The Audacity of Relevance: Critical Conversations on the Future of Arts and Culture

The arts and culture sector is in crisis--a crisis of relevance. Whether it’s grappling with dwindling audience sizes, shifting trends in philanthropy, or addressing social challenges, experts have been documenting this slow decline for decades.

At the core of Alex Sarian’s international career is the conviction that cultural organizations must embrace a greater civic purpose and build a new business model--one based on the social impact of the arts.

Throughout The Audacity of Relevance, Sarian engages in conversations with leaders from across industries to paint a potential future for arts organizations--a future built on measuring our sector’s success by how positively we can influence the many local communities that surround us.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a seasoned executive or are just beginning in your career--the principles and anecdotes in this book will inspire you to see the world of arts and culture for what it truly is: filled with endless possibilities for reinvention.

A former Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts executive, Alex Sarian currently leads the single largest cultural infrastructure project in Canadian history as president and CEO of Arts Commons. He’s taught at NYU and advised organizations, including SXSW, Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, the New Group, and the Varkey Foundation. Alex lives in Calgary, AB.