The Alchemy of High-Performing Arts Organizations, Part II: A Spotlight on Organizations of Color

This paper, based on research conducted during August and September of 2020, shares findings from a second phase of research investigating the elements of successful strategies employed by high-performing arts organizations. Phase I, conducted in early 2020, examined the strategies employed by 10 visual and performing arts organizations that financially outperformed others and 10 that once performed poorly but engineered a turnaround. It also explored the conditions in which these strategies appeared to succeed.Phase II explores whether findings similar to those of Phase I would emerge with high-performing organizations in the performing and community-based arts sectors that primarily serve communities of color,1 with lower average budget size than those in the initial cohort, and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the pandemic and key differences in organizational characteristics, many of the elements described by leaders of these organizations of color were identical to those that emerged in Phase I while others were depicted quite differently, and several new elements and connections emerged

NCAR Arts Vibrancy Index: Hotbeds of America's Arts and Culture

What factors make up a community's arts vibrancy, and which cities possess them? While the complex mixture of attributes is a large puzzle to piece together, it is increasingly sought after by civic leaders, funders and policy makers. As a contribution to this growing interest, we have undertaken an analytical assessment of arts vibrancy across U.S. cities and developed the Arts Vibrancy Index, a set of data-based indices that highlight metropolitan areas whose arts and culture scenes pulsate with vigor and activity in a variety of ways

Theatre Facts 2014: A Report on the Fiscal State of the U.S. Professional Not-For-Profit Theatre Field

"Theatre Facts" is Theatre Communications Group's (TCG) annual report on the fiscal state of the U.S. professional not-for-profit theatre field. The report examines attendance, performance, and fiscal health using data from TCG Fiscal Survey 2014, for the fiscal year that member theatres completed anytime between October 31, 2013, and September 30, 2014. Theatres' artistry, the contributions they make to their communities, and their influence on the artistic legacy of the nation transcend the quantitative analyses that are described here. This report is organized into 3 sections that offer different perspectives:The "Universe" section provides a broad overview of the U.S. not-for-profit professional theatre field in 2014.The "Trend Theatres" section presents a longitudinal analysis of the 118 TCG Member Theatres that responded to the TCG Fiscal Survey each year since 2010. This section provides interesting insights regarding longer-term trends experienced by a smaller sample of mostly larger theatres.The "Profiled Theatres" section provides an in-depth examination of all 177 Member Theatres that completed TCG Fiscal Survey 2014

Does Strong and Effective Look Different for Culturally Specific Arts Organizations?

This white paper examines the distinguishing characteristics of arts organizations that primarily serve Asian American, African American, and Hispanic/Latino communities. The study is designed to provide insights, based on measurable data, about the operating contexts and unique challenges that these organizations face. Co-authored with Andrea Louie, Executive Director, Asian American Arts Alliance and Zenetta Drew, Executive Director, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, the goal of the white paper is to provide a more nuanced understanding of culturally specific organizations and to help establish a more equitable measure of their performance

Bending Art and Culture Towards Justice: The Ford Foundations Creativity and Free Expression Arts and Culture Program Investments in Diverse Creative Communities

What lessons can we learn about how change happens for arts organizations and networks that center People of Color and disabled artists, cultural producers, and executive leaders, especially those who have been further marginalized by sexism, heterosexism and xenophobia? What is the influence of a $230 million investment in their stability, their ability to expand their base of support and their lasting impact on the artists whose voices and cultural contributions they lift up?The Ford Foundation's Creativity and Free Expression Arts and Culture (CFE A&C) strategy discussion began in the Fall of 2015 and targeted goals of shifting "entrenched cultural narratives" that were embedded in and driving cultural norms. The early theory of change was to actually expand the scope of mainstream ideals to include content by underrepresented creators – shifting their status from the margins into the realm of being visible and seen in the mainstream. The 'margins to the mainstream' strategy has evolved over time to center the empowerment of People of Color creators and those with disabilities. The construct of 'mainstream ideals' has shifted from including content by these artists as part of the mainstream to influencing who has voice and who is widely recognized and valued as the mainstream.This report, based on research conducted from December 2021 to April 2022, summarizes key observations and strategic considerations from an in-depth evaluation of the strategy implemented by the Ford Foundation to support CFE A&C grantees, a strategy set in motion pre-pandemic. The purpose of Ford's evaluations is not focused on holding individual grantees accountable for complex social change outcomes, and instead seeks to prioritize learning; and, more specifically, to learn about how change happens and share lessons externally. Part of that learning centers not only on whether current approaches are having the desired impact, but also on whether modifications to the approaches or other internal factors might yield even greater impact

The Ongoing Gender Gap in Art Museum Directorships

In a 2014 report, AAMD and the National Center for Arts Research (NCAR) found that a gender gap existed in art museum directorships. We found that women held less than half of directorships, that the average female director's salary lagged behind that of the average male director, and that these phenomena were most persistent in the largest museums. Three years later, despite press attention and field-wide dialogue on the topic, the gender gap persists, although trends showing incremental gains in some areas of pay and employment representation deserve recognition