Today, the dominant artistic forms remain popular music, major-production films, television, and Internet video content. While specific experiences related to these genres might need marketing (ie. SXSW, TIFF, Lollapalooza, etc.), the cultural relevance of these forms pushes the artists and institutions using them to the forefront of our imagination.

What is your role in bringing older forms (ballet, opera, theatre) to the public consciousness? Does their relevance depend on marketers like you or do they have staying or, more importantly, growing power beyond advertising campaigns?

When we studied the Metropolitan Opera in class, we read about the financial troubles it has been going through. I realized that many institutions possess the same problems, but that significant growth and/or profitability is not as important to artistic institutions as they are to Silicon Valley startups, for example. This is because they are supported by wealthy donors, who differ from business investors because they do not expect a return on their investment, only a continuation of the art form.

With all this in mind, how does a company like Capacity Interactive keep its corporate nature and mandate to grow and maintain profitability in an industry that often does not need to grow by its own increased revenue streams?

To Mr. Gensler:

What were the challenges that presented themselves to you as you took the seed idea for Capacity Interactive from your mind to this place? If you have surmounted them, how have you done so? If obstacles remain, how do you continue while you work on solving them?