“One of the legacies of the lengthy recession we appear to be leaving behind us is that arts leaders are exhausted,” writes Michael Kaiser on Monday (5/17) in his blog at the Huffington Post. “I have spoken with thousands of arts managers over the past six months and it is astonishing how many are considering leaving their positions in the relatively near future…. The vast majority are planning to leave their jobs with no new position on the horizon. These managers are so tired of struggling to create interesting programming while balancing the budget and appeasing their (nervous) boards that they feel they need a break. For the past two years, they have felt pressured by both passionate artists who want to do their work regardless of the economic situation and conservative board members, many of whose own companies are in trouble. The challenge of appeasing both at the same time has been overwhelming.” Kaiser writes that he hopes board members will “remember that the arts managers they employ have been through two of the most difficult years in their lives, and they need and deserve support, encouragement and gratitude.”
Posted May 18, 2010
