Category Archives: Arts policy

What to Read?

Posted on October 21, 2012 by lindaessig

Next spring, I will be teaching a short one-credit course for grad students “Readings in Arts Policy.”  The format is such that over the course of 7 ½ weeks we will read and discuss arts and cultural policy (in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts education, Arts funding, Arts policy, Higher education | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Approaching (Vibrant) Clarity

Posted on October 7, 2012 by lindaessig

Issues of Outcomes and Measurement included implicit criticism of the ArtPlace Creative Placemaking program for not using evaluation outcome indicators that reflected stated program goals, their overarching term for which is “vibrancy.”  I was not alone in this critique.  Therefore, … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts policy, Culture and democracy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Means and Ends

Posted on August 3, 2012 by lindaessig

It is Immanuel Kant who wrote that people should never be treated as the means to an end but only as ends in themselves. I think about this in relation to arts policy quite a lot. All too often, art … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts entrepreneurship, Arts policy | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

It’s Not the Economy

Posted on June 20, 2012 by lindaessig

For years I’ve said that the economic impact argument doesn’t work for the arts and arts advocacy.  We keep making it, but it’s not working. A comment by John Shipley on Ian David Moss’s Createquity blog brought into clear focus … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts entrepreneurship, Arts funding, arts infrastructure, Arts policy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Takeaways: Arts Administration Educators Conference

Posted on June 2, 2012 by lindaessig

I attended the annual conference of the Association of Arts Administration Educators for the first time, having now taught arts entrepreneurship for three semesters and seeing a course in arts management and another on arts policy on the not-too-distant horizon.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts education, Arts entrepreneurship, Arts management, Arts policy, Higher education, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

What’s My Discipline?

Posted on April 4, 2012 by lindaessig

I have just returned from the USITT annual conference with the often repeated question “So are you still doing lighting?” ringing in my ears.  In retrospect, I should have replied “Yes,” and left it at that because what does it mean … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts education, Arts management, Arts policy, Higher education, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

There’s Something Happening Here – 2

Posted on March 15, 2012 by lindaessig

What it is ain’t exactly clear, but over on Arlene Goldbard and Barry Hessenius’s art clout blogfest, Diane Ragsdale suggests that the NEA should be “disintegrated and it’s components set free” in response to Arlene and Barry’s prompt: “With a … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts funding, arts infrastructure, Arts policy, Culture and democracy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

There’s Something Happening Here – 1

Posted on March 14, 2012 by lindaessig

What it is ain’t exactly clear, but there seems to be a growing questioning of the status quo, or rather the stati quos.  Perhaps it’s a response to shrinking arts funding, declining audience numbers, exponentially growing means of distribution, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts funding, Arts policy, Culture and democracy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Shifting the Level of Analysis

Posted on March 5, 2012 by lindaessig

Adrian Ellis wrote a thoughtful and well-reasoned essay for the Grantmakers in the Arts website recently on supply and demand issues in the nonprofit arts sector.  His essay provides enough fodder to feed several months of blog posts, and I … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts funding, arts infrastructure, Arts policy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Most Important Arts Policy of All

Posted on February 19, 2012 by lindaessig

Arts policy discussions tend to revolve around arts funding, how to articulate the value of the arts, the importance of arts education, building communities through the arts, and the like.  We are so lucky we can be having these conversations.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts education, Arts funding, arts infrastructure, Arts policy, Higher education | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments