Zeitgeist?

For a stimulating and thoughtful investigation into policy, including how to know it when you see it, check out Barry's Arts Blog.

Leadership Development

What is the most critical issue regarding the development of leadership in the sector? Are there qualified people that just won’t go into (or stay in) the nonprofit sector because the pay is too low? Are the necessary skills and training programs lacking altogether? Does the “old guard” need to be jolted into a new way of thinking?

Alternatives to the Nonprofit Setting

Many communities (immigrant, youth, minority, low-income, etc) experience culture outside of large nonprofit institutional settings. What types of supports do these communities need for their cultural life to thrive?

Model Business Models?

Are there examples of organizations, networks, or individuals in California or elsewhere that have developed innovative business models or strategies that could be learned from or replicated?

Unique Function of the Nonprofit Sector?

What is the unique function that the nonprofit arts institutions fulfill that can’t be provided by the for-profit sector or creative individuals? Are there other functions that the nonprofit cultural sector could/should fulfill as some of its traditional functions are taken over by others? Have some of its functions become extraneous in today’s world?

Is Public Support for Culture Always Instrumental?

Has culture ever been funded in the United States for its intrinsic values alone, or has it always been justified because of its instrumental value in enhancing the prestige of a city or our nation as a whole? If the latter, what might be the most compelling contemporary iteration of a " civic rationale" for supporting culture today?