André Solomon’s Post

What makes a Trend Buster organization? According to Andrew Recinos, President & CEO of Tessitura, it’s all about "steadfast leadership, exciting programming, an engaged 'family' of supporters, and an unwavering understanding of who they aim to be and who they aim to serve." Trend Busters typically adopt one of two approaches: 1️⃣ Broad Approach – They define their product narrowly but their reach broadly (e.g., a string quartet with a national touring schedule exploring digital delivery strategies as in-person attendance declines). 2️⃣ Deep Approach – They define their reach narrowly but their product broadly (e.g., connecting deeply with a specific community by offering opportunities to both attend and participate in the arts). So, how do you become a Trend Buster? Andrew suggests the following: 🔹 Look Beyond Discouraging Stats: While the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA) shows declining in-person attendance, digital consumption, and personal art-making have been strong for over a decade. How can you leverage these trends to evolve your mission? 🔹 Know Who You Are & Who You Serve: Trend Busters have an almost DNA-level clarity about their identity and mission. Take a cue from Ballet Austin and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, whose mission statements lead them to innovative success. 🔹 Go Broad: If your work has a broader appeal, focus on your world-class product and find ways to share it with the widest possible audience. 🔹 Go Deep: If your mission centers around a specific community, expand your definition of the “product” to serve that community in profound ways. Being a Trend Buster means embracing change, adapting to audience behaviors, and staying true to your mission while pushing boundaries. #Arts #Culture #Leadership #Community #AudienceEngagement #DigitalStrategy #MissionDriven #Innovation

In a past collaboration with Bloomingdale School Of Music's Diversity Task Force, Vida Manalang and I proposed appointing a Student Representative to their board. This role would provide leadership with direct access to student voices, needs, and recommendations, ensuring that their perspectives were part of decision-making. We, just like this article, stressed the importance of avoiding tokenism by not relegating younger members to “junior” boards, but giving them full participation. Currently, only 30% of nonprofit board members are under 45 (Independent Sector, 2024), and those under 35 are especially rare. This highlights a broader issue across many organizations, especially in education-focused ones, where student input should be stressed. To support this shift, we provided key considerations: 🔹 Who should be appointed? A young student? An adult student? Both? 🔹 What’s the student’s role? (i.e. give/get expectations)? 🔹 How do you prepare them? For example, mentorship between older and younger members is essential, fostering collaboration and perspective. 🔹 What’s their level of involvement? (i.e. Board Meeting Attendance) Bloomingdale’s mission of providing open access to high-quality music education underscores the importance of student voice in shaping its future. As the arts and culture landscape grows more diverse, it’s vital that students not only learn but have the agency to discuss, create, and play music that resonates with their lived experiences. Dialogue between students and board members can bridge that gap. Additionally, younger board members bring ideas and build trust with younger generations—a critical demographic for nonprofits. It’s not just about having new voices, it’s about preparing for the future and ensuring sustainability. Lisa Greer, the author of this attached article, offers strategies for recruiting and engaging younger board members, including rethinking qualifications, offering flexible financial expectations, and creating leadership pathways through mentorship. These approaches can ensure a vibrant and diverse board ready to tackle today’s challenges and prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities. By thoughtfully embracing generational diversity, we can build stronger, more resilient organizations. #Arts #Culture #Boards #Nonprofits #YouthLeadership #Mentorship #GenerationalDiversity #Philanthropy #Relationships

CONGRATS to Dr. Wenhua Di, SMU DataArts' new Research Director. In this interview, she shares her vision for the arts sector, emphasizing the importance of data and economic insights in helping arts organizations recover and thrive post-2020. She highlights how arts and culture enrich lives, create jobs, and build communities, while also acknowledging the challenges that organizations face, such as limited resources and overwhelming operational demands. Di aims to help arts organizations tell their stories, adapt to shifts in consumer preferences, and collaborate for greater efficiency. By focusing on data collection, partnerships, and long-term planning, she seeks to create sustainable strategies for the sector's growth and success. Wishing them nothing but success! #Arts #Culture #Leadership #Research #Economics #ArtsManagement #Nonprofit #Data #Sustainability #Collaboration #CommunityBuilding

📢 Join the Arts Administrators of Color Network for a workshop on Advocacy & Compliance Skills. 🗓️ Oct 22, 2024  🕒 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM EDT  💻 Online, Virtual  💰 $25 (financial assistance available) As BIPOC arts leaders and individual artists, we must empower each other to build healthier, more inclusive work environments. This session will provide practical tools for preventing workplace discrimination, establishing clear policies, and advocating for yourself or your team. Led by Devin Walker, a.k.a. "Uncle Devin - The Children’s Drumcussionist," this workshop will dive into key topics like contract negotiation, discrimination prevention, and creating equitable policies in the arts sector. #Arts #Culture #ArtsManagement #DEI #BIPOCArts #Advocacy #Inclusion #WorkplaceEquity #UncleDevin #ArtsLeaders #EquitableWorkplaces #Music

The survey of Public Participation in the Arts (SPPA) sheds light on two dynamics in arts engagement: First, "Understanding Other Arts Attendance" explores how race, ethnicity, income, and education shape arts participation—particularly for underserved communities like BIPOC, low-income individuals, and less-educated populations. These groups often experience barriers to traditional arts spaces, pushing us to think critically about how to create more inclusive and accessible environments. The study highlights that these individuals frequently engage with arts outside conventional spaces—such as religious or community-based settings—but are often overlooked in formal arts participation metrics. Meanwhile, "The Tyranny of Abundance" dives into a different issue: the overwhelming volume of arts content in the digital age. With limitless streaming options and algorithm-driven platforms, how do we truly measure meaningful participation? It’s not just about how much content people consume, but whether that engagement translates to deeper, more intentional involvement in the arts. The sheer abundance of content risks diluting genuine connections between artists and audiences, making it essential for organizations to rethink how they engage with the public in a digitally saturated world. Together, these findings challenge the arts sector to rethink inclusion, access, and engagement—both in real-world and digital spaces. How do we address the systemic barriers for underserved communities while navigating the complexities of digital engagement? Learn more using the following links: ⚫ Understanding Arts Attendance: https://lnkd.in/eTSJ_ZDZ ⚫ Tyranny of Abundance: https://lnkd.in/eh7zr6NU #Arts #Culture #Inclusion #AudienceDevelopment #DigitalEngagement #SPPA #Equity #CommunityEngagement #NEA

Sees another nonprofit posting "master's preferred" for near-poverty wages... Nonprofits, whether intentionally or not, often exploit passion. In arts and culture, many of us, myself included, deeply desire these roles and are willing to make sacrifices—even taking less pay. Yes, it's a personal choice, but how can we create sustainability under these conditions? While I understand the financial strain many nonprofits face, this situation reflects a deeper wealth disparity in the U.S. How can nonprofit employees truly support their communities when they aren’t supported? As Akilah Watkins, president and CEO of Independent Sector, points out: "...the findings suggest that the nonprofit sector is, in many cases, operating in contradiction to widely held values of labor justice and equity." 3,058,000 nonprofit workers struggling financially (and that's likely an undercount), the arts and culture sector is particularly vulnerable—experiencing more financial hardship compared to fields like healthcare and education. Workers of color, women, and those with disabilities face even greater challenges: Black and Hispanic nonprofit workers are about twice as likely to face financial hardship as their White counterparts. Even organizations committed to racial equity can struggle to support their staff. So, nonprofit leaders—how are you addressing these financial realities? Could foundations provide more operating grants to help small and mid-sized organizations pay their staff fairly? Could organizations ease employee burdens by adjusting work schedules for childcare or improving access to public transportation? Let’s ensure that nonprofit workers thrive—not just survive. #Culture #Nonprofits #Leadership #Philanthropy #LaborJustice #Work #Wellbeing