Selected Talks & Speeches

Arlene Goldbard has the incredible ability to listen to the heartbeat of the world, the pulse of our nation, and the hiccups of our industries in order to diagnose our communal, social, economic, and spiritual health.  This alone would be an amazing gift, but Arlene goes one step further by providing a spiritual interpretation that I’ve found unique among other speakers, writers, pundits and bloggers.  As someone who had become demoralized by the polarization of our government on a state and national Level, Arlene’s messages of hope gave me the fuel to continue to fight the ground wars all of us in working in the arts must face.

—Ginny Louloudes, Executive Director, The Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York

Arlene Goldbard feels, thinks, speaks and listens with wonderful depth, breadth, originality, courage and generosity.  Her recent presentation to a diverse gathering of over 250 people, hosted by our recently-established International Centre of Art for Social Change in Vancouver, Canada, was rich and provocative, knitting together ideas, stories and challenges for everyone in the room.  This audience leaned into her words; the positive impact of her speech still resonates.

Arlene was tireless over the three days she spent with us. She was always present, her knowledge, creativity and humour in service to and in dialogue with artists, academics, students, community activists and others from many backgrounds.

I am delighted to thank her, once again, for the gifts she has brought to this community.

— Judith Marcuse, Founder,
International Centre for Art for Social Change,
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Click here to view sample workshop and talk topics.

Talks and Speeches

• Alliance for Jewish Theatre, “The Path of Questions: Art, Identity, and Inquiry,” October 2022.
• Community Built Association, “Possibility, Power, and Purpose: Sensing the Demand,” Omaha, NE, April 2022.
• University of South Dakota, “Why South Dakota Needs Artists (You May Be Surprised)” and ethics workshops, Vermillion, SD, November 2019.
• Oklahoma Arts Conference keynote, “Empathy, Equity, and Belonging: What The World Needs Now,” Oklahoma City, OK, October 2018. View video here.
• HaMakom Continuing Education Series, “America Needs Artists: Ten Reasons Why.” Santa Fe, NM, February 2017. Download the text here.
• CULTURE/SHIFT2016, Policy plenary and workshops, St. Louis, MO, November 2016. Find links to watch videos here.
• Women’s International Study Center Inaugural Symposium, “Risk & Reinvention: How Women Are Changing The World.” Plenaries and arts panel. Find recordings here. Santa Fe, NM, August 2014.
• Annual Senator Claiborne Pell Lecture on Arts & Humanities. Download “A Culture of Possibility for Providence,” by clicking here. Providence, RI, March 2014
• Keynote speech for the Theatre Bay Area annual conference at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Download “Teaching The Controversy: Seven Ways of Looking at Theater” by clicking here. Berkeley, CA, May 2012.
• “Art’s Public Purpose: Preparing A Paradigm Shift,” keynote for International Council of Fine Arts Deans annual conference, Washington, DC, October 2011.
• Keynote speech for the Alliance of Performing Arts Service Organizations conference hosted by the Austin Creative Alliance. Download “The Wellspring: How Your Work is Transforming The World (Whether You Know It Or Not)” at the Alliance’s Website. Austin, TX, March 2011.
• Keynote speech for the launch of the Economic Revitalization for Performing Artists’ new book, We Are No Longer Strangers: A Celebration of Cultural Entrepreneurship, The Field, New York, NY, September 2010. See a video at The Field’s Vimeo page.
• “Art and The Public Good: Your Money Or Your Life,” Alliance for Arts and Culture Arts Summit 2010, Vancouver, BC, June 2010. Download my keynote speech here.
• “Why Culture Is The Secret of Survival (and Why We Keep Missing The Point),” At the Crossroads: A Community Arts & Development Convening,” Community Arts Training Institute and St. Louis Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis, MO, March 2010. Download my keynote speech here.
• “Sensing The Demand,” California Arts Advocates Visioning Retreat, “Reframing the Role of the Arts in California, Sacramento, CA, January 2010. Download my brief introductory remarks here and keynote speech here.
• “A New WPA: Why a Sustainable Future Demands Cultural Recovery,” Cultural Policy Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, October 2009. Click here to download the full text.
• “America’s Cultural Recovery,” published in Issue 1, Summer 2009 of The Arts Politic, the text of a talk on the 25th anniversary of the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program. Click here to download the full text.
• “The Secret of Survival,” National Summit of Ensemble Theaters, San Francisco, CA, June 2009. Click here to download the full text.
• “Datastan Meets Storyland: Surfing the Zeitgeist Without Wiping Out,” International Centre for Art and Social Change, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, November 2008. Click here to download the full text.
• “Food for Thought: New Paradigm Community Development,” Arts, Neighborhoods and Social Practice Symposium, UC Berkeley, January 2008.  Click here to download the full text.
• “Out of The Box,” Shanti Foundation Conference: Building Peaceful Communities Through the Arts, Chicago, Illinois, October 18-19, 2007.  Click here to read the text at the Shanti site.
• “Social Inclusion and the Culture of Participation in Sant Boi,” Cal Ninyo, Sant Boi, Spain, July 2007.  Click here to download the full text.
• “Pulling the Wool From Our Eyes,” Western Pennsylvania Arts in Education Partners Resident Artists Conference, May 2007. Click here to download the full text.
• “Converging Worlds: Art, Politics and Community,” Temple University, March 2007. Click here to download the full text.
• “The Culture of Fear,” Democratic Vistas Forum, Center for Arts Policy at Columbia College, Chicago, November 2006.
  Click here to download the text from the Center’s site.
• “Higher Ground: Community Arts as Spiritual Practice,” National Guild of Community Schools of The Arts, November 2006.
  Read the Text on this site.
• “Why Art Matters,” New College of California, October 2003.
  Read the Text on this site.
• “The Permanent Crisis,” UT Austin, January 2003.
  Read the Text on this site.
• “The Cultural Policy Colonization of the West or Fattening Frogs for Snakes,” remarks at a September 1999 symposium on “Cultural Policy in the West” convened by the Western States Arts Foundation in Aspen, Colorado.
  Read the text on this site.
• “Better Late Than Never: Or, Confessions of a Premature Cultural-Policy Wonk,” adapted from remarks at a December 1995 symposium on the Status And Future of Public Arts Funding convened by the Missouri Arts Council and the Mid-America Arts Alliance in Saint Louis, Missouri, now in Webster’s World of Cultural Democracy.
  Read the text offsite.

Current Readings and Appearances