Dynamic Arts Consulting

Nomadic Arts Administration

2009-09-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

As my internship in Sisters, Oregon nears its end, I have begun to reflect on the adventure and lessons learned. One important thing that I had not considered prior to this expereince is the fluidity and mobility of the arts administration field as a whole. Dealing with financial struggles, technology issues and globalization can make the arts a moving target that becomes harder and harder for audiences to latch onto.

Artists and arts administrators must create clear messaging that quickly and easily portrays the value of the arts to the community.

Here in Sisters, there are a few large umbrella arts organizations such as Sisters Art Works, Sisters Park and Recreation District (SPRD), and The Sisters Chamber of Commerce that organize arts events and support local artists.

A bulk of the arts activity in this area are conceived, planned, and produced by local artist individuals who have a passion for the arts. Through house concerts, art classes and shows, and festivals, this small (1700 population) town is actaully brimming with art activities.

As the Community Arts Intern in Sisters, I have been working with four different organizations in Sisters all summer. Being a multi-purpose intern for an art gallery, an individual artist, and two festivals has been an eye-opening experience into the inner workings of multiple types of arts organizaitons. The internship has also illustrated the important role that individual artists play in motivating an artistic community.

Artsists in the Central Oregon area are extremely mobile and fill multiple roles such as being river rafting guides, grant consultants, art teachers, artists, and administrators. Artists and musicians wear multiple hats in larger metropolitain areas, but I am surprised at how it rings true for small Sisters, Oregon as well.

My own possition as a nomadic arts intern - moving from one organizaiton to another and between generous home stay situations - has illuminated the importance of flexibility but also the value that location plays in the arts.

Nancy Becker glass art at Sisters Art Works

Although art is now traded globally, the economic impact of the arts begins in our own backyards.

The sense of place in Sisers and nearby Bend is driven by the forest and its preservation.While traveling between Eugene and Sisters on many occasions, I have collected some photos of the majestic mountain scenery. These pictures should give some idea of the beauty that the artists here are inspired to work with.

Simply Sustainablility? Part I

2009-08-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

In the current economic climate, the arts are newly challenged to maintain legitimacy and financial support. This takes a toll on the internal culture and artistic output of arts organizations. Regardless of the benefits in creating long-term plans and assessing core values, etc., many arts organizations cannot look past their upcoming seasons to ensure viability.

The Americans for the Arts convention in Seattle this June focused on sustainability and renewable resources for the arts. The keynote speech, Renewable Resources: Arts in Sustainable Communities by Peter Senge, got me thinking about how the arts can remain sustainable and true to their core purpose through financial struggles.

Attempting a new angle on this widely acknowledged problem was difficult, however. Instead of providing unique insight, I will instead provide links to emerging resources for arts managers that aim to quench the demise of nonprofits both large and small. Here is what I've found:

The Kennedy Center's Michael Kaiser Arts in Crisis tour: http://www.artsincrisis.org/press.cfm. Recent stop in Madison, WI. Next to Grand Rapids, MI and Los Angeles, CA.

Americans for the Arts policy and advocacy funding resources: http://www.artsusa.org/get_involved/advocacy/funding_resources/default.asp

The League of American Orchestras On The Road to Authentic Civic Engagement: http://www.americanorchestras.org/learning_and_leadership/civic_engagement.html

And finally,

The NEA's Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act: http://www.nea.gov/recovery/index.html

I am interested in feedback regarding how arts organizations can utilize financial resources and internal personnel as mechanisms to retain economic viability. Hoping for ongoing dialogue while researching organizational culture of the performing arts for Simply Sustainability, Part II.

Photo Updates Complete

2009-08-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

As a final hurrah and culmination of my Italy trip, I have finished posting photos under the links below:
Art
Architecture
Culture

I still have more to add, but that is the bulk of photos for the time being.

Arts Conference 2009: Art, Architecture & Culture

2009-08-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

The International Conference on the Arts and Society provided many ideas and research in arts education and practice. I will use this space as a central location and hub for my main take-aways from the experience. On the lookout for all types of artforms while I was in Venice, I have distilled my thoughts into three categories:

Art
Architecture
Culture

Additionally, I saved some comments from when I was in Italy which illustrate the surroundings and proceedings of the conference.

7/28/09:

Feeling more like a local, I embarked on my first day after breakfast and Venetian coffee. My lodging, The B&B Rosa, is in a residential area of Venice and few kilometers from Campo San Stephano. This is adjacent to the Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti - the conference venue.

Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti dates to 1565, and is next to the Pont dell' Academia. The building was restored in the 19th century. It shows its age in many ways including the creaking floors that seem to sag under pressure! Also, it is necessary to go through rooms to get to stairways or other rooms, which means crossing through other conference session occasionally.

7/29/09:

Today I presented my conference paper: Symphony Audience Development: Analysis of Organizational Culture in the Performing Arts. As my first professional conference, I felt that the presentation went well despite the aforementioned creaky floors. (Note to self: bring remote clicker to advance power point presentation slides next time!)

Other presentation highlights today included:
- Electric Cowboy Cacophony: A Project for Cross-Genre Free Improvisation by Dr. Michael Edwards of the University of Edinburgh
- Using Arts-Informed Inquiry as a Research Approach by Dr. Denise Stanley from the University of Sydney
- Judy Chicago's Plenary Session in which she presented a history of her work and her inspiration

7/31/2009:

As the conference concludes, I reflect on the many sessions which inspire further thought in many areas of the arts. Topics of interest to me:
- Media Arts & Science and Technology: Challenging Responsive Education. Dr. Daniela Reimann, Nina Czegledy, Patricia Olynyk
- Magicians of the Post-Spiritual Age: Contemporary Art, primitivism and post-colonialism. Colin Rhodes
- Ephemeral Knitting. Jane Scott, Elizabeth Gaston
- Impact and Engagement: The Contemporary Art Festival and Its Audience. Angela Brayham
- Operas by Women in Australia. Dr. Helen Rusak

9/1/2009:

On the bus heading back to Marco Polo airport, I had the pleasure to meet Dr. Midori McKeon from San Francisco State University. I missed her presentation, The Japanese tea Ceremony: A Living International Museum of Art in Everyday Life but I relish this connection near my hometown in the S.F. Bay Area.

This last encounter - in a place I least expected it - illustrated the true virtue of serendipity. I had not originally known what to expect from this conference, but received an incredible experience and increased body of knowledge because of it.

Venice Reflections

2009-08-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

Having a week back in the United States since attending the International Conference on the Arts in Society, I have had time to reflect on my main take-away from the experience. After attending the conference, I now view the role of the arts in society with a broader perspective. The goal of the conference to provide a venue for:

"critical discussion on issues in the arts, and specifically as they are situated in the present-day context of globalisation, cultural homogenisation, commodifcation, and militarisation".

In the previous post, I discussed my brief take on globalization in the arts - which I realize now affects not only arts audience perceptions, but internal organizaitonal operations as well. My research on the organizational culture of symphony orchestras dovetails with a global focus on the role of nonprofit arts organizaitons.

Arts in Society.com provides posts noting various ways that the arts can be incorporated into daily urban life. Additionally, Common Ground Publishing has a YouTube site with paper presentations. This ties into both the globalization of the arts and the adoption of internet media to broadcast knowledge and ideas.

This is the launching point of more in-depth blog discussions focusing on plenary speakers and parallel session presenters at the conference. Check back for updates and photos!

Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti, conference venue and the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere e Arti

Travelocity - what globalization means for the arts

2009-08-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

I have returned to Oregon from my European expedition and research presentation at the International Conference on the Arts in Society in Venice. The trip was wonderful and rewarding in many ways as I:
1) Tromped around Venice and turned any street corner I wished depending on my whim.

2) Engaged in stimulating dialogue regarding the arts in society with conference attendees.

3) Met academics and arts practitioners from around the world!

There were many excellent sessions presented at the conference, and a few particularly sparked my thinking about the world and art. Colin Rhodes spoke about international art engagement framed by the Venice bienalle. Rhodes focused on the changing scope of art exhibits and increased access to the arts due to the "democratization of travel". Interesting to think about, then I discovered this article from November 2006 noting the evolution of thinking in the arts.

Globalization and technology are forcing artists, curators and museum directors to rethink the world of American art. Curators and museum directors must now try to satisfy a more fragmented and complex art audience that has a vast array of media and entertainment choices at its fingertips and may not come from a traditional art-lovers background.

Many articles point to the increase in the use of technology as a result and instant communication streams. My recent post, Marketing Mayhem accounts my recent challenges in marketing arts organizations through media technology. Furthermore, I've noticed since then the true impact of Internet marketing through of social networking. (This blog, linked to facebook, linked to LinkedIn, connected to twitter).

I'll argue that this is true in the performing arts as well as visual arts. For instance, the National Symphony recently began a campaign to tweet program notes in real time. Check out this article for details.

Returning to globalization, it is imperative for arts administrators to consider how the shrinking world affects arts audiences and organizational goals. As this article, Globalized Art, points out: "In a globalized world, art is becoming like any other commodity or product exported and imported worldwide". Curating the Venice Biennale necessitated a focus on the place and location of the city as well as the visitors who come from around the globe to experience its culture.

The biggest challenge for arts organizations is to not reject how globalization affects the arts, but to adjust to the current climate in the art world. Some call this forward-thinking.

From: Biennale initiatives in the restored facility at Ca' Giustinian

off line and off course

2009-07-27T14:03:00.000-07:00

Boun giorno from Venezia!

I am in Italy for the International Conference on the Arts and Society, beginning on Wednesday. I have had two days to wander the streets of Venice in search of its art and architectural treasures. My explorations have led to many unexpected sites along the way to some main tourist attractions. Today I zigzagged around the center of the city, originating from my hostel at San Toma.

This map shows a typical zigzagged path - yet is simple compared to the rout I actually trekked. Pictures of these sites will naturally follow! The Byzantine churches and Venetian canals are truly amazing.

Venice holds layers of history which sometimes you can literally see in the facade of churches. I happened on San giacomo Dell Orio by accident. In fact, most of my wonderful finds have been accidental while looking for something else.

While not as exciting as my own photos (to come soon along with my camera's connection chord), these give a taste of Venezia's bounty and glory.

I began my day casually enjoying a cappucino and listening to the locals. I'm beginning to realize that learning a foreign language is not entirely different than playing a musical instrument - you just have to listen carefully!

Marketing Mayhem

2009-07-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

Today, after updating local media information and starting a social networking/facebook plan for Sisters Art Works, I finally understood how much the world of marketing is constantly changing. While I am a devoted facebooky, I had not seen my way clear of joining the twitter revolution until this very day. Having an impromptu marketing meeting this afternoon, I realized the power of social networking if utilized properly.

The bare bones of arts marketing is the same as as any business and industry. The Main Goals are:
1. Target appropriate audiences
2. Get your message out
3. Track audiences and marketing results
4. Create feedback and communication loops that link back to products and services

Simply put, "the primary aim of arts marketing is to bring an appropriate number of people into an appropriate form of contact with the artist, and in so doing to arrive at the best financial outcome that is compatible with the achievement of that aim." This is according to Keith Diggle, author of Arts Marketing and Keith Diggle's Guide to Arts Marketing. Both of these titles were new to me, despite covering much ground in the area of arts marketing in my research. I found that Diggle was included in this synopsis of arts marketing definitions by HEC Montreal.

The current conundrum is to harness social networking into an effective marketing strategy rather than a jumbled mess of tweets and updates. Because arts and cultural organizations aim to benefit the general public, it is much harder to accomplish the 4 Main Marketing Goals as stated above.

The question is: How can arts institutions utilize social networking without letting it take over the organization's real goal - the art?

For instance - say I start a facebook site for my arts organization, get a boatload of friends, update until I'm blue in the face, notice an increase in younger attendees, then these same audiences turn to a new networking medium and leave facebook and my arts organization behind. Certainly, this is the fear of many arts administrators. However, despite the initial investment of time and resources, social networking must be a key strategy for arts organizations looking to tap into a younger audience.

Examples of successful social networking abound: The League of American Orchestra's The Hub is remarkably similar to networking sites with orchestra updates and the "industry buzz".

Boing Boing has elements of twitter in its frequent updates on the arts and culture, among other things.

My first step for Sisters Art Works was to create a facebook page. Lets see where it goes from here....

Clearly, I'll have to rethink my aversion to twitter one day. Similarly, arts marketers need to stop thinking of social networking as the enemy and a waste of time. There will be far more opportunities for the arts to maintain cultural relevance if they do.

Nonprofit Governance = Inherent Tension

2009-07-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

I recently read this post, Orchestra Administration A La Venn Diagram, by Drew McManus, detailing the roles and functions of each section of an orchestra organization. A great resource, his orchestra governance essays denote the underlying current of tension that can be found in may performing arts institutions.

This inherent tension, referred to in performing arts literature can be a product of a hierarchical management structure. This diagram illustrates the structure of a large symphony with multiple departments and staff members. The traditional nonprofit structure of a symphony utilizes a Board of directors - Executive Director and music director - Staff - Musicians.

In my thesis, I discuss this structure and how it can create tension. One research question focused specifically on the issue of inherent tension, asking: how can symphony administrators navigate the inherent tension within performing arts organizations to create a positive organizational culture?

Regarding symphonic orchestra structure and inherent tension, I note:

"The traditional symphony structure positions the board in an oversight and governing capacity. The music director and executive director each report to the board on management and artistic issues. This bifurcated structure can create inherent tension within the symphony organization.

Symphony managers must balance the influence of board members in artistic decisions with financial considerations. The three-legged stool can result in power struggles between the executives and the board because “tensions are embedded within the nature of governance responsibilities that will not be resolved permanently in favor of one party” (Ostrower & Stone, 2006, p. 617). Organizational culture and roles influence the nature of power struggles, but symphony administrators must maneuver this tension between the board and staff while creating a culture of leadership."

McManus' post puts some humor to the inherent tension of arts organizations, but it nevertheless is something that orchestra administrators must constantly navigate.

The Venn Diagram illustrates a realistic version of orchestra management and shows the epicenter of inherent tension.

The ugly side of symphony managers, McManus says:

"Currently, many orchestra administrators are
overwhelmed by today’s negative cultural climate and only concentrate on getting by from concert to concert. The lack of long term vision and strong, visible leadership only serves to make matters worse. Many arts administrators feel they
do not have adequate budget resources, proper training, and sufficient staff to successfully reach the organization’s goals. This leads to high personnel turnover, rapidly escalating operational costs, and widespread apathy.

Unfortunately, due to the shortage of executive talent, bad executives have a very easy time moving from one organization to another leaving a trail of financial distress and institutional chaos in their wake."

This is an important for emerging arts leaders to consider. Another critical management aspect is to repair an organization in financial distress and institutional chaos. This takes greater management skills than recognizing it in the first place.

Artful Business - A Paradigm Shift?

2009-07-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

I have been recently toiling with the concept of nonprofit management structures. My research on symphony orchestra organizational culture and artistic programming provided some broad management and artistic recommendations pertinent to performing arts organizations. However, the nonprofit arts all have similar challenges, whether visual or performing arts. Internal financial, artistic, and management issues in nonprofits often result from gaps or misunderstandings in the organizational structure.

The question du jour is: should a an arts organization run like a business?

Associated aspects of this question include the development of a long-range plan, a vision statement, and the mission statement. Each of these basic organizational elements can get convoluted in a nonprofit's daily challenges.

In a discussion of the potential to partner with other community or government organizations, Hall & Kennedy (2008) note the challenge of measuring effective nonprofit management. Their article, Public and Nonprofit Management and the "New Governance gives these parameters of effective nonprofit management:

Clarity of mission will be demonstrated in a number of ways, but
the presence of a clear, concise mission statement is an important first step. Other indicators of the organization’s focus will be the absence of extraneous programs or activities that divert resources from the central mission and the presence of a strategic plan tied tightly to that mission. An organizational performance history will also yield clues.

Legal compliance is an extremely important indicator of organizational capacity, and in some ways it is the easiest to evaluate. Inability to comply with basic legal regulations should set off warning bells.

Board of director characteristics—the election, composition, and conduct of the organization’s trustees—are among the most important indicators of organizational capacity. The 310 The American Review of Public Administration division of responsibility between the staff and the board should be clear, and the chief staff member should report to the board at designated intervals and in a meaningful way. There should be defined terms for board members and clear election procedures. The board should be broadly representative of the organization’s various constituencies and should ideally be diverse in occupation, skills, age, race, religion, and ethnicity—although for some organizations, some forms of diversity will be inapplicable.

Personnel management—the organization’s hiring and management practices—is another important element of capacity. There should be a written personnel or policy handbook; it should comply with all applicable laws and regulations and be available to all employees and board members. There should be written, detailed job descriptions. If volunteers are used in lieu of paid staff, these procedures may be considerably less formal, but whether volunteers are used in place of staff or in addition to staff, there should be clear policies pertaining to them, and even clearer expectations for them

A strategic plan that is tightly tied to the mission and periodically updated is another hallmark of effectiveness.

Fiscal health encompasses more than a positive bank balance and an absence of unpaid bills. Good fiscal controls and accounting procedures are supremely important. Lack of board involvement with development, or lack of board financial participation through donations to the organization, are warning signs.

There are obviously other indicators the public manager will use, including past performance. Satisfaction of these organizational elements is not a guarantee of effective program outcomes, but obvious deficits in any of these basic areas are warnings that the wise manager will heed.

Regarding the question of running a nonprofit like a business - elements of business management are certainly applicable for arts and culture organizations. However, the actual management of nonprofits must account for public value and artistic creativity in a way that traditional business models do not. Nonprofit organizations must effectively run on inherently bad business models: that of producing Shakespeare plays with no charge to the public, for instance. Therefore, some nonprofit managers may need to undergo a paradigm shift to create a more sustainable organization while others should revisit their mission and vision statements to reconnect with their original purpose.

Andrew Taylor, of the Wisconsin School of Business notes that: "For the past decades, our industry has fundamentally misunderstood what it means to run "like a business." As a result, we've tended to become more rigid, less joyous and increasingly disconnected from the communities and the creative spirit we were formed to serve." This blog post gives a relevant and appreciated twist on the usual business-nonprofit management dichotomy.

Another giant in nonprofit literature is Peter Drucker, author of Managing the Nonprofit Organization: Principles and Practices. This article pays homage to Drucker's emphasis on community rather than profits in nonprofit management.

More on this topic to come...I think that it is critical for nonprofit managers to solidify their thinking in this area. My current work in Sisters is illuminating the many possibilities of effective nonprofit management.

Be all End all

2009-07-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the culmination of all the hard work put out by staff and volunteers at the Quilt Show. The second Saturday of July marks the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show extravaganza. And that doesn't even begin to cover it! Over 1100 quilts were displayed throughout the town of Sisters. Food vendors and artists were there as well. Here, a pdf of this year's 2009 quilt show and related events.

Though the total attendance of the Quilt Show is not measured as far as I'm aware, my Economic Impact Study volunteers were able to collect 230 surveys in an hour and a half. They were divided into four teams and placed strategically around the town. To gain a random sample, the surveyors counted every 10th person to take the survey, which means that each team encountered over 550 people in a small portion of the morning.

I snapped my fair share of pictures along with the "tourists", but sadly my camera chord is hostage in Seattle, WA from my visit a few weeks ago. Some pictures from the Quilt Show website from years past will suffice to illustrate the craziness of the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show.

The main street in Sisters is closed for the Quilt Show. Cascade Avenue - actually highway 126 - crosses the state from Florence to Prineville in eastern Oregon.

The side of the Stitchin' Post - yes really! A hub of activities during the day.

More photos to come! Suffice to say that this was a completely unique event - and truly the only one of its kind anywhere.

I finished my day by grabbing a pint at the local brewpub, Three Creeks Brewing Company. I was pleased by the variety of microbrews and good pub menu items.

My real motivation however, was the lure of a local band: The Anvil Blasters. I jammed with them last week and had a blast! I particularly enjoyed tunes written by their own Jim Cornelius. This group brings me back from the classical symphonic world to Americana roots with influence from the wild west and blues tunes.

This day was definitely the be all end all experience in Central Oregon so far!

Why Volunteer?

2009-07-08T22:44:00.000-07:00

This week I've been co-ordinating volunteers for the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show's economic impact study. The survey itself warrants a whole post, but I'm waiting for the results! I've been interested in the willingness and enthusiasm of locals in Sisters and Bend, which is about 20 miles away, to volunteer their time at the Quilt Show.

The Quilt Show is entirely volunteer-driven , with a handful of paid staff and approximately 500 volunteers. Initially, I wondered how an organization could run effectively with that type of ratio of staff to volunteers. I'm beginning to see that the Quilt Show has such a presence in the community that people simply want to be involved. They like having the chance to give back to the community and be a part of something important. This is also the same concept that I found in my research on symphony boards.

For an idea of the multitude of tasks accomplished by volunteers, here is a quick job description for a volunteer coordinator for the Austin Film Festival:

Features & Description:
- Recruit Volunteers: This involves radio announcements, finding a venue, publicizing, and hosting a volunteer party, postings on websites, recruiting at Festival events, and a general publicity for the volunteer options at the festival
- Assessing Volunteer Needs: This involves checking with every single department at the festival and constantly updating and recording their possible volunteer needs.
- Scheduling Volunteers: One of the larger portions of the job, this involved working around both staff and volunteer needs to create schedules for the entire festival, and then contact each volunteer to confirm and let them know their schedule.
- Managing Volunteers at the festival: Confirming with volunteers their placement and commitment on the day before their involvement, checking that all volunteers have arrived, calling in back up volunteers, and general co-ordination of lunch for volunteers and other arrangements. Salary: $2,000 - $3,000 (for entire period)Job Requirements
- Highly organized and efficient- Must be personable and enjoy working with many different people- Must have open availability from early August through the end of October- Must be computer literate
This is a laundry list of duties. With the economy and current struggle of nonprofit (and for-profit) organizations, it behoves managers to consider structuring volunteer positions to benefit both the volunteers and the organization.

artsopolis for real

2009-07-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

While I'm digging for new and interesting content (tomorrow hopefully), go ahead and check out this website which was the naming impetus for yours truly blog. These arts networks are spreading around the country and one may be in the works for Eugene, Oregon! (Shhh, hold your breath). What a powerfull marketing and advocacy tool!

Arts 365

2009-07-05T23:09:00.000-07:00

I am spending the summer in beautiful Sisters, Oregon as the area's arts intern. Working with six diferent organizations: Sisters Artworks, Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show, Sisters Folk Festival, Sisters Movie House, Turning Leaves Art Studio, and the Chamber of Commerce, I will be able to dip into multiple pies through this internship. I started this blog to c hronicle this experience and as a platform for commentary of other arts events throughout the country.

This week will be devoted to the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show which has collected over 1,000 quilts and displays them around town. I am coordinating volunteers for the data collection of an economic impact study designed to measure the value of the quilt show on local tourism. I've studied about economic impact reports, now I get to do one myself!

Here, the value of the arts in this community - these quilts probably took about 365 days to complete!