Background Report - Arizona Town Hall

Chapter 22
New Voices, New Visions
Arizona continues to attract talented and visionary arts leaders who invigorate our cultural
community. The essays in this chapter have been written by five institutional heads in
Phoenix, Tempe, Tucson, Mesa, and Scottsdale who are relatively new to Arizona. They
address the “what brought you here?” question, the engaging possibilities they saw, how those
linked with their own vision for the arts and the institutions they now lead, and what struck
them about the opportunities they saw in deciding to come to Arizona. Those of us who have
been here many years need new voices such as theirs to make us stand up and pay attention
to things that may have gone off our immediate radar. Their visions engage new directions,
while refreshing the established institutions whose leadership they have assumed. As the
concluding chapter to Capitalizing on Arizona’s Arts and Culture, they echo many of the
issues tackled by the other contributors to this report, while offering new perspectives on
where to go in future.
Museum as Cultural Tourism Destination
Letitia Chambers, President and CEO, Heard Museum
The Heard Museum has a national and international reputation built over many decades. It is
known for the high quality of its exhibits with visual impact and educational content, as well
as for the depth and breadth of its collection of American Indian art and artifacts.
I moved to Phoenix in January 2010 to become the leader of the Heard Museum, and was
surprised to learn that the over 70% of its visitors are tourists. Cultural tourism is
important to the economy of Arizona, and the Heard is a key attraction. It is my intention to
work closely with local, state, and tribal government leaders to increase cultural tourism
in the state.
As a newcomer to the Valley of the Sun, I have been impressed with the quality of the arts
here. Phoenix residents who take part in arts activities are rewarded with the high quality of
the experience. Collaboration among arts and culture organizations is also strong here and
serves to enrich the cultural life available in the area.
The Heard Museum is primarily supported by revenue that it earns from admissions,
memberships, shop sales, and its restaurant. Donors provide approximately one third of its
revenues. One of my major goals as the President and CEO of the Heard Museum is to
bring financial stability and to build an endowment and capital and operating reserves.
The most successful arts organizations are those that recognize the importance of operating
as a business, albeit a nonprofit business. The Heard is adopting a business model to increase
its financial viability and assure its future in all economic climates.
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