The Audacity of Relevance challenges local cultural leaders to rethink their mission. Instead of just teaching the traditional lessons, there should be a focus on social impact on the community. The author derides the old excuses too many cultural institutions have used for their lack of growth and pushes leaders to focus on the impact they have on their community, even if it means breaking with old traditions and going to where the audience lives.

Sarian’s points are persuasive, especially for those who believe arts should connect more with communities. His call for relevance feels necessary as the sector faces declining engagement and changing philanthropy. Reading it here, the advice feels obvious but this industry clearly needed this message to take them up.

But, while Sarian’s ideas are motivating, they feel like they target senior leaders in cultural fields, limiting the book’s broader appeal. His main point—meeting audiences where they are, beyond raw data analysis—could apply to many fields. The book focuses its sights on the industry in question, with many examples.

For non-profit arts leaders, The Audacity of Relevance is essential reading, though it might be a missed chance to inspire a wider audience.

I enjoyed this book. It was a bit more of a wide scope than I was expecting, but recommended if you've an interest in this topic.