Art is a universal good. No argument. Nonprofit arts organizations are not art, and therefore are not a universal good. No argument there, either. “But Alan,” said the guy, “what do you have against art? It’s a public good. Hell, it’s a universal good. It requires funding. It deserves to be funded. Why do you tell all these arts leaders that they aren’t worth funding, … [Read more...] about “Dog on a Cold Stone Floor,” or When Nonprofit Arts Organizations Obsess About the Art More Than the People
Born in the DSA*: Bat$#^t Crazy Leadership Does Not Happen By Accident, and It Can Only Be Crushed If We Do It Together
The popular guy in charge of the DSA is a greedy, paranoid sociopath, a malevolent narcissist, and is probably experiencing dementia. It’s a tactic that works for him, even as it destroys the DSA. Governing by scare tactics has happened before in this country. Don’t let anyone tell you that this is not the America they once knew. This is the same America that’s been … [Read more...] about Born in the DSA*: Bat$#^t Crazy Leadership Does Not Happen By Accident, and It Can Only Be Crushed If We Do It Together
You’re Not Still Planning an Arts Season From YOUR Perspective, Are You?
Are you still looking at plays and symphonies and exhibits as your starting point? A reasonable approach in 1976. Big mistake in 2026. As an arts leader, one running an arts organization, how do you start putting together your season? It’s March, after all, and your marketing people want you to have something to tell the press shortly, right? Do you do what leaders … [Read more...] about You’re Not Still Planning an Arts Season From YOUR Perspective, Are You?
Like I said on February 27, 2024: War Is Coming. You ready?
This is not a metaphor. Real war. Today. In the nonprofit arts sector, it will force you to act. This article originally appeared on February 27, 2024. I wish I had been wrong. But now that it's here, let's look back. The United States will be fighting a war within the next 6 years. It’s inevitable. It’s happened before. Whether the war is a “civil” one or one … [Read more...] about Like I said on February 27, 2024: War Is Coming. You ready?
Short and Sweet: Teachers : Educators :: Arts Organizations : Nonprofit Arts Organizations That Deserve Donations
Back to the basics, because the message is only going so far. It’s up to you to save the sector from its own worst instincts. If you put a teacher at the front of a second-grade class and they declaim the entirety of the year’s curriculum on the first day in one 7-hour monologue, are they a bad teacher or a bad educator? Or are they bad at all? If you put that same … [Read more...] about Short and Sweet: Teachers : Educators :: Arts Organizations : Nonprofit Arts Organizations That Deserve Donations