To build organizational capacity and provide sustainability, the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) board and executive staff leadership considered a range of diverse strategies. Recent discussions between NBAF, the Woodruff Arts Center (The Woodruff), and local supporters resulted in a sustainability strategy that would consider a more formal relationship between NBAF and the Woodruff. With this strategy on the table, a research process was launched by NBAF to survey and learn more about the long-term relationships of other arts organizations to inform the negotiation and development of its own relationship with the Woodruff Arts Center and its divisions—the High Museum of Art, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Alliance Theatre, and Young Audiences.

The resulting report, Strategies for Developing Organizational Sustainability: Long-Term Relationships in the Arts by Mikki Shepard, shares lessons learned as through a survey of research reports exploring long-term relationships and partnerships between arts organizations. Through the summary of findings, Shepard’s report focuses in detail on the conditions for forming relationships, strategies and process for favorable negotiation, perspective on benefits and challenges of forming partnerships, and reasons for success— and the lessons learned. Though there is no one formula for a navigating successful long-term relationship, the study offers a basis of understanding and provides a selection of areas that arts organizations should explore as they arere considering defining a long-term partnership in their own communities.

 To build organizational capacity and provide sustainability, the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF) board and executive staff leadership considered a range of diverse strategies. Recent discussions between NBAF, the Woodruff Arts Center (The Woodruff), and local supporters resulted in a sustainability strategy that would consider a more formal relationship between NBAF and the Woodruff. With this strategy on the table, a research process was launched by NBAF to survey and learn more about the long-term relationships of other arts organizations to inform the negotiation and development of its own relationship with the Woodruff Arts Center and its divisions—the High Museum of Art, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Alliance Theatre, and Young Audiences.

The resulting report, Strategies for Developing Organizational Sustainability: Long-Term Relationships in the Arts by Mikki Shepard, shares lessons learned as through a survey of research reports exploring long-term relationships and partnerships between arts organizations. Through the summary of findings, Shepard’s report focuses in detail on the conditions for forming relationships, strategies and process for favorable negotiation, perspective on benefits and challenges of forming partnerships, and reasons for success— and the lessons learned. Though there is no one formula for a navigating successful long-term relationship, the study offers a basis of understanding and provides a selection of areas that arts organizations should explore as they arere considering defining a long-term partnership in their own communities.