The problem with problemization
I wasn’t sure whether or not problemization was a word until I looked it up and found that it is one. Problemization is to consider or treat as a problem (Merriam Webster). I’ve been thinking about...
View ArticleAmerican Mavericks 2012
The San Francisco Symphony is celebrating its Centennial this season with gusto — they’ve invited six major American orchestras to perform in their home at Davies Symphony Hall, created three national...
View ArticleDoes your organization need a Chief Experience Officer?
A big part of our choice of favorite products and companies comes from the quality of how they engage us. My favorite coffee shop not only has the best coffee in Saint Paul but also the best playlist...
View ArticleThoughts on being a worthy opponent
Earlier this month the Walker Art Center hosted a symposium on agonism in collaboration with Northern Lights. I only attended a small portion of the week-end’s offerings but even a small dose has been...
View ArticleNew business models? Bring them on
I have been following the modest torrent of discussion in the blogosphere about appropriate business models for the nonprofit cultural sector. A recently published paper was useful to my own thinking...
View ArticleInventive capitalization program reaping benefits for theater festival
The Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF) in Winona, Minnesota has created an inventive capitalization instrument that will interest the broader field. The Festival’s “Legacy Bond Investment...
View ArticleDon’t hope
About a month ago there was a NY Times interview with Ben Lerer, co-founder and chief executive at Thrillist Media Group. He says, “One thing we preach at work all day long is ‘don’t hope.’ What that...
View ArticleLandmark 1988 Oakland Symphony study released in digital format
Thanks to the efforts of Grantmakers in the Arts, the landmark 1988 study of the Oakland Symphony bankruptcy is newly available in digital format. Titled, Autopsy of an Orchestra: An Analysis of the...
View ArticleReflections on a week at Harvard Business School (and thank you NAS)
For the past two weeks I have been digesting the terrific week of learning at Harvard Business School that National Arts Strategies offered as part of its Chief Executive Program. The week’s theme was...
View ArticleOrganizations as platforms
I credit Steve Dietz, the founder and director of the Twin Cities’ treasured organization Northern Lights, with casually saying to me one day, “Build platforms not organizations.” It stuck and I’ve...
View ArticleNew digital culture report from Media Impact Funders
Late last week Media Impact Funders (MIF) released a report I helped create titled Molto + Media; Digital Culture Funding. The report consists of data MIF commissioned from the Foundation Center...
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What would a Minnesotan orchestra look like? A reverie on place
With the Minnesota Orchestra lockout over and with musicians and audiences re-united in the newly renovated Orchestra Hall, there is a lot conversation in our cities about what sort of orchestra we...
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Practicing extreme transparency: Why does your “About Us” section have to be...
Entrance to Walnut Creek’s maintenance yard As part of a major project I’m working on with the Philadelphia-based Wyncote Foundation, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the websites of cultural...
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Be the orchestra: thinking far beyond putting concerts online
Recently I went on an excursion with staff from Philharmonia UK, the London orchestra founded in 1945. The Philharmonia was then in week twelve of its thirteen-week iOrchestra project that engaged...
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Announcing Hothouse: Exploring new ideas in co-working with the Minneapolis...
Something new is launching in Minneapolis next week! I’m excited to announce Hothouse, a 12-week pilot co-working project I’ve created as MIA Entrepreneur in Residence. In collaboration with Hunter...
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Defining R & D in the cultural sector: why we need innovation in grantmaking...
As part of the research project I’m working on with the Philadelphia-based Wyncote Foundation (see previous posts), I recently had the opportunity to attend the Annual Forum for Nesta‘s Digital R &...
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What’s fear got to do with it?
In 2014 the Wyncote Foundation commissioned Lutman & Associates to research digital adoption by legacy cultural institutions. The resulting study, Like, Link, Share: How cultural institutions are...
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