CMU School of Drama


Thursday, September 19, 2024

Acknowledging past errors, Pittsburgh Arts Council retrenches

wesa.fm: Strategic plans are typically of interest only within the organizations that issue them, and perhaps not always even then. Sometimes, they don’t do much more than restate a group’s existing mission; seldom do they conjure a sense of institutional reckoning.

3 comments:

JFleck said...

It’s refreshing to see an organization like the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council (GPAC) openly acknowledge its past shortcomings and take proactive steps toward its own improvement. By openly addressing its mistakes, GPAC shows a genuine commitment to growth and accountability. The new strategic plan, driven by CEO Patrick Fisher’s “listening tour,” shows a deep understanding of the local arts community's needs. Acknowledging that there are redundant programs in Pittsburgh for artists and that they can cut back where other organizations are strong shows its own analysis and recognition of the other organizations available for artists in pittsburgh. It sounds like this new leadership will be good for the artists in Pittsburgh. Its targeting of small and mid-sized artist groups will also allow for more groups to enjoy the funding reallocated through GPAC. Recognition of their shortcomings and fixing them shows strength in the the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council that there was not before.

Genie Li said...

The article talks about the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council’s (GPAC) new strategic plan. This plan addresses past mistakes made by the organization. Under the leadership of CEO Patrick Fisher, GPAC admits that it lost focus. It also admits that it caused harm to the arts community due to poor management and unmet promises. These issues were especially clear in programs meant to support disabled and Black artists. The new plan has a goal to rebuild trust. It focuses on connecting artists with resources. It also advocates for funding and gives priority to small and mid-sized arts groups. Fisher highlights the importance of admitting past mistakes. He also stresses the need to move toward a more focused and effective role in supporting local artists.

FallFails said...

A lot of the trouble that GPAC faced in being relevant can be boiled down to them trying to hard to start new initiatives and not hard enough to make sure they could follow through. It is refreshing to see the GPAC acknowledging their failures and working to correct the harm done in the community. We need more organizations like the GPAC who can recognize their strengths and lean into them instead of spreading themselves trying to be as relevant as possible. It’s also really cool of the company to understand that there are other groups that can do programs better than they can referring workshop seekers to go to those groups for what they are looking for. I hope that this re evaluating and focus shift can help the GPAC understand more about itself as a company and how is can serve it’s community.