What’s with the Convolution?

by:

Joe Patti

When I was at the APAP conference last month, Neill Archer Roan commented that sometimes it was difficult to figure out who bloggers were. I mentioned that I tried to keep identifiable specifics out of my entries because I wanted to create an everyman-everywhere environment. When writing about my own experiences I wanted to avoid having people dismiss them as having no application in their situation because they weren’t in the same region or discipline as me.

From some discussions I have had and comments the blog has received, I think it was a good choice to make. In some cases like yesterday’s entry, I think I may have gone a little overboard. In my attempt to avoid identifying the specific discipline by using words like “field” and “genre”, I think the entry may have been confusing and difficult to read. (And why didn’t I use the vastly better term, discipline, I will never know.)

I apologize to my readers for obfuscating matters in my zeal for greater relevance. I am not going to reveal the discipline out of a desire not to be seen as pronouncing its imminent demise. The other reason I am purposely vague is to protect the identities of the innocent or at least those deserving of compassion. If you really, want to know, email me and I will tell you.

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Author
Joe Patti

I have been writing Butts in the Seats (BitS) on topics of arts and cultural administration since 2004 (yikes!). Given the ever evolving concerns facing the sector, I have yet to exhaust the available subject matter. In addition to BitS, I am a founding contributor to the ArtsHacker (artshacker.com) website where I focus on topics related to boards, law, governance, policy and practice.

I am also an evangelist for the effort to Build Public Will For Arts and Culture being helmed by Arts Midwest and the Metropolitan Group (details).

My most recent role is as Theater Manager at the Rialto in Loveland, CO.

Among the things I am most proud are having produced an opera in the Hawaiian language and a dance drama about Hawaii's snow goddess Poli'ahu while working as a Theater Manager in Hawaii. Though there are many more highlights than there is space here to list.

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