Arts administration needs a bit of revolutionary thinking for the continued health of the sector. The future of the arts is already here, being ushered in by arts leaders who test norms, continuously evolve, and keenly anticipate tomorrow.

New audiences, technologies, and competition require successful arts leaders to implement new models, develop cross-sector partnerships and allies, and stay focused on their vision. The revolutions in our field do not appear to be complete departures from what we are doing. That is to say most of the fundamental work functions of arts administration remain (e.g. production, marketing, and fundraising). What is in flux are how these functions are carried-out. These new methods and considerations require some revolutionary minds.

Take the issue of diversity in arts administration. When we finally get past the rationale and case for the arts to address diversity (the Why) we get to a central question for many arts administrators: How does the diversity issue affect the way I do my job? The issues causing an inflection point (i.e. the big change occurring outside your organization) ultimately impacts the nature of your job. A simpler example of this Why vs. How question would be the rise of social media’s effects on arts marketing – while the job function of the arts marketer did not change, but the nature (the How) of the job did.

Continuing with the diversity example, this new reality (I should clarify, I don’t suggest the issue is a new one, but rather that the rationale to diversify has become inescapable) alters the approach to core job functions. In programming new considerations for representation in the art and artists; arts marketing begins to overlap with community engagement; and grant applications begin to ask for data on which new audiences are being reached and their demographics.

Diversity is but one of many of the new realities affecting the arts – other realities include the effects of new technology, the re-evaluation of the role of the arts in communities, and the changing habits of arts patrons. The common thread among all these new realities is that they require leaders to push the field to adapt, think iteratively, and not be deterred by failure.

For this blog salon we asked 20 leaders with various backgrounds to write about revolutions in the arts administration field. We received blogs ranging in topics from networks as catalysts for change to new types of audience engagement. Over and over again in the blog posts the theme of inclusion appears. To me that underscores one of the central purposes and functions of art: that it serves to connect us. As we all try and sometimes struggle to connect with our colleagues, our neighbors, or our patrons - this week’s blog salon demonstrates the field’s commitment to democratizing the arts and ensuring that revolutionary thinking is central to the sector.

Interested in joining the conversation? Meet us in Chicago for the Arts Leadership Precon!