Résumé for

Don Adams & Arlene Goldbard

Since January 1978, we have worked as partners in Adams & Goldbard, consulting with a wide variety of public and private agencies, most of them involved in cultural policy, artistic production and distribution, and cultural development planning and evaluation. Our work integrates research, planning, program and financial development, group dynamics, organizational structure and cooperative problem-solving. A partial listing of consultations appears below.

We have spoken and written widely on related topics before professional, student and lay audiences: speeches and workshops and publications are listed below. Our professional experience prior to 1978 is summarized at the end of this document.


Recent Adams & Goldbard Consultations

New Day Films, New York, NY. April 1984-Present. Reorganization of this distribution cooperative of independent filmmakers, followed by ongoing management consultation and semi-annual facilitation of group meetings.

Program for Art on Film, New York, NY. February 1989-December 1989 and various times through May 1991, January 1996-Present. Comprehensive program evaluation, focusing especially on the Production Lab, followed by management consultation and program and organizational planning.

The Institute for Cultural Democracy, Talmage, CA. January 1995-Present. Project director (Adams) and consultant (Goldbard) for Webster's World of Cultural Democracy, an information center and think-tank on cultural policies and cultural politics situated on the World Wide Web.

The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY. December 1987-June 1988, May-July 1990, and September 1990-October 1995. Organizational development and planning for this museum of new, experimental art.

The C.G. Jung Educational Center of Houston, Texas, December 1994-November 1995. Evaluation, facilitation of meetings, and development of long-range plans for center specializing in analytical psychology and the expressive arts.

National Campaign for Freedom of Expression, Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA. November 1990-January 1991 and November 1994-April 1995. Research, evaluation, facilitation of retreats, and development of plans for national organization dedicated to artistic freedom of expression.

The American Festival Project, Whitesburg, KY. August 1994 to February 1995. Evaluation, planning, and facilitation of meetings for this national alliance of performing artists and groups engaged in community-based cultural projects.

The American Documentary, , New York, NY. November-December 1987, June 1991-1993 and May-October 1994. Design of grassroots promotional campaign for PBS series P.O.V. (which premiered July-August 1988), including research and preparation of guide to national community organizing networks; subsequent planning and management consultations; and planning and evaluation of POV Online.

Independent Television Service, St. Paul, MN. January-October 1994. Planning, facilitation, and creation of plan to guide staff work for three years; additional staff planning; and planning and facilitation of Board retreat followed by creation of public document.

Paul Robeson Fund for Film and Video, New York, NY. March-June 1991, and September 1994. Research, planning, and facilitation of meetings for in-depth evaluation of this program of The Funding Exchange; preparation of recommendations for future development.

Mendocino People's Portrait, , Ukiah, CA. September 1992-December 1993. Planning, oversight, and management of national demonstration project in community cultural development, including intensive training institute and ad hoc interactive multimedia center.

Jubilee Arts, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. April 1987 and January 1990-November 1993. Staff retreats, problem-solving and planning for multi-media community arts organization with a wide variety of projects in social institutions and community settings throughout England. Preparation and updating of three-year plans.

ExhibitsUSA, Kansas City, MO. January-March 1993. Evaluation of touring exhibition program for this national division of the Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Mendocino County Board of Supervisors, Ukiah, CA. February-June 1992. Planning and facilitation of televised series of educational meetings and hearings to consider new timber harvest regulations recommended by the Forest Advisory Committee.

Family Practice Residency Program, Santa Rosa, CA. January-March 1992. Planning and facilitation of retreat for medical residency program based at Community Hospital; also provided recommendations for future planning and decision-making.

Mendocino County Division of Alcohol and Other Drug Programs, , Ukiah, CA. December 1991-May 1992. Planning and facilitation of the CommunityWorks Coalition to address underlying causes of alcohol and other drug abuse, and training for corps of locally-based community organizers.

National Alliance of Media Arts Centers, Oakland, CA. September 1990-July 1991. Three projects: long-range planning process for this national organization; followed by research and writing of a reporting on the funding of media arts organizations, published in June 1991; followed by planning and facilitation of annual conference, July 1991.

Earlier Adams & Goldbard Consultations

  • Muriel Rukeyser Center for Media and the Arts, Berkeley, CA. May 1990-Spring 1991.
  • Building Bridges: Cooperative Strategies for the Nineties, New York and Glen Cove, NY. January-March 1990.
  • Public Broadcasting Service and Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Hilton Head, SC. December 1989-March 1990.
  • Independent Feature Project, New York, NY. December 1989-March 1990.
  • National Asian American Telecommunications Association, San Francisco, CA. July-December 1989.
  • Tony Silver Films, New York, NY. April 1988-November 1989.
  • Kansas Arts Commission, Topeka, KS and Statewide. July 1988-October 1989.
  • Council for the Arts in Westchester, White Plains, NY. July 1988-June 1989.
  • National Lawyers Guild, New York, NY. January 1989-April 1989.
  • Harvestworks, New York, NY. October 1988-March 1989.
  • Institute for Media Analysis, New York, NY. March 1988-November 1988.
  • The Media Alliance, New York, NY. April-August 1988.
  • Lourdes Portillo/Xochil Films, San Francisco, CA. March 1988-September 1988.
  • CenterArts, Arcata, CA. March-April 1988.
  • Artsreach, Los Angeles, CA. December 1987-January 1988.
  • National Black Programming Consortium, Columbus, OH. July-August 1987.
  • Tony Buba Films, Braddock, PA. November 1986-August 1987.
  • International Film Seminars, New York, NY. May-June 1987.
  • Blue Mountain Center, Blue Mountain Lake, NY. May 1987.
  • Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, Sacramento, CA. January-March 1987.
  • Documentary Resource Center, State College, PA. January 1987.
  • Media Network, New York, NY. December 1986-January 1987 and June 1987.
  • Cultural Partnerships, Ltd., London, England. July 1986.
  • Jerri Allyn (performance artist), New York, NY. June 1986.
  • McCormick Arts Council at the Keturah, McCormick, SC. September 1986.
  • South Carolina Arts Commission, Columbia, SC. September 1984-April 1986.
  • Ferrero Films, San Francisco, CA. April 1986.
  • Public Advocates, San Francisco, CA. August 1985-August 1986.
  • Mendocino County Arts Coalition, Willits, CA. January-March 1986.
  • Ukiah Players Theatre, Ukiah, CA. February-October 1985, November 1986, November 1987, fall/winter 1989-90
  • People's Theater Coalition, San Francisco, CA. October 1984-January 1985.
  • Community Art Resource, San Francisco, CA. August-December 1984.
  • Community Murals Magazine, Berkeley, CA. August-December 1984.
  • Lilith, San Francisco, CA. August-December 1984.
  • UP Productions, San Francisco, CA. August-December 1984.
  • San Francisco Cinematheque, September-November 1984.
  • Theater Artaud, San Francisco. May-June 1984.
  • Pickle Family Circus, San Francisco. June 1983-March,1984.
  • United Mime Workers, Champaign, IL. October-November 1983.
  • Appalshop, Whitesburg, KY. October 1983 and September 1980.
  • At the Foot of the Mountain, Minneapolis, MN. April 1982-June 1983.
  • Neighborhood Arts Programs National Organizing Committee, Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD. May 1979-May 1983.
  • South Dakota Arts Council, Sioux Falls and other towns. April-July 1982.
  • Chicago Mural Group, Chicago, IL. October-November 1981.
  • Rural Arts Services, Northern California. March-November 1979, October 1981.
  • San Francisco Neighborhood Arts Consortium, San Francisco, CA. September 1981.
  • Illinois Arts Council, Chicago, IL. June 1981.
  • Colquitt County Cultural Center, Moultrie, GA. April-June 1981.
  • KQED-TV, San Francisco, CA. March-April 1979.
  • California Arts Council, Sacramento, CA. November-December 1978.
  • NAPNOC, Washington, DC, and San Francisco, CA. June-August 1978.
  • Ukiah Cultural Arts Commission, Ukiah, CA. April-May 1978.


  • Recent Seminars, Speeches & Workshops

    The Status and Future of Public Arts Funding, St. Louis, MO. December 1995. Presenter (Goldbard) in symposium hosted by the Missouri Arts Council with the Mid-America Arts Alliance.

    Cultural Diversity Based on Cultural Grounding IV, New York, NY. October 1995. Panelist (Adams) on "activist technology" at biannual conference sponsored by the Caribbean Cultural Center.

    Community Arts Revival, Durham, NC. January 1994. Workshop on democratic management and presentation on community arts history at national meeting sponsored by Alternate ROOTS.

    South Carolina Arts Commission, Columbia, SC. February 1992. Workshop on "Culture in the Service of Community" and panel on "What is Art? What is Culture? Who Decides?" by Goldbard at statewide conference.

    Association of Art Museum Directors, Honolulu, HI. January-February 1991, Dallas, TX. February 1992. Workshop on "New Management Techniques to Incorporate Governance, Staff, and Program Changes" and workshop on "Maintaining Staff Morale in Difficult Times."

    KZYX, Mendocino County Public Broadcasting, Philo, CA. December 1989-February 1990. Planning, design and moderation of eight-week series of two-hour "Town Meeting of the Air" broadcasts; board development research, planning and facilitation.

    California Committee for the Promotion of History, Mendocino County, CA. October 1989. Talk by Goldbard on "Recognizing the Multicultural State" at 9th Annual Conference.

    New College of California, San Francisco, CA. September 1989. Lecture on "Cultural Democracy and Cultural Policy" as part of the Cultural Democracy Lecture Series sponsored by the Theater, Performance & Social Change Program.

    Women's Caucus for Art, San Francisco, CA. February 1989. Goldbard on community arts practice and policy.

    New College of California, San Francisco, CA. November 1988. Talk on alternative media policy sponsored by Bay Area Caucus of the Alliance for Cultural Democracy.

    Alliance of New York State Arts Councils, New Windsor, NY. April 1988-July 1988. Planning and teaching a leadership institute for local arts agency executive directors.

    Oregon Advocates for the Arts, Eugene, OR. November 1987. "The Art of Social Imagination," keynote speech by Goldbard at statewide arts advocacy group's conference.

    Earlier Adams & Goldbard Seminars, Speeches & Workshops

    • California Confederation of the Arts, San Francisco, CA. October 1987.
    • Dartington College, Totnes, Devon, England. April-May 1987.
    • Jubilee Arts, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. April 1987.
    • The Red Rose, Islington, London, England. April 1987.
    • Southern Arts Association, Newbury, England. April 1987.
    • ImaginAction, Boston, MA. November 1986.
    • Conference on Social Theory, Politics and the Arts, San Diego, CA. October 1986.
    • National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Minneapolis, MN. October 1986.
    • Another Standard '86, Sheffield, England. July 1986.
    • Sangamon State University, Springfield, IL. November 1985.
    • National Conference of State Legislatures, Williamsburg, VA. November 1985.
    • Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA. November 1985.
    • San Francisco State University, Spring semesters 1984 and 1985.
    • Pro Arts, Oakland, CA. January 1984.
    • Alliance for Cultural Democracy, Atlanta, GA. October 1983.
    • Ohio Arts Council, Columbus. September 1983.
    • National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies, Washington, DC. June 1983.
    • Franklin Furnace, New York City. June 1983.
    • Western States Arts Foundation, Santa Fe, NM. May 1983.
    • "Practicing Cultural Democracy" Conference, Omaha, NE. October 15-17 1983.
    • University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN. September 1982.
    • Social & Public Art Resource Center (SPARC), Venice, CA. June 1982.
    • Yale University, New Haven, CT. February 1982.
    • Political Art Documentation/Distribution, New York City. February 1982.
    • Citizen Heritage Center, Minneapolis, MN. January 1982.
    • University of Illinois, Chicago Circle, October 1981.
    • Media Alliance and People's Theater Coalition, San Francisco, CA. September 1981.
    • Community Art Resource, San Francisco, CA. September 1981.
    • The Gathering, St. Peter, MN. August 1981.
    • Alternate ROOTS, Camp Ozone, TN. August 1981.
    • Center for Responsive Governance, Washington, DC. February 1981.


    Partial Listing of Publications

    "What's Needed Now: A Call for Courage, Intelligence, Art, Judgment and Guile" High Performance (Santa Monica, CA), Number 69/70 (Spring/Summer 1995), Volume 18, Number 1/2, pp. 3641.

    "Race and Redemption: Notes for a National Conversation" High Performance (Santa Monica, CA), Number 66 (Summer 1994), Volume 17, Number 2, pp. 1823.

    "Postscript to the Past" (Goldbard) High Performance (Santa Monica, CA), Number 64 (Winter 1993), Volume 16, Number 4.

    "Learning to Read the World" exposure (Boulder, CO) Volume 28, Number 1/2, 1991.

    The Bottom Line: Funding for Media Arts Organizations. San Francisco: National Alliance of Media Arts Centers, 1991.

    Crossroads: Reflections on the Politics of Culture. Talmage, CA: DNA Press, 1990.

    "Democracy and Competence" Reimaging America: The Arts of Social Change, Philadelphia: New Society Publishers, 1990.

    "Faith, Reason and the Art of the Future" High Performance (Santa Monica, CA), Number 48 (Winter 1989), Vol. 12, No. 4.

    "Social Studies: Cultural Policy and Media Literacy" The Independent (New York), August/September 1989.

    "Artists' Organizations in the 1980s" Artpaper (Minneapolis), Volume 9, Number 2, 1989.

    "Cultural Democracy: A New Cultural Policy for the United States" Winning America: Ideas and Leadership for the 1990s, Boston: South End Press, 1988.

    "Breaking down the cultural barricades" In These Times (Chicago), February 10-16, 1988.

    "Tough Times" Heresies (New York), Volume 6, Number 2, 1987.

    "The Challenge of Cultural Action" and "Cultural Democracy" Cultural Correspondence (New York), Number 5, 1986.

    "Community, Art and The State" Community Murals Magazine (Berkeley, CA), Fall 1986.

    "Falling into the enemy's arms" In These Times (Chicago), August 20-September 2, 1986.

    "The State of Rural Arts in South Dakota Reviewed" South Dakota Arts Report (Sioux Falls), Spring 1985.

    "From the Ground Up: Cultural Democracy as a National Movement" Upfront (New York), Winter 1984.

    "The Right to Culture" Journal of Arts Management & Law (Washington, DC), Spring, 1983.

    "The Challenge of Cultural Action" Cultural Correspondence (New York), Winter, 1983. Also published in Theaterwork (St. Peter, MN), March/April, 1982.

    "Art Where You Are" The Progressive (Madison, WI), June 1982.

    "South of the Border: Cultural Politics in the U.S." FUSE (Toronto), May/June, 1982.

    "Grassroots Vanguard" Art in America (New York), April, 1982.

    "A Roundtable: Culture and Democracy" with Arlene Goldbard, NEA Chair Frank Hodsoll and Librarian of Congress Daniel Boorstin. The New York Times, April 25, 1982.

    "Freedom and Diversity: U.S. History and the Challenge of Cultural Democracy" Theaterwork, March/April, 1982.

    "Neighborhood Arts Under Reagan" Journal of Community Action (Washington, DC), January/February, 1982.

    "Task Force's Work Now Is Done" and "I Don't Know Much About Culture, But..." In These Times (Chicago, IL), September 30-October 6, 1981.

    "Cultural Democracy vs. the Democratization of High Culture" Social Policy (New York), May/June, 1981.

    "The Heritage Foundation and Reagan's Policies" Theaterwork, March/April, 1981.

    Cultural Democracy (ISSN 0730-9503): Adams & Goldbard established this periodical publication in June 1981, and served as Co-Editors through issue 27 (January/February 1983).

    Adams & Goldbard were writers-in-residence at the Rockefeller Study and Conference Center in Bellagio, Italy, April 1994; and Blue Mountain Center, Blue Mountain Lake, NY, July-September 1982.


    Summary of Arlene Goldbard's Previous Experience

    From 1976-77, Arlene was Director of Cultural News Service in Sacramento. CA. From 1965-78, she worked as a professional artist -- painter, illustrator, and graphic designer -- and as an arts organizer in the San Francisco Bay Area: In 1975-76, she was Coordinator of the San Francisco Artworkers' Coalition; in 1975, she chaired the statewide California Visual Artists' Alliance. From 1974-76, she was co-founder, art director and writer for the Arts Biweekly. In 1974, she was founder and chair of Artists in Print, and also a founding Board member of Bay Area Lawyers for the Arts.

    From 1971-73, Arlene worked as a designer and printer for the San Francisco Art Commission's Neighborhood Arts Program. In 1970-71, she was reporter and art director for the Willamette Bridge, a weekly community newspaper in Portland, OR. From 1966-70, she was a draft counselor for San Francisco Draft Help and other Bay Area agencies.

    Summary of Don Adams' Previous Experience

    In 1976-77, Don was Deputy Director of the California Arts Council with general policy, planning, and administrative responsibilities. This appointment followed a three-month Fellowship to the National Endowment for the Arts' Federal-State Partnershipprogram in Washington, DC. His prior work was with community arts agencies: Community Development Director of the Arts & Humanities Council of Greater Baton Rouge (LA) from 1975-76; from 1974-75, he carried out a public planning process for Springboard in Springfield, IL, as field work for graduate studies in community arts development at Sangamon State University (now Illinois State University/Springfield), where he received an M.A. in 1976.

    In 1974 Don was Business Manager of the Black Hills Playhouse. He co-founded the Vermillion Area Arts Council and served as Vice President from 1973-74. From 1972-74, he directed the USD-Vermillion Concert Series, a series of community residencies by touring artists; from 1973-74 he served as state director of Young Audiences. In 1973 he surveyed community cultural groups for the South Dakota Arts Council. He chaired the Union Arts Committee at the University of South Dakota from 1971-73; and from 1969-76, Don played string bass in a variety of ensembles in South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, and Louisiana.


    References and further information

    Available upon request: send e-mail to goldbard@earthlink.net