Arts Administration - Issues in Arts Administration

Issues in Arts Administration

Like any business, arts organizations must work within changing external and internal environments. External changes may be cultural, social, demographic, economic, political, legal, or technological. Internal changes may be related to the audience, membership, Board of Directors, personnel, facilities, growth, or financial operations. Another change that must be taken into consideration is the growing need for technology-based marketing programs (i.e.: social media) in order for the organization to change with the times and bring younger visitor and member pools into the organization.

Although a good arts administrator constantly monitors and manages change, they must also remain aware of the overall direction and mood of the organization while helping people do their day-to-day jobs. Arts organizations, as part of the economic system, experience the effects of expansion and contractions in the local, regional, national, and world economies. Many arts organizations struggle in difficult economic times. There are assistance programs specifically for arts and cultural organizations such as Arts in Crisis, which is designed to provide planning assistance and consulting to struggling arts organizations in the United States.