Is local non-profit theater over? In crisis? In decline? About to pivot? On the verge of a massive shift? Funding is down down down. Ticket sales too. Was the pandemic the cause? Or did it hasten changes already in the works pre-pandemic? What are the remedies? My feed is full of dire threats and serious recommendations. I’ve been collecting these and am sharing some … [Read more...] about Now What? Celebrate Relevance.
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CA to Colorado on the Zephyr: Train Art and Culture
On June 12, I boarded the train for a 34-hour ride to Denver, on my way to the annual convention of Americans for the Arts. My assignment to myself was to write something about every hour I was awake. It turns out there's a lot of art and culture to see on long train rides. Tuesday 9 AM Seriously, I’m so excited to be getting on the train to … [Read more...] about CA to Colorado on the Zephyr: Train Art and Culture
What We Liked in 2017
When Doug McLennan asked me to write a description for my blog that ArtsJournal would begin hosting in 2017, I thought about the topics which move me to spend time writing—the things that I feel sufficient passion to write about without compensation. There’s no employer, no client, no contract, and no deadline. Looking at the writing I’d been doing for my own blog at … [Read more...] about What We Liked in 2017
The Aspen Pipeline
Today, a man elected last November is othering United States citizens, POC in Puerto Rico. We should stand up to that because it's important to call out our outrage—even though he won't be likely to stop. There are places where we have the power to make a difference—and it's a big miss (at best) when we don't use it. Like.... We hear all the time that the classical … [Read more...] about The Aspen Pipeline
How to Talk about Saving the NEA
Update: It's the 2018 2020 redux. The President's budget proposes to eliminate the NEA, National Endowment for the Humanities, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Arts advocates and administrators have responded with pleas that federal arts funding is important and can’t be lost without ‘devastating’ consequences for arts … [Read more...] about How to Talk about Saving the NEA
Don’t Make People Think About Guns, If You Want to Fund the Arts
Excellent news this week as Congress said ‘NO’ to the President’s request to eliminate funding for the arts. How did that happen? With a lot of heavy lifting. Every time we fight this fight (and it happens every few years) we have to call on advocates from every congressional district to lobby their elected officials. We have to ask our business leaders and celebrities to … [Read more...] about Don’t Make People Think About Guns, If You Want to Fund the Arts