Zeitgeist?

For a stimulating and thoughtful investigation into policy, including how to know it when you see it, check out Barry's Arts Blog.

Leadership Development

What is the most critical issue regarding the development of leadership in the sector? Are there qualified people that just won’t go into (or stay in) the nonprofit sector because the pay is too low? Are the necessary skills and training programs lacking altogether? Does the “old guard” need to be jolted into a new way of thinking?

Alternatives to the Nonprofit Setting

Many communities (immigrant, youth, minority, low-income, etc) experience culture outside of large nonprofit institutional settings. What types of supports do these communities need for their cultural life to thrive?

Model Business Models?

Are there examples of organizations, networks, or individuals in California or elsewhere that have developed innovative business models or strategies that could be learned from or replicated?

Unique Function of the Nonprofit Sector?

What is the unique function that the nonprofit arts institutions fulfill that can’t be provided by the for-profit sector or creative individuals? Are there other functions that the nonprofit cultural sector could/should fulfill as some of its traditional functions are taken over by others? Have some of its functions become extraneous in today’s world?

Is Public Support for Culture Always Instrumental?

Has culture ever been funded in the United States for its intrinsic values alone, or has it always been justified because of its instrumental value in enhancing the prestige of a city or our nation as a whole? If the latter, what might be the most compelling contemporary iteration of a " civic rationale" for supporting culture today?

Critical Issues Facing the Arts in California

The James Irvine Foundation has sustained a commitment to arts and cultural organizations in California since 1937. That commitment, combined with the many changes the Foundation has observed recently in California's artistic and cultural communities, led the Foundation to embark on a project to examine the challenges facing California's arts sector today and identify strategies and recommendations that will improve the health and well-being of the sector in the future.

To assist with this project, the Foundation retained AEA Consulting to conduct research into the key issues facing the arts and cultural sector, and prepare a working paper to stimulate discussion. The working paper, Critical Issues Facing the Arts in California, is available on the Foundation's website. The working paper describes initial findings that are based on a set of interviews with arts leaders across the state as well as a review of the relevant literature.

For the remainder of 2006, The James Irvine Foundation and AEA Consulting are hosting this blog to encourage response and commentary on the issues raised in the working paper. We welcome your comments, and your responses to three key questions:

• Does the paper capture the most important issues facing the arts and cultural sector of California?
• What strategies could make a material difference to any or all of these challenges?
• How can sector leaders, funders and other stakeholders come together to create a healthier future for the arts in California?