Hank Knerr served as the executive director of the Lively Arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pennsylvania, promoting and presenting nearly 200 in-house and touring visual and performing arts events and projects each year. In his position, which he held for 28 years through June 2016, Knerr supervised extensive arts-in-education outreach activities, the IUP Community Music School, performance facilities management, and web maintenance. He currently serves on the Board of North American Performing Arts Managers and Agents (NAPAMA) serving four years as its secretary and as its 2020 Retreat Director. He is a past president of PA Presenters. He is also the vice president of the Pennsylvania Rural Arts Alliance. Knerr has also served on the boards of the Indiana Arts Council, Indiana Country Tourist Bureau, and Indiana County Humane Society. He is an active member of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals and recipient of numerous grants including such funders as National Endowment for the Arts, Japan Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, National Dance Project, PNC Charitable Trusts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and others. Highly active in state and national arts advocacy and arts-in-education programs, he has chaired several professional conferences and headed the planning for the 2014 Pennsylvania Governors Awards for the Arts. Knerr received his B.A. in music and theater from Lycoming College and M.F.A. in arts administration from Penn State University. Previous positions include faculty and director of public relations for theater at Minnesota State University—Mankato, faculty and business manager for the theater at the University of Northern Iowa, managing director of the Mankato Ballet, and general manager for the Mule Barn Theater in Missouri. An award-winning graphic designer, he also works as a free-lance consultant in arts management and arts-in-education.
It’s been awhile since I posted; but I am still here. And for now, I will be staying “here”–home, safe, but still engaged. Like many, I have cleaned out closets, discovered old photos, learned how diverse online ordering options can be, found high-tech friends like DoorDash and Zoom, and discovered new things to watch, cook, … More Still Here!
My first post on here was about the difference between your personal and business social media and the need to keep them separate. Today, I want to stress another negative side on not keeping your social and work posts on different sides of your life. Have you ever been waiting for an answer from a … More Another Round With Social Media
It has been awhile since I posted. Not because I didn’t have anything to say, but I got locked out of the site for awhile plus it’s been a busy time with a variety of consulting work. It’s been exciting and very fulfilling. One of the things I am working on and will be over … More The Big Easy Is Calling
– Hank Knerr As everyone knows in this business of touring performing arts presenting, it’s a busy time of year with three major regional conferences coming up starting next week through early October, then a list of state and smaller region meetings through November. And the finale is,the grandaddy of them all, Association of Performing … More A Busy Season Ahead
Since I retired just a little over a year ago and started consulting as Raising Arts, I have been privileged to work on projects with dozens of artists, managers, and presenters. Tomorrow, on Monday, August 6, 2018, I add Mosby Music Group, LLC. to that proud list. A boutique roster of artists including music and … More A New Client with Mosby Music
What a fantastic set of meetings so far with old and new colleagues from across Pennsylvania. Thanks to all those who attended and hosted and especially for sharing so great ideas. You are all doing impressive and important work and your passion and dedication are infectious. To fill everyone in, as part of my … More Passion Is Personal: Being Part of the Conversation
Every year, we think we have got this mass email thing under control only to find that it has gotten worse. For those in the performing arts presenting field, you know what I mean. For those who are not as familiar with this, let me give a brief explanation. Those who are active in the … More Mass Email Madness Gets Madder
I just found out that I will be stationed at the information booth for a few hours during APAP (Association for Performing Arts Professionals) at the conference in January. I am excited, and it will be a great way to see a bunch of colleagues. It is also a perfect opportunity to prove wrong those … More Making APAP an A+ Experience for Presenters
So, the three major regional conferences—Arts Midwest, Western Arts, and Performing Arts Exchange—are history for 2018. And many of the more local, state, and other smaller regional conferences and block booking meetings are over or just winding down. I was able to spend a few days on Columbus, Ohio, at Arts Midwest, and was, as … More Conference Aftermath: Why Go?
This is not a how-to guide—that’s a book and lesson plan. But rather, this is an overview on the issue of ahh … the dreaded showcase. In my more than 25 years as a presenter, I have seen dozens of showcases that grew to hundreds before my last conference, APAP 2017. For artists, agents, and … More A Presenter’s View on Showcases
