justArts: How did you get started at Brandeis? How long have you worked here? Scott Edmiston: I have been at Brandeis since 2003. I remember the moment when I received the call offering me the new position of Director of the Office of the Arts. My first thought was, "No thanks." During my interview, I had heard tales of budget cuts, low attendance, and outdated arts facilities. My preliminary assessment was-this campus doesn't value the arts. However, as a life-long arts advocate I knew that these problems were not unique to Brandeis-they are national and cultural. ... Brandeis began to engage my imagination as a kind of case study. Can we find a new and more meaningful role for the arts in our technology-driven society? ... After accepting the job, I discovered I was wrong-Brandeis students are incredibly passionate about the arts. We have more than 300 arts events that take place on campus a year. ... It became apparent that what was missing was the structure and vision to help support their big ambitions and high level of interest. So that became the joy and the challenge of my work here. Along the way, I fell in love with the people and idealism of Brandeis. ... My office periodically surveys the arts community about their perceptions. We ask them "Do you feel that Brandeis values the arts?" From 2004 to 2007 the number of faculty and staff who said "yes" jumped from 7% to 70%, and students from 11% to 75%. In 2009, we had a very low response rate, so the survey was inconclusive. One can assume there was a perceptual decline due to at the Rose controversy, but we also saw enormous campus support and activism for the arts last year. So you take two steps up and one step back and just keep fighting for what you believe in.

JA: Do you have any non-Brandeis stuff coming up this semester?

SE: Last semester I taught a new Brandeis course in dramatic literature, a graduate seminar at Brown University, and directed Reckless in Boston [named among the "Best of 2009" by The Boston Globe and the Boston Phoenix]. While it's important for me to teach and be artistically active myself, I feel the Brandeis arts community needs my full attention right now. So I've declined further offers.

JA: What do you think was/were the biggest initiatives/events that caused such a major change in the survey responses between 2004 and 2007?

SE: We created the School of Creative Arts mission statement to define our united goals and identity. The Brandeis Theater Company and MusicUnitesUs/World Music Series were born. ... New communication systems were created such as the online arts calendar, online ticketing, arts websites, a 2500 member arts email list, and State of the Arts magazine which now has an annual readership of nearly 100,000 people. That helped Rose and theatre attendance to grow-and concert attendance nearly doubled. ... We renamed the arts festival for Leonard Bernstein and restructured it entirely-with attendance doubling each year. The Brandeis Arts Council, comprised of alumni and parents, was formed and it now raises more than $100,000 a year to benefit students in the arts departments.

JA: What do you plan to do specifically with your extra dedication to the Brandeis arts scene this semester/year?

SE: We're working on a few new initiatives such as an arts community town meeting and enhanced curricular links to arts events. The 2009 "art is happening" festival was so successful and innovative that it will require a lot of work to top it. It's exciting to create programs but the hard work comes in making sure they grow and thrive and fulfill their potential. And I'll be able to attend more evening and week-end campus arts events. That can become very time-consuming, but it's also one of the most enjoyable things about my job.