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Return To Band Camp As An Adult

May 13, 2026

by:

Joe Patti

The Associated Press had a story about adults returning to the band camps of their youths. This is both literally the case with places like Interlochen Center for the Arts where people who attended camp as kids are participating in the adult version, and more figuratively where people are attending adults oriented camps in their geographic proximity.

These camps provide the opportunity for adults of all ages to perform a whole range of music styles from folk, rock, klezmer, orchestral, etc., As well as participate in traditional camp activities like kayaking, yoga, and -erm cocktail hours.

It occurred to me that this might be a niche interest more arts organizations may find success in pursuing. Based on some of those interviewed for the story it appeared many had an interest in reconnecting with their musical practice without the obligations that community orchestras, choral groups, or bands represent.

The camp experience provides opportunities to discuss topics like performance anxiety which one may not feel comfortable broaching in a more formal ensemble setting. Many people also seem to prioritize the social connections over developing a higher degree of mastery.

He notes that the ensemble participation rate for adults over age 60 has doubled from about 150 to 300 people at a local music and arts center he leads. He said he thinks the social connection is key.

“And that’s something missing from a lot of people’s lives these days,” Grazier said. “So any time we have an opportunity to have a space outside of the home where we’re connecting with new people and sharing a common interest, it has remarkable benefits for our health and our aging.”

Source

That is why I was thinking some form of the music camp concept might be a program option for some arts organizations.

I think back to the TED Talk Jamie Bennett made where he discusses how people who played sports in high school have an easier time seeing themselves on a continuum with professional players than people who perform in a choir every week have seeing themselves as artists.

So if attending an adult music camp helps more people recognize their capacity for creativity, it is worth pursuing.

Art(ist) Education, Building Public Will For Arts And Culture, Business Models, New Initiatives

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Funding Goes Up In Smoke When People Stop Smoking

May 12, 2026

by:

Joe Patti

ARTNews recently noted that Cleveland (OH) arts organizations have benefited from a share of a tax on cigarettes implemented for that purpose in 2007.

In fact, the funding distributed from that tax is almost six times as much as the entire state of OH has received from the National Endowment for the Arts in the same period.

…Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, the levy has supported the arts to the tune of $270 million since it was put into effect in 2007. The organization has given out some 4,000 grants to 485 nonprofit organizations, while, in the same time period, the entire state of Ohio has gotten just $48 million from the National Endowment for the Arts,…

Source

You may feel a little uneasy at the prospect of being in a position to even subconsciously hope people smoke more in order to ensure your arts organization’s financial health. You probably aren’t alone.

In fact, when Arts Midwest introduced their Creating Connection program to Build Public Will For Arts And Culture, one of the parallels they drew was the gradually growing effort to eliminate smoking in public places. Their goal was the opposite — cultivating a social environment in which people gradually expressed a desire for arts and cultural experiences.

Smoking rates in Cleveland, which were apparently far above the national average have dropped from 37% to 19% in the last decade. (Recall the tax has been in effect for nearly two decades.) While the revenue has fallen by half, voters supported doubling the tax on cigarettes last year.

Building Public Will For Arts And Culture, Business Models, Fundraising, Government Relations

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More Info On A-Corp Potential

May 11, 2026

by:

Joe Patti

A little more information about A-Corporations I wrote about last month. Paddy Johnson writing for Hyperallergic had a little more detail and insight into how the corporate structure might be used.

One of the biggest benefits mentioned is that an artist could create an A-Corp for themselves without the need to hire a lawyer as they would when creating an LLC. That would gain them the protection of isolating their personal assets from their professional assets. The article suggests creators of public art might find that particularly important.

As I had mentioned in my earlier post, another important benefit of an A-Corp would be to allow the artist to retain 51% controlling share of their work. Hyperallergic gives some examples of the types of groups which may value this protection.

The rest of the benefits currently better suit musicians, filmmakers, NFT artists, and large collectives like Meow Wolf — artists with predictable, recurring revenue streams. In these cases, it makes sense for an investor to purchase shares to buy into the company’s future earnings. It makes sense, then, the A-Corp requires artists to maintain 51% voting rights and have a stated artistic mission. The last thing you want is a bunch of investors deciding what your art should look like.

Source

I hadn’t realized Meow Wolf was organized as a large collective of artists until I read this.

One thing I had been wondering when I read the initial reporting on A-Corps was how they would allow artists to leverage their numbers to get healthcare. I could see how an entity as large as Meow Wolf might benefit, but what about artists operating on a smaller scale?

In fact, Yancey Strickler, the person who has been central to advocating for the creation of the A-Corp form has been thinking about that. In the Hyperallergic piece he is quoted tracing the arc of business development from social media giants laying waste to the media environment, the trend toward everything being a subscription, and then an emerging trend toward smaller, private communities.

If we moved to private communities where we owned our content and could monetize it ourselves, perhaps we wouldn’t be so beholden to giant tech companies…

As it turns out, Strickler’s next project, Dark Forest Operating System, purports to offer just that. The idea is to create an entire ecosystem of collaborative artist-led communities, which would own their creative materials and charge for them. They would be able to join together to create a federation of A-Corps, pooling members to hit the thresholds that unlock true group insurance — the kind tied to employment, not the individual market plans most artists are stuck with…

Source

Paddy Johnson quotes a piece in the Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal which points out that how Strickler might envision the new corporate structure being used and how artists actually use it may not match. Artists being both non-conformist and creative may not avail themselves of some features but may flourish in unexpected ways thanks to other opportunities the structure provides.

Business Models, Legal Topics, Working In The Arts

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Finally, Someone Created Games For Theater Professionals

May 5, 2026

by:

Joe Patti

So a bit of a light-hearted follow up on yesterday’s post about states making laws to combat deceptive ticketing practices. I have to give much love to Ticketing Professionals (UK) Conference for creating a series of games for the ticketing community.

About a month ago I became aware of their Usher Rusher game where you have to seat people as fast as you can while watching out for VIP or special access patrons. It wasn’t until the last week or so I discovered they have a whole series of games, including one where you play as a ticket speculator where you try to buy low and sell high and a wack-a-mole style game where you try to smackdown ticket touts.

There is even a theater management game where you set ticket prices, marketing budget, and “balance public interest with customer satisfaction.”

I feel so seen!

But also, this may be way too close to what I do at work to be fun.

Check out the whole arcade of six games

Pricing, Working In The Arts

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