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- One Study Says The Semicolon Is Disappearing; Another Disagrees
The language-app company Babbel commissioned research which found that use of the semicolon in books published in the UK fell by almost half during the last 20 years. However, Google Books Ngram Viewer indicates that semicolon usage fell by 45% between 2006 and 2017 and has since begun a notable rebound. – The Guardian
- Now, With Attacks On Free Speech, Is When Publishers Need To Shine
A democracy can’t function without a healthy publishing ecosystem. That means publishers of all sizes and stripes should be able to keep the lights on and pay their authors and staffs, libraries should be adequately funded and free of nefarious interference, copyright is respected, and publishers can publish without fear of reprisal. – Publishers Weekly
- Cleveland Orchestra Finds Its New Concertmaster In The Dover Quartet
Joel Link, the quartet’s first violinist, starts in Cleveland this fall. What’s more, the quartet’s violist, Julianne Lee, is returning to her previous job as assistant principal second violin at the Boston Symphony. Yet the Dover Quartet will stay together as is, scheduling its performances around members’ other commitments. – The Strad
- The Strand Bookstore To Absorb Last NYC Shakespeare & Co.
Shakespeare & Co. will transfer ownership of its last New York storefront, located on the Upper West Side, to Strand Book Store on June 1, marking the end of an era for the beloved bookseller. The Strand aims to reopen the space in early July as the Strand at Lincoln Center. – Publishers Weekly
- Are We Ready To Give Up The Pleasure Of Thinking To AI?
Take this straightforward case and see how tricky it is in order to start building the cognitive muscles you’ll need when thinking about justice, God, truth, or love. It is the process, the struggle, that is important. And that is precisely what our contemporary AI eliminates. – 3 Quarks Daily
- Neuroscientists Note How The Brain Processes Metaphor
Researchers at the University of Arizona sought to better understand the neural mechanisms behind metaphor generation, a creative skill that plays an important role in how people understand complex concepts and communicate abstract ideas. – PsyPost
- Tallahassee Symphony Names A New Music Director
The choice is Yaniv Dinur, currently music director of the New Bedford Symphony in Massachusetts (a job he’ll keep) and formerly resident conductor of the Milwaukee Symphony (2015-2023). – Tallahassee Democrat
- Christopher Nolan To Make First-Ever Commercial Feature Entirely In IMax
Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey, the Oppenheimer director’s epic take on the classic Greek myth, will shoot entirely on Imax film cameras, a first for a commercial feature. – The Hollywood Reporter
- Chicago’s Miracle Mile To Get A Theatre Of Magic
Brainchild of Chicago healthcare entrepreneur Glen Tullman, the sorcery will span 36,000 square feet of the historic McCormick Mansion (formerly home to Lawry’s Prime Rib), including not one but seven theaters, multiple bars, and a massive dining space—all dedicated to the art of illusion. – TimeOut
- How “Etoile” Integrates Real Dancers Into Its Fictional World
“We didn’t want it to be so fictionalized that you didn’t recognize it,” Palladino told IndieWire. “We really want people who know New York to really get the sense this is kind of the New York City Ballet, but not quite. – IndieWire
- Michelle Wu
My introduction of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu at New England Conservatory’s Commencement ceremony on Sunday May 18, 2025. She received an honorary degree.
Michelle Wu was a musician, a pianist, before she was a politician—and she remains a musician today.
You might have heard her play George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue across the street at Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops, or music by Mozart with the Boston Symphony.
By the way, this morning, I confirmed that Michelle Wu is the mayor of Boston. As I was walking into the hall, up the stairs, I saw a flag hanging outside—a sign with a photo of a pianist (to be honest, it’s an NEC student)—and it says “Be Inspiring,” and then at the bottom of the sign, it says, Michelle Wu, Mayor. So that’s how I was sure…she was.
Michelle Wu has a piano in the mayor’s office in City Hall. Playing music can help you think. She’s said: “When you really get into the flow, brain memory and muscle memory and the keys kind of meld together and it’s almost as if you are part of the instrument.”
Michelle Wu came to Massachusetts and attended Harvard, and then Harvard Law School. There she met Elizabeth Warren. Of Michelle Wu, Senator Warren later said, “She gets out and does the work that needs to be done to make a difference in people’s lives.”
In 2022, NEC President Andrea Kalyn and Mayor Wu announced a new partnership between New England Conservatory and the City of Boston to substantially increase access to music education for Boston’s children.
This partnership, a collaboration with Ellis Early Learning and ABCD Head Start, is made possible by an anonymous gift of more than 14 million dollars. In a single year, nearly 600 children received music lessons. This gift and partnership increased available NEC Prep School scholarships by 150%.
Mayor Wu has championed the NEC Community Performances and Partnerships program, which annually serves close to 15,000 people through hundreds of events. People from many neighborhoods, of many ages, many ethnicities, and in many economic circumstances are served.
Mayor Wu, New England Conservatory is inspired by you, and deeply grateful for your partnership, your leadership, and advocacy for music.
President Kalyn, it is my honor to present Michelle Wu for the Honorary Degree—Doctor of Music.
- No, Munch’s “The Scream” Does Not Have Bird Poop On It
Yes, he liked to paint in open air, and yes, he stored his works outdoors or in sheds, exposed to the elements. There might even be droppings on some of his other paintings. But the white smears on the 1893 version of The Scream have been tested. They are candle wax. – Artnet
- Trump Hosts Kennedy Center Board Meeting, Says He’ll Fix The Place
“We’re gonna turn it around,” Trump told dinner attendees of the center. He said of running the board, ”When I said, ‘I’ll do this,’ I hadn’t been there” and joked, “That’s the last time I’ll take a job without looking at it.” – APNews
- Lincoln Center’s $335M Redesign Plans
The project, designed by Hood Design Studio (Landscape Architect), Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism (Design Architect) and Moody Nolan (Architect of Record), creates what Lincoln Center describes as “a new, world-class performance venue that will greatly improve artist and audience experiences.” – Deadline
- This Ballet Company Was Founded By An Ex-Marine To Help Others Let The Wars Go
“If you’re holding a war in, it takes a lot of energy. … And if you want to loosen that up, it also takes a lot of energy.” – The New York Times
- Yuri Grigorovich, For Decades The Director Of The Bolshoi Ballet, Has Died At 98
He was the most influential figure in postwar Soviet ballet, and it was his choreography that established what is still considered the signature Bolshoi style: bold, virtuosic or even acrobatic, muscular and macho. – The Telegraph (UK) (MSN)
- Netflix Will Give “Sesame Street” A New Home
Following the decision by Warner Bros. Discovery to drop the show, which had aired on HBO since 2016, Netflix will both stream the show and distribute it, with no wait time, to PBS and PBS Kids. – The Wall Street Journal (MSN)
- CBS News President Resigns Amid Trump’s $20 Billion “60 Minutes” Lawsuit
“Left unstated but hanging over (Wendy McMahon’s) announcement: CBS’s corporate parent, Paramount Global, and its controlling owner, Shari Redstone, are involved in settlement negotiations with lawyers for President Trump in an effort to settle his $20 billion lawsuit against CBS’ signature show, 60 Minutes.” – NPR
- One Suspect In Theft Of Gold Toilet Avoids Prison
“Frederick Doe, 37, also known as Frederick Sines, was given a suspended sentence at Oxford Crown Court for his role in helping to sell the 18-carat gold fully functioning toilet which was taken in 2019 from Blenheim Palace — the country mansion where British wartime leader Winston Churchill was born.” – AP
- Certain Items At Smithsonian’s African-American History Museum Are Being Taken Off Display. Why?
The items removed as part of what museum administrators call normal rotation include Harriet Tubman’s hymnbook and a first edition of Frederick Douglass’s memoir. And a potential review of the museum by the Trump White House looms. Coincidence? – NBC News
- No. Just No.
Why do we continue to accept bad advocacy for the nonprofit arts sector?
Not real. But it might as well have been.
Americans for the Arts (AFTA) has done it again.
On their website, among various and sundry other managed facts and figures culled from hours upon hours of research, they have a special page devoted to their version of public opinion. The cover art on this article is completely invented, but it might as well have been included in this panoply of pith:
Read these carefully. These were given as just three reasons to support the arts, whatever that means to AFTA.
The first time I saw these, I was stunned by the stupidity of using public opinion as some sort of research vessel. It was akin to using public polling about climate change, as though opinion means anything in a science-based fact.The first time I saw this LinkedIn post from AFTA was in early April. Angela Meleca, a brilliantly astute colleague and amazing arts consultant, sent it to me, causing me to throw up in my mouth a little bit. Her comment to the post was spot on:
“This is what our national arts advocacy is putting out? Shower songs? Tattoos? We’ve been measuring the wrong things for decades. We’ve sold the idea that ‘art is everywhere’ instead of proving why it matters. And the result? The needle isn’t moving. It’s heading to zero. Arts leaders aren’t looking for cute stats. They’re looking for a strategy. They need stronger narratives and better tools to prove that the arts aren’t ‘extras’ — they’re essential infrastructure for emotional well-being, civic repair, and community health. If our sector is going to survive — we need advocacy that meets the moment. Not messaging that minimizes it.”
I’ll take it a step further. I do not hold the belief that survival for the arts sector is enough. It’s as low a bar as you can get, right there with “relevance.” If the arts are going to thrive in America, which should be the goal, success will not emanate from expensive, non-scientific opinion polls (which signify nothing but “opinion,” which could be from some nose-picker on the street). After all, the questions could have been biased (intended or not) to provoke answers that pleased the leadership of AFTA.
Q:“Madam, do you believe that tattoos are a form of art?” A:”Um, sure, maybe, I guess so. Wanna see my tramp stamp?”
I’m hopeful that the newish CEO of AFTA, Erin Harkey, understands that the company she’s leading has a history of stasis. The same reasons for supporting the arts, year after year. The same research providing the same stats that prove meaningless for arts organizations, especially those who continue to rape and pillage the charitable coffers without providing an iota of charitable activity. The same three-legged stool argument for the arts that hasn’t worked for more than half a century: butts in seats, positive economic impact, and this chestnut:
Isn’t it nice that 70% of American adults agree on something for which they have no actual data or proof because too many arts organizations only talk about what they teach rather than what students actually learn?
Opinion is not fact. It’s opinion. It’s right there in the word.The abuse of substituting the word “opinion” with “fact” or “truth” or “data” — as AFTA has done — is the ultimate, final-wheeze, flatline, booooooooooooooooooop retort for research organizations that have no freakin’ idea how to effect change and provide quantifiably impactful programs from their community’s point of view. And hey, it’s not wrongheaded to think that as an approach, “opinion as fact” might work. Fox News has been doing it for years to effective, cult-producing success. Does that make it right? Or, further, does the nonprofit arts community want to emulate Fox News?
Let’s support Erin Harkey in making significant changes to the company. I can’t imagine that she will be allowed to do so because I know that others will try to drag her down to the inefficient status quo for AFTA — looking as though it is making significant change in the sector. Unfortunately, that’s the nature and history of nonprofit leadership in general and at AFTA in particular. However, I am given hope by her quote:
“I’m excited to drive transformation, strengthen collaboration, and champion innovation as we build stronger, more vibrant communities through the arts.”
She’s right. Building a stronger community through the arts is the key to success. It is not what most nonprofit arts organizations do, of course. Most choose to produce art and believe that by doing so, the community will be strengthened. That approach hasn’t worked. It doesn’t work. It never worked. Further, it can’t work.What works? Get out of the art production business and into the community impact production business, using art as a tool and not as a product. Measuring effectiveness is not about opinions, it’s about action. And it’s not even really about action, it’s about measurable outcomes. Those outcomes have to do with tangible ways in which a community is made more whole, not reviews or paid attendance or whether people sing in the shower.
- New Kennedy Center Chief Calls For Criminal Investigation Into Its Finances
“Richard Grenell, whom President Trump installed as the president of the Kennedy Center, claimed Monday night that the center’s deferred maintenance and its deficit — two things commonly found at nonprofit arts organizations — were ‘criminal.’ He said he would refer the matter to federal prosecutors.” – The New York Times
- Major Shift: Kennedy Center Will Host Non-Equity Theater Productions
“Two non-Equity national theatrical tours – Mrs. Doubtfire and Chicago – are on the 2026 schedule of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., marking a major shift in Kennedy Center policy that comes just two months after President Donald Trump complained about union costs.” – Deadline
- National Art Education Association seeks Executive Director
The Executive Director will champion visual arts educators and the value of visual arts and design education nationally. They will lead a strategic vision that further strengthens NAEA, support its members, and assure the long-term growth and impacts of a diverse professional association. Advancing strategic partnerships and collaborations with other arts and education associations, the Executive Director will serve as an ambassador who heightens NAEA’s national and international visibility and influence while cultivating relationships and support for NAEF. Reporting to the NAEA Board of Directors, the Executive Director will mobilize human, financial, and technological resources to effectively achieve NAEA goals, increase its membership, support NAEF philanthropic funding, and enhance interorganizational capacity building and performance.
Roles and Responsibilities
Visibility, Advocacy, and Strategy
- Identify and articulate critical issues in the art and design education field, serve as a champion, and proactively advocate for the value of art education with public policymakers, funders, the media, and other stakeholders.
- Transform NAEA’s strategic goals into specific, measurable, attainable, reviewable, and timely action plans to enrich visual arts education and related fields.
- Develop strong policy and advocacy collaborations with the Arts Education Alliance, Arts Education Partnership, Americans for the Arts, National Association for Music Education, National Coalition for Core Arts Standards, State Education Agency Directors of Arts Education, and many other national, state, and provincial chapters and associations that advocate for the value of art education.
- Foster alliances with other organizations in the arts, education, art education, and related areas that fortify the NAEA and the states, districts, provinces, and regions that it serves.
- Fulfill other visibility, advocacy, and strategy roles and responsibilities as needed.
Resource Identification, Cultivation, and Activation
- Nurture collaborative relationships with government agencies and advocacy organizations that support arts education funding, particularly those whose purpose are in alignment with NAEA’s mission.
- Increase philanthropic resources that enhance NAEA’s strategic vision and support its growth and sustainability.
- Oversee efforts to increase memberships and emerging leadership from diverse individual, educational, institutional, and business constituencies.
- Promote the advantages of the investment in and value of NAEA as well as the planned giving legacy opportunities for NAEF.
- Develop strategies that enhance funding opportunities and options that broaden and deepen the impacts of NAEA members in the communities they serve.
- Assume other resource identification, cultivation, and activation roles and responsibilities as needed.
Member Learning, Knowledge, and Support
- Oversee integrated, insightful, and relevant multiyear convention programming and planning.
- Provide orientation, education, and engagement of board members to maximize their leadership abilities and overall effectiveness.
- Communicate with NAEA members and foster high levels of collaborative participation, satisfaction, retention, and the recruitment of new members and early professional art educators.
- Energize, engage, and support volunteer leaders in addressing goals and priorities.
- Stay abreast of issues and trends impacting the arts and education sectors and serve as a thought leader, more specifically as it relates to visual arts education.
- Encourage innovative membership services and growth in publications, research, and emerging technologies.
- Invite, support, and seek ways to effectively communicate research that promotes quality in, adds knowledge to, and information about the value of art education and related fields.
- Welcome and engage culturally diverse perspectives and communities as part of NAEA’s mission.
- Accept other member learning, knowledge, and support roles and responsibilities as needed.
Organizational Planning, Development, and Vibrancy
- Effectively plan with and facilitate the policy and governance roles of the NAEA and NAEF boards.
- Identify and enhance organizational resources that are needed to ensure short-term effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
- Maintain an organization with the highest ethical standards and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements for the smooth operation of NAEA.
- Oversee NAEA’s organizational operations, personnel, financial planning, and reporting.
- Serve as an effective steward of public and private resources, exemplify accountability and transparency, and comply with federal, state, and local regulations.
- Guide, mentor, and supervise a senior leadership team that demonstrates a diverse, inclusive, productive, and collaborative work environment.
- Ensure that NAEA’s personnel policies, procedures, and performance standards support employee empowerment and retention.
- Undertake other organizational planning, development, and vibrancy roles and responsibilities as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Executive Director will be a knowledgeable and passionate advocate for art education. As a persuasive and dynamic leader, the Executive Director will be driven by new ideas and opportunities to set and achieve collective goals. With a focus on NAEA’s role in service to its members, the Executive Director will demonstrate a collaborative and inclusive leadership approach in advancing strategic initiatives that achieve positive impacts for the multi-faceted art education field. Driven by altruism and deeply appreciative of multiple viewpoints, the Executive Director will recognize, respect, and promote diversity and inclusion in all its forms. An experienced leader with a record of commitment to public policy and advocacy, the Executive Director will exhibit exceptional team building capabilities, adapt to various situations with consideration of both people and context, and interact frequently with an array of stakeholders.
Other key competencies include:
- Diplomacy and Interpersonal Skills – The flexibility to anticipate, understand, and meet the needs of many parties while listening actively and respectfully, building rapport, communicating transparently, and relating well to an array of unique internal and external stakeholders while facilitating mutually beneficial outcomes.
- Leadership and Teamwork – The ability to communicate persuasively and effectively in public presentations, small group discussions, and written and verbal communications while motivating others with knowledge, advance preparation, enthusiasm, direction, and active participation.
- Member and Donor Focus – The capacity to exemplify best practices in promoting member satisfaction with a high value on identifying and satisfying multiple stakeholder needs, the tenacity to building authentic rapport, and the dexterity to relating well to a variety of people and experiential perspectives regardless of cultural background.
- Time and Priority Management – The dexterity to manage, prioritize, and complete multiple complex tasks, mobilize wide-ranging resources, and deliver desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
- Professional and Personal Accountability – The integrity to be answerable for personal and professional actions while readily modifying and adapting to change with resilience, flexibility, and humility.
Qualifications
A master’s degree or equivalent experience in education, the arts, business, or a related field and a minimum of eight years of senior management experience at a cultural organization, cultural association, educational institution, nonprofit organization, government agency, or similar entity are required. Possession of the Certified Association Executive credential, or other licenses and certifications, is appreciated but not required. Experience in advocacy, public relations, fundraising, and media with extraordinary interpersonal and written skills is needed. Leading candidates will have a proven track record in working with a diverse group of individuals and strategic partner organizations who come from a range of cultural backgrounds, ideological approaches, professional experiences, and geographic areas. Due to the nature of the role in advocacy, national fundraising activities, and hybrid office work schedule, the Executive Director must live in the Metropolitan Washington Area.
Compensation and Benefits
NAEA offers an equitable and competitive compensation package with a base salary estimated to be in the range of $225,000 to $275,000. NAEA employees receive a number of employer provided and subsidized benefits, including healthcare and dental insurances; short- and long-term disability and life insurances; flexible spending account; matching 403(b) after one year of employment; accrued vacation and sick leave; and reimbursement of parking or Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority expenses.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/arts-consulting-group-seeks-finance-operations-associate/.
NAEA follows an equal opportunity employment policy and employs personnel without regard to race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, and marital status. It is the policy of NAEA to select, place, train, and promote the best qualified individuals based upon relevant factors such as work quality, attitude, and experience so as to provide equal employment opportunity for all of its employees in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal laws.
- Senior Finance Consultant – Arts FMS
As a financial management firm that integrates with nonprofit arts organizations, Arts FMS empowers organizations to focus on their mission while they focus on the long-term fiscal health and sustainability of the organization. By providing a comprehensive scope of full financial management services, Arts FMS is able to bring stability, efficiency, and reliability to an organizations’ financial operations.
Arts FMS is seeking a Senior Finance Consultant who is a highly motivated and self-directed individual with extensive experience with accounting and financial management, specifically in the nonprofit sector. Candidates must have deep expertise in nonprofit accounting and substantial experience running a finance department. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following:
Experience:
- 10+ years of nonprofit accounting, demonstrating proficiency in managing an organization’s accounting and finances, preferably in the arts sector.
- Extensive experience in leading a finance department and managing all aspects of financial operations including accounting software and transactions management.
- Extensive experience in creating financial management documents for both board and staff.
- Master’s degree in relevant field preferred.
Please note: All candidates must have experience working directly in a finance department.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
- Collaborative skills to work with senior staff in developing organization-wide systems.
- Proven ability to effectively manage 1-3 direct reports and drive projects to completion.
- Dedication to delivering excellent client service.
- Exceptional organizational skills with the capability to handle multiple time-sensitive priorities.
- In-depth knowledge of GAAP and nonprofit accounting, reporting, and compliance.
- Expertise in utilizing Excel and QuickBooks Online.
- Strong communication skills.
- A genuine interest in the performing and/or visual arts.
The Senior Finance Consultant role is a full-time position that works within the company’s core working hours from 9am-6pm Eastern and is based in the United States. This role offers an excellent benefits program:
Benefits:
- 100% remote work
- Company paid dental and health
- 3 weeks paid vacation
- 401k with company match
- 12 weeks paid parental leave
Salary Range: $90,000-$130,000 depending on experience
To Apply: https://tally.so/r/3XG20g
Learn more about Arts FMS and current job openings:
- Hanover Theatre & Conservatory seeks VP of Marketing & Communications
The Vice President of Marketing & Communications strategically plans, monitors, and oversees earned revenue generation of subscription, group and single ticket sales, customer service, cooperative marketing, and other sales activities. They guide public relations and communications, as well as support the Vice President of Advancement in maximizing messaging that maintains a positive brand image for, and content distributed and published by, the organization.
The Vice President of Marketing & Communications oversees key ticketing and customer service staff, supports sales and strategic initiatives, and achieves short- and long-term goals. They maintain maximum positive visibility for and stature of the organization in the greater Worcester community and in the broader performing arts industry. The Vice President of Marketing & Communications partners with the Vice President of Finance on budget development, monitoring, and projections in setting realistic and attainable financial goals.
In addition, they build positive relationships with patrons, donors, volunteers, media partners, and others through effective communications combined with a total customer experience that is superior and unique. They support the President & CEO and collaborate with others on the senior leadership team to ensure a cohesive and integrated organization focused on equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, accessibility, quality, resiliency, and vibrancy.
Role and Responsibilities
Strategic Direction and Audience Engagement
- Create and implement strategic and operating plans with the senior leadership team that achieve ticket sales, class registrations, audience & community engagement, corporate sponsorships, and other goals for every line of business in which the organization operates.
- Develop effective audience development programs and initiatives that engage diverse audiences and students.
- Supervise all public relations, including writing and placement of press releases and feature articles, and maintain positive ongoing relationships with the media locally, regionally, and nationally.
- Collaborate with the Mainstage Artistic Director & Vice President of Programing to develop plans to provide outreach, advertising, and sponsorship of Wurlitzer Organ concerts and programs.
- Serve as a primary source for media relations and public information with the President & CEO.
- Deliver consistency and accuracy in content development and distribution that supports the positive visibility of the various programmatic and educational areas of the organization.
- Ensure superior customer service throughout all touchpoints of the customer journey.
- Oversee the writing, design, and production of all print materials, including marketing collateral, direct mail, and print advertising for both presented and produced shows.
- Guide all venue marketing and branding, including print, radio, social media, and other advertising.
- Provide strategic leadership and creative direction on the design and timely website content updates, coordinate e-marketing, advise on technological improvements, and supervise online calendar listings.
- Embrace other strategic direction and audience & community engagement roles, as needed.
Revenue Generation and Branding
- Manage earned revenue campaigns for subscriptions, single tickets, group sales, class registrations, and other interdepartmental revenue pacing, meetings, collaborations, and other opportunities.
- Monitor, analyze, and report on marketing and sales for various productions, Conservatory classes, and additional events in considering short- and long-term trends that could impact decisions on programming, pricing, packaging, promotion, and people.
- Engage with other senior leadership team members to ensure that the organization’s website includes appropriate programmatic, educational, and donor-focused content with appropriate recognition and opportunities for direct online giving.
- Develop and distribute annual reports, newsletters, and other publications in collaboration with the executive leadership team to support the organizational brand and communicate public visibility impacts.
- Collaborate regularly with the Vice President of Advancement to position fundraising opportunities that integrate the overall organizational mission and brand alignment in news articles, publications, reports, and collateral materials.
- Integrate with other senior leadership team members to provide them with the print, web, and social media support needed throughout the organization.
- Provide leadership and direction for the advertising, content, data, and digital work groups.
- Collaborate with the President & CEO, Board, and Vice President of Advancement to secure and retain Franklin Square Society and annual members.
- Partner with the President & CEO and Vice President of Advancement to engage corporate sponsors and appropriate recognize their support in collateral materials and social media.
- Embrace other revenue generation and branding roles, as needed.
Team Leadership, Collaboration, and Oversight
- Lead and coordinate the marketing and communications team and advise the President and CEO, board, and senior leadership team on evolving practices in pricing, packaging, and promotion.
- Partner with the Vice President of Finance on budget development, monitoring, and projections in setting realistic and attainable financial and staff performance goals.
- Oversee the marketing and ticketing staff to maximize overall organizational sales and mentor them to consider the entire continuum of each patron’s relationship to and investment in the organization.
- Assess the capacity of an effective marketing and communications department to address short- and long-range staff and volunteer needs to reach sales and customer service goals.
- Participate and contribute actively to equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility initiatives on board and staff committees.
- Collaborate with other staff members to leverage available and emerging technologies that maintain relationships and build upon customer acquisition opportunities.
- Guide the technological implementation of policies and procedures for ticketing, database management, and financial reporting.
- Stay abreast of best practices, emerging trends, and tools and technologies in marketing and communications that support a variety of initiatives, including print and digital audience acquisition campaigns.
- Maintain a broad knowledge of the principles of marketing and communications, deepen customer relationships, build new connections, and ensure that staff and volunteers provide exemplary customer service.
- Embrace other team leadership, collaboration, and oversight responsibilities, as needed.
Traits and Characteristics
The Vice President, Marketing & Communications will be a collaborative and resourceful leader who is goal and people oriented. They will focus on problem solving in an environment where versatility in thought and flexibility in action are a motivation for organizational and team results. The Vice President, Marketing & Communications will be receptive to new ideas and strategies as they skillfully assess the impacts of how best to effectively invest time, energy, and resources. In pursuit of audience satisfaction and brand visibility in the region, they will be an excellent verbal and written communicator who easily engages with people of diverse backgrounds and values. The Vice President, Marketing & Communications will understand that the performing arts and educational programs are intrinsically experiential, inherently societal, and externally impactful.
Other key competencies include:
- Leadership and Goal Orientation — The ability to inspire, build trust, and lead with confidence and integrity while engaging effectively with others to assess challenges, determine a course of action, set mutually agreed upon goals, and oversee timely implementation.
- Interpersonal Skills and Diplomacy — The flexibility to anticipate, meet, and exceed stakeholder needs while listening carefully and respectfully, building rapport, communicating transparently, and relating well to an array of diverse constituencies internally and externally while facilitating mutually beneficial outcomes.
- Customer and Community Focus — The capability to organize, inspire, and influence donors, audiences, and community members while anticipating, meeting, and exceeding their needs and expectations.
- Personal and Professional Accountability — The integrity to be answerable for personal and professional actions while readily modifying and adapting to change with minimal resistance or disruption.
- Time and Priority Management — The capacity to manage, prioritize, and deliver upon complex goals, align competing yet complementary priorities, mobilize team and financial resources, and achieve desired outcomes within allotted time frames.
Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, or equivalent experience, and at least six years of senior management experience in these areas are required. The ability to read, write, listen, and communicate in English at a high level of proficiency is needed with multiple language skills appreciated. A high level of expertise in Microsoft Office programs, ticketing and customer relationship management systems, pricing strategies, and regular use of the internet is expected.
Experience working in a fast-paced environment with attention to detail, superior organizational and time management skills, and oversight of numerous staff, projects, and tasks simultaneously is needed. Experience working with a senior leadership team with a transparent and engaging communication style is critical. Demonstrated experience in and a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility is deeply appreciated. A passion for the performing arts, commitment to arts education, and active participation in arts advocacy is preferred. Those who do not meet all the qualifications but possess transferable or equivalent skills, experience, or education, are encouraged to apply and highlight those areas.
Compensation and Benefits
Hanover Theatre & Conservatory provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with an estimated salary in the range of $120,000 to $135,000. Benefits include vacation, sick time, and holidays; subsidized (75%) medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs); life, short-term, and long-term disability insurances; a voluntary 401(k) plan with up to 5% match; and complementary parking and tickets. The organization provides tax-free reimbursement for certain qualified medical expenses through a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). Employees and dependents enrolled in the Health New England HMO Thrive and PPO Thrive group health plans are eligible to enroll in the HRA and this benefit’s premium is fully paid by the organization. The Massachusetts Paid Family Medical Leave benefits are also available.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/hanover-theatre-conservatory-seeks-vice-president-marketing-communications/ .
Hanover Theatre & Conservatory is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, and it acknowledges the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Nipmuc Nation on which we are working and currently performing in what is known today as Worcester, Massachusetts. We recognize and respect Indigenous Peoples as traditional stewards of this land and the enduring relationship that exists between Indigenous Peoples and their traditional territories. This sort of acknowledgement is essential to human rights work across the world. It is essential to our work of honoring stories that explore the human experience.
- HBO Undoes The Rebranding Mistake Of A Generation
Dropping “HBO,” a label linked to award-winning dramas for decades, removed a trusted shortcut and left viewers asking whether the service had changed its focus. – The Conversation
- Republicans Go After Philanthropies For Taxes
The House tax bill increases taxes on philanthropies. It was news to me that philanthropies pay any taxes at all; I always thought nonprofit status shielded these groups entirely from taxation. That’s not correct. – The New Republic
- What NEA Cuts Mean To Small Book Publishers
Without the NEA, today’s most treasured literary organizations might not have survived their infancy as far back as the 1960s. Without these endowments, what holes will be torn in the fabric of American culture? – LA Review of Books
- A History Of Free Speech: How Haphazard It Has Been
What repeatedly surprises about the history of free speech is its incurably accidental nature – reforms undertaken for one set of reasons generate unforeseen and quite different consequences – and, also, the cobbled-together quality of the debate. – London Review of Books
- Why We Won’t Get Artificial General Intelligence Any Time Soon
Opinions differ in part because scientists cannot even agree on a way of defining human intelligence, arguing endlessly over the merits and flaws of I.Q. tests and other benchmarks. Comparing our own brains to machines is even more subjective. – The New York Times
- Podcasters Protest Spotify’s Decision To Post How Many Plays They Get
The chief complaint was that some podcasters actually don’t want listeners to know how many people are listening to their podcast, because it might have the opposite effect: it could turn people off to know a show only has a few dozen plays. – The Verge
- Can PBS Survive?
This is unusual because it’s coming from so many different places. That was not the case during the first Trump administration. It was not what I feel like this is: an all-out effort to take us out. The F.C.C., DOGE, I mean it’s just a whole different environment than anything I’ve seen before. – The New York Times
- This Book Group Has Been Reading The Same Book For 12 Years
“We’re only reading one page at a time,” said Peter Quadrino, founder and organizer of the Finnegans Wake Reading Group of Austin, TX. Every other week, Quadrino hosts a Zoom call where people from around the world gather and attempt to understand one of the most infamous books in English literature. – Texas Standard
- Miniatures Started Going Viral During The Early Days Of The Pandemic
And now they’re hotter than ever, with miniature artists-in-residence at museums, TikToks going viral, and more. Why? “In our distraction-filled world, … getting to watch someone painstakingly craft the scenes is mesmerizing.” – NPR
