Kennedy Center's Kaiser named Carr Distinguished scholar

"Great Art, Well Marketed: A Conversation with Michael Kaiser" is the title of this spring's Carr Distinguished Interdisciplinary Lecture, scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, on the Skidmore campus. Free and open to the public, the talk will be in Filene Recital Hall. 

Kaiser, the president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, will talk about the artistic excellence and business acumen that have characterized his leadership of the Kennedy Center, as well as the current arts environment and career opportunities in the arts. As the College's Carr Scholar, Kaiser will be on campus for two days, meeting with students in several classes, including those enrolled in the college's new arts administration minor. Skidmore is one of the few colleges in the country to offer a minor in arts administration, which helps students prepare for management positions in the visual arts, music, dance, and theater.

At the Kennedy Center Kaiser's accomplishments have included expanding educational and artistic programming and overseeing a major renovation of most of the center's theaters. He is responsible for the artistic and financial health of the center's theater, jazz, chamber music, and dance seasons as well as its affiliates, the National Symphony Orchestra; VSA, the international organization on arts and disability; and Washington National Opera.

Dubbed "the Turnaround King" for his work at numerous institutions, including London's Royal Opera House, the American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Kansas City Ballet, Kaiser has earned renown for his expertise in arts management. He advises performing arts organization around the world, working with arts leaders in nearly 70 countries.

Upon joining the Kennedy Center in 2001 Kaiser created the Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute and renamed the DeVos Institute of Arts Management to recognize the major gift of donors Dick and Betsy DeVos. The DeVos institute aims to train the current and next generation of arts leaders. It features a variety of initiatives and programs, including an online education forum for arts administrators (artsmanager.org) where professionals and students in the field can share experiences, seek employment, and post opportunities.

He founded a program titled "Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative" in February 2009 and embarked on a 50-state tour to spread his arts expertise throughout the country. Kaiser's most recent books are The Art of the Turnaround (Brandeis, 2008) and Leading Roles: 50 Questions Every Arts Board Should Ask (Brandeis, 2010). He is also a contributor to The Huffington Post, where he blogs regularly about the arts and related issues.

Kaiser's visit to Skidmore as Carr Distinguished Interdisciplinary Scholar is made possible by the College's Office of the Dean of Special Programs and the Arts Administration Program.

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Zana Briski, noted photographer and winner of the 2005 Academy Award for Documentary Feature for Born into Brothels , an exploration of the lives of prostitutes and their children in Calcutta, made a visit to Skidmore earlier this fall as part of the Carr Lecture Series.See this conversation with Tom Lewis, professor of English.