I've Been On Board for 15 Years.

Everyone once in a while I read something in a book that makes me want to pound my head against the desk. Really hard. Not because the message of the book is stupid, or inane; but because the author beat me to the punch. But why should I be so hard on myself when I find people that resonate with my thesis? I should be happy with the validation, shouldn’t I?

So what’s so meaningful about The Cluetrain Manifesto to an arts administrator? You may be wondering, “Why the heck would an arts administrator be reading The Cluetrain Manifesto? Shouldn’t she be administering… art?” You’d probably be wondering next, “So what does an arts administrator actually do, anyway?”

It all started when I woke up to my purpose in life; right around my 30^th birthday. This sad little tale started in the mid 1990’s after the height of the Culture Wars, when orchestras around the country were noticing that the audience was graying. Never one for allowing the pity party to last beyond the smoke of the birthday candles, I realized that I could do more for the arts by putting my bassoon down and getting involved in arts management. Since then I’ve learned a lot about this arts sector; its barriers to connecting with audiences, and it’s inevitable path of self-destruction.

There are many aspects of arts engagement that are antiquated. Just pick up any presenter brochure. Read it. Do you really know what it’s saying? You get a whole lot of what, when, who, where and definitely how much (not to mention the really pretty pictures). But do you really understand why you would be interested in giving your time to the experience? Do the artistic directors, arts managers and arts presenters (generally) think about whether or not the audience really understands their message? Do most people know how to relate to the arts? And if they did, are they proud to say it? Or do they hide their artistic affections in the closet out of fear of being labeled elite, snobbish or worse – (gasp)! a band geek

I often ask college students when was their last arts experience. If they hadn’t studied music or dance privately, or participated in extracurricular arts in high school, and if their parents aren’t arts aficionados – it was most likely when they took a school field trip in the 3^rd grade to a museum or the Nutcracker. For that, I blame the 1983 Department of Education Report; A Nation at Risk. It was after that publication, when many politicians and local school boards interpreted their findings (of why we were then falling behind JAPAN in school achievement) to produce standardized curriculum and tests while pushing the arts to the side as non-core subjects. Do multiplication tables teach creativity and innovation?

At the same time education was failing at sharing our cultural traditions and artistic languages, arts organizations became even more elite with their communications. Program notes were written for audiences with PhD’s in music history. Theatre reviews written in newspapers required the reader to have a personal knowledge of every playwright reference known since Shakespeare. Even tour guides in museums would confuse their patrons by throwing about words like, “painterly” and “provenance.” I even know arts presenters who think all they need to sell a show is a really good copy righter for a well-placed ad.

Let’s face it. This is a country that has lost its value of the arts. And arts organizations are struggling to figure out how to re-engage with the audience. I should say more rightly, SOME people in the arts have awakened to the crisis. There are a few artists, educators, and arts leaders who champion the cause of audience engagement. Michael Kaiser, president of the Kennedy Center writes that the biggest problem in the arts is poorly trained arts managers. I think the bigger threat is that artists and arts organizations have forgotten that without the audience, they are nothing. But this is a tribe of people who seem to be committed to the nineteenth century ideal of the starving, misunderstood artist. To that ideal, the audience doesn’t really matter.

While the study of art has become ever more structured in the conservatories, the audience has become more distant to the conversation. This is at the heart of why Cluetrain Manifesto makes me crazy. It points out what has been most obvious to me in the arts world for nearly two decades.

The pounding started at the first theses: “Markets are Conversations.” I’ve been working with all types of educational and cultural institutions to figure out how to better connect with audiences. What I do is at the heart of why my forehead is a little flatter. Cluetrain Manifesto is a bible for me; not a manual. I replace every “market” with “audience” and every “company” with “arts/artist/arts organization.”

And while I attempt to gain a confidence in writing – which I don’t have – which is why I chose to become a musician in the first place – I read. Voraciously. I seek out perspectives in communications from a multitude of practices; marketing, journalism, and even social networking. I get a lot of theory. But I’m seeking a better practice.  Theory and advice are great – but I stay away from “how to” or “top ten tricks to saving your arts organization.” I’m developing principles that drive my activities.

The Cluetrain Manifesto reinforced every principle I’ve formulated in my work. Especially the one about “lightening up.” Seriously. Even Bruce Springsteen refers to himself as the Easter Bunny when he’s spotted by a fan in public. Artists must be more open to criticism. And I want to hear the audiences boo when the performance is bad. Because they deserve to be heard. But most importantly, if we want the audience to care about us – we have to care about the audience.

I see myself as a reference librarian for arts experiences. To some, I would serve more as a maitre’ D or a concierge. How can I help you navigate the bountiful landscape of the arts? If anyone is really interested in exploring that, I would first ask, “So – what do you like?” The more I learn about you, the better I’ll be able to tell you about some of the events coming up.

When words fail, [art] speaks

Hans Christian Andersen’s* original quote is actually, “When words fail, music speaks.”

This quote is a small comfort as I search for meaning, for reason, for some substance that led to the tragedy of last Saturday’s shooting in Arizona. Our entire community, country and even world is searching for reasons; desperately seeking something or someone to blame. 

I turned to friends to seek out inspired thoughts, wisdom, clarity, even a little bit of sanity. My friend and colleague, Jeremy Littau; assistant professor of Journalism discusses in his blog, personal reactions to the shootings. His point is not that our uncivilized discourse in media has caused the shooting. It is “that we shouldn’t have to prove causality [of heated rhetoric causing the shooting] to convince people to argue for a more civil tone.”

I couldn’t agree more. Our culture has become one of reaction, of uncontrolled outbursts. We accept behavior that would shame our grandparents.  We have lost a value of restraint, or of carefully measured words. It is here that I make an even stronger argument for the arts.

Art, in its varied forms of expression can communicate feelings and ideas in ways that words sometimes can’t. It seems as if we have to constantly learn the impact of how art can transcend boundaries of history, culture – even politics. Art can soothe, inspire, and even provoke. At times, art can outrage. But even the most intense emotion that is communicated through an art form forces the audience to think about what the artist is saying.  And through our reactions to the experience, art can also remind us of our shared humanity.

While I was searching for verification of H.C. Andersen’s quote, I came across another. Perhaps this one resonates event more in these times.

The human soul longs for things higher, warmer, and purer than those offered by today's mass living habits, exemplified by the revolting invasion of publicity, by TV stupor, and by intolerable music.” Aleksandr Solhenitsyn (Russian author 1918-2008)

And how interesting that I find quotes from two poets to sooth my troubled soul? And these artists paint with words. What also comes to my troubled mind, is the music that will be heard at the memorial services for those killed. Of the photographic collages, the video montages, the gathering of people who will share the spirit of the people whose lives were ended so violently.

Can we move on? Can sharing our expressions through art be a catalyst for more civil discourse. Is this something every generation must learn anew? If that is the future I see before me, then it is my responsibility to keep art alive in our society. To share the masterworks of the past, and to encourage the voices of now and the future, is something we must all hold dear.

* Hans Christian Andersen (Danish author 1805-1875)

Finding my voice. Restating my purpose.

I just spent the last four hours writing a post to the ArtsLehigh Blog. These posts are the full statements from which I extract a descriptive paragraph at the head of the ArtsLehigh weekly eNewsletter.

This newsletter has become standard operations for ArtsLehigh. We've been experimenting with it for nearly two years. We scan the internet; arts organization websites, regional calendars, and even Facebook to bring every creative and cultural experience we think students might be interested in and can get to (meaning, not too far distance from campus). We also add events that may be of interest to staff and faculty; because believe it or not, they also need someone to gather this information for them.

Our local newspapers are incredible resources for cultural calendars. But who has the time to pull all this information together in order to make decisions about what to do for cultural exploration? So we act as curators of information; maitre'd, concierge, reference librarian, name it what you like.

Somehow though, that didn't seem enough to merit taking up space in people's inboxes. I needed to give something more. An opinion. Insider knowledge. Depth. More of a reason WHY people should know about the stuff we were listing. I started writing a small note at the top of each newsletter. Sometimes, I'll have more than one thing to say. Sometimes, other people have better things to say, so I feature their thoughts.

I believe this is vital to raising awareness of arts importance in our lives. I hope that as this effort continues, our readership grows and engages conversation in the topics we raise.

Location Based Social Media – Might it be the Next Tool for Town-Gown Relations?

One of the greatest challenges of any university or college is getting students off campus to explore their local community. Students are often overwhelmed by the relocation from home to campus. Many are living away from their parents for the first time. They face new academic and social pressures. Many of them have never lived in an urban environment. Let’s just say that there is a lot to absorb. We find that most students are ready to independently explore the local community during their Junior or Senior years. Yet, in the Freshmen Orientation Programs, we spend an extensive amount of energy introducing students to our local community so that when they’re ready to take the initiative, they have a great experience.

Lehigh University students are not shy or reserved. They are passionate, hard working and generous young adults. But they are also quite independent. They cherish their autonomy. They like taking initiative – on their terms. Location based social media may be an effective tool for students to explore the local community because it allows them to discover places on their own terms. They can share experiences with other; they own their experiences.

Tomorrow, I will see the final presentation of the Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship (PSGE) ArtsLehigh team. This small band of highly intelligent and motivated teens have been working for five weeks on a project that uses location based social media to identify businesses and hot spots in South Bethlehem that they think will be of interest to Lehigh University students.  Since I’m aware of the many arts and cultural spots, I encouraged them to find what they thought would be relevant.

If one has been following trends on social media over the last three years, one would understand the capacity of these tools to help people connect.  I asked the PSGE students to take on this project because I needed fresh eyes to South Bethlehem and to Lehigh University. I’m excited to see what they discovered and their recommendations for moving forward.

As a reader of our enewsletter, if you are interested in reading the results I will provide a summary on the ArtsLehigh blog at the end of this week. Until then, if you want to know more about location based social media, please read this short summary. If the summary still makes things fuzzy, consider this scenario:

A Lehigh University student needs to buy some toothpaste. The student remembers during their Freshmen Orientation tour, a convenience store on Campus Square but forgets where that is. They ask their roommate. The roommate points them down the hill. For some reason, the student gets disoriented.  Student has a smart phone. Student logs onto a location based social media app that finds “convenience store near me.” Student finds the store. Up pop three restaurants within a block on the “nearby list”, but not in clear view of the street. Student finds lots of businesses on the nearby list; a laundromat, an independent coffee shop with free Wi-Fi – and tips from another user about that spot being a really great place to study…. Voila, information on terms relevant to the student. No doubt, the student will get to that coffee shop and discover not only is it a great place to study – but that the coffee shop presents local live music at night. And now their next social evening has a plan. See where this is going?

This week's hot topic: Dance in the Lehigh Valley

This week, we’re talking about Dance opportunities is the Lehigh Valley. But we’re talking about opportunities to move your body as well as your spirit. As it so happens, this Friday’s concert in the Sculpture Garden features the acoustic Quartet, Atlanta Crossing that plays and sings music of the New England, Cape Breton and Celtic Traditions. The band is accompanying the Lehigh Valley Contra Dance Group so there will be plenty of motivation to get up and learn a pattern dance with some friendly neighbors. As luck would have it, The Lehigh Valley Contra Dancers also host regular sessions for beginning levels to the more challenging Contras. They aren’t too far away from campus, just a hop, skip and an allemande left over the Lehigh River to the UUCLV church on New Street.

For those who may be interested in studio work, on June 15^th Laura Hausmann begins her 8 week summer dance sessions at Taylor gym on Tuesday nights For more information, please contact Laura via email.

You may also want to explore some of the many yoga centers in the Lehigh Valley. We have a few listed in the ArtsLehigh Directory: a quick guide to the arts at Lehigh University and in the Local Community.

The Lehigh Valley is now in full gear with music festivals; and if it’s hard to keep still while you hear a great beat – why hold back? Perhaps I’m just a push-over for the Fox TV show, “So You Think You Can Dance.”

And so the summer begins: Director's note (extracted from June 3rd newsletter)

In response to last week’s reader requests, we’ll be featuring some local finds you’re your summer explorations. As luck would have it, The Lehigh University Art Galleries just published a beautiful brochure on the campus sculptures.

This weekend has a lot in store. The SouthSide Initiative is hosting a potluck at the Maze Garden during First Friday. Stop by for a chat to catch up on their progress in community garden efforts. In addition to the First Friday event, Saturday brings the great South Side Sale. We hope you’ll visit, shop or maybe volunteer for a little time. Sign up here:  Please specify  the shift you would like to volunteer: All Day (6:30 AM-5 PM); 6:30-9:30 AM; 9:00 AM-12 Noon; 12 Noon-3 PM OR 3:00-5:00 PM.

Holy Infancy Church is also doing their annual street party on Friday night (5-10 PM) and Saturday (Noon-10 PM). For anyone interested in eating local ethnic food, you’ll satisfy your appetite on the corner of Webster and 4th Street. I’ve eaten some of the best Tacos of my life here. Don’t forget to try a Portuguese donut. They’re wickedly tasty. Finally, if you’re walking about South Bethlehem on Sunday afternoon, you might catch a large gathering of Kilt walkers. It’s not the invasion of the Scotts! It’s the Kilted Celtic Crawl fundraiser for the Celtic Classic festival.

Mindless pranks mean more than you think.

Walk along Memorial Walkway and pass the sculpture, “Woman Sitting on Bench.” You may notice the latest evidence of stupidity on our campus. Some readers will more than likely roll their eyes at these words. But the reason for this letter, is that I’m not only angered by the act, but also by our lack of response to it. This “prank” is an act of vandalism. The act shows disrespect, rudeness and ignorance; qualities of hubristic people. The pranksters probably thought it was funny. I’ll tell you why it’s not.

In order to repair the damage, all of the patina will need to be removed. Patina is a film or incrustation produced on the surface of old bronze and often esteemed as being of ornamental value. The patina of the Statue of Liberty is green. That green color is produced when a mixture of chlorides, sulphides, and carbonates applied to the surface of bronze oxidizes with air. In order to get the “Woman on Bench” back to its original form of white patina, the entire statue will need to be stripped, chemicals re-applied and cured – many hours of man power and expense will go into this process.

But it’s not just the repair forcing more work on the art handlers. It’s the lack of respect to the artist, George Segal. The “woman” was his daughter. Lehigh University raised funds to acquire this piece. The piece was chosen after the artist’s death. Our institution agreed to maintain this piece of art on our campus. This act of stupidity is akin to desecration.

Silagh White

Director, ArtsLehigh