Art of Leadership

Since 2002, Business for Culture & the Arts (BCA) has connected business and the arts by successfully training business people to serve on arts boards. The Art of Leadership board training program is a five-workshop series that includes expert speakers, interactive sessions with arts and business leaders, and topical information about the challenges facing arts organizations of all sizes.

The Art of Leadership program also provides participants an opportunity to observe board meetings at arts organizations. This experience helps participants gain a deeper understanding of how arts boards function and how the program coursework can be practically applied.

BCA assists Art of Leadership participants in finding the right arts board for their interests, experience and availability during and after the workshop series. Over 240 business leaders have graduated from the Art of Leadership program and approximately 50% of graduates currently serve on arts boards.

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What Art of Leadership does for the arts:

• Provides a pool of board candidates who can hit the ground running
• Increases the capacity of arts organizations by providing board members versed in strategic planning, fundraising and financial management
• Promotes deeper connections with the business community
• Generates greater public awareness about arts organizations' missions and work

What Art of Leadership can do for you:

• Prepare you for the different expectations for board members based on arts organizations' size and stage of growth
• Deepen your understanding of how to facilitate successful nonprofit strategic planning, fundraising, and financial management
• Provide you opportunities to network with other inspired business and arts leaders
• Give you tools to further hone your leadership skills
• Help match you with the right arts board for your interest, experience and availability
• Elevate your company's profile and reputation in the community
• Connect you with arts organizations you and your company want to support

Expert Speakers:

George Thorn, Director of Arts Action Research and one of the leading arts consultants in the country, facilitates each Art of Leadership workshop. His extensive experience working for and advising arts organizations of all sizes provides valuable, real world context for class discussions. Each workshop also includes guest speakers ranging from business and public agency experts to community leaders and arts professionals.

Schedule and Curriculum:

Each workshop is held at a different arts venue in the downtown Portland area from 8:00-11:45am. The following is the schedule and curriculum for the 2010/11 series:

Workshop #1 (September 23, 2010)	Art Fair (Spring TBD)
Orientation to the Program The Region's Cultural Scene Non-Profit Nuts and Bolts How Does an Arts Organization Operate?	Meet representatives from numerous arts organizations at this annual BCA mixer. Art Fair is a great opportunity to learn more about arts organizations seeking board members.
Workshop #2 (October 14, 2010)	Workshop #4 (January 13, 2011)
The Role of the Nonprofit Board in Today's Changing Environment Responsibilities of Board Members Board Composition, Size & Roles Fiduciary Duties & Legal Issues What to Know About an Organization Before Joining	Stages of Growth of Arts Organizations De-Mystifying the Financial Reports of Nonprofit Arts Organizations Budgeting and Planning for Today's Economic Realities
Workshop #3 (November 11, 2010)	Workshop #5 (February 17, 2011)
Funding the Arts: Issues and Challenges Development and Fundraising: Board Members' Roles in Each Fundraising: How Board and Staff Work Together to Ensure Success	Strategic Planning How to Find the Right Board for You Meet Members of the Arts Community Note: this workshop is 3:00-7:00pm

Application Process:

Interested in participating in the Art of Leadership program in 2010? Complete and return an application to BCA by July 1, 2010 to receive a $25 discount. The final deadline for applications is September 3, 2010. Classes are limited to approximately 40 people. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Tuition is $500 for BCA members and $600 for non-members.

Download, fill out and email an Art of Leadership application to susan@nwbca.org. 

Download a printable Art of Leadership flyer (pdf).

Art of Leadership Graduates:

Class of 2010

Class of 2009

Class of 2008