The Future of Arts Leadership

written by Rachael Holloway, Nonprofit Practice Recruiter

As a recruiter, I’m fortunate to spend most of my days connecting with arts leaders, creating space for them to dream again. Every week, I hear some version of the same reality: leaders trying to do more with less, running strong organizations and programs on optimism and caffeine. Most are rebuilding teams, navigating a shifting philanthropic landscape, and trying to restore a rhythm that now feels unattainable. We’ve built a field that celebrates survival as success. Balanced budgets, one more gala, one more season. We applaud the ability to endure, but rarely the courage to evolve.

Because of this, everyone wants steady hands at the wheel. It makes sense after years of disruption and fragile recovery, but it also means fewer chances for emerging leaders to grow. And fewer young professionals are willing to open a vein for the sake of an organization’s survival. They’ve learned healthy boundaries or simply accepted offers in other sectors, where remote work makes sense and there’s less expectation to be present for evening and weekend performances.

I know I’m not writing anything revolutionary when I offer this reminder: sustainable recovery will depend on more than filling open roles. It will depend on developing people. The organizations that are thriving now are doing so through mentorship, professional development, and by creating space for new voices to shape the work. Their boards are asking how programming reflects the communities they serve, choosing to create with people, not for them. They’re earning trust through collaboration and by inviting the community to come as they are.

I don’t know exactly what the next version of this field will look like. But maybe we’re not meant to go back to how things were. If what comes next is more human, with more room for people to grow, to rest, and to belong, that will be progress worth celebrating.