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On Our Minds is our signature newsletter for sharing what’s new at WolfBrown. Published about six times a year, it provides a lively platform for our consultants’ updates and findings.
ISSUE 24 • March 2025
Issue written by Dr. Thomas Wolf and guest writer Duncan Webb, along with interviews of Eun Lee (Artistic Director and Executive Director of The Dream Unfinished), Lecolion Washington >>
ISSUE 31 • March 2025
By Dr. Thomas Wolf, Principal An interview with Eun Lee, Artistic Director and Executive Director of The Dream Unfinished As an arts professional, Eun Lee has prioritized socially >>
ISSUE 31 • March 2025
By Dr. Thomas Wolf, Principal An interview with Lecolion Washington, Executive Director of The Community Music Center of Boston After over 20 years as a performing bassoonist and >>
ISSUE 31 • March 2025
By Duncan Webb, Guest Author Duncan Webb is the founder and President of Webb Mgmt, a management consulting practice specializing in the development and operation of performing arts >>
ISSUE 31 • March 2025
By Dr. Thomas Wolf, Principal Dr. Thomas Wolf, a founding principal of WolfBrown, has consulted and written extensively about boards and governance, including Managing a Nonprofit Organization (now in its >>
ISSUE 30 • December 2024
As we transition from one year to the next, we customarily take a moment to reflect on the milestones and changing perspectives, that shaped our work at WolfBrown >>
ISSUE 31 • November 2024
A Special Post from our Amplifying Creative Opportunities Newsletter: Breaking Barriers Discover how the GIVE (Growing Inclusivity for Vibrant Engagement) initiative is transforming classrooms and arts education by >>
ISSUE 30 • October 2024
By John Carnwath, Associate Principal In recent years, the term “accessibility” has increasingly permeated discussions in the arts and culture sector, spurring reflection, innovation, and change. At WolfBrown, >>
ISSUE 23 • April 2024
written by Dr. Thomas Wolf and Kathleen Hill, along with interviews with Sebastian Ruth of Community MusicWorks and representatives of New Haven Symphony Orchestra How important is it >>
ISSUE 23 • April 2024
By Dr. Thomas Wolf This post is part of a series examining more youth leadership in the arts. Some years ago, the same year I turned sixty, I >>
ISSUE 23 • April 2024
By Kathleen Hill This post is part of a series examining more youth leadership in the arts. I feel like I have been “leading” for as long as >>
ISSUE 23 • March 2024
An Interview with Sebastian Ruth By Dr. Thomas Wolf This post is part of a series examining more youth leadership in the arts. Sebastian Ruth is the founder >>
ISSUE 23 • March 2024
An Interview with Representatives of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra By Dr. Thomas Wolf This post is part of a series examining more youth leadership in the arts. >>
ISSUE 22 • December 2023
As we transition from one year to the next, we customarily take a moment to reflect on the milestones and changing perspectives that shaped our work at WolfBrown >>
ISSUE 21 • November 2023
By Thomas Wolf, Dennie Palmer Wolf, Alan Brown, Antonio C. Cuyler, Annick Odom It was less than fifty years ago that Garrison Keillor parodied the newly emerging field >>
ISSUE 21 • November 2023
An Interview with Antonio C. Cuyler By Alan Brown (edited by Annick Odom) This post is part of a series examining more leadership training in the arts. Antonio >>
ISSUE 21 • November 2023
By Alan Brown This post is part of a series examining more leadership training in the arts. Recent strategic planning assignments have cast me into the treacherous landscape >>
ISSUE 21 • November 2023
By Dennie Palmer Wolf This post is part of a series examining more leadership training in the arts. No one bats an eyelash when they hear that dancers >>
ISSUE 21 • November 2023
By Thomas Wolf This post is part of a series examining more leadership training in the arts. Many years ago, I interviewed Sanford Weill as part of a >>
ISSUE 20 • September 2023
By Steven Holochwost Recent issues of this newsletter have focused on issues of diversity and equity in arts research and consulting. We have addressed arts education, strategic planning, and >>
ISSUE 20 • August 2023
By Steven Holochwost This piece is part of a larger series examining more equitable practices in arts research and consulting. Our goal is to reflect openly and self-critically >>
ISSUE 20 • August 2023
By Joanna Borowski (Director of Education, New Jersey Symphony) & Samuel McDonald (Education Manager, New Jersey Symphony) This piece is part of a larger series examining more equitable >>
ISSUE 19 • August 2023
By Allison Russo This piece is part of a larger series examining more equitable practices in arts research and consulting. Our goal is to reflect openly and self-critically on >>
ISSUE 19 • May 2023
By John Carnwath, Kacie Willis, and Colleagues Racism and other forms of inequity can be understood and addressed at the interpersonal, institutional, and systemic levels. In this issue of >>
ISSUE 19 • May 2023
By John Carnwath This piece is part of a larger series of On Our Minds, the fourth in a series examining more equitable practices, reflects openly and self-critically on >>
ISSUE 19 • May 2023
An Audio Interview with Marc Bamuthi Joseph and Trés McMichael By Kacie Willis, Manager of our Audience Research Program, Audience Outlook Monitor This interview is part of a >>
ISSUE 19 • May 2023
By John Carnwath This article is part of a larger series of On Our Minds, the fourth in a series examining more equitable practices, reflects openly and self-critically on >>
ISSUE 18 • March 2023
By Joseph H. Kluger The journey towards a more equitable future for nonprofit arts organizations starts in the boardroom and too often ends there, as well. This issue >>
ISSUE 18 • March 2023
By Dr. Thomas Wolf The journey towards a more equitable future for nonprofit arts organizations starts in the boardroom and too often ends there, as well. This issue >>
ISSUE 18 • March 2023
By Alan Brown The journey towards a more equitable future for nonprofit arts organizations starts in the boardroom and too often ends there, as well. This issue of On >>
ISSUE 17 • January 2023
Traveler, the path is your tracksAnd nothing more.Traveler, there is no pathThe path is made by walking.By walking you make a path. – Antonio Machado The next four >>
ISSUE 16 • December 2022
As one year transitions to another, it is our custom to share with you a series of reflections on the milestones and tectonic shifts in our understandings of >>
ISSUE 14 • March 2021
How does one get classical music performances to listeners during a pandemic when no one is allowed in concert halls? The obvious answer is to rely on video >>
ISSUE 13 • March 2021
During the present crisis in the Ukraine, much has been made of the fate of Russian musicians who are supporters of Vladimir Putin. Superstars like conductor Valery Gergiev and >>
ISSUE 12 • March 2020
As the US gradually becomes vaccinated, performing arts organization leaders are faced with the Hamletian dilemma of whether to continue to offer digital streaming of live performances after >>
ISSUE 11 • March 2020
During the COVID-19 pandemic, WolfBrown refined and focused our communications channels to help arts leaders navigate the crisis. With this issue of On Our Minds, we return to >>
ISSUE 10 • April 2021
Nineteen months ago, I learned my grandmother was dying from COVID-19. Before receiving the news, I was thinking about making dinner. After receiving the news, I sat on >>
ISSUE 10 • March 2023
At this time of year it has been our tradition to reflect on the most meaningful arts experiences we’ve had during the year as a way of recognizing >>
ISSUE 9 • December 2019
This issue of On Our Minds features learnings from focus groups on music with coders, thoughts on making the case for arts education for children, and a reflection >>
ISSUE 8 • March 2022
This past summer, the Cambridge office of WolfBrown together with our colleague, Stanford Thompson, experimented with a three-day workshop designed as a deep dive into the skills needed >>
ISSUE 7 • September 2020
By Dr. Dennie Palmer Wolf with contributions fromCourtney J. Boddie and Lindsey Buller Maliekel, New 42Victoria Row-Traster, Miami Theater CenterStanford Thompson, Play On Philly This blog post belongs to WolfBrown’s series, >>
ISSUE 6 • September 2020
By Dr. Thomas Wolf This blog post belongs to WolfBrown’s series, Navigating the Crisis. This series is a collection of research papers, blogs and announcements that critically examine >>
ISSUE 5 • April 2020
By Dr. Dennie Palmer Wolf This blog post belongs to WolfBrown’s series, Navigating the Crisis. This series is a collection of research papers, blogs and announcements that critically >>
ISSUE 4 • March 2020
By Alan Brown This blog post kicks off WolfBrown’s new series, Navigating the Crisis. This series is a collection of research papers, blogs and announcements that critically examine >>
ISSUE 3 • March 2020
This issue features a discussion on the arts as frugal innovations, a call for nominations for the fifth edition of Managing Nonprofit Organizations, and a reflection on HR topics >>
ISSUE 2 • December 2019
Season’s greetings from all of us at WolfBrown! Once again, we asked the WolfBrown team to reflect on a particularly memorable cultural experience from the last year to >>
ISSUE 1 • November 2019
This issue features a reflection on the City Museum, a discussion of the National Instrumentalist Mentoring and Advancement Network, and a consideration of the changes small regional organizations >>
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