The Art of Governance
Boards in the Performing Arts
2005, 320 pages. Theatre Communications Group, New York, NY, 10018, Theatre Communications Group
"In any live art form, an inherent tension exists between the need for artists to court uncertainty and the need for trustees to contain it," write the editors to introduce this collection of sixteen essays that explore the spirit of governance by mining the nuts and bolts of effective practice. The articles are written by trustees, managers, artists, and consultants and lend useful perspective to such topics as national arts policy, the legal environment for the arts, artists' needs, board development, strategic planning, financial matters, fundraising, and more. While the lens the contributors are looking through focuses on the performing arts, specifically theater, boards and arts managers in other artistic disciplines will find much to apply to their work.