Wallace Foundation: Reimagining the Future of the Arts

The Wallace Foundation is known for its commitment to helping cultural organizations develop and grow their audiences. Lila Wallace, co-founder of the Foundation, believed that “the arts belong to everyone,” a phrase that guides the organization’s commitment to audience development work. The foundation uses three guiding questions to frame its audience development work: 

• Can arts organizations embed audience-building activities into their operations, so newcomers become repeat attendees and don’t “churn”—show up once never to return?
• How can they align their organizational workings to their audience efforts?
• How can their audience-building work contribute to their overall financial health?

As our arts ecosystem continues to navigate the multiple crises of the global pandemic and racial inequity, the Wallace Foundation has commissioned a number of studies and created robust resources to aid arts organizations in navigating the current landscape. Below are a number of the resources published by the foundation: I

• Reimagining the Future of the Arts: A Conversation Series
  • What Audiences Want from the Arts as the Pandemic Rages On
  • What Can Organizations Learn from High-Performing and Turnaround Arts Organizations
  • How Can Nonprofit Arts Organizations Plan for the Future with So Many Unknowns?
• Navigating Uncertain Times: A Scenario Planning Toolkit for the Arts and Culture Sector
• Arts Organizations’ Early Response to COVID-19 Uncertainty: Insights from the Field
• The Alchemy of High-Performing Arts Organizations
• Culture Track: Culture + Community In a Time of Crisis

In the coming weeks, the PRJC will explore and reflect on a number of these fantastic resources. Learn more about The Wallace Foundation at www.wallacefoundation.org