CI to Eye with Monica Holt

Risk is usually something leaders are told to minimize. But for Sammi Cannold, it’s essential to success.
As an award-winning director across Broadway, film, and television, Sammi has built her career on ambitious projects—like staging Violet on a moving bus and reimagining Ragtime on Ellis Island. What stands out isn’t just the boldness of the choices, but the intention behind them: using place and performance to help audiences experience even the most familiar stories in new ways. 
In this episode, Sammi shares how she found her voice as a young woman in a male-dominated field; how she brings new perspective to beloved works while still honoring their legacy; and what it means to be an “actor’s director” whether she’s working on stage or the silver screen. Plus, she shares why advocacy in entertainment doesn’t always have to feel like eating your vegetables, and breaks down the false dichotomy between mission-driven and commercial work.
LINKS:
Sammi Cannold: https://www.sammicannold.com/
The Agnes Index: https://www.instagram.com/theagnesindex/?hl=en
Broadway Briefing: https://broadwaybriefing.com/

If you could spend a year visiting arts organizations around the world, what patterns would start to emerge—and which assumptions would fall apart?
Last year, Andrew Recinos, President & CEO of Tessitura, embarked on a global listening tour that took him inside cultural institutions across ten countries. Despite vast differences in geography, scale, and discipline, he heard strikingly similar themes—of reconstruction, resilience, and the challenge of evolving without losing core purpose.
In this episode, Andrew explores what a global vantage point reveals about the state of the field, why innovation requires “eating good ideas,” and how technology can act as a co-intelligence that deepens, rather than diminishes, meaningful human connection.
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LINKS
Tessitura: https://www.tessitura.com/
Arts Journal: https://www.artsjournal.com/
TLDRAI: https://tldrai.com/

Join host Monica Holt as she reflects on the moments that defined the Fall 2025 season, and hear cultural leaders remind us why connection, creativity, and collaboration are more important than ever.

Aly Maier Lokuta knows that art and science aren’t opposing disciplines. They’re a shared language for strengthening public wellbeing. 
Her career has long bridged these worlds, from co-founding Rutgers’ Arts and Health Research Lab to leading the largest public mural initiative since the WPA era during her time with NYC Health + Hospitals. Now, as AVP of Arts and Well-Being at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center,  she’s proving what many leaders in the field are only beginning to articulate: that cultural institutions can be powerful drivers of community health. 
In this episode, Aly shares real-world examples of arts-in-health programs and actionable advice for organizations looking to launch or grow their own initiatives.
LINKS:
Aly’s art and consulting work: www.alysonmaier.com
Aly’s Arts in Health blog: www.alymaier.substack.com
NJPAC Arts & Well-Being:  www.njpac.org/well
Jameel Arts and Health Lab: https://www.jameelartshealthlab.org/
National Organization for Arts in Health: https://thenoah.org/
NYC Health + Hospitals Arts in Medicine Program:  https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/artsinmedicine/
UF Center for Arts in Medicine: https://arts.ufl.edu/programs-schools/center-for-arts-in-medicine/

For Ming Min Hui, there’s no single “right” path to arts leadership—only the one you build through curiosity, courage, and a willingness to evolve.
Her career began far from the stage, in finance and corporate strategy on Wall Street. Today, as Executive Director of Boston Ballet, she sees that wide-ranging experience not as a detour but as the engine behind her leadership.
In this episode, Ming reflects on the value of expansive career paths, the power of collaborative problem-solving, and how she uses her business acumen to deepen the relevance of a 400-year-old art form in Boston and beyond.
LINKS:
Boston Ballet - https://www.bostonballet.org/ 
NBC Boston | Citydance 30 Documentary - https://www.nbcboston.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/watch-the-boston-ballet-citydance-30-years-of-movement-documentary-saturday/2813042/