Art Leadership

Yesterday we had a guest lecturer from, go figure, Rutgers University. My James Abruzzo came to talk to us about Arts Leadership and how being a manager isn't always good enough. Sometimes leadership is the missing element to the highest level jobs within arts organizations. He made it sound like when we finally graduate from this program we will be able to get jobs, which in itself was encouraging. However, I have had so much leadership training and experience that while he was talking I realized that I am actually pretty good at most of the things he said were needed! I could dress up and go to fancy dinner parties and fund-raise all the time. I could respond to the needs of society. I could take risks and focus on the substance of events. I could change what people think is possible. I act ethically. I could encourage those around me and find their strengths if they don't recognize them themselves. That all sounds like me. Now all I need to do is get a degree and some experience and show that I can do those things.

But how?

Strangely, this program so far has been a bit too lax, too easy, too mundane. I was starting to think, especially after talking to second years and having them say that it doesn't really change, that maybe this wasn't the program for me. Maybe I should head home and apply for other programs like the CMU one or something. But after Mr. Abruzzo's talk, I realized that maybe this is what I need to be doing. Maybe next year I won't stay in Bologna or maybe I will. Honestly, whatever makes me most marketable. (fun side note, he talked about many of the NYC museums as well as NJPAC and the Liberty Science Center and mentioned the Enola Gay controversy I studied at Dson- I love being familiar with things!!)

I have hopes for this program. I have really enjoyed two of the classes. I mean we watched a Banksy film yesterday and have done case studies on Starbucks, Build-A-Bear, and Amazon. Those are the classes that can keep me here. Hopefully the other ones get better too. I feel more encouraged about the program, now if only certain other aspects would work out.

Pray for me?