Abe Flores
Change is the only constant in life and in art. Demographic shifts, technological leaps, economic cycles, and cultural trends require creative, knowledgeable, and skilled leaders to ensure the relevance and resilience of all art forms. When old ideas, values, and models become obsolete, it takes leaders to chart the future to accommodate the changing reality. Experimentation, risk and failure are inherent in the charting of the future. No one knows if something will really work until they implement it. That is why I am a fan of the term “pilot program” – it tells the world that we are trying something new and it may not work. Younger leaders often take on the role of charting the future and piloting programs because we are the future: demographically diverse, technologically savvy, and more inclusive in our values.
The Americans for the Arts Emerging Leaders Council, a body of fifteen incredibly smart, visionary and engaged young arts professionals, acts as a brain trust informing and advising Americans for the Arts (AFTA) on trends, new ideas, latest models, and the direction of the field in order to assist in developing new programs and resources to promote professional development and networking opportunities for young professionals nationwide. Part of my role at AFTA is liaising with the council and working with them to present and implement their best ideas and strategies. In the couple of months I have been working with them it has become clear that there is much great work yet to be done. I am very excited to see what develops and very thankful to be part of the process. My brain is divided between my immediate daily tasks (blog salon, convention, digital classrooms etc.) and contemplating how we can best serve and advance the field.
When I think about charting the future of the arts I see bilingualism as essential. The ability to speak two languages, be it English and Spanish or Art and Community Development, bilingualism opens the doors to new communities, new solutions, and new collaboration. Arts leaders must have the administrative skills to keep their organization running efficiently internally but must also be ambassadors for the arts attuned to their community’s needs and current zeitgeist, with relationships within and across the arts sector. They need the ability to effectively make the case for the role of the arts in multiple areas of society. That will require individuals to deftly communicate the problems and solutions of the arts to other sectors and vice-versa. I deeply believe in Americans for the Arts mission to ensure all the arts for all the people. I envision that through increased accessibility to the arts for underserved communities, ubiquity of the arts in the fabric of community life, and increased awareness of the connection of art and our humanity.
No one person will ever figure out all the solutions to the current issues the arts face. It will require a community of individuals thinking big, failing big, and getting right back up to try until it works. A big part of my job is to know those leaders who are charting the future. If you are doing something awesome or know someone who is – please contact me!
For this Emerging Leaders Blog Salon twenty young leaders have been asked to describe how they are charting the future, to describe their vision, and to let us know why they think new ideas, values, and models are needed to propel communities forward through the arts. In the following posts you will read about new projects, new ideas, and some predictions of the future of the arts. Enjoy!
This Emerging Leaders 2014 Blog Salon is generously sponsored by Patron Technology.
