6 Essential Actions for Arts Directors to Implement Immediately
Arts leaders are grappling with shifts happening in Washington D.C., affecting their institutions. Among these changes, President Trump ousted the J.F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' board members and president, installing himself as chair while replacing them with allies. Furthermore, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), primary governmental backer of arts organizations, altered its funding guidelines and discontinued its Challenge America program, leaving small arts organizations in underserved areas struggling.
In this climate, consultants like Alexa Magladry from MHM, an international strategy and insight consultancy, have emerged to offer advice on navigating the challenges. Magladry, who specializes in cultural organizations, has formulated six recommendations for arts leaders:
1. Stay true to your mission:Arts leaders should balance holding onto their missions and adapting to times of change, safely anticipating funding and audience shifts.
2. Adjust audience and community focus:Engage in constant communication with audience and community members to cater to changing needs. The use of data to analyze audience preferences will be increasingly relevant.
3. Identity your role in society:Arts institutions should explore various roles like truth-tellers and protagonists within their communities, framing how they can contribute or lead.
4. Collaborate across departments:Breaking silos and fostering partnerships across departments and organizations can provide necessary resources and audiences.
5. Demonstrate local economic impact:Undertake economic impact studies, illustrating the role of your organization in local growth, drawing support from businesses and community leaders.
6. Speak with one voice:Ensure consistency in board and staff communications, upholding your institution's integrity and credibility.
Alex Sarian's book, "The Audacity of Relevance," further delves into this topic, emphasizing the need for arts leaders to identify their organizations' value propositions. In her interview with posting author, Karen Brooks Hopkins, formerly the Brooklyn Academy of Music president, called for a shift in thinking from purely philanthropy to investment in arts institutions.
Arts leaders must embrace change and hold fast to their missions, engaging their communities, speaking with unity, and collaborating to navigate this challenging era.
- The work environment for nonprofits in the arts sector, including institutions like the Kennedy Center, has been significantly impacted by recent changes in Washington D.C.
- One of the causes for concern is the alteration of funding guidelines and cancellation of programs by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which has affected small arts organizations in underserved areas.
- Consultants like Alexa Magladry from MHM are offering advice to arts leaders, encouraging them to stay true to their mission while adapting to funding and audience shifts.
- Magladry suggests that arts institutions should explore their role in society, collaborating across departments and organizations to demonstrate their local economic impact and speak with one voice.
- This approach, as advocated by authors like Alex Sarian in his book "The Audacity of Relevance," could potentially lead to a shift in thinking, moving from philanthropy to investment in arts institutions.
- Canceling funding programs or changing guidelines, as seen with the NEA, could have longstanding negative effects on the arts community and may be met with resistance from community leaders and businesses.
