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Much To My Surprise, They Cited Me At Length

April 6, 2026

by:

Joe Patti

For years now I have been talking about the value of non-profit arts and cultural institutions in communities in terms that don’t emphasize monetary ROI to any group that will listen.

Recently, I gave an interview to a small free publication that is distributed to the affluent communities (their words) in my city and surrounding region. When I initially agreed to do the interview, they told me it would appear in the Investment issue. Given the audience and theme I figured they would be interested talking about the economic impact in the context of dollars and cents.

To my surprise, the article opened quoting me talking about the arts creating a sense of vitality, pride, and quality of life for residents and being a factor in what attracts businesses to communities. They went on to summarize my statements about my theater being one element of the local arts ecology alongside the museum, public art, galleries, etc. And how we intentionally focused on providing a broad range of experiences to appeal to different audience interests in the community.

They also quoted me emphasizing how we served as a community resource to host events ranging from performances, parties, anniversaries, celebrations of life, movie screenings.

All this in the first 4-5 paragraphs of the article and then returning to these topics later near the end of the piece. If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, nothing I said will be new.

“The first thought is, is this something that will stimulate and connect with the community, serve the needs of the community, offer a good time with family and friends, or create a moment of silence and reflection, or provide learning and education?” Joe reflects. “That is the driving motivation.”

[…]

“Really, the focus is trying to have an accessible experience for everybody from the community, so people have the opportunity hopefully to participate in activities,” Joe shares, noting that arts and culture create a relatability of shared experiences and a sense of belonging among community members.

Source

The magazine this appears in doesn’t have a broad distribution. But to be frank, this blog doesn’t really enjoy the readership it once did either. Every little opportunity to get this general message out helps.

There is something of an opportunity currently available these days where newspaper and magazine staffs are so small that they will tend to use what you send them nearly verbatim, but they haven’t moved to having AI do the writing for them. So it can be worth cultivating your ability to discuss these concepts or whatever message you are trying to get out, in a clear, compelling manner.

Advocacy, Audience Relations, Building Public Will For Arts And Culture, State of the Arts

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Unplanned Use of Space Can Improve The Space

March 31, 2026

by:

Joe Patti

Fast Company had a piece on how public use of spaces has changed the spaces and art for the better. The bottom line is basically, design spaces to facilitate flexible use and don’t try to re-assert your vision of order to too large a degree.

Author Andrew Zimmerman cites the example of the way people use the Getty Museum’s steps and lawns for picnics, sketching, socializing and reflecting. The original intent was to provide an attractive entry to the facilities but the use of these spaces has resulted in longer visits and positive perceptions of the museum.

NYC’s Chelsea Market is also spotlighted.

….the design at New York City’s iconic Chelsea Market didn’t stay fixed for long. Shop owners regularly shifted displays, reworked lines, and pulled seating in or out depending on the crowd. What started as clearly defined footprints, where one retailer ended and another began, quickly blurred once real people entered the mix. Those small, practical adjustments weren’t part of some grand plan, but they created a truly organic market that could respond to crowd patterns in real time. In many ways, that flexibility is what made it feel authentic and alive, it is another reminder that adaptation can serve the community, the vendors, and the space itself.

Source

Then there is the example of NYC’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority transit stations and Times Square where poetry installations, myriad performances, public art, graffiti, some officially sanctioned, some less so, occur amid the swirl of humanity.

Along with designing spaces for this type of participation, inviting collaboration, and not being too afraid of letting things get a little messy, I appreciated the tip provided by the article related to measuring the success of these efforts.

Measure engagement differently. Metrics tend to prioritize aesthetic loyalty or operational efficiency. But the real signs of success are more often how long people spend in a place, how often they revisit, and how willing the community is to engage spontaneously in them.

Source

Arts Facilities, Building Public Will For Arts And Culture, creativity

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Dang It, Grandma’s Parkouring Again

March 30, 2026

by:

Joe Patti

I always enjoy receiving ArtsMidwest’s newsletters. They often feature great ideas to stea..erm…adapt for use in other communities.

Recently they posted a call for pitches from residents of the Dakotas, Iowa, and Native Nations for short form video.

What does that mean? Film at least 10 short, vertical phone clips of a local art, culture, or community happening, and get paid to help us amplify Midwestern creativity.

We’ll handle the editing, scripting, and posting on our channels. You’ll get credit and $300 for your footage, a short write-up, and a couple of photos.

Source

Their examples of past submissions is where I found some inspiration.

The one that really grabbed me was the photowalks around Cincinnati where people meet once a week to take photos of little moments of life with whatever camera they have. I loved the idea for facilitating community building, getting people to wander different neighborhoods, and cultivating an appreciation for the beauty of every day occurrences It is the sort of exercise that helps people recognize their capacity for creativity..

Just because this one struck my fancy the most doesn’t mean there weren’t other great ideas in the sample they provided. The featured videos of a sculpture garden mini-golf course, art shanties on frozen MN lakes, and little free libraries turned into sidewalk art galleries.

I was surprised to learn that Des Moines, IA has the largest non-profit building with creative workspaces in the US with 180 studios serving 220+ artists.

And I certainly did not expect to see a video about parkour for senior citizens included on the list. But it certainly makes sense as a way to mitigate concerns about falling by help people improve their spatial awareness and comfort with falling and regain their feet. Not to mention the program encourages creative movement.

So if you live in the geographic area they are focusing on, get a proposal in. If you don’t watch the shorts and get inspired.

Arts Facilities, Audience Relations, Building Public Will For Arts And Culture, creativity

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Siloing Can Restrict Staff Professional Development

March 25, 2026

by:

Joe Patti

Apparently there is a growing concern in the museum world about the reluctance of younger generations to assume leadership roles given the challenges museum leaders face. This has been something I have seen pop up for at least 15 years for non-profits in general in the course of writing this blog.

On the American Alliance of Museums site, Ariel Waldman, writes a companion piece to research about generational perceptions of leadership roles. Waldman collects some anecdotal responses from colleagues and other Millennial and Gen Z professionals.

Many responses reflect expectations that administrative roles will take them away from enjoyable interactions with visitors and art works. Some that had made the transition found that their practical interactions were valued when it came to discussing changes in policy and procedures and that there was a degree of satisfaction in being able to contribute in that manner.

Waldman makes a number of recommendations about cultivating younger leaders that include supporting them through mentorship and allowing them to gain experience applying their skills on a larger scale or challenge than they might encounter in their current role.

One thing that caught my eye was the discussion of professional development opportunities being siloed by role and/or job title. Waldman notes that often funding is only available to expand skills and knowledge in an employee’s current role. She advocates for earmarking funding to cultivate an employee’s general leadership capacity.

Some people may not see their own leadership potential, so managers having the ability to recommend someone for training may be an opportunity to bolster someone’s confidence and belief in themself.

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I often read about the need to break down the silos between departments in arts and cultural organizations so that staff in roles like development, marketing, and front of house are unified in providing a consistent and informed level of service and experience to visitors.

I hadn’t really considered that the siloing can also result in fewer professional development opportunities for the staff in those roles, constricting their opportunities to grow in their careers.

Art(ist) Education, Leadership, Management Philosophy, Working In The Arts

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