Marketing the avant-garde at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

The marketing of avant-garde work presents a challenge to those trying to reach larger audiences and attract funding dollars. New marketing techniques have been created to meet this challenge. To understand and identify these marketing techniques, this study examined the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in Brooklyn, New York. BAM, a unique cultural institution, has survived fiscal, artistic and environmental problems and has attained international recognition for its presentation of experimental work. This study outlines BAM's history to the present-day, focusing on the periods that were marked by innovative marketing and programming, creative financing and dynamic administration under the leadership of Harvey Lichtenstein. Through his leadership, BAM, and its NEXT WAVE Festival, have earned a reputation as a leading performing arts presenter of the avant-garde.