Author Archives: lindaessig

Unknown's avatar

About lindaessig

Linda Essig is Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Baruch College and principal/owner of Creative Infrastructure. The opinions expressed on Creative Infrastructure are her own and not those of Baruch College

Stopping the Binary

Posted on April 3, 2017 by lindaessig

I’ve just spent 2 ½ days with students from the Mike Curb Master of Arts in Creative Enterprise and Cultural Leadership visiting innovative cultural organizations in New York City along with my colleagues Daniel Bernard Roumain and Colleen Jennings-Roggensack. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts education, Arts entrepreneurship, arts infrastructure, Arts management, Higher education | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An NEA Story: #SaveTheNEA

Posted on March 16, 2017 by lindaessig

One of the most impactful projects I have every worked on would not have been possible without a modest $32,000 investment from the National Endowment for the Arts*.  The project embedded nationally renowned visiting artists and ASU Herberger Institute faculty … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts education, Arts funding, arts infrastructure, Arts policy, Culture and democracy, Higher education, Institutional Infrastructure, Personal infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Outrage is Easy; Strategy is Hard

Posted on March 6, 2017 by lindaessig

“Outrage is easy; strategy is hard. Outrage provides necessary motivation. But only strategy can deliver victory,” writes Tony Blair in a recent Op-Ed in the New York Times. I wasn’t a particular fan of Blair when he was Prime Minister … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts policy, Culture and democracy, Personal infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Symbols Matter

Posted on February 12, 2017 by lindaessig

Several years ago, I walked onto my campus and saw a swastika and two SS signs scrolled in chalk on a wall. They were high enough on the wall that whoever placed them there had to do so with some … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture and democracy, Institutional Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Art, Entrepreneurship, Innovation

Posted on February 5, 2017 by lindaessig

I’m finally catching up on some of the background reading I need to do for An Ouroboros, including a 2014 working paper by Laura Niemi that demonstrates that an interest in the visual arts is predictive of occupational innovation (as … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts entrepreneurship, Arts policy, Culture and democracy, Institutional Infrastructure, Personal infrastructure, Technology and arts | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Support for the Arts

Posted on January 30, 2017 by lindaessig

The phrase “government support for the arts” is often understood to mean, “funding for the arts,” and by extension, at least for some, “funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.” This last made headlines last week when reports surfaced … Continue reading →

Posted in arts infrastructure, Arts policy, Culture and democracy, Institutional Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The End of a (Really Long) Era

Posted on January 15, 2017 by lindaessig

Like many people, I was stunned by yesterday’s news that the Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey Circus will be closing up shop at the end of its current season. I have long credited Ringling Bros for kindling my interest … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts management, Personal infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

LA LA Land of Broken Dreams

Posted on January 8, 2017 by lindaessig

La La Land has gotten a lot of very good press and tonight may be awarded the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture comedy or musical. I, on the other hand, left the theatre saying “meh, but the costume design … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal infrastructure | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Universal Basic Income

Posted on January 2, 2017 by lindaessig

News that Scotland is considering implementing a universal basic income (UBI) scheme came just as I was finishing reading Ryan Avent’s excellent The Wealth of Humans . as background for my sabbatical project. Avent is a proponent of UBI, while also recognizing … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts entrepreneurship, arts infrastructure, Arts policy, Culture and democracy, Institutional Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

For 2017, Lower Barriers

Posted on December 28, 2016 by lindaessig

As I write my year-end post in celebration of the anniversary of this blog, I find myself still reeling from the results of the election eight weeks ago, my mind overwhelmed at times by the “what-could-have-been”s that gave me hope … Continue reading →

Posted in arts infrastructure, Arts policy, Culture and democracy, Institutional Infrastructure, Personal infrastructure, Physical Infrastructure, Technology and arts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment