Americans for the Arts

While artistic and cultural access remain inaccessible to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, socioeconomic status, and citizenship status, this is even more true when it comes to Leadership within the nonprofit arts sector. As Executive Director of the Los Angeles Music and Art School (LAMusArt) I am committed to succession planning as a way to ensure cultural equity among all leadership in the organization.

As I look to my past to see what my task as an arts leader is for the future, I cannot help but think of cultural equity.

Succession planning is creating a series of feeder groups up and down the entire leadership pipeline of an organization. While concern for senior leadership positions is what comes to mind, it is the intentional retention of key staff members and volunteers, coupled with sufficient and professional development, that the sector needs.

By reading this week’s Blog Salon, you have witnessed evidence from change makers both seasoned and emerging—artists and administrators working across disciplines and sectors from all across the country: Ashlee in Miami, Dennyse in Reno, and Camille in Los Angeles, to name a few. As a whole, these individuals are making waves and laying the foundation for cultural equity in their organizations, their communities, the field, and the nation.

My professional trajectory has been a unique one. My start as an arts administrator came through an opportunity from the Los Angeles Arts Commission (LACAC), a summer paid internship with LAMusArt. Shortly after, I supported accessibility programs for Center Theater Group’s three theaters, which led me back to arts education program management at LAMusArt where I eventually rose to the challenge of Executive Director. Through my trajectory, I experienced ranging levels of inclusivity and varied degrees of commitment to cultural equity among organizations because they seem to misunderstand the process and benefits.

Through my experience navigating organizations small and large, here are some learnings I encourage you to consider when preparing for succession.

Have a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan to Commit to Cultural Equity and Create Local Value

Supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion not only makes economic sense—it is also the ethical choice. Arts organizations can fulfill their mission by working to transform with these concepts in mind to ensure fairness and opportunity for all. Learn from Camille’s work at CTG: Create genuine relationships and paid opportunities for people of color to provide cultural capital and intel in planning. Diversify your roster of artists and administrators, and create safe places for marginalized people to share.

Additionally, you can explore non-hierarchical access in ticketed events, tuition fees, and additional scholarships. At LAMusArt, we have ticketed and non-ticketed events, free and subsidized tuition programs, as well as additional scholarship support, so that every child can have access to an arts education that they lack in their schools.

Get the Board and Executive Leadership Committed and Involved

Create a task force or committee that can be tasked with succession planning year-round. Have them progressively check in on the staff, volunteers, and board members. Succession planning without time and resources in professional development is nothing more than an abstract concept floating in thin air. High-performing organizations spend more time developing people than merely drafting to-do lists.

Promote networking among all levels of staff, artists, teachers, and community leaders and value their feedback when planning goals, metrics, and the definition of success.

Take a Holistic Approach to Development

From the hiring process and through all levels of staff and leadership, reflect racial inclusion. Seek out innovative ways to engage new generations in philanthropy and arts leadership. Take the astounding data from Elizabeth Stroud and Jasmine Ako. Jasmine’s work outlines the process of creating a Young Professional Advisory Board as a feeder group to board leadership. Mentorship and the “buddy system” are essential to the development of current and future arts leaders. What may have worked a decade ago may not do so now, so ask yourself—in what ways can I innovate?

Seek those who express interest in development or those who seem to need help with fortifying their skillset. Offer the same learning opportunities across the team and avoid reserving essential educational learnings for only the top. Make sure that education is accessible among all levels of staff.

If LAMusArt had not taken these considerations in choosing their next ED, I definitely would not have been prepared or interested in the challenge. Now approaching year five of my leadership, opportunities still remain, challenges arise, but our board is even more committed to equity and inclusion, so that diverse individuals have the opportunity to lead and open doors for generations to come. As Gina Rodríguez mentions in her blog, “The work is slow, purposeful, messy, and incremental” — but if you implement any of these recommendations, you, too, can shape our future.

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This post is part of the Own Your Past, Shape Your Future blog salon.