February 3, 2010 | Read Time: 1 minute
A professor of arts administration at Drexel University joins a growing number of voices to question whether the current nonprofit structure has become outdated or too confining, especially for arts organizations.
James Undercofler, writing in his new Arts Journal blog, State of the Art, asks: “Does the traditional not-for-profit 501(c)3 organizational structure impede the effective presentation and production of the very art it was established to facilitate?”
His answer is, in many cases, yes.
“Creative artists from all areas want to create their own organization, so that they can create their art,” he writes. “It’s almost as if one step has to precede the other.”
Mr. Undercolfer’s previous experience includes running a number of arts groups, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Minnesota (Perpich) Center for Arts Education, and the Educational Center for the Arts, in New Haven, Conn.
What do you think? Can artists raise money to support their creative efforts without getting bogged down in the formal structure of a nonprofit group? Post your comments below.
