We kindly request no phone calls.
Specific questions about the position may be directed to:
Cynthia Fuhrman
VP, Executive Search
cynthia@tocartspartners.comNot sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that cis men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria, while others tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. So, whether you’re returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.
- He Couldn’t Choose Between Dance And Visual Art. He’s Ended Up Putting Dancers In His Art Installations.
Meet Brendan Fernandes, whose latest work, Score for the Murphy Auditorium at Chicago’s Driehaus, deploys seven dancers executing semi-improvised steps within a dodecahedron of mirrored benches. – WBEZ (Chicago)
- Study: Using AI Could Make You Lazy And Dumber
Some participants were given access to an AI assistant capable of solving the problem autonomously. When the AI helper was suddenly taken away, these people were significantly more likely to give up on the problem or flub their answers. – Wired
- The Shady, Underpaid Gig Work That Makes Video Clips Go Viral
“Everything you’re watching on the feeds could, potentially, be an ad programmed to make someone a Discourse Topic and/or Zeitgeist Definer, made famous thanks to paid spammers instead of organic attention. The effect is to make one wonder whether anything on social media is ‘real,’ even if it isn’t A.I.” – Slate
- What Iran’s Absence From The Venice Biennale Means
Iran’s withdrawal is less a sudden decision than the result of converging geopolitical and economic pressures that are reshaping both the global art world and Iran’s place within it. – The Conversation
- Brandywine Conservancy Announced $100M Expansion
The Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art on Wednesday announced a $100 million expansion plan to open a second museum building, create a 325-acre campus, and a nature preserve with 10 miles of trails. – Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)
- Transcending Boundaries: What Is The Ministry Of Awe?
What is the Ministry of Awe? “Is it an art gallery?” she asked rhetorically. “Is it a theater? Is a museum? Is it a dream? It’s none of those and all of those and it doesn’t matter exactly what it is because there’s no one right way to experience it.” – The New York Times
- Study Confirms: English National Opera’s Breathing Therapy Program Brings Major Improvements For Long COVID Patients
“Published in The Lancet Digital Health, a new study looked at 1,438 participants and found that 80% reported improved levels of breathlessness, with 61% having achieved clinically important improvements. Of the participants, 87% said that it had a positive impact on their general well-being and 73% reported improved anxiety levels.” – The Stage (UK)
- Living In A Gaudi Masterpiece
Imagine that you live in an enormous, beautiful apartment designed by one of the world’s most admired architects in the most expensive street in Spain and for which you pay a derisory rent, with the right to live there until you die. – The Guardian
- Remembering The Pioneering Ted Turner
His bold, audacious bet to launch CNN completely transformed the news business, busting the tightly curated delivery platforms that came before it and opening the floodgates of news to the people. – The Hollywood Reporter
- Advertising Is Intruding More And More Into Public Broadcasting
With ads like these, it begs the question, is programmatic advertising legal for public radio? “FCC regulations only apply to broadcast,” Henry says. “The only caveat is, if you are wildly successful selling a ton of programmatic advertising, be careful not to do too much commercial business that could risk your IRS tax-exempt status. – Inside Radio
- Arthur Miller Opens Up About Being Married To Marilyn Monroe On Newly-Released Tapes
“Miller had felt ‘death was always on her shoulder – always’ … (and) that if he did not ‘take care of her life’ she would come to a ‘catastrophic end’. … ‘As it turned out, it took some years, but it happened. It was beyond my powers or anybody else’s to hold her back.’” – The Guardian
- Why Are So Many Pop Stars Canceling Tours This Summer?
In recent weeks big-name artists including Meghan Trainor, Zayn Malik, Post Malone and the Pussycat Dolls have cancelled performances or entire tours. – The Times (UK)
