Cara Scharf
The following is an interview with Americans for the Arts’ Senior Director of Arts Policy Marete Wester. Conducted by Cara Scharf, it was originally published in ArtsLine, the Drexel Arts Administration quarterly newsletter focusing on the program, the arts and culture sector, and the students’ perspective.
Marete Wester’s professional journey started in the mid-80s with a Masters in Arts Administration from Drexel University and landed her at national arts service organization Americans for the Arts in 2006. As Senior Director of Arts Policy, Wester brings the voice of the arts field to policy discussions nationwide. This means cultivating partnerships and convening meetings with a diverse group of organizations to show how the arts play a role in quality-of-life issues such as the environment and education. One recent example of her work is the National Initiative for Arts and Health in the Military, which works to expand access to and research on the arts as effective tools in the care of service members. I spoke with Marete about her work and experience in Drexel’s program.
What is your typical day like?
I always have a lot of emails and phone messages to go through, but I also travel out of the office a lot. The exciting thing about my work is that it involves making connections between Americans for the Arts and other groups, to advance the arts as a part of the solution to larger societal and quality of life issues. I spend most of my time building those kinds of relationships.
How is your work related to advocacy?
Americans for the Arts’ Research and Policy Department is fundamental to our advocacy. We contribute to the Arts Advocacy Day position statements, produce the one-page Arts Facts, and provide customized Creative Industries reports for every Congressional district. Feedback from the field and our partners drives the issues we focus on.
How does your work relate back to art and artists?
We are in the business of creating a sustainable environment for art and artists to flourish. My colleagues and I work to enhance the structures that allow people and communities to access artists’ work. We believe the arts are an important part of everyone’s lives. We give advocates the tools to make the case for the arts to federal, state, and local elected officials for why funds are necessary.
How did you end up at Drexel and then in public policy?
I trained in piano performance in undergrad, but I injured my wrist, putting a crimp in my performance career. I saw Drexel’s program as a catalyst to involving myself in music in a different way, such as working for a symphony. I was fortunate to be a graduate assistant to Ed Arian (creator of the Arts Administration program in 1973). He was a radical pioneer in so many ways, and the Drexel Arts Administration program reflected that. Beyond the standard arts and business topics, he made sure we were in tune with cultural policy and community cultural development. He made me interested in how the arts ecosystem works, what influences it, and why it is important to be a knowledgeable advocate as well as a competent administrator.
What trends was Drexel talking about in the mid-80s?
One major debate was the impact of “new technology” such as VCRs and cable TV. Some arts professionals said that these technologies would destroy the market for live audiences because people would just sit in their homes. Obviously that did not happen! But the explosion of technology over the years has definitely influenced the marketing expectations of arts administrators as profoundly as it has influenced art-making. Subscription programs and a mailer are not enough anymore; we need to think creatively about how we use technology to engage audiences and demonstrate our value.
What was your thesis topic?
I interned with a contemporary, artist-run music organization called Relache. I loved the administrators, composers and musicians there because they were not only pushing the boundaries of the art form, they were doing it in a city that housed the oldest and longest-running “establishment” music institution-the Philadelphia Orchestra! I wrote a business analysis and case for Relache’s potential future direction and management structure post-founder involvement and examined how organizations move forward while still focusing on artists.
Learn more about arts policy and the work of Americans for the Arts here.
