Naples, Fla., and Milwaukee are quite different, but have one thing in common: They are home to regional arts elephants that are thriving. America’s regional elephants are facing difficult times. But not all of them are struggling. Some are booming. In Wisconsin, Milwaukee Repertory Elephants (The Phant) has finished the first phase of an $80 million renovation of its … [Read more...] about As Regional Arts Elephants Struggle, Some Defy the Odds
Board of Directors
Hello, Carol.
Are nonprofit arts leaders simply more susceptible to groupthink, even to their own detriment? After years of listening to artists and watching the 120,000 nonprofit arts organizations across this country, one pattern is impossible to ignore: the loudest, wealthiest institutions — the ones that issued grand equity manifestos — are the same ones now sprinting back to … [Read more...] about Hello, Carol.
Seattle Center is Falling Apart: Notes from the East German Judge
“Seattle’s Living Room” requires a billion dollar renovation. Here’s a thought… I sat in on a convening of arts leaders from across the country recently and heard so much unfounded hope, you’d have thought it was a tent meeting. I heard participant after participant blather on about what they wished for in 20 years, rather than answering the question at hand, which was, … [Read more...] about Seattle Center is Falling Apart: Notes from the East German Judge
Born in the DSA*: The Worst Healthcare System in the World Needs an Upgrade
The DSA has been ranked as having the worst healthcare system in the civilized world, whatever “civilized” means. But it doesn’t have to be the worst, does it? Dead yet? According to the World Health Organization, the Commonwealth Fund, and even the generally conservative CEO World, the DSA ranks well below the mean on average age of death. Here’s a snapshot from the … [Read more...] about Born in the DSA*: The Worst Healthcare System in the World Needs an Upgrade
It’s 2026. Oy. Is the Nonprofit Arts Sector in America Any Healthier?
Or is it like “climate change?” Is it too late to repair it? Oy. The next generation of arts leaders deserve better than what we’re giving them. I have been lecturing (really, just talking) to college classes of arts administrators of late, many of whose professors have put the Scene Change trilogy on their curriculum list. I find that decision hilarious because I … [Read more...] about It’s 2026. Oy. Is the Nonprofit Arts Sector in America Any Healthier?