John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Michael Kaiser. Michael M. Kaiser has been President of the Kennedy Center since January 2001. He has expanded the educational and artistic programming for the nation's center for the performing arts, has overseen a major renovation effort of most of the Center’s theaters and has led the country in arts management training. Signature artistic programs during his tenure have included an unprecedented… See full bio.

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Story: The Kennedy Center, located on the banks of the Potomac River near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., opened to the public in September 1971. But its roots date back to 1958, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed bipartisan legislation creating a National Cultural Center. President John F. Kennedy was a lifelong supporter and advocate of the arts, and frequently steered the public discourse toward what he called "our contribution to the human spirit." Kennedy took the lead in raising funds for the new National Cultural Center, holding special White House luncheons and receptions, appointing his wife Jacqueline and Mrs. Eisenhower as honorary co-chairwomen, and in other ways placing the prestige of his office firmly behind the endeavor. Two months after President Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, Congress designated the National Cultural Center (designed by Edward Durell Stone) as a "living memorial" to Kennedy, and authorized $23 million to help build what is now known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Fundraising continued at a swift pace--with much help coming from the Friends of the Kennedy Center volunteers, who fanned out across the nation to attract private support --and nations around the world began donating funds, building materials, and artworks to assist in the project's completion. In December 1965, President Lyndon Johnson turned the first shovelful of earth at the Center's construction site, using the same gold-plated spade that had been used in the groundbreaking ceremonies for both the Lincoln Memorial in 1914 and the Jefferson Memorial in 1938. The Center has co-produced more than 300 new works of theater over the past 38 years, including Tony-winning shows ranging from Annie in 1977 to A Few Good Men, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The King and I, Titanic, and the American premiere of Les Misérables. 17 million people nationwide take part in innovative and effective education programs initiated by the Center, and millions of people watch its television programs every year. (Source: http://www.kennedy-center.org/about/history.html)

Evidence of Impact Summary:

This organization is heralded for its long history of promoting and presenting the arts to wider and wider audiences. Beyond their general mandate, experts note a variety of particular programs which have aided artists and arts organizations.
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Organization Strengths Summary:

Nearly all experts cited leadership as an asset to the organization. Others cite broader operating efficiencies as well as the quality of their program design.
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Areas for Improvement Summary:

Of the few areas for improvement mentioned, experts recommended expanding diversity, improving outreach, and fostering more collaboration.
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Michael M. Kaiser has been President of the Kennedy Center since January 2001. He has expanded the educational and artistic programming for the nation's center for the performing arts, has overseen a major renovation effort of most of the Center’s theaters and has led the country in arts management training. Signature artistic programs during his tenure have included an unprecedented celebration of the works of Stephen Sondheim; major festivals of the arts of China, Japan and the 22 countries in the Arab World; long-term relationships with the Bolshoi Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet and Opera, New York City Ballet and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; a country music festival;  a celebration of August Wilson’s ten plays presented in sequential order; as well as a major revival productions of Ragtime that is transferring to Broadway this year.  Mr. Kaiser also works closely with the National Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director and its Board of Directors on the Orchestra’s performances and outreach programs. Mr. Kaiser created the Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute to provide advanced training for arts administrators at varying stages of development and has created a series of programs to help train others in the field.  He has created a ten-month fellowship program for mid level arts administrators to include intensive course work and practical experience with the various Kennedy Center departments.  A multi-year summer program for international arts managers is in its third season.  Mr. Kaiser has created a Capacity Building Program for culturally specific arts organizations, which offers mentoring services to the leaders of African American, Latino, Asian American and Native American arts groups from across the United States.  A similar program was instituted for arts organizations in the American Midwest and the City of New York.   He also advises performing arts organizations around the world on building institutional strength through marketing, strategic planning and fundraising, and, in this capacity, is currently working with arts leaders in 60 countries. He has created artsmanager.org, a website that provides resources to arts managers around the world. In February 2009, he created “Arts in Crisis: A Kennedy Center Initiative,” a program to provide free arts management consulting to non-profit performing arts organizations around the United States.  Mr. Kaiser has embarked on a national tour for the Arts in Crisis initiative, hosting arts management symposia in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia through August 2010.  More information may be found at www.artsincrisis.org. Mr. Kaiser previously served as the Executive Director of the Royal Opera House, the largest performing arts organization in the United Kingdom.  During his tenure with the Royal Opera House, that organization erased its historic accumulated deficit, completed a £214 million redevelopment of the facility, created an endowment fund, and greatly increased its level of support from the private and public sectors. Prior to joining the Royal Opera House, Mr. Kaiser was Executive Director of American Ballet Theatre. During his three-year tenure at ABT, Mr. Kaiser erased the entire historic accumulated deficit, created a second company, greatly expanded national and international touring activity, substantially increased both contributed and earned income, and built an acclaimed series of education programs. Mr. Kaiser has also served as Executive Director of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater Foundation, the world's largest modern dance organization. During his tenure, the Ailey Company erased its accumulated deficit, expanded its school, and increased all forms of revenue. He has also served as General Manager of the Kansas City Ballet, where he also erased the company's deficit. As a consultant to a variety of arts organizations Mr. Kaiser has advised such institutions as The Jewish Museum, the Market Theatre (Johannesburg), Detroit Symphony, Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, and many others. He also represented the United States on a commission that established the Arts Council of the Republic of South Africa. Before entering the arts management field, Mr. Kaiser was a management consultant in the corporate sector. In 1985, he sold the consulting firm he founded, Kaiser Associates, which specializes in helping large corporations formulate strategic plans. Among his clients were General Motors, IBM, Corning Glass Works and 50 other major corporations. Kaiser Associates remains a major participant in the strategy-consulting field. Mr. Kaiser has served as a research economist for Nobel prize-winning economist, Wassily Leontief, and is the author of four books: The Art of the Turnaround (2008); Strategic Planning in the Arts: A Practical Guide (1995); Developing Industry Strategies: A Practical Guide of Industry Analysis (1983); and Understanding the Competition: A Practical Guide of Competitive Analysis (1981). Mr. Kaiser received his Master's degree in Management from M.I.T.'s Sloan School of Management and his Bachelor's degree in Economics magna cum laude, from Brandeis University. He has been an Adjunct Professor of Arts Administration at New York University, and a Lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. He has received the Dance Magazine Award in 2001, Capezio Award in 2002, Helen Hayes Washington Post Award for Innovative Leadership in the Theater Community in 2003, the St. Petersburg 300 Medal in 2004, Washingtonian of the Year in 2004, a U.S. Department of State Citation in 2005, the Blacks in Dance Award in 2005, and was the First American to receive China’s “Award for Cultural Exchange” in 2005.  He was awarded The Order of the Mexican Eagle in 2006 and was named Impresario of the Year in 2006 by Musical America.  In 2009, Mr. Kaiser received the George Peabody Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Music in America and the Kahlil Gibran “Spirit of Humanity” Award from the Arab American Institute Foundation.

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