Alex Sarian on the Audacity of Relevance
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
For Alex Sarian, relevance isn’t a buzzword. It’s a mandate for the future of the arts. As President and CEO of the Werklund Centre in Calgary, he’s leading the largest cultural infrastructure project in Canadian history, a transformation that will soon make the organization the country’s largest performing arts campus. But Alex is quick to point out that bricks and mortar aren’t the real story. The deeper shift is philosophical: a move away from mission statements as fixed declarations and toward a practice of asking, “What does the world need right now that we are uniquely...
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LIVE: Deborah F. Rutter on Leading Through Disruption and Designing for Resilience
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
The future of arts and culture depends on leaders who can innovate, adapt, and inspire—and Deborah Rutter has been doing it at the highest levels. With five decades of experience leading premier cultural institutions across the United States, she knows what it takes to drive meaningful change while keeping artists and audiences at the center. In this live episode from Boot Camp 2025, the former President of the Kennedy Center and current Vice Provost for the Arts at Duke University shares lessons from her career on leading through periods of transformational growth and building the...
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Christopher Williams on Building a More Courageous Arts Sector
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
It’s Boot Camp week! In this special mini episode, Capacity’s President Christopher Williams joins host Monica Holt to pull back the curtain on Boot Camp, the leading conference for arts and culture professionals. They dive into how this year’s program came together, the sessions they’re most excited about, and how courage and curiosity are the keys to a stronger sector. LINKS:
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Shanta Thake on Curiosity, Collaboration, and Building the Next Chapter of Lincoln Center
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
Shanta Thake sees artistic curation as a practice rooted in curiosity and community connection. As the Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Shanta is helping redefine what one of the world’s most storied institutions can be. Since joining in 2021, she’s helped usher in an era of experimentation and access to ensure the arts remain central to New York City’s civic life. In this episode, Shanta reflects on what it means to democratize the programming process, how the arts contribute to community wellbeing, and why leading with curiosity sparks...
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Rachel Moore on The Music Center, Community, and the Arts within Democracy
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
For Rachel S. Moore, the arts aren’t just a mirror for society. They’re a means of shaping it. As President and CEO of The Music Center in Los Angeles, she oversees one of the largest performing arts centers in North America, stewarding $3 billion in county assets and programming that reaches hundreds of thousands of Angelenos each year. A former professional dancer with American Ballet Theatre (she’s also its former CEO and executive director), Rachel brings an artist’s discipline to leadership—and a belief that creativity and civic life are deeply intertwined. In this episode,...
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Babatunde Akinboboye on Hip Hopera, Authenticity, and Letting Audiences Lead
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
Reimagining a centuries-old art form takes more than talent; it takes courage, curiosity, and a deep belief that tradition can evolve. Few embody that spirit like Babatunde Akinboboye. A classically trained baritone and viral “hip hopera” artist, Babatunde is redefining what opera can sound like—and who it’s for. His mashups of rap and arias have captivated millions online, and garnered attention from The Ellen Show, America's Got Talent and TIME Magazine. He’s now channeling that distinctive style into his upcoming debut album. In this episode, Babatunde shares how he discovered...
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Tom Gabbard on Cultivating Creative Cities and Building Space for Innovation
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
Can a performing arts center change the identity of a city? Tom Gabbard has spent more than two decades proving it can as CEO of Blumenthal Arts in Charlotte, NC. Under his leadership, Blumenthal has grown from a regional performing arts center into a national force. Charlotte now ranks among North America’s Top 10 markets for touring Broadway shows, and the organization also fosters experimental projects in Blume Studios, a 44,000-square-foot “arts R&D lab” that pushes beyond traditional stages. In this episode, Tom reflects on how he balances commercial success with cultural...
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Jane Raleigh on Curatorial Vision and Bridging Tradition with Innovation
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
How do you bring audiences along as you expand their definition of an art form? That’s the question Jane Raleigh has grappled with throughout her career. As the former Director of Dance Programming at the Kennedy Center, she spent more than a decade transforming the institution’s siloed approach to dance into a continuum that celebrates both classical works and contemporary voices. Now, as the founder of DC Dance Network, she’s creating new ways for artists and audiences to engage. In this episode, Jane shares her approach to stretching audiences’ comfort zones without losing...
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Kate Lumpkin on Casting Masquerade NYC, Building Community, and Trusting Your Audience
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
Audiences don’t just want to watch theater; they want to step inside it. Few people understand that better than casting director Kate Lumpkin. Kate has become a go-to voice in immersive performance, shaping productions that dissolve the line between stage and audience. Her latest project? Masquerade NYC: an immersive Phantom of the Opera revival now running Off Broadway. For Kate, immersive work isn’t a trend. It’s a response to what audiences are hungry for: connection, participation, and community. Her vision flips the question from “How do we fill the seats?” to “How do we...
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Michael J. Bobbitt on Turning Creative Power into Political Power
CI to Eye with Monica Holt
Arts and culture don’t thrive in isolation. They thrive when artists, institutions, and policymakers work in concert. Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council, is making that bridge his life’s work, showing how government and the arts can partner to create healthier, stronger, more sustainable communities. From his early days as a performer and choreographer to his current role shaping statewide cultural policy, Michael has witnessed both the joys and the shortcomings of the arts sector. In this episode, he argues that the sector’s future depends on how boldly we...
info_outlineGovernor Ron DeSantis’ recent veto of over $30 million in arts and culture funding is more than just a financial blow to Florida arts organizations—it undermines the social and economic contributions our industry provides. How can we clearly communicate the vital role our organizations play to stakeholders and policymakers?
In this episode, CI’s VP, Managing Director Christopher Williams speaks with Chris Brown, Executive Director of Orlando Family Stage, about how advocates can make a stronger case for arts funding by highlighting the industry’s vital role in boosting local economies, fostering community well-being, and enriching society.
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NPR | Hundreds of Florida arts groups scramble for funding after DeSantis vetoes grants
Orlando Sentinel | Budget Cuts Spotlight The Vital Role of Arts in Florida
Orlando Family Stage | Press Release: Budget cuts spotlight the vital role of arts in Florida
New York Times | A Bargain at the Opera: Philadelphia Offers All Seats for as Low as $11