Putting the Arts Back Into Arts Administration

By Dr. Christina Placilla, Executive Director of Church Street School for Music & Art

I gently grasped the bow in my hand, pinky flexing lightly, as I raised my arm, took a breath, and looked at my colleagues while pulling the first note from my viola on stage after a five-year hiatus. I was back! The stage lights dancing onto my music, the visceral expansion internally as I shaped the phrase and carefully placed my fingers into position to craft the melody. The joy of creating music again—the drama, the uncertainty of what might happen in live performance, and the beauty of sharing a composer’s vision. Back on stage- I am a violist again! 

Church Street School faculty performers celebrating after the Faculty Recital

I have been an arts educator at all levels of learning and now I have been in arts administration roles for the last five years. As an educator, I was encouraged to continue my craft.  I played regularly in symphonies, gave solo recitals, and made recordings. I was able to find a balance between the daily life of being a musician, a mother, and an arts educator, but that see-saw toppled once I made the move into arts administration. I was actively encouraged to discontinue my performance career and to focus on ensuring others got access to the arts and were supported in their artistic goals. I chose to put my music career and artistry on hold. I tried to find as many opportunities as possible to play and to teach music through my job, but something was missing from my daily existence, and I lost a bit of myself in the process. 

Last year, I was able to transition to a new role, Executive Director of Church Street School for Music and Art in New York City. This change gave me space to reflect on all that I was missing, and I created opportunities to resume performance. This has had positive implications for my overall mental and physical health and has led me to reflect on the crisis of burnout amongst non-profit arts administrators. Studies have concluded that burnout for arts administrators has real implications for arts professionals- such as the 2018 study by Sue Hoyle and researchers at Kings College London, that discuss the health and well-being implications the field has on those who choose this calling. Organizations such as the Wallace Foundation put resources into assisting arts administrators during the pandemic due to the rising challenges for mental health and satisfaction in the field, but now that we have moved past the Covid-era, how are arts administrators using their art to inform their administrative careers to combat burnout through the creation of art itself?

I spoke with Matthew Tommasini (composer and Director, Very Young Composers and Community Programs at the New York Philharmonic), Grant Stewart (saxophonist/composer and Artistic Director of the Tribeca Jazz Institute),  SoYoung Lee (pianist and Executive and Artistic Director of Rocky Ridge Music), and Armand Hall (clarinetist/conductor and Director of Programs at Gateways Music Festival, Inc.) to get their views on continuing their artistry while pursuing administrative roles. 

Why do you feel it is important for you to continue to pursue your artistry as an arts administrator?

• Matthew: “I feel continuing to be an arts practitioner is a kind of administrative professional development. By remaining connected to the creative process as an artist, I am not only more efficient at my work by being able to speak the same language as an artist, but I can more easily think creatively and “out of the box” when it comes to administrative problem solving.” 

• SoYoung: “I find it important to take care of myself through creative activities that nurture the core values that I hold dear. Continuing to perform also connects me to my artist faculty as an empathetic colleague rather than lording over them as their ‘boss.’ It grounds me in the ‘why I do what I do.’ Music is such a transformative force!” 

What have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced with the delicate balance between your artistic projects and the administrative duties?

• Matthew: “The biggest challenge is time availability. Often times, administrative priorities that can't be avoided have forced me to make tough decisions to deprioritize a creative goal. To make things more complicated, there is also the time it takes to manage the administration related to a creative career as an artist. As a composer, I need to devote time alone to writing a piece of music, but I also have to set aside time to build a network of other musicians, ensembles, and organizations interested in commissioning and performing my work. Many times, there are not enough hours in a day.”

• Armand: “I had to fully accept that my experience as a musician is not exactly like others and what I am willing to do to make a situation work is not equal among all musicians. I had to learn to broaden my expectations and how to meet the needs of those who think, feel, and experience music differently than I. I also struggled to accept the expectations of professional orchestral musicians, because I am not one - therefore I did not know how to correctly create an environment that met their needs and expectations. Meaning I needed to, and I still do, listen, and learn from the people I work with.”

What has been the most important thing you have learned about the arts as an arts administrator?

• Grant: “I’d say that your art needs time and that if want to do both you really need to block off some 'sacred' time for it, it won’t stand being ignored.”

• Armand: “Not to be rigid in my approach to the situation, there is an excitement of creativity in making both business and art work in tandem. Every experience is different, and it takes a lot of work to not let the businessget in the way of art making. The arts administrator needs to live in both worlds and believe passionately in the art they plan to make, either in their organization or as an individual. It is this passion that will provide the energy to press on when others do not see the vision, or obstacles arise. It is unimaginable to remain in this job, with all its rejections (grants, current collaborators, and potential partners) is there is no community-focused purpose attached to the work.”

What has been the most important thing you have learned about arts administration as an artist?

• Matthew: “I’ve learned the ability of any community to produce and present art for its public should not be taken for granted. What we do onstage as artists is the result of many wonderful people who believe in the artists,they are a part of presenting and who have made a series of important decisions to make it all happen.”

• SoYoung: “As an artist, you are dealing with the process of holding at least two big truths at the same time – one is attention to detail and the other is making sure all the beautiful bits come together as a whole. Arts administration is like that too. Sometimes it’s easy to forget the big picture in the midst of balancing the budget and dealing with hundreds of emails and demands on time. Being a creative artist has given me the wisdom to step back and see if all the parts add up and that they are moving the mission forward and keeping the whole organization humming as a coherent whole. The other important lesson that goes in both directions is having the courage to let go, whether that is repertoire, a performance, or even a disconnected chamber partner. In an arts administrator role, one of the most challenging things is letting go of staff, faculty, volunteers, or a board member who does not reflect the values of the organization or my personal standards. In the end, I owe it to the organization and music to put the best product out there – art or otherwise – with the resources at hand.”

Each of these artist-administrators agree that time and the balance of priorities are essential to not only their creative health, but to the health of the programs they serve as leaders in. They all agree that the symbiotic relationship between creator and administrator fuels their vision and each work together to make their calling meaningful and help them to sustain a sense of balance and empathy to share an overall creative vision, and I agree with each of them. Let’s get art back into arts administration to not only help the individuals who make the art happen from a holistic perspective, but to also connect better as artists to those we create experiences for. Our artistic ecosystem will be healthier for it.