Words Matter: Strategic Communication in Arts Leadership

One of America's leading arts organizations just hired a brilliant new CEO from across the pond. In his first newspaper interview, he said that "entrenched white supremacy" explains the two decades of declining attendance at the institution he is now charged with leading.

I understand what he meant. I agree with the underlying critique. But a casual reader may hear "white supremacy" and picture violent extremists. For many Americans, that term evokes imagery that overwhelms the actual point.

What he was trying to say is straightforward: if the organization had recognized the demographic changes visible in the data twenty years ago, it would have invested earlier in younger, more diverse audiences and commissioned more work by Black, Brown, Latino, and Asian artists. That didn't happen. Those missed choices compounded over time.

He is right about the forces at play. But this is why words matter. If the goal is to broaden the audience, our language cannot push away the very people we need to reach.

A clearer way to say it:

"Two decades ago, we missed the demographic shifts that were reshaping our community. Programming, commissioning, and marketing lagged behind the audience we needed to serve. That's on us. Starting now, we're correcting course (investing in new work, new voices, and new relationships) so five and ten years from today, our audience reflects the community we serve."

Same moral clarity. Far less confusion. And it ties the critique to action.

Why this matters beyond this one example:

This isn't about political correctness or avoiding hard truths. It's about communication strategy.

Every organization navigating questions of equity, inclusion, and audience development faces this tension. You need to be honest about the past. You need to acknowledge where the organization fell short. But you also need to bring people along, including people who may not share your vocabulary or frame of reference.

The goal isn't to water down the message. It's to land the message with the audience that needs to hear it.

Practical advice for leaders navigating this moment:

Define terms. If you use charged language, add one plain-English sentence grounding it in observable choices. Don't assume everyone shares your definition.

Name the miss, then the fix. "We missed the shift" → "here is the plan, timeline, and accountability." Critique without action feels like performance. Action without acknowledgment feels defensive. You need both.

Avoid performative guilt. Excessive self-flagellation doesn't build credibility—it erodes it. Acknowledge the problem, commit to the solution, and move forward. Consistency builds trust.

Measure publicly. Set targets and report progress. "We're committed to diversity" is vague. "By 2028, 40% of our commissioned works will come from artists of color" is accountable.

Consider your audience. Who needs to hear this message? What do they already believe? What language will resonate with them? Communication that only preaches to the converted isn't strategic—it's self-indulgent.

The bigger picture:

We don't protect the mission by choosing language that alienates audiences. We protect it by telling the truth in words people understand, then proving it with action.

Arts organizations—and nonprofits generally—are navigating genuinely difficult terrain. The challenges are real. The history is real. The need for change is real.

But change requires bringing people along. And that requires meeting them where they are, not where we wish they were.

Words matter. Choose them carefully.