Reflections on Elitism: What Arts Organizations Communicate About Themselves

ABSTRACT

Over the past several decades, arts organizations have been responding to an array of societal changes. These changes have resulted in a transformation of the field, including not only how professional, non-profit arts organizations are perceived by their stakeholders but also how they see themselves. This study looked at mission statements and communication materials of the flagship arts organizations of five U.S. cities to determine what they say about themselves and how they position themselves on an elitism-democracy continuum, from excluding to embracing new and different audiences. It included a content analysis of annual reports, season brochures, news releases, and social media to determine why and about what arts organizations communicate. It then used a case study approach to analyze in more detail the communication of three specific arts organizations. Overall, the study showed how arts organizations are communicating their unique identities and how they are working to position themselves on the democratic side of the elitism continuum.

KEYWORDS:

• Accessibility
• arts organizations
• communication
• democracy
• elitism
• marketing
• mission
• organizational identity
• public relations
• reputation