Two current trends in the cultural economy disturb me, and to counter them, I want to take this opportunity to discuss possible changes in the way we go about the business of art. These trends are 1) the diminished role of the artist in the funding process, and 2) the growing emphasis on quid pro quo funding relationships. Both are functions of gradual changes, primarily during the last ten years, in the way arts organizations are governed: the growing influence and importance of boards of directors in institutional management, the emergence of the managing director as chief executive office (CEO), and the increased stature of the development department. These changes in governance have led to an increased emphasis on long-range planning--which often runs counter to the artist's intuitive creative process--and an increased reliance on market research, the results of which are being used not only to inform strategy but also, inappropriately, to alter product. (p. 77).

Two current trends in the cultural economy disturb me, and to counter them, I want to take this opportunity to discuss possible changes in the way we go about the business of art. These trends are 1) the diminished role of the artist in the funding process, and 2) the growing emphasis on quid pro quo funding relationships.