Arts administration

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Arts administration is the field that concerns business operations around an arts organization. Arts administrators are responsible for facilitating the day-to-day operations of the organization and fulfilling its mission. Arts organizations include professional for-profit entities (e.g. auction houses, art galleries, music companies, etc.) and many smaller professional and non-professional non-profit arts-related organizations (e.g. theaters, museums, symphonies, jazz organizations, opera houses, and ballet companies).^[1] The duties of an arts administrator can include staff management, marketing, budget management, public relations, fundraising, program development and evaluation, and board relations.

Arts administrators

Arts administrators work for arts and cultural organizations such as theatres, symphonies, "...art galleries, museums, arts festivals, arts centers, arts councils, regional arts boards, dance companies, community arts organizations, disability arts organizations, and local authorities."^[2]

An arts administrator in a small organization may do marketing, event booking, and handle financial issues. An arts administrator for a larger arts organization may be responsible for buildings and facilities, creative staff (e.g., performers/artists), other administrative staff, public relations, marketing, and writing reports.

A senior level-arts administrator may advise the Board of Directors or other senior managers on "strategic planning and management decisions. An effective arts administrator must also be knowledgeable in local, state and federal public policy as it relates to human resources, health insurance, labor laws and volunteer risk management."^[2]

There are several notable professionals in the field. Philippe de Montebello was curator of New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art from 1977-2008. On his retirement, he was both the longest-serving director in the institution's history and the longest-serving director of any major art museum in the world. Michael Maddox co-founded the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, home to Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera, which are amongst the oldest and grandest ballet and opera companies in the world. Another notable figure in arts administration is John Lane of John Lane's Ogunquit Playhouse in Ogunquit, Maine. Lane acquired the playhouse in 1950 and successfully ran the organization, still considered to be "America's foremost summer theatre," until his retirement in 1994.

Issues in Arts Administration

Like any business, arts organizations must work within changing external and internal environments.^[3] External changes may be cultural, social, demographic, economic, political, legal, or technological. Internal changes may be related to the audience, membership, Board of Directors, personnel, facilities, growth, or financial operations. Another change that must be taken into consideration is the growing need for technology-based marketing programs (i.e.: social media) in order for the organization to change with the times and bring younger visitor and member pools into the organization.

Although a good arts administrator constantly monitors and manages change, he must also remain aware of the overall direction and mood of the organization while helping people do their day-to-day jobs.^[4] Arts organizations, as part of the economic system, experience the effects of expansion and contractions in the local, regional, national, and world economies.^[5] Many arts organizations struggle in difficult economic times. There are assistance programs specifically for arts and cultural organizations such as Arts in Crisis,^[6] which is designed to provide planning assistance and consulting to struggling arts organizations in the United States.

Academic programs

Arts administration programs are available at a number of universities and colleges in the US, the UK, Canada and Australia. In the United States, these programs began in the 1970s at several schools after meetings with the National Endowment for the Arts on how the next generations of arts leaders would be educated. Some academic units offer certificate programs for practitioners seeking continuing education or professional development education. While programs in arts administration draw on many elements of related administration fields, such as business administration, they also include specialized courses on administering non-profit arts and cultural organizations.

Arts administration programs award a range of credentials, including certificates and diplomas, Bachelor's degrees, and Master's degrees. These programs usually blend curriculum elements from existing administration programs such as public administration, business administration, arts law, and management. At some institutions arts administration may be a concentration within the school's Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. The MA in Arts Administration program at Columbia University is the only program that ties together curriculum elements from public and private management/administration, law, business, and finance at an Ivy league university. Many arts administration programs include a practicum in which the student volunteers or works in an arts or cultural organization to gain practical experience.

At some universities, similar programs are called arts management (e.g. American University) or arts leadership (e.g. DePaul University). Universities such as American, Wisconsin and Indiana, among many others, offer programs to students in all arts disciplines, while others, such as DePaul, specialize in one discipline (in DePaul's case, theatre). The Master's degree at some schools is an MBA, while other universities offer MFA, MA, and MPA degrees, largely depending on where the program is housed. For example at American University, the program is part of the Department of Performing Arts, whereas at Indiana University it is part of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. The atmosphere of these programs differs, though the curricula are similar. Variances between programs often revolve around the centrality of arts versus the centrality of business skills in the curriculum. Other programs, such as Ohio State, Indiana, and (increasingly) American, are strongly rooted in cultural policy. Most programs require two years in residence, though Drexel and Goucher offer online options, and Savannah College of Art and Design offers a fully online MA in arts administration.

Some programs offer dual degrees. For example, the University of Cincinnati offers an MA/MBA program in conjunction with the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. The UC/CCM Graduate Arts Administration Program, like most others, exists to prepare and train students to become successful CEOs and senior managers of non-profit arts and cultural institutions by combining business administration and real-world experience.^[7]

Other programs may be offer a single degree that includes coursework at two colleges. Carnegie Mellon's Master of Arts Management (MAM) Program is one example, tying the College of Fine Arts to Heinz College's School of Public Policy and Management in the Heinz College. Heinz College provides the core management coursework and the College of Fine Arts supports the MAM Program with coursework specific to arts institutions. Another example is the two-year MA/MBA program at Southern Methodist University, offering a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from the Meadows School of the Arts and a Master of Business Administration from the Cox School of Business.

Several universities offer concentrations in media (film, television, music, new media, etc.) management: Drexel University, Carnegie Mellon, and Columbia College Chicago are examples. Carnegie Mellon offers a separate degree in film/television management. New York University's MA in Arts Administration program allows students to choose a visual arts or a performing arts focus.

Increasingly, the AAAE (Association of Arts Administration Educators) membership has become more interested and proactive in responding to key issues in the arts and in offering help to arts organizations on management, policy, governance, fund development, and financial issues. As a result of this new commitment, research in the program is growing in both amount and quality.

References

External links

• Arts Management Network International information service for arts administration.
• Association of Arts Administration Educators An international association of degree-granting programs in arts and cultural management.
• European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centres
• Warwick University, UK. MA in Creative and Media Enterprises - MA in International Cultural Policy and Management
• Birkbeck, University of London, UK. MA, MPhil, PhD Arts Policy and Management.
• King's College, University of London, UK. MA Cultural and Creative Industries.
• City University, London, UK. MA Cultural Leadership.
• Goldsmiths, University of London, UK. MA Arts administration & Cultural Policy
• City University, London, UK. MA Culture, Policy and Management.
• Birkbeck, University of London, UK. MA Arts Business.
• Managing Performance & Entrepreneurship, University of Leeds UK. BA
• MA in Entrepreneurship in Culture and Creative sectors, University of Leeds UK. MA
• University of New Orleans Graduate program in Arts Administration
• Arts and Administration Program, University of Oregon MA, MS, PhD
• School of Art History and Cultural Policy, University College Dublin, Ireland MA, MLitt and PhD in Arts Management and Cultural Policy.