Arts Leadership through Change w/ Kendra Whitlock Ingram

This week, we welcome Kendra Whitlock Ingram, President and CEO of the Marcus Performing Arts Center, one of the premiere performing arts centers in the state. Previously, she has held senior leadership positions with several major performing arts institutions including Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver, Omaha Performing Arts, Shenandoah Performances at Shenandoah University, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and The Detroit Symphony.

Intro: we jump right into getting excited about the Oscars (though we recorded it pre-Oscars). We highlight Milwaukee ties to the Oscars over the years, including Mark Rylance, Orson Welles, John Ridley, Justin Hurwitz, and Willem Dafoe.

Kendra joins the pod at 11:44 and starts off by sharing about how her love of the arts was sparked by attending performances in her hometown of Scranton with her mom at a young age. Kendra shares about the beginning of her career in arts administration (19:26), perspective on Milwaukee’s experience of arts and culture in comparison to other cities (26:33), race and equity in the arts industry at large and Marcus Center’s focus (30:10), learnings from a year running a performing arts center during a pandemic (44:00), Kendra’s turn as the Czar of Arts and Culture includes building more public funding for the arts (51:45).

New segment easter egg: Mac and David explain Gen-X stuff to Lindsay (1:02:41)

LINKS

Marcus Center for the Performing Arts

Facebook: @MarcusCenter.org

Twitter: @MarcusCenter

Instagram: @Marcus.Center

Audio Transitions: “Caroline’s” by Amanda Huff

EPHEMERA

Shaka King (for the Vassar lolz)

Mark Rylance

Orson Welles

John Ridley