TACA Arts Insider with Purvi Patel Albers
You’ve held leadership roles across several arts organizations and were recently honored with the Obelisk Award. In your view, what defines strong and effective arts leadership?
Like all leaders, arts leaders listen to artists, audiences, and staff and develop a collaborative community among the stakeholders. Listening enables leaders to more accurately calibrate how and when to push boundaries – balancing mainstream/crowd-pleasing art with art that does not immediately engage, or even more, makes us uncomfortable, is important. Discomfort leads to growth … and empathy … and this is where transformation happens.
As a dedicated arts advocate and TACA board member, what fuels your passion for supporting the arts in Dallas?
My love of Dallas’ dynamic cultural landscape and supportive spaces for artists. There’s a deep respect for culture here, but also a hunger for fresh voices, which makes for the perfect mix.
What’s the last show, exhibit, or performance you couldn’t stop thinking about?
It’s hard to pick! On the visual arts side, I was in Paris last month and was awestruck by the Peter Lindbergh exhibit at Galerie Dior. I have always admired Lindbergh as playing a critical role in the 80s and 90s “supermodel zeitgeist,” but this showcased his work (and Dior’s) in an entirely different light! On the performance side, the chemistry between the characters played by Blake Hackler and Christina Austin Lopez made for a side-splitting performance of Waitress – hats off to the Dallas Theater Center!
Purvi Patel Albers, J.D., is a prominent leader in North Texas’ arts and culture community, known for her dedication to strengthening the region’s creative landscape. She serves on TACA’s board of directors, as well as on the boards of several organizations, including the National Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Theater Center.