In a number of past blog posts I have talked about how the world within which the arts now function has changed so dramatically that there are real questions about the relevance of the arts as traditionally experienced.

I wrote about this dilemma, among other things, in an op-ed piece the Plain Dealer published earlier this year. It is the topic of abiding interest among funders and arts managers nation-wide who are thinking hard about how to engage the audiences of the future in art forms that, to some, may seem stuck in the past.

But no one – and I mean NO ONE tells it like Ben Cameron does. Ben is a dear friend although I get to see him rarely. We served together on the Board of Grantmakers in the Arts some years ago. He has served the arts via philanthropy from the corporate sector (Target Stores Foundation), from inside the industry (Theater Communications Group), and now as the Program Director for the Arts at the Doris Duke Foundation. He is one of the arts sector’s preeminent thought leaders – and a great wit to boot.

If you care at all about the arts, I encourage you to take 13 minutes of your life and spend it with Ben.

Nothing I could say could do his presentation justice, so I won’t try. Enjoy.