On Aesthetics, Ethics, Economics, and Consequential Decisions of Cultural Leaders in the Long Now

Missions are squishy; buildings and bottom lines are not. Judgments about art are subjective. Human beings are often self-interested. The nonprofit form lends itself to manipulation and to serving the interests of a few rather than the general public. Arts organizations need to be aware of these dynamics and can’t hang their hats on mission statements and values statements as enough to keep them moored to their purposes. – Diane Ragsdale