Alex Sarian — Relevance and Leadership in the Arts
About episode 8 (out on March 13, 2025):
Sarian’s innovative approach to cultural leadership has not only transformed Arts Commons but also led to a groundbreaking $75 million philanthropic gift and $103 million in provincial support—securing unprecedented funding for the largest cultural infrastructure project in Canadian history.
In this episode, Sarian reveals how he’s leading Arts Commons, emphasizing community engagement and a service-oriented leadership model. Discover how his visionary leadership aligned Arts Commons’s success with Calgary’s civic ambitions, and how this approach has reduced government dependency through a social enterprise model.
Sarian also challenges conventional views on audience development, arguing that programming relevance must come before ticket price adjustments to truly build value. He shares his insights on how arts organizations can achieve both relevance and financial sustainability by focusing on what communities need most.
Throughout our conversation, Sarian’s central question emerges as the key to his success: “What does the world need right now that we are uniquely positioned to do?” Tune in to learn how this guiding principle has transformed fundraising, programming, and culture at Arts Commons.
*Correction: Lizzie says in the video introduction that Sarian is a New York Times bestselling author — while we think he should be, he’s a nationally bestselling author. So, here we am manifesting…go buy his book to make this a reality!
Who is Alex Sarian?
Alex joined Arts Commons as President & CEO in May 2020, after nearly two decades of leadership roles in New York City, most notably as the senior executive at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts responsible for international consulting, regranting initiatives, artistic programming for young audiences and families, community engagement, and the institution’s famed education department. Prior to his time at Lincoln Center, Alex served as the Director of Education of the award-winning, off-Broadway MCC Theater, where he had the pleasure of working with a roster of acclaimed artists, including Theatre Calgary’s Artistic Director, Stafford Arima.
As a recognized authority on the civic role of arts institutions, Alex has worked on cultural projects in 15 countries spanning five continents, and has taught at New York University, Pace University, and City College of New York. He has served on governing boards and special advisory committees for institutions including Tourism Calgary, the Calgary Downtown Association, SXSW, Museo de Arts Moderno de Buenos Aires, The New Group, and the Varkey Foundation’s Global Teacher Prize.
A proud member of the 2022 class of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40, he received undergraduate and graduate degrees from New York University, is a graduate of the Community Shift program at Western University’s Ivey School of Business, and was an inaugural graduate of the Impact Program for Arts Leaders at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
His book, The Audacity of Relevance: Critical Conversations on the Future of Arts and Culture (ECW Press) is available wherever books are sold. All episodes, after publication, are also available in video form on our Facebook and YouTube Channels. All are hosted by Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bowman.
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