Arts in Crisis

Great Article in the Wall Street Journal about Michael Kaiser and the Kennedy Center's new initiative, Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative.

Arts Organizations on the Brink Are Turning to Him for Advice

"Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative," which Mr. Kaiser unveiled on Feb. 3, is essentially an online hotline (www.artsincrisis.org) for troubled groups. With the help of 12 Kennedy Center staffers, all of whom still have regular duties and responsibilities, and an as-yet-undetermined number of qualified arts managers (called "mentors") who can volunteer relevant expertise, Mr. Kaiser is confident solutions to most problems can be found.

"When there are economic challenges, the first things that staffs and boards cut are programming and marketing, and that's the worst thing you can do," he says. "You're guaranteeing yourself you'll have less revenue next year, and that's how sick organizations get really sick. That's why I'm so nervous right now and why I'm doing this."

Cutting budget is obviously necessary, "but where you cut is crucial," he continues. "I cut the free coffee for staff here. It saved us $30,000 a year. I've also cut back on staff travel, including my own. I've never met a budget I couldn't cut, in any organization, no matter how small. But if you start by cutting the programming, rather than everything in the back of the house, you're signing a warrant that everything will just get worse, worse, worse."

Another motive for Mr. Kaiser's initiative: As a national arts institution -- with a $20 million cash reserve, to boot -- the Kennedy Center has a responsibility to provide leadership and help to other arts organizations, Mr. Kaiser believes.

"We're very fortunate in that we have a very strong donor base and a strong audience base, so if everybody else is going to suffer, I and my staff need to pitch in as well," he says.

Read it all...