According to this article, the world is changing, but the methodologies for responding to these changes have not. The current way government and nonprofits respond to change is by following the clearly defined corporate model. To help develop new methodologies, the author advocates for the re-introduction of the notion of meaning into public life. She believes artists and arts organizations are perhaps best equipped to articulate and redefine these public meanings. In order for this to take place, the author feels that arts organizations will have to deepen their community relationships. This article was originally a presentation given at the 2002 Summer Institute for Arts Management, a University of Massachusetts at Amherst Arts Extension Service conference devoted to continuing professional education of arts and nonprofit managers.

The current way government and nonprofits respond to change is by following the clearly defined corporate model. To help develop new methodologies, the author advocates for the re-introduction of the notion of meaning into public life.