Artist: Debra Tomson Williams
Stitched Staples No. 1
Recycled staples, thread, acrylic paint, paper
8” x 6”
2008
by Heidi K. Rettig
Dedicated studies have been made of “best practices” in the field of arts and culture – some of them by yours, truly. The idea is that if we understand what is working in one place, we can apply it to other programs and help our clients meet their goals.
There is strength in knowing “what works.” Front-of-house management, legal, and accounting matters will all benefit from the application of solid practice.
But what about the creative side? In my opinion, the best work is art and/or performance that is both innovative and well made.
Flipping through the September 2010 issue of Harvard Business Review, I found an article by Amar Bhide about the importance of innovation in the modern economy:
“Innovations are unprecedented, one-of-a-kind developments. Even incremental ones require imagination. An innovator cannot simply rely on historical patterns in placing bets on future opportunities. Knowing what has worked before and what hasn’t is but a starting point. Innovation also requires considerable trial and error. Unforseen technical problems –or customers [audiences?] not doing what they had told market researchers they would–demand recalibrations that combine on-the-spot observations and historical knowledge with leaps of imagination.”
Sometimes, the goal is to do what someone else is doing, i.e. bring Broadway to Minnesota. But I suspect you’d also like to do something else. Something innovative? Something your own.
Pingback: TRACY