The Huffington Post says The Skylight is following all the wrong rules

Michael Kaiser had a great article in The Huffington Post the other day called Arts in Crisis. I think it's a must read for anyone who thinks that cutting artistic programming or programmers and doing things like combining your marketing director's job with box office management duties is a bad idea.

Okay, it's for all of us who think that this Skylight mess is still a mess.

Really, it's for all of us who think that the key thing about making art is making art. Not making money, and not even operating out of a fear of possible bankruptcy and insolvency.

Michael Kaiser suggests there might be other options. Hmmm? That seems to be a siren call that some people don't seem to hear no matter how high you tune it up.

Who is this Michael Kaiser, you ask? Some crazy artist slinging vitriol and art speak all over the web? Not quite.

Michael Kaiser is the President of The Kennedy Center. In response to a national art crisis, Kaiser has basically made The Kennedy Center a lab for arts groups struggling through tough times. In fact, arts groups that are having problems can apply to the Arts in Crisis program through The Kennedy Center for Kaiser and his crew to come in and give some advice and help.

Yet another example that there are other options available to struggling arts groups other than subjugating their art for a downsizing plan that focuses only on dollars without a lot of sense.

Read the whole article, but here's a sample quote from Kaiser:

We can survive the current economic downturn if we keep our programming vital and work harder than ever to convey our message. Those arts organizations who compete well will survive and recover when the economy recovers. Those that continue to cut away at their programming are likely to become irrelevant.

• The Recession