Case Studies
Our consulting clients range from large philanthropic foundations to ad hoc citizen's committees in small cities and towns. These case studies provide just a few examples of our work across the country and around the world.
Writers' Theatre
In 1992, Michael Halberstam and Marilyn Campbell founded Writers' Theatre, using a newly opened bookstore in Glencoe, Illinois as its first performance space. This limited space gave way to a new aesthetic that has been a company hallmark ever...
Charleston Symphony Orchestra
In March 2007, AMS was engaged by the Charleston Symphony Orchestra to assist with the development of a strategic plan. A Joint Committee for the Future, composed of four Board members and four musicians, was developed to work on...
Warren County Port Authority
AMS Planning & Research consulted for the Warren County Port Authority, the economic development arm of a fast-growing suburban county between Dayton and Cincinnati. Whereas both Dayton and Cincinnati have major performing arts centers with extensive programming, there was...
City of Visalia, California
Located in California's fertile central valley just south of Fresno, the city of Visalia may be best known as the gateway to Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks, about an hour's drive east into the Sierra mountain range. The...
El Museo del Barrio
El Museo del Barrio was founded in 1969 by a group of Puerto Rican educators, artists, parents and community activists in East Harlem's Spanish-speaking El Barrio. Since then, El Museo del Barrio has evolved into New York's leading Latino...
Cultural Facilities Master Plan for Salt Lake County, Utah
AMS worked with a community-based committee of leaders from the various sectors of the County and through a process of comprehensive research and consensus-building, developed recommendations for a twenty year plan for cultural facilities development.
Venue Research Institute
The International Association of Assembly Managers (IAAM) is the world's largest professional association dedicated to issues relevant to the management of public assembly facilities. The association's members manage amphitheaters, arenas, auditoriums, convention centers/exhibit halls, performing arts venues, stadiums and university...
California State University, Northridge
AMS Planning & Research worked with a team of consultants led by Hammel Green and Abrahamson Architects (HGA) to conduct a feasibility study for a new performing arts facility at Cal State Northridge located in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley.
Scottsdale Museum of the West
AMS provided a full range of planning services for this museum of western history and art, scheduled to open in 2012, including market studies, collections research, a facilities plan, fundraising feasibility analysis and forecasts of cost for development and operation.
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
Las Vegas Performing Arts Center Foundation contracted with AMS to review assumptions about the design and future operation of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts.
Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc.
The legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2009 and has been operating as a not-for-profit organization since 1991. AMS was engaged to assist Board and professional leadership in developing a successful strategy for operations following the $68 million capital campaign and renovation in 2011.
The Joyce Theater
In 1999, The Joyce Theater commissioned AMS Planning & Research Corp. to conduct a study exploring the needs for a new dance performance facility in New York, and the role that The Joyce might play in such a project. We helped them discover key planning issues such as operations and ownership, audience, impact, and mission.
Charles M. Schulz Museum
AMS played many roles in the development and launch of this facility, dedicated to the life and works of one of America's favorite cartoonists. From marketing feasibility and attendance projections through architectural selection, design phase administration, and the Executive Director search, our team brought clarity and strategy to the client's bold vision.
City of Minneapolis, Minnesota
What is the role of city government in fostering a thriving arts community? The City of Minneapolis engaged AMS to explore that very question through a broad and public dialogue. Public forums, planning meetings, and primary research brought new focus to the city's work, and redefined its relationship in both tangible and strategic ways.
Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice
AMS was commissioned by the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice to conduct a comprehensive arts and culture assessment of its funding region. The assessment provided local arts and cultural organizations with high-quality information to bolster their planning efforts and informed grant making priorities for the Foundation.