Mike Gagliardo

It’s now been almost a month since I attended my first Americans for the Arts Convention in Baltimore.  Sometimes it’s hard to put things into perspective immediately following an event.  So now that I’ve had some time to really take everything in and process it, I’ve made a few observations that I thought I might share.

I met a lot of interesting, knowledgeable people at the conference.  That’s certainly to be expected.  I think one thing that I missed, though, was the opportunity to talk directly to other artists – not just those in my field, but artists in general.  I’m in the category of individuals who are both practicing artists and managers of arts programs.  I’d love to talk to more people like me who face the daily challenges of balancing administration and artistic expression.  It’s tougher to juggle than you may think – sometimes you have to be the one to tell yourself no in regards to a project you’d really like to pursue.  The artist in you wants to move forward at all costs, as he sees the benefit to the program.  The administrator, however, is the one responsible for the money or the time or the facilities or all of the above, and often has to play the realist to the artist’s dreamer role.  It’s tough to manage, and I’d love to hear how my colleagues make it work in their situations.

I think the visit to the American Visionary Art Museum was certainly a highlight of the conference, and I’d like to encourage Americans for the Arts to seek out cities with venues such as this for future conferences.  I am always encouraged by examples of those in our field that are making bold, successful statements.  I think it’s important, at conferences such as these, to make sure that there is a direct connection with art itself – whether it’s visiting a great museum, hearing an outstanding symphony orchestra, or spending a night at the theater, it’s crucial that this connection be a central point in any summit on the arts.

All in all I’d have to say that my first experience with the Americans for the Arts conference was educational, uplifting, and one that encouraged me to do more, and to become more involved.  I’m looking forward to what my role in the future of the arts can be, not just locally, but throughout the global community.