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Arts institutions are no strangers to the range of re-directs required to keep an organization from burning to the ground. Age-old sparks include institutional scandal, “dirty” funds, and “controversial” exhibitions. But in the last decade, the twists and turns are coming faster and harder: the #MeToo movement, recognition of pay disparity unionization efforts, and political protests. (All of which are necessary, for the record.)
A pandemic forced institutions to shut their doors and reckon with how to engage audiences (i.e., make money) without letting anyone (not just those who’d been going) into their spaces. Then the police murder of George Floyd prompted a wave of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion (DEAI) Initiatives, inclusivity statements, and diversity hires. Then came the DEAI backlash — prompted by either economic downturn or tenacious racism. The pendulum keeps swinging, adding to the anxiety of these uncertain times. But inequity and uncertainty are certainly linked — especially as we approach 2045, when people from the Global Majority will also make up the majority of the population in the United States. It’s hard to know which way to look, or how to plan ahead when things feel uncertain. But supporting the careers of people of color now stands to set arts organizations up for future success.
Over the last two decades, I’ve worked with private foundations, public and private collections, galleries, and museums, in a range of roles, to increase equitable access to arts. Last April, Ola Mobolade, Julia V. Hendrickson, and I founded the recruiting, human resources, and talent agency VERGE as a direct response to the ways in which people from the Global Majority were offered positions in arts institutions at unprecedented rates. We’d observed how splashy announcements of new hires often papered over short (and painful) tenures and decided to try to remedy harmful, even if well-intentioned, hiring practices. This combined experience has taught me a few things about what to do when it’s hard to know which end is up. Below are three key suggestions that may help arts organizations of all sizes — from nonprofit community-based centers to large museums and commercial galleries — to prepare for a future in which they can continue to thrive, while staying responsive to the communities they intend to serve.
Empower Staff
An organization’s health is tied to stability, which is often linked to annual calculations of retention and turnover. High retention and low turnover are measurements of a healthy organization. A sense of belonging is also part of the equation, yet according to a 2023 report by Museums Moving Forward (MMF), “60% of art museum workers are thinking about leaving their jobs, and 68% are considering leaving the field altogether.” These rates are higher than in other fields.
Combating an unhealthy organizational trend of high turnover and low retention is never easy, but it tends to happen during periods of instability. The combination of the two can have long-lasting effects. Employee morale suffers, as does the organization’s bottom line: We know that it can cost one half of and up to twice an employee’s salary to replace them. In turbulent times, when budgets are precarious, it can be tricky to bounce back from such an expense. So, what if instability became an opportunity to reevaluate organizational practices that support retention, instead of supporting workforce reduction?
The MMF data also suggests that one of the major sources of career dissatisfaction is a lack of opportunities for growth or career advancement. The report highlights the fact that “the path to promotion and seniority is long and uncertain, with an average tenure of 12 years in an institution before a promotion.” Now consider this: Entry-level workers, who make up the most diverse part of the museum workforce, are also on the longest track to promotion.
But what if our present instability actually presents a path to promotion? What if the ground shifting beneath us is an opportunity for more responsibility (which would need to be clearly defined and paid proportionally), instead of fewer over-stretched people?
At VERGE, we speak with exceptionally talented people nearly every day. People who want to make an impact in the arts. Some are advanced in non-art careers but want to break into this industry. Some have started in entry-level positions and are patiently waiting for a promotion while trying to stave off burnout. Others have come into their organizations at higher levels, prepared to navigate each pivot because they truly believe in the mission, and are inspired by good leadership — because a good leader doesn’t tell people what to do. They bring people with them, through the change.
Don’t Fear Leadership Transition
Sometimes, though, a shift in leadership is the reason for organizational upheaval — which doesn’t necessarily mean starting from scratch. (Though sometimes it should.) That said, when the path forward looks unclear, a pause for reflection is often the best next step. Enter, the interim leader.
While outside interim leadership is commonplace in other industries, the art world has been slower to adopt this measure — even as a range of professionals are ready and willing to move into these roles. For some, interim opportunities provide a way to bring skills and resources to organizations in need as they look to slow down their careers. For others, interim positions are a way to gain valuable work experience while building career momentum. Either way, organizations such as the Support Center offer interim leadership training so that a range of professionals can transition into this critical role.
Jenni Kim has served in lead operating and administrative roles at major museums and cultural organizations, including MoMA PS1. In a recent email exchange, she and I discussed the value of interim leadership. Her take? “An interim leader can play the pivotal dual roles of 1) giving an organization time to find and transition to its next leader, and 2) handling immediate and short-term needs that clear the deck for the next leader.”
This is especially true when the organization is reckoning with major institutional re-directs. Because the truth is, if a leader has held a position for decades without feeling the pressure to build an inclusive workforce, it will be difficult to turn this hulking ship in a new direction. But as Kim points out, “Interim leadership, by definition, is meant to provide stability, facilitate transition, and onboard the next leader — which are essential to setting up new and diverse leaders for success.”
Furthermore, once the new leader is in place, give them time. A recent Bridgespan Group timeline suggests that leaders from the Global Majority feel self-doubt and isolation in the year after transitioning into a leadership role, and that it could take up to three years before they feel as if their efforts are gaining traction.
“A leadership transition will likely change an organization in a number of ways, planned or not,” Kim said . “So, it is a critical moment for the board to reflect and assess their readiness to support and invest in setting-up new and diverse leaders for success.” Because diverse perspectives will lead us closer to fulfilling those loud calls for change.
The Board Wants to Help
Board members ostensibly volunteer to bring their wisdom and expertise to the organization so that it may thrive. But often they don’t actually know how to help. In part, this is because the art world, in general, is extremely opaque — resources are often held in the grip of gatekeepers. This is partially because board members don’t always know the ins and outs of what’s happening within their own organizations because they’re busy people, and/or because sometimes it’s “easier” for them just not to know.
Be that as it may, as calls for institutional accountability grow louder, some board members want to play more active roles. They want to be aligned with a healthy and thriving organization. So, if the organization needs help, look to the board. Executive leaders, share the load. Board members are in a position to help when they are 1) aware of internal challenges, not only financial challenges; 2) asked for specific kinds of support, e.g., leadership advice or input on navigating strategic pivots; and 3) given the opportunities to ask difficult questions and have candid conversations. It’s worth mentioning here that interim leaders are uniquely able to have honest, and sometimes difficult, conversations with the board.
Being a board member isn’t easy. In light of this, the nonprofit Black Trustee Alliance For Art Museums (BTA) was founded specifically to help Black board members make meaningful impact within their institutions. BTA Executive Director Diane Jean-Mary, recently explained to me how the organization works to make trustees more effective agents of change. It starts with building individual agency in the boardroom and extends to equipping BTA members with the network and resources for collective change.
“Two of the most vital roles of trusteeship are selecting who gets to run the institution and holding the organization to its mission and values,” she explained. “When you have diverse trustee perspectives guiding those foundational areas, it makes for a more equitable organization. Trustees can guide museums to be better for audiences, for cultural workers, and for artists.”
But even the best-resourced board member needs an executive leadership team that’s prepared to pause and reflect, and a staff that is inspired by and trusts the institution’s leaders.
A collective ecosystem of stakeholders — board members, senior leadership, and staff — stands to move beyond calls for accountability and closer to actual, and sustainable, change.
To be clear, “sustainability” is more than a throwaway word used to bolster hope. It is the foundation upon which our values will flourish, long after we are gone. Sustainability isn’t merely a neverending slog toward meeting goals, but rather a balanced and responsive exchange of all manner of resources. And in the workplace, sustainability allows all of us to keep doing what inspires us, and maybe even others.
The truth is times are always uncertain. We don’t know what’s next. But if art is about unpacking ideas through a range of perspectives and mediums, it’s the people within the arts organizations who will get us through any pivotal time.
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