Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt
This is arts and culture. Unfiltered. Unscripted. Formerly known as CI to Eye, Arts Unscripted with Monica Holt is a trove of meaningful interviews with executives, artists, and experts across industries. Together with Monica, we’ll explore the way innovation, leadership, and joy drive our industry forward.
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Tony Mazzocchi, President and CEO of Kaufman Music Center
11/05/2026
Tony Mazzocchi, President and CEO of Kaufman Music Center
What if the purpose of music education was about more than developing musicians? What if it was about developing more empathetic, creative, and collaborative human beings? Tony Mazzocchi has spent his career challenging assumptions about who gets to make music and why it matters. After beginning his career as a professional trombonist, an unexpected opportunity to teach middle school band in Brooklyn transformed his understanding of what young people are capable of when given the right resources, opportunities, and expectations. Today, as President and CEO of Kaufman Music Center in New York City, he is working to make music an essential part of education and community life, expanding access to meaningful creative experiences for people of all ages. In this episode, Tony joins Monica Holt to explore why artistic excellence and accessibility go hand in hand, how music develops human capacities that are increasingly valuable in the age of AI, and what it would take to make arts education a core part of every child's learning experience. He also challenges arts organizations to rethink what it means to be relevant, arguing that their future depends on demonstrating their value to the communities they serve, including people who may never walk through their doors. ----- LINKS: Kaufman Music Center: Kinhaven:
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LIVE FROM BOOT CAMP: Dan Titmuss, Visibility in the Age of AI Search
10/29/2026
LIVE FROM BOOT CAMP: Dan Titmuss, Visibility in the Age of AI Search
AI is changing how audiences discover arts and cultural experiences, and the implications extend far beyond marketing and IT teams. For arts leaders, understanding how audiences find, evaluate, and choose cultural experiences is essential to staying relevant. In this episode recorded live at , Dan Titmuss, Senior Consultant, AI & Organic Search at Capacity, demystifies how AI-powered search works and what it means for the future of audience engagement. This episode builds on our past conversations with , , and others, turning our attention to one of the most immediate ways AI is changing how audiences connect with our organizations.
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Giorgia Lupi, Information Designer and Partner at Pentagram (Encore Episode)
10/22/2026
Giorgia Lupi, Information Designer and Partner at Pentagram (Encore Episode)
Arts and cultural organizations are constantly being asked to demonstrate their impact. Data can help us make that case, but how do we bring the stories behind the numbers to life? For Giorgia Lupi, award-winning information designer and partner at Pentagram, data is far more than a collection of facts and figures. Approaching numbers with an artist’s mindset can help us communicate not just what we do, but why it matters. As Giorgia gets ready to take the stage at Capacity Boot Camp 2026, we’re bringing you a special encore of her Arts Unscripted episode where we dig into her philosophy of “data humanism” and how a more nuanced approach to numbers can change the way we understand ourselves and the world around us. This refreshed conversation also features a few previously unreleased moments from the original interview. Want to hear more from Giorgia? Catch her keynote with a virtual ticket to Boot Camp. ---- LINKS: Capacity Boot Camp 2026: Giorgia Lupi: Pentagram:
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Cory Pattak, Lighting Designer
10/15/2026
Cory Pattak, Lighting Designer
For Cory Pattak, lighting design has always carried a sense of magic. Over a 20-year career, Cory has designed productions across Broadway, regional theatre, international stages, cruise lines, and more. He is now bringing that same eye for spectacle to a new Pixar-themed production for Hong Kong Disneyland, set to premiere in 2027. In this episode, Cory explains what a lighting designer actually does, and reflects on the mentorship and creative turning points that shaped his path. He also explores the deeply collaborative nature of theatrical design; the balance between individual artistry and serving a director’s vision; and why wonder and joy still sit at the heart of his work. --- LINKS Cory Pattak's Work:
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Lisa Richards Toney, President and CEO of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)
10/08/2026
Lisa Richards Toney, President and CEO of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP)
The arts help people feel, connect, and find the courage to act. How can we better harness that power—and communicate it beyond our own circles—to ensure the longevity of our field? For Lisa Richards Toney, her connection to art is deeply personal. From finding her confidence through youth arts programs in Washington, D.C. to studying at Spelman College and working in arts education and management, she has experienced the many ways the arts give people a sense of purpose and possibility. Today, as President and CEO of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), she brings that perspective to supporting the people who make live performance happen. In this episode, Lisa reflects on how we can build new pathways to sustain our field, better communicate the civic value of the arts, and build mentorship across generations. ----- LINKS APAP: APAP|NYC Conference: APAP's Advocacy Resources:
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Michele Y. Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of Pop Culture
10/01/2026
Michele Y. Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Museum of Pop Culture
How do you build a museum around a subject that’s constantly evolving? As CEO of Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP), Michele Y. Smith is helping preserve what refuses to stand still. With exhibitions spanning music, film, fashion, gaming, and fandom, MOPOP examines pop culture not simply as entertainment, but as a reflection of the ideas, identities, and social changes shaping our lives in real time. In this episode, Michele explores what it means to preserve cultural history while remaining responsive to the present, and why our personal connections to pop culture can become a powerful source of shared experience. ---- LINKS: Museum of Pop Culture: Styled by the Streets: Black Women in Hip-Hop Fashion:
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Joseph Fowler, Head of Arts & Culture at the World Economic Forum
09/24/2026
Joseph Fowler, Head of Arts & Culture at the World Economic Forum
What changes when artists aren’t simply invited to perform, but are given a seat at the table where ideas, policies, and solutions take shape? Joseph Fowler has spent his career moving between artistic disciplines, institutions, and cultural ecosystems around the world. After training at The Royal Ballet School and performing professionally as a dancer, his curiosity took him behind the scenes as a director, producer, programmer, and cultural leader—from London and Paris to Dubai. Today, as Head of Arts and Culture at the World Economic Forum, he brings artists and creative thinking into conversations about some of the world’s most complex challenges. In this episode, Joseph reflects on the evolution that took him from performer to cultural leader, makes the case for creative imagination as an essential tool for solving problems, and explores why technology represents an opportunity as well as a challenge for artists. He also takes us inside the World Economic Forum’s arts and culture programming, including the 2026 opening concert in Davos and The Cultural Table—an initiative designed to put artists at the center of conversations with leaders across business and civil society. ----- LINKS: World Economic Forum: World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 Opening Concert: World Economic Forum Cultural Table:
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Baratunde Thurston, Writer, Comedian, and Earthling
09/17/2026
Baratunde Thurston, Writer, Comedian, and Earthling
The future isn’t something that simply happens to us. It’s something we help create through the stories we tell, the technologies we use, and the choices we make about how to live together. Baratunde Thurston has spent his career exploring what that responsibility looks like across comedy, media, civic life, and nature. Again and again, his work returns to a deeply human question: how do we embrace change without surrendering our agency? His latest award-winning project Life with Machines turns this question on technology, exploring how new tech shapes our lives—and how we might shape it in return. In this episode, Baratunde reflects on what it means to treat ‘citizen’ as a verb, why conversations about AI demand more nuance, and how we can all take a more active role in shaping our collective future. --- LINKS Life With Machines: How to Citizen: American Indigenous Democracy: A Call for Interdependence:
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Courtney Burke Summers, Chief Marketing Officer of Vivo Performing Arts
09/10/2026
Courtney Burke Summers, Chief Marketing Officer of Vivo Performing Arts
Rebranding a beloved institution requires not only defining what comes next, but building enough trust and shared ownership that both longtime supporters and new audiences see themselves in the future. Courtney Burke Summers recently helped lead the sweeping rebrand of Celebrity Series of Boston into Vivo Performing Arts, launching a new identity designed to better reflect the organization’s role in its community. In this episode, Courtney shares what it took to bring people along through that transformation and why meaningful change can only happen at the “speed of trust.” She also reflects on the opportunities and challenges of being a nomadic presenter; the value of collaboration across the arts ecosystem; and what most arts organizations are forgetting about the next generation of audiences. ----- LINKS Vivo Performing Arts: The REACH at the Kennedy Center: Libby:
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Lisa Yun Lee, Executive Director at National Public Housing Museum
09/03/2026
Lisa Yun Lee, Executive Director at National Public Housing Museum
What if a museum’s job isn’t simply to preserve history, but to help us imagine a different future? Lisa Yun Lee has spent her career exploring what cultural institutions can make possible when they understand themselves as civic spaces. As Executive Director of the National Public Housing Museum in Chicago, she leads an institution created by public housing residents to preserve their own histories, challenge dominant narratives about public housing, and bring arts, culture, and public policy together in the fight for housing as a human right. In this episode, Lisa traces the winding path that took her from studying religion and German intellectual history to the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, the University of Illinois Chicago, and ultimately the National Public Housing Museum. She shares how the museum puts solidarity with public housing residents into practice, why museums should engage both historical fact and lived experience, and what it means to create a cultural institution rooted in radical hospitality and collective joy. Lisa also challenges arts leaders to think expansively about whom our institutions serve and what success looks like—from compensating artists and cultural workers fairly to creating spaces where people can define beauty for themselves. --- LINKS: National Public Housing Museum: NPHM 36 Questions for Civic Love: W.A.G.E.:
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Kim Jakominich, Senior Director of Brand at Barnes Foundation and Calder Gardens
08/27/2026
Kim Jakominich, Senior Director of Brand at Barnes Foundation and Calder Gardens
A great exhibition or performance can draw people in, but a strong institutional brand shapes how they understand the experience—and whether they feel invited to return. Kim Jakominich has spent more than 15 years working across publishing, public media, museums, and cultural destinations. Now Chief Brand Officer at the Barnes Foundation and Calder Gardens, she leads an integrated team spanning marketing, communications, publications, design, editorial, and visual resources, helping steward two distinctly different brands while creating a more unified audience experience. In this episode, Kim reflects on the unexpected path that brought her from Minnesota Public Radio to museum leadership, what she learned by realizing she needed mission-driven work, and how the Barnes’s philosophy of “seeing art differently” influences everything from visitor experience to brand strategy. She also takes us inside the creation of Calder Gardens, where art, architecture, and nature come together in an experience intentionally “open to interpretation.” Kim also shares lessons for cultural leaders on breaking down departmental silos, thinking about brand through the eyes of the audience rather than the organizational chart, and reframing innovation as something more meaningful than chasing new technology. For her, the question is ultimately whether an idea removes barriers, sparks curiosity, and helps audiences discover that art has something to say to them. --- LINKS: Barnes Foundation: Calder Gardens: The BrandLab:
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Ann Morrow Johnson, Global Immersive Experience & Entertainment Leader at Gensler
08/20/2026
Ann Morrow Johnson, Global Immersive Experience & Entertainment Leader at Gensler
As our attention becomes increasingly fragmented, the value of being fully present together has never been greater. The most memorable experiences go beyond spectacle and create a clear sense of place, invite participation, and give people something meaningful to feel together. Ann Morrow Johnson has spent her career designing those kinds of experiences. After more than a decade at Walt Disney Imagineering, she now co-leads Gensler’s Entertainment practice, applying lessons from theme parks and immersive entertainment to cultural organizations, hospitality, real estate, and other physical spaces. In this episode, Ann Morrow explores why authenticity matters more than showmanship, how shifting from a scarcity mindset to a value-creation mindset can open up new possibilities, and why growing demand for shared, participatory experiences gives cultural organizations plenty of reason for optimism. --- LINKS: Gensler 2025 Immersive Industry Report: No Proscenium:
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Live from TLCC: Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Spoken Word Artist and Cultural Strategist
08/13/2026
Live from TLCC: Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Spoken Word Artist and Cultural Strategist
Join Monica Holt for a live recording of Arts Unscripted with Marc Bamuthi Joseph, an internationally acclaimed cultural strategist, spoken word artist, and Chief of Impact at SOZO. Bamuthi has built a singular career at the intersection of creativity, leadership, and social impact—from performing on Broadway and co-founding Youth Speaks to shaping civic and cultural strategy at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the Kennedy Center. Throughout it all, he has approached art not simply as expression, but as a tool for freedom, connection, and collective possibility. Recorded live at the 2026 Tessitura Learning and Community Conference, this conversation explores what it means for arts organizations to be true civic partners. Bamuthi and Monica talk about collective joy, why “budgets are moral documents,” the idea of using the arts for non-arts outcomes, and what becomes possible when institutions see themselves not just as producers of shows, but as producers of culture and inspiration. Along the way, Bamuthi reflects on the evolution of his own practice, the role of artists as “edge setters,” the grief and resilience that have shaped his recent work, and why—at a moment when inspiration can feel scarce—he still finds hope in the artists and arts leaders who keep choosing this field.
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Clive Chang, President and CEO of YoungArts (Re-Release)
07/30/2026
Clive Chang, President and CEO of YoungArts (Re-Release)
Producer's Note: While Arts Unscripted is on summer hiatus, we're re-sharing a few of our favorite episodes from past seasons. Clive was actually the first guest to sit down and chat with Monica. The YoungArts application is open now through October 6th, so it's the perfect time to revisit how Clive thinks about supporting young, multi-disciplinary artists. --- Can legacy arts institutions innovate like start-ups? Clive Chang thinks so. As President and CEO of YoungArts, he’s reimagining how a 40-year-old organization can support today’s multi-disciplinary artists—by questioning everything, embracing experimentation, and making space for creative risk. In this conversation, Clive and host Monica Holt unpack how to disrupt old habits, build a culture of curiosity, and keep tradition from becoming inertia.
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Cody Renard Richard, Tony Award-Winning Producer and Stage Manager (Re-Release)
07/23/2026
Cody Renard Richard, Tony Award-Winning Producer and Stage Manager (Re-Release)
Producer's Note: While Arts Unscripted is on summer hiatus, we're re-sharing a few of our favorite episodes from past seasons. Cody recently celebrated Tony Award-winning runs with two Broadway productions: Ragtime and CATS: The Jellicle Ball. With CATS set to close on August 8, it's an apt moment to revisit Cody's reflections on the production (and grab tickets while you still can). ----- Great theater starts by creating trusted conditions for talent and creativity to thrive. Cody Renard Richard is a Tony Award-winning producer and stage manager whose career spans Broadway, television, opera, and even Cirque du Soleil. Along the way, his backstage leadership has shaped acclaimed productions like the 2025 revival of Ragtime and this spring’s CATS: The Jellicle Ball. In this episode, Cody talks about what it really means to lead from behind the scenes, and why stage management is such a powerful training ground for leadership. He reflects on his path through the industry, how he’s navigated power and visibility in a field that doesn’t always make room for everyone, and what it looks like to advocate for artists and audiences without burning out or losing yourself in the process. ----- LINKS: Cody Renard Richard: Ragtime at Lincoln Center: CATS: The Jellicle Ball: RISE Theatre Directory:
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Carlos Simon, GRAMMY-Nominated Composer, Curator and Activist (Re-Release)
07/16/2026
Carlos Simon, GRAMMY-Nominated Composer, Curator and Activist (Re-Release)
Producer's Note: While Arts Unscripted is on summer hiatus, we're re-sharing a few of our favorite episodes from past seasons. Carlos Simon is the the inaugural Composer Chair of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Composer-in-Residence since 2021 at the Kennedy Center. Since we recorded earlier this year, his Good News Mass keeps finding new orchestras and new audiences. With its Midwest premiere on July 31st at Ravinia Music Festival, what better moment to go back and hear how Carlos has built his body of work. ----- Music has the power to move a room. For composer Carlos Simon, that effect was first felt in church, where music was both a creative act and a shared experience. Raised in a family steeped in ministry and musical tradition, Carlos grew up surrounded by gospel, jazz, and the spontaneity of worship. From playing organ by ear during Sunday services to his later work with orchestras, film, and opera, he has built a compositional voice that blurs boundaries: bridging sacred and secular, improvisation and form, tradition and innovation. In this episode, Carlos traces his path to becoming one of today’s most sought-after composers and the first-ever Composer Chair for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Along the way, he offers insight into the deeply collaborative nature of his work and frames musical composition as an act of service. ----- LINKS: Carlos Simon: brea(d)th: Monuments: A Suite for DC: The Blacknificent 7:
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Shanta Thake, Chief Artistic Officer of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (Re-Release)
07/09/2026
Shanta Thake, Chief Artistic Officer of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (Re-Release)
Producer's Note: While Arts Unscripted is on summer hiatus, we're re-sharing a few of our favorite episodes from past seasons. Shanta Thake is the vision behind Lincoln Center's free Summer for the City festival happening right now through August 8 in New York. It's a good moment to go back and hear how she thinks about building a season for an entire city, not just a subscriber base. ----- 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 meaningful innovation. She also takes listeners behind the scenes of initiatives like Lincoln Center’s West Side Expansion and Summer for the City—efforts rooted in humility, collaboration, and partnership with local communities. ---- LINKS Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: Summer for the City:
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Jeffrey Haydon, President and CEO of Ravinia Festival
06/11/2026
Jeffrey Haydon, President and CEO of Ravinia Festival
A festival lasts only a few weeks or months each year, but the work of leading one never stops. Jeffrey Haydon has spent his career at the helm of some of the country’s most respected music festivals, including Ojai, Caramoor, and now Ravinia Festival, where he serves as President and CEO. Drawing on a background that bridges music and business, he has led major capital projects, expanded educational and community programs, and navigated moments of organizational transformation. In this episode, Jeffrey reflects on what makes festivals such distinctive cultural institutions; the leadership lessons he’s learned across three decades in arts management; and how Ravinia continues to balance its rich classical legacy with new audiences, artists, and ideas. ----- LINKS Ravinia Festival: Jim Collins:
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TONYS WEEK: Beth Callen, Musician, The Lost Boys
06/05/2026
TONYS WEEK: Beth Callen, Musician, The Lost Boys
The Tony Awards often celebrate the names on a show poster, but every Broadway production is carried by countless artists whose work rarely fits neatly into a category. So in anticipation of this year’s awards ceremony, we’re spotlighting a few of the performers, collaborators, and creative forces behind nominated productions. Beth Callen follows her curiosity wherever the music leads. A multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and educator, she has traveled from indie folk stages and an all-female Guns N’ Roses tribute band to some of Broadway’s most acclaimed productions, including Head Over Heels, A Strange Loop, Suffs, and now The Lost Boys. In this episode, Beth discusses the realities of building a career as a working musician; why mentorship matters for the next generation of artists; and how greater visibility for pit musicians can deepen our appreciation for the live magic that happens eight times a week on Broadway. Links Beth Callen: The Lost Boys: Maestra:
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TONYS WEEK: Victor Vazquez, Casting Director, CATS: The Jellicle Ball
06/03/2026
TONYS WEEK: Victor Vazquez, Casting Director, CATS: The Jellicle Ball
The Tony Awards often celebrate the names on a show poster, but every Broadway production is carried by countless artists whose work rarely fits neatly into a category. So in anticipation of this year’s awards ceremony, we’re spotlighting a few of the performers, collaborators, and creative forces behind nominated productions. Victor Vazquez has spent his career expanding the possibilities of who gets seen onstage and whose stories Broadway embraces. As the founder of X Casting and casting director for CATS: The Jellicle Ball, Victor has helped build one of the most joyful, original, and culturally electric productions of the season from the ground up. In this conversation, Victor offers a rare look inside the audition room, reflects on what it means to bring Ballroom culture into the spotlight with care and authenticity, and discusses why he remains hopeful about the future of theater and the artists shaping it. —— LINKS CATS: The Jellicle Ball: X Casting: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts:
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TONYS WEEK: Allison Blackwell, Broadway Performer, Ragtime
06/01/2026
TONYS WEEK: Allison Blackwell, Broadway Performer, Ragtime
The Tony Awards often celebrate the names on a show poster, but every Broadway production is carried by countless artists whose work rarely fits neatly into a category. So in anticipation of this year’s awards ceremony, we’re spotlighting a few of the performers, collaborators, and creative forces behind nominated productions. Allison Blackwell knows the power of ensemble storytelling firsthand. Currently appearing in Ragtime at Lincoln Center Theater as Sarah’s Friend, Allison is part of the acclaimed company behind one of Broadway’s most resonant productions this season. She has built a career defined by extraordinary versatility, emotional depth, and a deep commitment to collaboration onstage. In this conversation, Allison reflects on the path that brought her back to theater after nearly pursuing law school; what it has meant to revisit Ragtime across multiple productions; and what recognition for ensemble artists means to her personally. ----- LINKS Allison Blackwell: Ragtime at Lincoln Center Theater: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts:
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Oliver Richman, Singer-Songwriter and Actor
05/28/2026
Oliver Richman, Singer-Songwriter and Actor
Creative work is often romanticized as spontaneous: a flash of inspiration, a breakthrough moment, a burst of talent. In reality, many artists discover that creativity is less about sudden genius and more about the systems, rituals, and relationships that help ideas grow over time. For Oliver Richman, creativity has been both an early spark and an evolving practice. As a child, his performances found an audience far beyond his years, from a widely shared rendition of “Defying Gravity” to performing alongside Stevie Wonder at just ten years old. Since then, he has continued exploring new creative paths: studying drama at NYU Tisch, writing and directing numerous projects, and building an online community through his ambitious song-a-day practice. In this episode, Oliver reflects on balancing spontaneity with structure, building meaningful connections with online audiences, and why creativity thrives when treated as a daily practice. ----- LINKS Oliver Richman: Oliver's Instagram: Oliver's TikTok: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts:
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Sydney Symphony Orchestra on Creating a Culture of Collaboration
05/21/2026
Sydney Symphony Orchestra on Creating a Culture of Collaboration
Arts organizations thrive when teams stop operating in parallel and begin building together. Take it from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which is wrapping its biggest season in over a decade. By creating shared goals across teams and building systems that encourage communication instead of competition, the Symphony has seen unprecedented audience growth in just a few short years. In this episode, Monica sits down with three leaders from across the organization—Director of Marketing Charles Buchanan, Director of Artistic Planning Melissa King, and Director of Learning & Engagement John Nolan—to explore how deeper collaboration has reshaped both internal culture and audience experience. ----- LINKS Sydney Symphony Orchestra: Emil Kang's The Reprise:
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Susan Magsamen, Co-Author of “Your Brain on Art”
05/14/2026
Susan Magsamen, Co-Author of “Your Brain on Art”
Susan Magsamen has spent her career arguing that creativity and aesthetic experiences are not luxuries, but biological necessities woven into how we heal, learn, and connect. A researcher, educator, and co-author of the New York Times bestseller Your Brain on Art, Susan has become one of the leading voices in the growing field of neuroaesthetics: the science of how the arts and sensory experiences shape the brain and body. Through her work with the and the , she has helped bridge the gap between scientific research and real-world practice in healthcare, education, and community life. In this episode, Susan reflects on the winding path that led her into this emerging field and explains what the latest research reveals about the profound impact of arts engagement on human wellbeing. She also explores how arts organizations can better communicate their value, why community-centered approaches matter, and what it will take to make neuroaesthetics a mainstream part of public policy in the years ahead. —— LINKS: Your Brain on Art: International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins: NeuroArts Blueprint Initiative: Neuroarts Resource Center:
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Jacob Jonas, Dancer, Choreographer, and Founder of Films.Dance
05/07/2026
Jacob Jonas, Dancer, Choreographer, and Founder of Films.Dance
Jacob Jonas consistently questions who dance is for, where it belongs, and how it can be sustained. From his early days as a street performer on Venice Beach to founding his own company at just 21, his work reflects a conviction that art must evolve alongside audiences. That perspective has shaped his drive to build new models for the field just as much as it has informed his creative practice. In this episode, Jacob discusses expanding access to dance beyond traditional ticketed spaces, and bringing movement to the screen through his global platform . He also reflects on the gaps he sees across the dance ecosystem—from outdated funding models to legacy approaches to marketing—where emerging leaders have opportunities to rethink the future of the field.
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Giorgia Lupi, Partner at Pentagram
05/01/2026
Giorgia Lupi, Partner at Pentagram
Giorgia Lupi has built a career at the intersection of design, storytelling, and information, treating data not as cold fact but as something deeply human. From organizing buttons in her grandmother’s tailor shop in Italy to becoming a partner at Pentagram, her work consistently challenges the idea that analysis and artistry exist in separate worlds. In this episode, Giorgia reflects on her path from architecture to information design, and unpacks her philosophy of data humanism: an approach that embraces subjectivity, emotion, and storytelling as essential to how we understand data. She also talks about her work in branding, including Capacity’s recent rebrand, and what it means to design in a world increasingly shaped by AI. --- LINKS Giorgia Lupi: Pentagram: Letterform Online Archive:
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Ruth Hartt, Founder of Cindr
04/23/2026
Ruth Hartt, Founder of Cindr
What's the root of the audience growth problem? Relevance. Few people understand that better than Ruth Hartt. Ruth has built a career at the intersection of performance and business innovation, moving from a 17-year career as a professional opera singer to advising cultural organizations on how to rethink audience engagement. Drawing on her work at the Clayton Christensen Institute and her deep grounding in the arts, Ruth challenges long-held assumptions about how and why people connect with cultural experiences. In this episode, Ruth unpacks the limitations of traditional, product-centered marketing and makes the case for a more human, need-based approach. Along the way, she reflects on her own journey from the stage to strategy, and what it means to build a more responsive, relevant future for the arts. —— LINKS: Cindr: Cindr Webinar: Culture for Hire: Christensen Institute:
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Brent Reidy, Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries at The New York Public Library
04/16/2026
Brent Reidy, Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries at The New York Public Library
Libraries are often thought of as quiet repositories. But at their best, they are living, evolving spaces where culture is preserved, interpreted, and reimagined. Brent Reidy serves as the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries at The New York Public Library—one of the most expansive and dynamic cultural collections in the world. With a career that spans musicology, consulting with arts institutions, and nearly a decade at NYPL, Brent brings a unique perspective on how libraries function not just as archives, but as active participants in the cultural ecosystem. In this episode, Brent reflects on what it takes to engage new audiences; how digitization efforts intersect with access and institutional mission; and how preserving the past can help shape a more inclusive and imaginative future for the arts. ----- LINKS: The New York Public Library: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: StoryCorps Archive:
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Derek A. Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer of the Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall
04/09/2026
Derek A. Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer of the Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall
The best leaders build conditions for others to shine. Derek A. Johnson, Chief Marketing Officer of Seattle Symphony and Benaroya Hall, has built his leadership philosophy around this very idea. Derek brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to navigating the complexities of today’s arts landscape, drawing on years of experience across major cultural institutions like the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center. In this episode, Derek reflects on the power of servant leadership and how trust becomes the foundation for both strong teams and bold ideas. He also shares what it means to step into a senior leadership role at a pivotal moment for Seattle Symphony, and how he hopes orchestra marketing will evolve in the years ahead. ----- LINKS: Seattle Symphony: Benaroya Hall: Merriam-Webster:
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Ashley Hufford, Content Creator and Theater Influencer
04/02/2026
Ashley Hufford, Content Creator and Theater Influencer
The beauty of theater isn’t just what happens on stage. It’s the community that forms around it. And increasingly, that community is being built online. Ashley Hufford is part of a growing group of creators leading that shift. A constant presence across New York’s theater scene and on social media, she has built an audience of more than 100,000 followers who turn to her not for theater criticism, but for an invitation to try something new. What began as a pandemic-era hobby of posting about shows has grown into a kind of cultural bridge, connecting productions with new and younger audiences. In this episode, Ashley reflects on her path from sports media to political storytelling to theater influencing; what she’s learned about sharing stories that resonate; the evolving role of influencers in the theater ecosystem; and how the arts industry can rethink accessibility and audience-building for the future. ——— LINKS: Ashley Huffed: The New York Public Library: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts:
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