What are you reading?

"Richistan" by Robert Frank. It's nonfiction, of course, and it's a redefining of wealth in the United States. ... I also read — it took me like five seconds — "The Dip" by Seth Godin. He's a marketing guru. The concept, which is what interested me, is how to determine whether a roadblock in a project you're working on is temporary, if it's something you need to push through or if it's a dead end. ... I've also recently read "In Cold Blood" and "Lolita." One of my favorite writers is Tom Wolfe, and I've read everything by Dave Sedaris and Anne LaMotte.

What do you like most about "Richistan"?

It tells the story through profiles of individuals, most of them self-made, and that's what's interesting to me. These are individuals that have taken their own ideas and run with them ... they're very smart and want to see results. It helps me understand, as a director of a museum, particularly of contemporary art — most of our benefactors are individuals; we don't get a lot of help from large institutions.

Does this book facilitate your development of stronger donor relationships, especially with those who want to help people see the world with new eyes?

It's really important, particularly with a contemporary art museum, to develop relationships with people who collect art and find contemporary art fascinating and want to share that with other people. It's about education, and bringing new artists to a broader audience. And there's a link between entrepreneurs and artists — both don't go from assumptions, they look at the world differently and create new realities. ... So you can use some of these strategies to change with the times and evolve.