We contracted the services of Joanne during a time of transition. Luna Negra Dance Theater was at the time needing to replace the artistic director and add an executive director. Her insightful knowledge of the non profit world plus her clear understanding of how to manage not for profit entities were of invaluable assistance to our company. Joanne very quickly identified the issues that needed to be resolved and expertly laid out and helped us execute a well thought out plan of action that proved very effective. She managed both the staff and the Board of Directors aptly, keeping us all focused on the solution while steering us through the process. Joanne is the consummate professional; very knowledgeable, diligent, and an excellent manager/problem solver. I would recommend her to anyone.

Jorge Solis, Board President, Luna Negra Dance Theater

Fantastic amount of information! I learned a lot about customer-centered marketing; I learned techniques for planning; I learned how to manage customer satisfaction. Joanne Bernstein was very knowledgeable and experienced.

Comments from participants at
Houston Arts Alliance workshop

I would really like to thank you for teaching us this class, both the content, the literature and the class itself were very gratifying. It was a great experience, and also very enlightening. I think you are an excellent professor, best I've had during my master's degree studies. I really liked how the theory was put into practice by offering examples. Thank you so much for the course. It truly was very inspiring and useful in so many ways.

Comments from students who took an intensive course in Arts Management from Joanne Bernstein at
Helsinki School of Management

Joanne Bernstein is passionate and all-knowing about Arts Management. She is able to match theory with hands-on analysis and work. She is an incredible teacher with an enormous amount of knowledge and experience. Prof. Bernstein is enthusiastic, and had a positive "can do" attitude about marketing the arts. She also was very generous in meeting after class, not even just to talk about the reading material, but about arts marketing suggestions in general. She has many years experience in the field, and is respected in the community. She is extremely enthusiastic about what she is teaching and very organized. Great lecturer! She genuinely wants her students to understand the way things work in the real world. Joanne Bernstein is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in the subject of Arts Management and that is obvious when she teaches. She is very well qualified and loves what she does. She's very organized and always prepared. This course was an incredibly interesting and clear overview about how non-profit arts organizations are structured and how they function.

Student comments, Northwestern University

I would like to thank you for your invaluable role in the creation of our 1998-2003 long-range strategic plan, not only for the stellar job you did in writing the documents, but as an active participant in the planning process. I believe that what has resulted is a comprehensive, cohesive, and collectively envisioned road map for all to enthusiastically follow and to further refine as the plan unfolds. The document has been acclaimed by all. It was a genuine pleasure to work with you this past year.

Arthur Jacobus, Executive Director, San Francisco Ballet

As a result of the work that you did in the last year and more, our marketing activities are now performing well and can be easily analyzed and monitored. We have a robust set of tools in place including the old style proven ones, such as direct mail and orthodox media advertising, a flexible approach to telemarketing using our own in-house staff which is quick to respond to the seasonal needs, together with an attractive and informative website which gets many many hits every day. Our pilot online ticket sales in June proved to be immensely successful. We have passed our subscription revenue targets already with another two months to go before the first performance of our 2004 season. All this is largely due to the focus and determination that you brought to the picture - and your refusal to be defeated by any of the obstacles put in your way!

Brian Dickie
General Director, Chicago Opera Theater

Your ability to keep us focused in such an all-encompassing subject and the breadth of the experience that you draw on to illustrate and respond to our questions was stimulating at the time and continues to echo as I mull over all you gave us.

Margaret DeMott, Director of Artist Services, Durham Arts Council

Your presentation was fantastic - it was just what we needed to get us moving again.

Jeannie Mellinger, American Dance Festival

Thank you very much for participating so extensively at the AMA's conference in Cardiff last month. Delegates found your keynote address and your two seminars extremely useful and relevant to their work. I particularly enjoyed your session on the impact of the Internet. Your presentations provided much food for thought, and an opportunity to reflect on changing practices and approaches in the UK.

Pam Henderson, Director
Arts Marketing Association of Great Britain

Joanne is one of the most sensitive and sophisticated observers of the cultural scene. She has a deep understanding of the aspirations and problems affecting the performing and visual arts.

Philip Kotler

Thanks so much for doing the Arts Marketers Q & A at this year's conference. The response was great AND we sold a lot of your books!! We would like to work with you again in the future.

Association of Performing Arts Presenters

On behalf of the membership, I want to thank you for your recent presentation at our spring membership meeting. I have received numerous comments both on the timeliness of the workshop in light of the issues facing our member agencies as well as on the content of the workshop and the information that you shared. As the working environment has changed, so have the needs and concerns that these not-for-profit entities must address as they look to market their programs and services. Your suggestions and ideas will be most helpful to them as they reexamine their missions and the methods they will use to meet the new expectations. I appreciated the chance to work with you and want to express my thanks and appreciation for the work that you did for the Association.

Ron Moorman, President/CEO, Child Care Association of Illinois

Joanne - You were of great help to me! Thank you for your sage advice, for helping open up several ideas to me, and for doing it with such grace and caring. We are most grateful.

Howard Sulkin, President, Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies

Joanne - Thanks for making the June workshop our most successful ever. You made us all look good.

Upstate New York Presenters Association

Q: Where have you been?
A: Mexico and USA
Q: Purpose?
A: Business and study
Q: Duration?
A: Seven weeks.
Q: Highlights?
A: My month at Kellogg studying arts management with Professor Bernstein.

Interview with Lawrence Jackson,
Arts Producer from Sydney, Australia
(Published in the Sydney Morning Herald)

Joanne, you are more than just smart and capable. You are kind, thoughtful, and sensitive, and I'm glad you stepped into Ballet Memphis' life.

Dorothy Gunther Pugh
Founder and Artistic Director, Ballet Memphis

I would like to thank you again for coming to Showa University of Music. It was such a precious and fruitful night for all of us who attended your lecture and we are more than happy we were able to host it.

Kyoko Takenami, professor, Showa School of Music, Tokyo

Thank you very much for coming to us and giving such an exciting session. I was so inspired to have heard your very diverse and balanced lecture. I believe that my colleagues who attended that night were pleased with it indeed.

Katsu IEYASU, Director
Showa University of Music

I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your participating in the workshop and the conference a couple of weeks ago. Arts Council Korea will never forget your commitment to the events this year. Personally, I am so happy to have had a chance to meet you.

Jeh Joong Kim
, Director
Arts Council Korea
Institutional Development Division