Culture Dinosaurs

I have to admit that the whole Golden Age vs. the Prophets of Doom nonsense put me in a bit of a cynical funk over the past week but it worked out for the best as that sarcastic energy was channeled into something creative. I’ve been updating the graphic designs at most of the Inside The Arts blogs and the latest round of pixel pushing was Joe Patti’s Butts In The Seats blog. One idea led to another and the end result was a new mascot that pokes a little fun at the declinism perspective…

A little good natured jab at the misanthropic clique, but click to read Joe's take.

For those who love minutia, the lizard dino is actually a pic from an item on Joe’s desk and the record label is his favicon image.

I’ve been singing Joe’s praises for years now and that enthusiasm hasn’t changed a bit. If there was ever a culture blogger that challenges the idea that the arts, as we know it, are dying; it’s Joe. Year after year, he continues to post a string of thought provoking content and hands-on resource info to make any arts professional’s job easier. Moreover, he reaches a very broad audience within the arts administration field so it doesn’t matter what medium you work, you’ll find Joe’s material useful.

So if Butts In The Seats isn’t already in your RSS feed or daily reading list, stop by and bookmark site. You’ll be glad you did.

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

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