Kamilah Forbes is an award-winning director and producer and serves as the Executive Producer of the World Famous Apollo Theater . In this episode, Kamilah and Erik speak about the Apollo's historic and current foundational role in American culture and the global Black community. They also discuss the Apollo's planned physical expansion, their evolution from a presenting house to a curatorial and residency non-profit venue working to develop a broader American canon, and the importance of gettin...
Jul 02, 2020•41 min
In this episode, we reflect on the wisdom of six CI to Eye guests who have shared their thoughts on racism and inequity in the arts and suggested steps to ensure cultural organizations are becoming more equitable institutions. Listen to Full Episodes President of the National Civil Rights Museum: Terri Lee Freeman Listen Now Multicultural Marketing Maven: Donna Walker-Kuhne Listen Now Dissecting Privilege, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Traditional Orchestra World: Jessica Schmidt Listen Now Is...
Jun 19, 2020•35 min
Drag superstar Jackie Beat has been entertaining audiences across the U.S. and in Europe for over thirty years with her razor-sharp comedy and hysterical song parodies. Jackie has written special material for the likes of Rosie O’Donnell, Margaret Cho, Sandra Bernhard, Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Coolidge, Elvira and more. In this episode, Erik interviews his favorite drag queen because arts administrators can learn a lot from Jackie about pivoting from live to digital programming and connecting...
May 19, 2020•35 min
James Langley is the President of Langley Innovations, a strategic consulting and training firm, which he founded to help institutions advance a philanthropic revolution. Over his career, James has worked with institutions across the country at different levels to help raise over $3 billion. In this episode, Erik and James discuss his humanistic view on philanthropy, which prioritizes long-term relationship-building over short-term results. Based on those principles, James shares how to authenti...
May 07, 2020•44 min
Seth Godin is the author of 19 books that have been bestsellers around the world. He has five TED talks and is involved in projects that spread his wisdom and generosity, like the altMBA, The Marketing Seminar, and his podcast, Akimbo. His blog is one of the most popular in the world. In this episode, Seth Godin—one of Erik's heroes—shares his ideas for arts leaders in crisis and beyond. Please listen to these ideas carefully, think about them, and share them widely to unlock the future for the ...
Apr 21, 2020•49 min
Colleen Dilenschneider is the publisher of Know Your Own Bone , the powerhouse website that provides data-driven insights about marketing, fundraising, engagement, and more for arts administrators. It's required reading for anyone working in arts and culture today. Colleen is also the Chief Market Engagement Officer at IMPACTS Research and Development, a data and technology company. In this episode, Erik asks Colleen to share her research about how COVID-19 is impacting intentions to visit cultu...
Apr 07, 2020•36 min
Matías Tarnopolsky is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The Philadelphia Orchestra. He previously served as Vice President of Artistic Planning for the New York Philharmonic, Senior Director of Artistic Planning for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Producer for the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers. Before temporarily closing its doors, The Philadelphia Orchestra gave a final performance on March 12, 2020, to an empty hall, yet still reached half a million people through lives...
Mar 31, 2020•29 min
Brett Egan is the President of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland, where he provides training for arts leaders on strategic planning, fundraising, board development, and marketing. In this episode, Brett and Erik discuss the seven clear steps arts leaders should consider when institutions are being put to the ultimate test. Brett also provides his guidance around fundraising, marketing, programming, and leadership during this unprecedented time. COVID-19 Resourc...
Mar 24, 2020•40 min
Anna Glass has been involved in the performing arts as both an artist and arts administrator for over twenty-five years. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem where she co-launched a collaborative initiative, with Virginia Johnson, addressing racial inequity in ballet. In this episode, Anna and Erik talk about the challenges of leading an organization through the loss of its founder. They also discuss how the Dance Theatre of Harlem came back from its hiat...
Mar 10, 2020•41 min
Adam Roberts is Co-Founding Artistic Director of Austin-based TILT Performance Group, a theatre company comprised of paid adult performers with disabilities. In this episode, Adam and Erik talk about the branding and positioning of the company. They also discuss what other arts organizations can learn about working with people with disabilities and how Adam and his colleagues have built a growing company with such loyalty that season tickets actually cost more per production than single tickets....
Feb 25, 2020•31 min
With more than 70 episodes, it can be overwhelming to dive into CI to Eye. This short episode highlights the archive so you can prioritize episodes that make the most sense for you. From leadership to marketing, fundraising and ED&I, there is something for every arts administrator at any career level.
Feb 11, 2020•10 min
Emily Simoness is the Founder and Executive Director of SPACE on Ryder Farm, a nonprofit artist residency program and organic farm located on a 225-year-old, 127-acre family homestead in Putnam County, New York. Artists from all over are invited to live and work on the farm, with the space and time they need to create their art. In this episode, Emily and Erik talk about how SPACE on Ryder Farm transformed from an idea into one of the premier centers for the development of new artistic work in t...
Jan 28, 2020•40 min
Since CI to Eye's launch in 2017, Erik has asked each guest, "If you could broadcast to executive directors, leadership teams, staff, and board of 1,000 arts organizations, what advice would you provide to help them improve their business?" This is their "CI to Eye moment," and we’ve compiled all of last year’s moments in this special episode.
Jan 07, 2020•34 min
At Digital Marketing Boot Camp for the Arts 2019, we hosted a panel called Fostering Change in Your Organization. You may work in an organization that fears change or does not evolve as quickly as you would like. This session asked, "How can you enact change and develop a culture that embraces innovation?" Jennifer Zaslow, Erik's executive coach and a two-time guest on CI to Eye moderated a panel that included: Terri Lee Freeman, President of the National Civil Rights Museum Andrew Haines, Direc...
Dec 10, 2019•50 min
At Digital Marketing Boot Camp for the Arts 2019, we hosted a panel called “Should Your Arts Organization Produce a Podcast?” With podcast listenership on the rise, we wanted to hear from arts administrators about their efforts producing podcasts. Alison Goldberg, Consultant at Capacity Interactive, interviewed three arts administrators about their organizations podcasting efforts: Laura Diffenderfer, Associate Director, Content Strategy, The Joyce Theater Elke Dehner, Director of Marketing and ...
Nov 26, 2019•48 min
After more than a decade of serving in marketing leadership roles at arts organizations across the country, Sean Kelly is now the Founder of Vatic, a company that provides automated dynamic pricing software for the performing arts. In this episode, Sean and Erik discuss what Sean's tenure at Starbucks taught him about using data to understand patrons, why people who work in the arts should not be choosing ticket prices, and what your patrons are telling you through their ticket-buying behavior....
Nov 12, 2019•32 min
Peter Linett is the President of Slover Linett Audience Research, a firm of social researchers who work with performing arts organizations and museums to help them become more inclusive, innovative, and relevant. In this episode, Peter and Erik discuss some recent studies that examine how consumers decide which arts events to attend. They unpack why uncertainty is a more significant barrier for audiences than unfamiliarity and how marketing and positioning can help audiences overcome that uncert...
Oct 29, 2019•41 min
Terri Lee Freeman is the President of the National Civil Rights Museum, where she works to emphasize the connection between the historic events of the mid-20th century Civil Rights Movement and the current issues affecting society today. In this episode, Terri and Erik dive into the history of the National Civil Rights Museum, how it aims to carry on the legacy of Dr. King and other leaders of the Civil Rights movement, and the museum's role in helping people connect the past to the present. The...
Oct 08, 2019•45 min
As Director of Customer Experience at The Cleveland Orchestra, Robert Phillips leads efforts in creating a new vision for the arts and culture customer experience. He previously led similar efforts at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and The 5th Avenue Theatre. Robert has also worked in hospitality consulting for BARE International and FreemanGroup Solutions. In this episode, Robert and Erik discuss what the arts can learn from the hospitality industry and how The Cleveland...
Sep 24, 2019•36 min
Mark Price is the Founder of Alchemy Collective. After 20 years as a musical theater performer, Mark discovered Vedic meditation and it turned his life around. He decided to dedicate his life to sharing this knowledge with others. In this episode, Mark and Erik talk about why successful people meditate and how Vedic meditation differs from other practices. Mark also shares a few techniques to help cultivate present-mind awareness from the comfort of your own desk.
Sep 10, 2019•36 min
Diane Ragsdale is a faculty director of the Cultural Leadership Program at Banff Center for Arts & Creativity; an assistant professor and program director for the Masters in Arts Management & Entrepreneurship program at the New School in NYC; and a frequent speaker, blogger, writer, and adviser on a range of arts and culture topics. She previously worked in philanthropy and ran two cultural institutions. She is a doctoral candidate at Erasmus University in the Netherlands, where she lect...
Aug 20, 2019•39 min
Sir Clive Gillinson is the Executive and Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall. He oversees all aspects of the Hall's artistic, education, and social impact programming as well as the management of the world-renowned music venue. In his fourteen years at the helm of the 128-year-old institution, Clive has been looking ahead to the future with the Hall's potential to influence music and music education around the world. In this episode, Clive and Erik discuss Clive's unexpected but monumental career...
Aug 06, 2019•37 min
Cardozie Jones is the founding principal of True North EDI, a consulting firm committed to equity, diversity, and interdependence. Cardozie has worked with the Capacity Interactive team as well as many other organizations on the practices, policies, and systems that have the potential to create inequity and exclusion in our workplaces and society. In this episode, Cardozie and Erik talk about the societal influences that inform how we experience the world. They also discuss how to distinguish be...
Jul 16, 2019•38 min
Melissa Cowley Wolf is the director of Arts Funders Forum (AFF), a new initiative from advisory firm M+D designed to increase private support for arts and culture in the United States. She’s also the founder of MCW Projects, dedicated to expanding the next generation of philanthropists and cultural audiences around the world. In this episode, Melissa and Erik talk about the findings of a recent survey conducted by the Arts Funders Forum and M+D, including millennial giving behaviors, how the cul...
Jul 02, 2019•40 min
Mark Schaefer is a globally-recognized business consultant and author. His customized programs specialize in content marketing, digital marketing, social media, and personal branding. Mark is the author of six best-selling marketing books, and his most recent release, Marketing Rebellion: the Most Human Company Wins , is a must-read for arts marketers. In this episode, Mark and Erik talk about how your most loyal patrons are your marketing department, the difference between “personalized” and “t...
Jun 18, 2019•47 min
Deborah Cullinan is the CEO of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA), the cultural anchor of San Francisco's Yerba Buena Gardens development. By using culture as an instrument for social change, YBCA is reimagining the role an arts institution can play in the community it serves. In this episode, Deborah and Erik discuss Yerba Buena Center for the Arts’ position as a cultural incubator and the role of change management in nurturing organizational health. They also talk about the iterative evolu...
Jun 03, 2019•40 min
Lily Weiss is the Executive Director of the Dallas Arts District, the largest contiguous arts community in the United States. Six different Pritzker Prize-winning architects have designed buildings in the district, which spans 19 blocks in the northeast corner of downtown Dallas. In this episode, Lily and Erik talk about the history of the Dallas Arts District. They also discuss why collaboration among arts organizations in the district is vital, and how auxiliary elements like parking, dining, ...
May 21, 2019•32 min
Lisa Niedermeyer is the Producing Director for Disability Dance Works, a production company founded by disabled dancer Alice Sheppard to launch art experiences at the intersection of disability, technology, and design. In this episode, Lisa and Erik talk about why it's important to have meaningful cultural experiences centered around disability. They also discuss how venues can create "joy equity" experiences and how digital experiences should be compatible with assistive technologies.
May 07, 2019•31 min
Darren Sussman is the co-founder of the Institute of Financial Wellness for the Arts (IFWA). The IFWA provides financial education and personal planning solutions to artists and arts professionals. Before launching the IFWA, Darren was the co-founder and president of TheaterMania and OvationTix. In this episode, Darren and Erik talk about why it’s crucial for arts professionals to have the freedom of financial wellness. They also discuss financial planning offense and defense (trigger warning: s...
Apr 23, 2019•29 min
Dr. Robin DiAngelo is the bestselling author of White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism and Is Everybody Really Equal?: An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education. Dr. DiAngelo has been a consultant and trainer for over 20 years on racial and social justice issues. In this episode, Robin and Erik talk about why diversity is essential among those who control the art and entertainment we consume. They also discuss combatting white solidarity among o...
Apr 08, 2019•56 min
