Two months ago I decided to embark on a 50 state Arts in Crisis Tour. The purpose of this tour was to talk about the issues facing arts organizations in the current economic environment and to discuss ways to address these challenges. As I planned the tour, I thought I would visit the biggest city in every state. I believed, erroneously, that this would give me exposure to the most arts organizations and managers. Then I received a letter from Jim McIntyre, a board member of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo, asking me to visit his city. Like other cities in Michigan, Kalamazoo has been hard hit by the recession and many arts organizations there are struggling. Jim had another compelling reason for asking me to visit Kalamazoo; his children had attended my sister’s school, Bread and Roses, decades ago and he remained a close friend of my sister Susan. ….
Photography & Intermedia 