State of the art: year-end reflections from nonprofit arts leaders

At the year's end, arts leaders reflect on issues affecting the nonprofit arts world, including the creative economy, diversity and arts education; plus, Broadway Direct recaps its top stories of 2013.

COMMENTARY

1. From KCET's Artbound: Philanthropist David Bohnett on the Creative Economy of Southern California by Danielle Brazell [ArtsForLA.org]
December 16, 2013

"L.A.'s greatest export is culture. The creative economy is the 4th largest employment cluster ... and accounts for 1 in 8 jobs in the County. ... [W]e cannot forget the importance of strengthening Los Angeles' creative core through strategic planning ... "

2. TCG Releases Special Report on Arts Education [BroadwayWorld.com]
December 12, 2013

"Workshops and classes in schools are the most common form of arts education programming, with nearly half of all programming targeting ages 12-18. These findings reflect the over 100 theatres that participated in the TCG Education Survey 2012 ... "

3. Defining Outcomes in Arts Education by Bruce Whitacre [Blog.ArtsUSA.org]
December 16, 2013

"What is the purpose of theatre education at the K-12 level? What ... objectives are shared by diverse programs in diverse communities? How do we reconcile a theatre’s objectives in engaging future audiences with the educational objectives of schools and parents? ... "

4. Difficult truths to face as theater leaders talk diversity, economics by Charles McNulty [LATimes.com]

"It took a while but near the end of Monday evening's diversity forum featuring the artistic leaders of Southern California's most prominent nonprofit theaters, the issue everyone was skirting was finally being loudly addressed ... "

THE YEAR ON BROADWAY

5. Year-end recap: Our top stories of 2013 by Broadway Direct [BroadwayDirect.com]

"Whether you see most of your theater in The Big Apple or on tour across the country, it can be a challenge to keep up with the Broadway headlines. But fear not! We've got you covered ... "