Data shows us that the U.S. population has been steadily diversifying, yet the average demographic of most current arts audiences has remained stagnant and does not reflect the diverse makeup of our communities. In time, we will simply run out of the type of audiences most arts organizations actively target.  The long-term success of arts and culture organizations depends on audience diversification and engagement.

In this session, we will identify successful engagement programs through the examination of case studies from two organizations: Palm Beach Opera and The High Museum. Palm Beach Opera recently completed a three-year grant-funded initiative to engage the African American community and increase attendance at the Opera’s events.  In recent years, The High Museum has tripled the nonwhite audience so that its visitors more closely mirror the population of the Atlanta metro area, of which 51 percent are people of color. 

This session will focus on a tactical approach for organizations of all budget sizes.

During this Session, Attendees will:

1. Learn about successful communication channels and grassroots methods that work.

2. Discover how to create messaging that resonates.

3. Learn how to collect data that shows results.