Aidan Connolly knows that institutional growth isn’t just a matter of square footage. It’s a test of values.

As Executive Director of Irish Arts Center in New York City, Aidan is leading the organization through a major expansion and transformation—one that requires not only bold vision, but the discipline to protect what made the institution matter in the first place. 

In this episode, Aidan reflects on what it takes to lead values-driven change, how his background in politics shaped his approach to advocacy and stakeholder management, and how arts organizations can become not just presenters of culture, but civic homes for artists and audiences alike.

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LINKS:

Irish Arts Center: https://irishartscenter.org/

WorkLife with Adam Grant: https://adamgrant.net/podcasts/work-life/

The New York Public Library: https://www.nypl.org/

The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts: https://www.nypl.org/locations/lpa

Risk is usually something leaders are told to minimize. But for Sammi Cannold, it’s essential to success.

As an award-winning director across Broadway, film, and television, Sammi has built her career on ambitious projects—like staging Violet on a moving bus and reimagining Ragtime on Ellis Island. What stands out isn’t just the boldness of the choices, but the intention behind them: using place and performance to help audiences experience even the most familiar stories in new ways. 

In this episode, Sammi shares how she found her voice as a young woman in a male-dominated field; how she brings new perspective to beloved works while still honoring their legacy; and what it means to be an “actor’s director” whether she’s working on stage or the silver screen. Plus, she shares why advocacy in entertainment doesn’t always have to feel like eating your vegetables, and breaks down the false dichotomy between mission-driven and commercial work.

LINKS:

Sammi Cannold: https://www.sammicannold.com/

The Agnes Index: https://www.instagram.com/theagnesindex/?hl=en

Broadway Briefing: https://broadwaybriefing.com/

If you could spend a year visiting arts organizations around the world, what patterns would start to emerge—and which assumptions would fall apart?

Last year, Andrew Recinos, President & CEO of Tessitura, embarked on a global listening tour that took him inside cultural institutions across ten countries. Despite vast differences in geography, scale, and discipline, he heard strikingly similar themes—of reconstruction, resilience, and the challenge of evolving without losing core purpose.

In this episode, Andrew explores what a global vantage point reveals about the state of the field, why innovation requires “eating good ideas,” and how technology can act as a co-intelligence that deepens, rather than diminishes, meaningful human connection.

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LINKS

Tessitura: https://www.tessitura.com/

Arts Journal: https://www.artsjournal.com/

TLDRAI: https://tldrai.com/

Join host Monica Holt as she reflects on the moments that defined the Fall 2025 season, and hear cultural leaders remind us why connection, creativity, and collaboration are more important than ever.

Aly Maier Lokuta knows that art and science aren’t opposing disciplines. They’re a shared language for strengthening public wellbeing. 

Her career has long bridged these worlds, from co-founding Rutgers’ Arts and Health Research Lab to leading the largest public mural initiative since the WPA era during her time with NYC Health + Hospitals. Now, as AVP of Arts and Well-Being at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center,  she’s proving what many leaders in the field are only beginning to articulate: that cultural institutions can be powerful drivers of community health. 

In this episode, Aly shares real-world examples of arts-in-health programs and actionable advice for organizations looking to launch or grow their own initiatives.

LINKS:

Aly’s art and consulting work: www.alysonmaier.com

Aly’s Arts in Health blog: www.alymaier.substack.com

NJPAC Arts & Well-Being:  www.njpac.org/well

Jameel Arts and Health Lab: https://www.jameelartshealthlab.org/

National Organization for Arts in Health: https://thenoah.org/

NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine Program:  https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/artsinmedicine/

UF Center for Arts in Medicine: https://arts.ufl.edu/programs-schools/center-for-arts-in-medicine/

For Ming Min Hui, there’s no single “right” path to arts leadership—only the one you build through curiosity, courage, and a willingness to evolve.

Her career began far from the stage, in finance and corporate strategy on Wall Street. Today, as Executive Director of Boston Ballet, she sees that wide-ranging experience not as a detour but as the engine behind her leadership.

In this episode, Ming reflects on the value of expansive career paths, the power of collaborative problem-solving, and how she uses her business acumen to deepen the relevance of a 400-year-old art form in Boston and beyond.

LINKS:

Boston Ballet - https://www.bostonballet.org/ 

NBC Boston | Citydance 30 Documentary - https://www.nbcboston.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/watch-the-boston-ballet-citydance-30-years-of-movement-documentary-saturday/2813042/ 

For Alex Sarian, relevance isn’t a buzzword. It’s a mandate for the future of the arts.

As President and CEO of the Werklund Centre in Calgary, he’s leading the largest cultural infrastructure project in Canadian history, a transformation that will soon make the organization the country’s largest performing arts campus. But Alex is quick to point out that bricks and mortar aren’t the real story. The deeper shift is philosophical: a move away from mission statements as fixed declarations and toward a practice of asking, “What does the world need right now that we are uniquely positioned to do?”

In this episode, Alex reflects on the evolution underway at the Werklund Centre and the ideas behind his best-selling book The Audacity of Relevance. He offers a roadmap for leaders ready to create with their community—not for them—and makes a compelling case for why relevance is the most powerful strategy we have for building a sustainable, future-facing cultural sector.

LINKS

Werklund Centre: https://werklundcentre.ca/ 

The Audacity of Relevance: https://www.alexsarian.com/book 

The future of arts and culture depends on leaders who can innovate, adapt, and inspire—and Deborah Rutter has been doing it at the highest levels. With five decades of experience leading premier cultural institutions across the United States, she knows what it takes to drive meaningful change while keeping artists and audiences at the center. 

In this live episode from Boot Camp 2025, the former President of the Kennedy Center and current Vice Provost for the Arts at Duke University shares lessons from her career on leading through periods of transformational growth and building the financial and operational resilience needed to sustain our organizations. 

It’s Boot Camp week! In this special mini episode, Capacity’s President Christopher Williams joins host Monica Holt to pull back the curtain on Boot Camp, the leading conference for arts and culture professionals. They dive into how this year’s program came together, the sessions they’re most excited about, and how courage and curiosity are the keys to a stronger sector.

LINKS:

Boot Camp 2025

Shanta Thake sees artistic curation as a practice rooted in curiosity and community connection.

As the Ehrenkranz Chief Artistic Officer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Shanta is helping redefine what one of the world’s most storied institutions can be. Since joining in 2021, she’s helped usher in an era of experimentation and access to ensure the arts remain central to New York City’s civic life.

In this episode, Shanta reflects on what it means to democratize the programming process, how the arts contribute to community wellbeing, and why leading with curiosity sparks meaningful innovation. She also takes listeners behind the scenes of initiatives like Lincoln Center’s West Side Expansion and Summer for the City—efforts rooted in humility, collaboration, and partnership with local communities.

LINKS:

Lincoln Center | A New West Side

Lincoln Center | Summer for the City

Citizen University | Power Walk Field Guide