Is Chicago a center for experimental dance and performing arts? Can dancers and actors or musicians share the same performing space? What does experimental performance offer an artist or an audience member? What happens when you experience a performance that is unpredictable and non-formulaic? I spent about an hour exploring these kinds of questions with a small group of performing artists and audience members at Links Hall the other night as part of an ongoing marketing research project I’ve been working on with Links Hall. If you’re not familiar with Links Hall, it’s a great place to see unusual and interesting dance and hybrid arts performances. From a marketing perspective, it’s a challenge in that its offerings cannot be easily categorized beyond the category of “experimental.” Which is why we felt it was important to try to get at the core of the Links Hall experience.
I’m a little behind on this, but Victory Gardens recently announced that it has sold its Greenhouse space (you can read about it in Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere). What was interesting about this transaction was that 1) the buyer was a board member who paid full price as established by an appraiser — no self-dealing here; and 2) the commercial real estate market is in a major slump, so the property might not have sold at its asking price for a long, long time if the board member had not stepped up. That’s one of the risks of owning property: When you need to sell, you might not find a buyer at the price you want. I occasionally encounter arts organizations considering buying a property, but it’s not always the best idea. Once you cover the down payment, closing costs and the mortgage payments, you still need a significant reserve for property taxes and maintenance. Sometimes renting is the better option, even it means living at the whim of the landlord.
Eavesdropping at CSO – Violas!
May 8, 2008
“The viola section is out of the world!” Thus spoke a woman sitting in our row (L, for the record) at Symphony Center recently, after the rousing finish to Mahler’s First Symphony. Disclosure: I’m partial to violas myself, since my sister is a professional violist. You can learn more about her at www.cosmostrio.org, a site I built because, yes, I’m a fan! I played viola in high school. Let’s just say I’m a much better at attending concerts than playing in them.
