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.
Executive Director
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
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?
“SCENE CHANGE 3” Just Named to Kirkus Reviews’ “25 Best Indies of 2025!”
If you're serious about succeeding as a nonprofit arts organization, you're going to want to pick up the trilogy by going to scenechangebook.com or your favorite bookstore. Happy new year, folks. I just wanted you to know that the final book in the Scene Change trilogy has been getting fantastic reviews and offers success stories in the midst of this calamitous financial … [Read more...] about “SCENE CHANGE 3” Just Named to Kirkus Reviews’ “25 Best Indies of 2025!”
When Doctors Prescribe the Arts as Treatment, Nonprofit Arts Organizations (At Long Last) Prove Their Worth
Unless, of course, they muck it up by asking for money. “Musick has Charms to soothe the savage BreastTo soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak”― William Congreve, “The Mourning Bride" There seems to be some truth to that, and nonprofit arts organizations could prove worth (and increase their charitable value to their communities) by following specific medical advice … [Read more...] about When Doctors Prescribe the Arts as Treatment, Nonprofit Arts Organizations (At Long Last) Prove Their Worth