Musings on practical solutions for Arts Management
NewsRoom Contact Us

Month: December 2025

Inspiring Midwest Quirky Art Stories

by

I mentioned last week that Arts Midwest sent out a year in review newsletter recently. In addition to the laundromat turned laundrobar in Columbus, OH that has taken a place in that city’s music scene, they mentioned they got a lot of positive reactions on stories about Midwest quirk. (And by the way, the Midwest doesn’t have a lock on such things. Three-four blocks from my apartment is a barber shop with a speakeasy in the bock.)

There is a lot to love about these Midwest stories. Duluth, MN has a smelt parade complete with fish head, erm headgear, and fish puppets. It is worth following the link just for the pictures.

A couple friends in Madison, WI teamed up and bought vending machines which they placed around town to dispense art by various artist partners, all for under $20.

And in Milwaukee, another group leaned into that state’s cheese heritage to help fund artists. The Grilled Cheese grant program invites people to have a community meal and then the attendees vote for the project the proceeds of that meal will fund.

Finally, in Iowa a woman’s first attempt at documentary film making celebrates pie culture in that state with the appropriately titled film Pieowa

I had to leave this one to last because readers will probably hop up from their computers in search of pie after seeing this trailer.

Important- Postmark Will No Longer Reflect The Day Mailed

by

Totally off my radar until I saw a LinkedIn post by April Clark. Starting December 24, 2025 your local post office will no longer postmark outgoing mail. The postmark will be places on the mail by the regional post office and that may occur days after it was put in the mail.

Clark pointed out that any donations mailed at the end of 2025 may need to be credited to 2026 based on the postmark date. IRS rules tie the date of the donation to the date of the postmark.

This will impact other activities which tie validity to the date of postmarks including tax returns, mailed ballots, etc.

A Forbes article on the topic suggests mailing things in person and taking explicit steps to make sure the postmark is the date of the mailing.

Buy postage at the counter. When a customer pays for postage at a retail counter, the Postage Validation Imprint (PVI) label stamped on the mailpiece indicates the date of acceptance.

Ask for a manual postmark. Customers who want a postmark dated when the Postal Service first accepted possession of their mailpiece may, for no extra charge, request a manual postmark at any Post Office, station, or branch….

Purchase a Certificate of Mailing. If you want proof of the date on which the USPS first accepted possession of the mailpiece, you can purchase a Certificate of Mailing….

[…]

But beware: Pre-printed labels, including postage printed from Self-Service Kiosks, Click-N-Ship online postage, and meter strips, only show that you’ve bought and printed postage. They do not prove that the USPS accepted the mailpiece.

Source

Certified and registered mail are other options.

One of the things non-profits are probably going to need to do going forward is encourage people to either use online giving channels or mail their donations extra early if they aren’t going to visit the post office to mail things in person.

‘Tis The Season For Ticket Scams

by

Yes, ’tis the season for ticket scams I am afraid. My venue often sees an uptick in complaints around the holidays. We often attribute it to the fact we have people attending events at our venue for the first time. Except people who have kids who have performed here for years with their dance schools, etc also seem to run afoul of sites masquerading as ours.

Last week someone in my regional booking consortium shared a news article about Ballet West’s problems with fake ticketing websites. We had colleagues touring our venue last week who made note of the warning posters and flyers we have placed around our venue and grabbed some copies to help with their own efforts to communicate with audiences.

A number of states are/have taken steps to prevent these practices, but as a member of our regional booking consortium noted, a number of these resellers are located in the European Union. He reported that not only do these people sell tickets at exorbitant prices, they will often file a chargeback claim noting that since they are located in the UK, there is no way they would have purchased the tickets.

One of our colleagues on the consortium Zoom mentioned they are relenting to a degree and taking a “if you can’t beat them, join them,” approach. They have begun having conversations with StubHub to handle their ticket sales because they promise more protection against fraudulent sales.

Meanwhile, other performing arts organizations are increasingly fortifying their online sales. When I tried to purchase tickets as a gift for one of my sisters, there was a queue to enter their website every time I tried to visit (including 1 am local time). Ultimately, I needed to call my order in since online orders by out of state residents were blocked. It subsequently took two additional phone calls over three days to get the tickets I ordered moved to a digital wallet so I could pass them on to my sister.

Those defensive measures meant to slow and deter resellers probably resulted in there being tickets for me to purchase, but as a legitimate purchaser I also ended up spending time inconvenienced to effect the transaction.

The Thumping Of The Dryer Is The Bass Line

by

Arts Midwest sent out a year in review newsletter this week. I was pleased to see there were some stories they had shared I had missed. One was about Dirty Dungarees, a laundromat in Columbus, OH that has been around since 1978, but became a Laundrobar in 2015 when the new owner started letting his friend’s bands play. A short distance from THE Ohio State University campus, it has apparently become the core of the hardcore music scene.

The story reminded me of the Laundromat Project in NYC which started out back in 2005 organizing artist residencies in laundromats recognizing that they were places the community gathered. They were offering opportunities to participate in arts projects while your clothes swirled in the machines. (Hopefully people cleaned any paint off their hands before reaching into the dryer.)

Or at least that is what they were doing when I wrote about the project back in 2011. If you check out their website now, they have expanded out of laundromats and hosted arts field days for neighborhoods, transformed a two bedroom apartment into a community arts space and set up a store front in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood.

The video I linked to back in 2011 explains how they organized and designed their activities. You could probably copy the model exactly today and it would be just as relevant and impactful regardless of all the advances in technology and AI.

Story Of A Community Coming Together Still Has Relevance

by

Fast Company has leaned into the Christmas season with an article on three financial lessons from the movie, It’s A Wonderful Life.

In general the tips are oriented toward investing your time and energy locally just as George Bailey’s Building and Loan had poured its members money into the local housing market.

Translated to 2025 this manifests as shopping locally, participating in local concerts, sports events, fairs, volunteering, helping your neighbor, etc.

Part of the general message aligns with the Greek proverb that a society thrives when old men plant trees under whose shade they will never sit.

The author cites the fact that It’s A Wonderful Life didn’t do well in the box office when it was released in 1946 but exploded into popularity after the copyright protection was mistakenly not renewed in 1974 and TV stations began to air it as an example of delayed recognition.

I am not sure this is the greatest example since it something of an example of broadcast companies exploiting a mistake. Unlike Mr. Potter who doesn’t get away with exploiting Uncle Billy’s lapse in the movie, the happy result of the movie becoming famous depends on the ubiquity of airings by entities who didn’t have to pay for rights.

This being said, the appeal of the movie is the celebration of the social bonds in a community. This message apparently continues to have a strong appeal as the screening we are hosting on Thursday has been sold out since last week–all 425 seats. You can see the movie in the comfort of your own home, on demand probably as well as on broadcast stations, but a lot of people are choosing to watch it in public and many are calling to ask if there are any secret unsold tickets.

Right now we are counting on people to be of enough good cheer to slide down and fill the empty seats between them and the next group so we can fit them all.

Recalling Your Brand Is Your Promise

by

Seth Godin made a post recently about what to consider if it appears your marketing efforts aren’t yielding desired results:

Marketing isn’t hype. Marketing is making a product or service that matters.

If you’re struggling selling the thing you made, it’s worth reconsidering the audience, the promise and the change you seek to make–and then be honest with your team about whether your offering is actually remarkable, or just the best you could do with what you had.

Source

This reminded me of a post I made almost exactly a year ago about Godin’s thoughts about branding being a promise you make and so rebranding should represent a change in the promise being made and expectations consumers should have about your business. He makes a distinction between re-branding and re-logoing.

They think a rebrand and a re-logo are the same thing, they’re not. A rebrand happens when you change the promise that you make, and the expectations we have for you. A re-logo is cosmetic. Rebrand at your peril, especially when the old brand is trusted, iconic, historic and connected to a basic human need. It’s a mistake to focus on clicks, not magic.

Source

That concept of branding being a promise has been living in my brain for the last year and resonating with a lot of what I have read and listened to about audience/community relationship and marketing since then.

Getting A Good Education In A Bar

by

h/t Artjournal.com which linked to a story about Lectures On Tap, a program of academic lectures being held in bars around LA, San Francisco, Boston, NYC, and Chicago. There are other similar programs operating in other cities under different names.

Academics lecture on a wild variety of topics including films,

…Taylor Swift’s use of storytelling in her music, how AI technology is being used to detect cardiovascular diseases, the psychology of deception and the quest for alien megastructures …

Source

The sessions tend to sell out very quickly. I suspect it is partially due to the fact that the relaxed context of the setting offers a degree of freedom to both the attendees and lecturers.

“I didn’t go to college so I don’t have any prior experience with lecturing,” says Garber, 29, adding that he’s interested in film production and is a “big horror fan.” But the fact that “I get to sit and learn about something that I love doing with a pint? Like, that’s amazing.”

The relaxed environment allows the speakers to let their guard down as well.

“I can play with certain elements that I maybe haven’t used in the classroom,” says McClellan, who made jokes throughout his presentation. “It’s definitely looser and getting around people who’ve been drinking, they’ll ask more questions and different types of questions.”

Source

I am always on the look out for programming ideas that create new metaphorical doors through which audiences can enter and this definitely fits the bill.

Back in January 2020 I met with a group hosting a storytelling series in bars about putting together a more curated version to host in the newly renovated reception space in our theater. When the pandemic hit, we ended up moving it into our main space so we could socially distance seating. Because audiences were literally able to see their stories being told on stage by people who looked like them and lived in their neighborhoods, the series ended up changing the narrative and perception about who was welcomed at the theater.

Does Gatekeeping Actually Create Better Experiences?

by

Every so often someone asks where the protest songs are during times of social unrest. Where are the songs commenting on social issues and fears?

It occurred to me that a lot of the songs people are thinking about when they make these comments were chosen by gatekeepers. From Woody Guthrie to Rage Against the Machine, hip-hop and rap, folk songs and rock songs, someone at a radio station or record label decided to play and promote these songs and not play other songs.

I am certainly revealing my generational biases when I mention songs like Nina’s “99 Luftballons,” Genesis’ “Land of Confusion,” Sting’s “Hope the Russians Love Their Children Too,” and Alphaville’s “Forever Young” as expressing fears about nuclear war.

There was a lot of social commentary in the early songs of U2 and Midnight Oil. Rush’s “Subdivisions.”

There are a ton more I can name but you’re not coming here to read an interminable list of my reminiscing.

There were obviously a lot of great artists whose work went unrecognized due to gatekeeping. And a lot of artists that got cheated out of what they earned by those taking advantage of their ignorance.

I certainly realize that even before people shifted away from listening to terrestrial radio stations, the use of algorithms to optimize listenership was already making radio playlists incredibly homogenous and also marginalizing talented artists.

But while streaming platforms like Spotify broadened access to music that suited consumers’ tastes and interests, they also introduced the tyranny of choice creating a tendency for people to gravitate toward what they already know.

The fact one can isolate their musical experience to themselves via headphones is probably also a factor. My musical tastes expanded and changed quite a bit thanks to roommates who introduced me to their favorites and accompanied me to concerts. (Not to mention, dorm mates blasting music into the halls. My first weekend in college, I was force fed the Beastie Boys.)

As I am reading the thoughts of other colleagues in the arts and culture industry on subjects like marketing, audience relations, programming, etc., there is an underlying message about a responsibility to create experiences that align with the expectations and needs audiences hope to fulfill.

To a great degree, professionals at exhibit and live performing arts organizations function as gatekeepers.

So I wonder if part of the reason there aren’t a lot of songs of protest and social criticism in popular music at times when there is social unrest is because there are no gatekeepers who feel obligated to pay attention to evolving tastes and interests of consumers.

Yinzers Turning Out For The Symphony

by

I saw that the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra had a $2 million surplus for their 2025 fiscal year ending August 31 and the largest annual ticket sales since pre-pandemic.

I was curious to see what they may have been doing to realize that success. Most of the programming seemed typical for a symphony with a mix of classical and pops. Though it appears they have a speaker series on topics unrelated to the music they perform.

Their Fiddlesticks children’s music series is celebrating 35 years in 2026. It looks like they encourage kids to get up to sing and dance during these experiences. They also have a Peppa Pig themed interactive “My First Concert” event. Perhaps this hands on approach creates a welcoming context which permeates the rest of their events.

There is a Discovery & Drinks series in venues outside of their concert spaces which provides an opportunity to interact more closely with the musicians.

Their Impact report talks a bit more about the type of programs they offered last year. Their cellists collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma on an arrangement of Fred Rogers’ songs struck me as particularly well designed for local audiences. You may remember that Pittsburgh was Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. They also had some other guest artists in Nas, Shaggy, and Ray Angry that probably engaged audiences who didn’t normally attend their concerts as well as shifted the perception for long time audiences about what a concert experience can be.

If anyone has attended PSO shows in recent seasons and can offer some comments about what they are doing right, let me know.

Billions Sold Doesn’t Mean All Is Well

by

There was an opinion piece by Damien Davis on Hyperallergic last month addressing the problems with the art world which are missed or glossed over by the news that Christie’s auction house sold $2.2 billion in art in November.

Davis says that the fact this is an increase over their annual auction last year is taken as a sign that the art market is healthy. However, it obscures the fact that artists are struggling more than ever with rising material and space expenses along with lack of health care because they don’t materially benefit when their works resell.

I have spent over a decade now talking about how economic activity is not a valid metric of the value of art and culture. Davis’ observation that it isn’t a valid measure of the health of arts and culture in society is a corollary to that.

The title of this post is a reference to the McDonalds signs that claimed billions were sold. Those signs were phased out years ago and I wonder if that might have been out of a recognition that the claim wasn’t providing compelling evidence of their success.

The purchase prices are often a reflection of costly signaling to peers by those who can afford the cost.

The opinion piece is fairly long and covers a lot of the unequal relationships artists and even galleries end up having with collectors. Davis lists some warning signs for artists that a collector may be pursuing acquisition of their work as a commodity to quickly flip rather than having a sincere interest in their work.

There was one section that seemed to echo some of the conversations currently occurring regarding the relationship between arts organizations and audiences and in some cases, donors. Many arts and cultural organizations employ a version of the “if you build it, they will come,” philosophy where they expect if they advertise an opportunity, people should come rather than positioning the opportunity as a solution to a problem the person has.

Davis says institutions often ask artists for art donations without really establishing a relationship, but expecting gratitude. One frequent complaint from audiences is that immediately after making their first purchase and attending their first event at an organization, a solicitation for a donation pops up in their inbox.

There has been discussion in arts and cultural spaces about allowing people to develop a relationship with your organization (and vice versa) before doing that, but there are still many places that continue to employ this practice.

Institutions ask artists to donate work, sometimes before ever engaging with them in any meaningful way. The ask arrives without context, yet the expectation is gratitude. The labor, time, and material investment behind the work is taken for granted. And collectors often imagine that acquiring a work once is enough to establish a relationship of care, but too many treat acquisition as a strategy rather than a commitment. They join boards, influence institutional priorities, and quietly use the language of stewardship to shape the future value of their holdings. The support is not always malicious, but it is rarely neutral.

Source

This situation isn’t just an isolated experience for visual artists. Performers are often asked to donate their time and talent to causes. It has been awhile since I have heard anyone complain they were asked to do something for the exposure, but I am sure plenty of people are still getting some form of that request.

Davis notes that artists pretty much provide museums (and performing arts venues) with legitimacy and credibility rather than the other way around. If a museum is noted for their collection or their ability to secure interesting work, it is a result of the participation they have received from artists in the past.

 Museums often present acquisitions as gestures of generosity toward artists, when in reality it is the artist who lends legitimacy to the museum. The language is always the same. The acquisition is framed as a milestone or an honor, but the truth is simpler. Institutions rely on artists to produce the cultural meaning they then claim to protect. Without artists, museums are storage. With artists, they become authorities.

Source

Holidays Are The Time To Design Experiences For Family And Friends

by

About a month ago, Colleen Dilenschneider and the folks at IMPACTS Experience made some suggestions for facilitating holiday season experiences based on trends they were seeing in survey data.

One of of the big things they noticed was that people are traveling much more than in the past, but attendance at cultural organization had been dropping during 2025.

The reasons for this is that while they were traveling more people were spending a shorter period of time away from home. Because so many people making attendance arrangements once they are in town rather than in advance, that represents a smaller window of opportunity.

Another reason is because people are traveling for the purpose of spending time with family and friends rather than spending time at a destination so the orientation is on being with others rather than seeing sites.

Given that visiting friends and family is the primary decision-making factor for travel this upcoming holiday season – rather than taking part in a specific activity – it will be critical for cultural entities to keep their eye on the ball when it comes to reminding folks of our power to create meaningful moments between loved ones.

Source

As readers might imagine, budgetary considerations also factor in to attendance plans at cultural organizations. Tangentially related to this, last week I noticed our bar revenue was down quite a bit over last year. Attendance at our events and those of renters has generally been within expectations over the last year, but apparently people were scaling back their spending in our bar and concessions.

There were a number of pieces of advice they offered for the holiday season and beyond. Among them were to lean into the traditional activities people engage in with family and friends around the holidays- Nutcracker performances, tree lighting, sing-a-long caroling, etc.

They also suggested looking at re-packaging and re-pricing experiences in order to position them as values. (my emphasis)

 Introducing bundles of special experiences, highlighting membership loyalty tiers, and underscoring strategic, time-sensitive programs … To be clear, this is different than a discounting strategy! .. simply offering a discount ignores the fact that admission prices are rarely the primary cost-related obstacle for those interested in visiting a cultural organization. Instead, these cost and price-related strategies can help emphasize an emotional ROI – wonder per dollar, connection per hour.

Source

Another form of re-packing mentioned is condensing an experience for people who are short on time. It may take the form of a shortened tour that will hit the exciting highlights of a gallery or garden and end with a holiday themed snack or interaction. In some cases it may just be advertising an existing experience as specially designed for time pressed groups/families with fussy kids.

One of our annual renters does something long these lines. In early December, they do a full performance of The Nutcracker at a venue about 15 miles away. Then in the week before Christmas, they do a 45 minute version focused on the “sugar plum” elements of the show at my venue sometimes cranking out 2-3 performances a day for some pretty good sized audiences.

Related to goal of saving visitors’ time was the suggestion of digital tools to support and facilitate the visit. For example, for admission, information delivery, wayfinding, parking, etc. It isn’t just a matter of having these tools. Communicating that these tools exist and are available to ease a guest’s experience can aid in the decision to attend an event.

Joe Patti's Musings on practical solutions for Arts Management

/ Find It!

/ Recent Comments

Butts In The Seats by Joe Patti is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
LinkedIn