As the political theater season kicks into full swing in Iowa tonight, I’m struck by the pervasiveness of contrived events — events designed and delivered specifically to be reported on and YouTubed and blogged. Way back in the 1960s, historian Daniel Boorstin labeled these as ”pseudo-events,” voicing concern even then about their impact on our […]
Here’s what our production line looks like
Manufacturing and production companies in the commercial sector spend a whole lot of energy understanding, analyzing, and rethinking their production lines — the people, equipment, and processes that make their products. Without understanding the nature and challenge of the process in great detail, they figure, they can’t deliver on the promise of their product in […]
Making arguments rather than complaints
Many of us in the arts are concerned and confounded by the state of the arts in our public schools. While some districts have made positive strides, others are stuck in a downward spiral driven by federal testing requirements and constricting resource streams. But, of course, being concerned and confounded has little positive impact on […]
When even local isn’t local anymore
My local alternative weekly, The Isthmus, recently profiled the face and voice of a persistent trend in local radio — the random shuffle with the human persona. While the idea has been in play for several years (here’s a story from back on 2005), it’s rare to actually hear from the human behind the facade. […]
A ruckus on rankings
When faced with a complex and important decision in our lives, how do we choose? How do we filter the available options, weigh their various merits and costs, and navigate the series of decisions and actions required to move on? It’s a question at the core of cultural management, even though our community’s choice to […]
Why we should care about Guitar Hero
KCRW’s The Business radio program has a great segment (about 20 minutes in) on the continuing rise of rock-performance-related video games like Guitar Hero and the hotly hyped Rock Band from MTV. While the addictive games may seem more like mimicry than musicianship to some (the goal is to click the correct buttons on your […]
Support the contents or the box?
The Guardian‘s Lyn Gardner offers a humble suggestion for a proposed levy on tickets to support London’s West End theater infrastructure: such money should support the contents before it supports the box. Says Gardner: In recent years, far too much public money has gone on capital projects and keeping the lavatories working in subsidised theatres, […]
Easily distracted
Sorry to be missing my daily posts this week (and last). Other pressing projects are occupying my brain. I hope to be back in business next week.
Dancing at the edge of nonprofit
The New York Times has a story on the increasingly permeable boundary between nonprofit museums and for-profit galleries that represent the artists shown within them (also covered by my blog neighbor CultureGrrl). At issue is a series of recent museum exhibits, where the galleries representing the exhibited artists provided significant financial and logistical support. Asks […]
Rethinking the audience chamber
It’s always a kick to hang out with Elizabeth Streb, which I got to do last weekend during a special course at Carnegie Mellon’s arts administration program. Course instructor Matt Dooley had invited me, Elizabeth, and theater scholar Lynne Conner to express and explore how the audience/art relationship might be changing (or not changing fast […]
