ARTSblog

First off, you need to know how hard it was not to type “Knot knowing the Ropes,” but I managed to resist at least for a few seconds.

Inexperience, like a bad pun, is undervalued.

By that, I don’t mean ignorance of one’s field, or bring unprepared, but being free of the self-imposed limits can easily come with working in a field for a period of time. Our new and (in the best sense) inexperienced colleagues are often a great source of new ideas and creative solutions. And this creativity is often born of not knowing the “best practices” or the traditions of our lines of work. Read the rest of this entry »

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I have been enjoying all of the rich dialogue that has been going on all week through this Blog Salon from some very articulate individuals. Like most of you, I do what I am passionate about. I am passionate about the arts, and have been since High School when the arts helped me find my voice, my confidence and a group of friends that I still have today.

I am also passionate about sports. I am not able to work within sports but I do keep active with three sports blogs that I write and manage on a daily basis. This allows me to engage in both of the areas that I find the most passion and excitement.

It is with that unique lens that got me thinking about the path to leadership in the arts. In fact, the way that I often describe our emerging arts leader network, genARTS is as “a farm system for arts leadership.”

Think about it, you’ve got Single A (new to the field), Double A (a couple of years of experience), Triple A (established emerging leaders, ready to step into a leadership position) and the Major Leagues (leaders of arts and cultural organizations).   Read the rest of this entry »

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Next Tues, April 13, is National Arts Advocacy Day, when more than 500 arts advocates will be going to Capital Hill in Washington, D.C. to talk to their government officials about the power of the arts and the need for arts education and arts funding. If you can’t join us in D.C. on April 13, please take the time to create a tweet that day featuring the hashtag #arts on your Twitter accounts and tell you friends to do the same.

Read the rest of this entry »

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(Note: the last time I guest-blogged for Americans for the Arts, my inaugural post in the bullet-point manifesto format became the third-most-commented post on ArtsBlog ever. We’ll see what kind of response this one gets!)

A boss is to an emerging leader as a funder is to a grantee.

• Think about this: there is an inherently unequal power relationship between a boss and an employee.
  • A boss gets paid more.
  • A boss has greater autonomy to make decisions about how she does her job.
  • A boss has greater autonomy to decide what her job even is.
  • A boss can make decisions that affect not just her own work, but everyone else’s work too.
  • A boss is identified with her organization and therefore has greater visibility.
    • Meaning better connections and more opportunities to lead.
  • And most importantly…
    • The employee is to no small degree dependent on the boss for her ability to pay the bills. Read the rest of this entry »

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Even in the best of economic times, the biggest barrier to accessing professional development offerings can be a lack of money, plain and simple.  This is probably more true now given the effect of the recession on nonprofit budgets, when many chief executives are seeing their travel and conference attendance curtailed, leaving even less hope for more recently hired staff to attend these programs – including many emerging arts leaders – because they are further down the organizational totem pole.

That’s why I was so thrilled when the Irvine and Hewlett Foundations agreed to support a new initiative at CCI to create a special pool of money parked at our Creative Capacity Fund, just for next generation arts leaders in California to attend workshops and conferences, or work with personal coaches or consultants, to address their professional development needs.  And we’re talking about pretty significant money – $200,000 in professional development grants up to $1,000 each that will directly support some 200-250 next generation leaders in the next two years. Read the rest of this entry »

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In an ideal world, well-funded arts organizations set aside a week or more every year for their emerging leaders to attend professional development workshops or conferences tailored specifically to address the key issues and trends they see in their disciplines. Sounds like a smart thing to do, right? And yet we all know that while the demand exists for these types of professional development programs, they are typically one of the first things to be sacrificed when budgets are cut and revenue is scarce.

At Irvine, we began researching next generation leadership development issues as a way to help advance the arts field in California. Now, given the impact of the recession on the arts, it seems even more important to us that we help prepare the next generation of leaders.

You might argue that leadership development is a luxury that the sector can’t afford right now, but we feel that there are more reasons than ever to support these vital programs. Throughout the recession, we have heard many tales of our grantees having to make severe cuts in staff and programs, typically after they decided to eliminate any possibility for professional development activities. Those employees that did survive the layoffs were often asked to take on additional responsibilities, sometimes for less money, and without adequate training to do so. Needless to say, morale at many organizations was low and the overall situation created a perfect storm for emerging arts leaders to leave the field, either by choice or by pink slip. Read the rest of this entry »

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Last April, we held our first public event, Evolve & Vocalize. We asked the audience of 80 folks, a multi-disciplinary crowd of predominantly Gen X and Gen Y’s (with some progressive Boomers mixed in) on an early Saturday morning at SoMarts Cultural Center… “What could we enact now that will make a positive, powerful impact on your arts sector career in the future?” Our steering committee heard that there was a need for self-organizing, better connections to peers and mentors, access to relevant capacity building services and interest in experimenting with new business models.

The recent award from Hewlett and Irvine made it possible for us to spend dedicated time researching and creating an outline of our future in a 4-year strategic plan, action plan and budget. It’s also helping provide focused learning, knowledge sharing and network building opportunities like our spring 2010 series, New Growth : a spotlight on new ways of working. These funds, to a great extent, have allowed us to be more reflective and proactive. Read the rest of this entry »

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Who went to a Seder last week?

I went to one in San Francisco and, perhaps because I was thinking about what I wanted to blog about in this emerging leader’s discussion, I was struck by the protagonist at the center of the story. (I was also impressed with my sister’s matzah lasagna but that’s for another blog).

If the Seder were a cabaret the big number is the Ma Nish Tanah, and that solo belongs to the youngest person in the room. And, what does this person do with the spotlight? They start asking questions.

I may be stretching here, but I think there is an analogy that may apply to the discussion of inter-generational dynamics within an arts organization.  Because so many arts organizations operate on incredibly thin margins and strive to provide quality programming that their constituencies (audiences, students, community members, etc.) depend on, they are, necessarily, very focused on the tasks at hand: getting the show ready to open this weekend, preparing for a Board meeting tonight, or turning in the grant application in by  5pm.  Those in leadership positions especially carry the burden of executing the plan of record which, as many E.D.s will attest, means putting out the fire that’s blazing now or shifting the pots on the stove around so that none boils over today. Read the rest of this entry »

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At WESTAF, I work with a number of public sector arts agencies—mainly local and state arts agencies (SAAs). Our region has 13 SAA executive directors who are hardworking, often visionary, and valuable to their state’s constituents. But I have grown increasingly concerned about the future of public sector arts leadership because I do not see many opportunities for emerging leaders to step into these positions.

I’ve written elsewhere about the tendency for transitions in the arts to mimic that old puzzle game, comprised of squares (with one spot missing), where you had to push the squares around to form a picture or numerical set. You might also call it the “ED shuffle,” which is the phenomena of executive directors (usually Boomers) moving from ED position to ED position, never leaving an opening for a younger leader to step up. And further complicating matters, I fear that younger arts administrators are increasingly turned off by the politics and bureaucracy of public sector work. Who will lead once the seasoned leaders retire? Read the rest of this entry »

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I attended a panel at New York University recently, and heard an interesting statistic from Frank Hodsoll: 45% of the global population is less than 25 years old. Shocking? Perhaps not.

Though global, this statistic is a reflection of the anticipated shift in leadership we expect here in America as the baby boomers prepare to retire. And luckily this next generation lives in the era of reform. Reform and a global economy.  This is an opportune time, therefore, for young leaders to accomplish what arts activists have been advocating since the Cold War: Organized National Arts Policy – meaning a unified strategy using culture as a diplomatic tool. And with the current administration’s focus on public diplomacy, you can participate in the creation of that platform. Read the rest of this entry »

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A study produced by research economist Ann Markusen and colleagues in 2006 (Crossover: How Artists Build Careers across Commercial, Nonprofit and Community Work) sheds interesting light on the entrepreneurial approach that California artists are taking in managing their careers. Contrary to the stereotype of artists wanting to be left alone in their studios just to make art, the majority of California’s artists were actually organizing their careers by combining meaningful activities and income across community-based, nonprofit and commercial work. California artists reported significant dividends from this mixed-bag approach – work in the commercial sector offered more visibility and higher rates of financial return; the not-for-profit sector offered aesthetic satisfaction and opportunities for artistic exploration; and the community sector offered an outlet to stand up for political and social justice goals, and to affirm cultural identity.

At the Center for Cultural Innovation, we consider an artist’s ability to manage and direct their own “portfolio careers” to be the highest form of creative entrepreneurship, and we support this way of working by offering entrepreneurial training programs, convening and networking activities, and in our direct grantmaking to artists. Read the rest of this entry »

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Based on a 2008 survey of Los Angeles-based emerging leaders, work/life balance is important and I assume that this priority is shared nation-wide. According to a recent report by the Center for Creative Leadership called “The Leadership GAP: What you need, and don’t have, when it comes to leadership,” a key future gap in leadership qualities will be balancing personal life and work.

The report urges today’s senior managers to practice a healthy work/life balance as an example for the future generation of leaders. Many of us have watched our role models work long, seemingly inhuman hours, repainting the black box, writing that NEA grant or serving their population after business hours with little distinction between work and personal life.  Conversely, a number of us have been exposed to supervisors who seem to effortlessly glide from family to work life such that neither is compromised, in fact where, both dimensions thrive. Read the rest of this entry »

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This conversation has been percolating for a while and I know it will continue for years to come, but this chance to connect with my peers across the country in a forum supported by the Irvine and Hewlett  Foundations is especially exciting.

Irvine and Hewlett Officers: In case you haven’t heard this enough from your friends out in Cali, THANK YOU for your vision in supporting emerging leaders in the arts. We know the arts do not have a history of taking care of our own professional needs. It’s just not part of our culture—with every dollar we manage to scrounge up we buy another paint brush or pointe shoe. We need visionary supporters like you to nudge us to take care of ourselves. I hope the initiatives you’re supporting in California encourage other philanthropies to see the long-reaching potential of investing in the next generation of arts leaders.

Okay, gratitude out of the way, let me just take a moment to recognize the frame I am bringing to this blog salon. After three years working in a service organization and thinking about what arts managers want, my graduate program in public administration now gives me a chance to step back and see what other ends of the nonprofit sector and corporate world are doing in terms of professional and leadership development. I have just grazed the surface of leadership study, but let me tell you—there’s a lot out there and we, in the arts, need to take every opportunity to make ourselves a part of that conversation. We have a lot to learn and contribute. Read the rest of this entry »

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Michael Bigley

Every few months a trade journal or major national newspaper cites a study that indicates that a major leadership change will occur in the non-profit industry, with one generation of leaders retiring en masse and a new crop of leaders stepping in to helm this important sector.  While that may statistically be true, it begs the question: is a new generation truly ready to lead and have organizations and funders spent enough time and resources to ensure a successful transition?

I had the great privilege of serving as a founding member and past chair of The Forum for Emerging Arts Professionals, a DC area volunteer group that offered programs serving promising leaders in the non-profits arts field.  The Forum would host discussions about key issues facing emerging non-profit leaders and provide opportunities for networking and visits to local institutions.  In the course of setting up our programming, I would talk with other colleagues in the nonprofit and grantmaking communities about The Forum’s activities. At times, I would receive blank stares, or questions on why such a group needed to exist at all. At its core, the group was (and is) trying to provide a voice for emerging leaders and a forum to educate the next generation, not because we wanted to do it ourselves but because so few programs exist to help nurture those who want to lead institutions one day.  Read the rest of this entry »

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“… it might be smart if we consider – both as isolated, individual organizations, and as a sector – what a “new normal” for us might actually end up looking like. If things don’t (can’t) go back to the way they were, then to the extent we anticipate what changes might be here to stay, the better we might be able to adjust and adapt to some new paradigm.” –Barry Hessenius in a recent post, Will Current Cuts End Up Permanent

Shifting patterns of cultural creation and consumption, increased digital technology, changing demographics and new leadership (or organizational) models have altered the cultural landscape in permanent and previously unseen ways. The door has been opened more widely for individuals of all ages to create, connect, distribute, and engage in community-based and entrepreneurial work. Many believe that the highly adaptive “Millennials” and “Generation X’ers”, are best suited to address these tectonic shifts.

So, let’s take a minute and imagine the new normal. What does it look and feel like? What are the new rules for our organizations, for the sector, for us? Perhaps, this downturn is an opportunity for broad, creative thinking about change in the arts and culture field, it’s leadership, marketing and financial structures? What are 21st century core competencies? Read the rest of this entry »

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