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 of arts administration in his April 30, 1979, New Yorker Article, “Jack Schmidt, Arts Administrator.” He described his hero’s occupation quite simply as “raising funds from federal and corporate sources for artists with weird projects.”
Today, there are countless training opportunities for arts administrators (including several degree-granting programs). Yet, many still enter the field with little or no relevant formal training, and education for board members is even more haphazard and sparse.
In this issue, we look at several perspectives on training in the arts.
In This Issue
Never Too Early
by Dennie Palmer Wolf
If you think about the challenges of today’s complex arts environment why not begin much earlier to open up the field to the many young people who could lead arts organizations?
Ten Take-Aways from a Leadership Retreat for Executive Directors
by Thomas Wolf
Thomas Wolf shares what he and the other faculty have learned in their fourth year of leading and designing intensive, four-day leadership retreats for executive directors.
Preparing Board Members for Their Stewardship Role: Whose Job Is It?
by Alan Brown
Alan Brown grapples with the challenge of involving nonprofit board members in crucial aspects of organizational leadership, including institutional strategy, programming policies, and equity considerations.
Unlearning for Equity: Rethinking Capacity Building for Boards
An Interview with Antonio C. Cuyler
by Alan Brown, Annick Odom
Antonio C. Cuyler and Alan Brown discuss capacity building for access, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI). They emphasize the importance of board-level engagement, recognizing diverse capital, and integrating ADEI into core operations rather than treating it as a separate initiative.
