“a manifesto for the arts in times of crises”

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About the book:

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.

Endorsements

"A must-read for all arts leaders and lovers. These critical conversations shine new light on how to make lasting change. If you want to understand how the world is changing—and what to do about it—Alex Sarian shows you the way."

Henry Timms
President Emeritus, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
"Alex Sarian highlights a critical challenge in the arts community that cannot be addressed by public relations efforts or one-off gestures. Arts organizations need to rethink what they are and whom they serve and align their values with those of the people they hope to engage. Only then will our audiences return. Alex’s book throws down an existential gauntlet in our sector: It’s a challenge we must rise to if the arts are to thrive in the twenty-first century."

Rachel Moore
President & CEO, The Music Center, Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County
"Alex Sarian asks the questions we should all be asking, and the voices he’s gathered in conversation are the ones we need to listen to. The touchstone values he endorses—humility, generosity, and authentic engagement with communities—should be the rallying cry for the performing arts today."

Christopher Deacon
President & CEO, Canada’s National Arts Centre
"Alex Sarian has the audacity to shine a spotlight on what’s been missing from our ability to engage arts and culture to build truly powerful cities: the voice of the people. He makes a compelling case that fretting over outdated models will not reveal solutions for communal resilience. For Sarian, the solution is much more pragmatic and grounded. Success hinges on understanding how people wish to see themselves reflected in the arts."

Mayor Jyoti Gondek, City of Calgary
"The Audacity of Relevance offers a new and compelling paradigm for the arts—one rooted in service, participation, and humility—that has the potential to transform our community for the better. Through a brilliantly curated set of anecdotes and provocations, Alex Sarian dares us to reimagine an arts ecosystem that returns to its rightful place: at the very core of our shared human experience."

Clive Chang
President & CEO, YoungArts
"The Audacity of Relevance is a vital call to action, urging all of us to courageously redefine the value propositions of our institutions and reconnect with our core mission of community service. Alex Sarian highlights the complacency and fear that have hindered our industry while also charting a path forward that prioritizes both audiences and artists. This is essential reading for every arts leader striving for prosperity and growth."

Mark Williams
Beck Family Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Symphony Orchestra
"The Audacity of Relevance isn’t just for arts leaders but for artists, philanthropists, and arts-loving audiences. It provides a modern look at our organizations and invites us to break the echo chambers we operate in. By forcing us to see the world differently, Alex Sarian asks us to rethink our purpose by leaning into our shared humanity."

Sarah Arison
Trustee, MoMA
"Alex Sarian takes us through a series of provocations that highlight choices—not merely to survive but to thrive in service to our communities and indeed to be catalysts in society. A must-read!"

Claire Spencer AM
"Alex Sarian has curated a stellar line-up of thinkers to reflect on what went wrong and what needs to change. As arts communities around the world grapple with a poly crisis of issues that are fundamentally changing the way our sector operates, these conversations are essential to illuminating a way forward."

Chris Lorway
President & CEO, The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
"Alex Sarian has written a practical and positive provocation that invites all of us to take a step back and have a people-centered approach to the future of the arts. By challenging us to balance our artistic and civic responsibilities to reassemble today’s arts sector, this book is a must-read in these particular times of change."

Marie-Josée Desrochers
Présidente-directrice générale, Place des Arts de Montréal
"Alex Sarian’s book is a launching pad for those passionate that the arts are for everyone. It exposes the threat of the oligopoly that protects and controls many of our arts institutions today and forces us to question whether these trends might lead to an extinction-level crisis for the next generations’ love of the arts."

Manish Vora
Co-founder & Co-CEO, Museum of Ice Cream
"The Audacity of Relevance encourages us to reimagine the role of the arts in a world that is constantly changing. Alex Sarian’s book beautifully reframes organizational challenges into opportunities to redefine our importance. As a change leader, Sarian’s focus on audiences through the lens of humility and service is essential for our sector!"

Devyani Saltzman
Director for Arts & Participation, Barbican Centre
"Alex Sarian’s The Audacity of Relevance is essential reading for revitalizing the arts sector. Through insightful conversations with leaders from across industries, Sarian shows us how the arts can become catalysts to drive social change and community engagement and redefine our future."

Larry Ossei-Mensah
Curator & Co-founder, ARTNOIR
"Essential reading for arts workers everywhere. Alex Sarian challenges the assumptions that hold the arts sector back from thriving in the twenty-first century by asking us to honestly consider whether we are stuck in a self-centered model of operating. From encouraging partnerships with other industries to rethinking our core value proposition, Sarian charts a path forward so we can reimagine the arts not only as relevant to our communities but as essential to a healthy and democratic society."

Aubrey Reeves
President & CEO, Business / Arts
"The playbook for artistic endeavors everywhere."

Dave Pierce
Emmy Award-Winning Songwriter, Composer, Producer & Arranger
"The Audacity of Relevance makes a compelling case for arts organizations seeking sustainability and impact in the twenty-first century, emphasizing the need for adaptability and community engagement, for the relentless pursuit of relevance."

Muyiwa Oki
President, Royal Institute of British Architects
"It has become clear that a big RESET button needs to be pressed on the core value proposition of the arts. Alex Sarian’s brilliant book offers the blueprint that is so desperately needed."

Owais Lightwala
Assistant Professor, The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University