What is Arts Management? |

[@RichardHynson]

Professor Taylor, as music director of several arts organizations, I have found your blog and now this KZbin channel so helpful, as I have interacted with the management. Thank you for this invaluable series of videos. I am eager to view each episode as you upload them.

[@ArtsManaged]

Thank you! So glad you've found value in my past and current attempts! Please do let me know if there are particular topics or issues that would be useful to address.

[@jamiestewart3522]

I'm having a hard time finding resources online on the topic of Arts Management but this video series is exactly what I've been looking for.

[@ArtsManaged]

So glad you found the channel, Jamie! And glad you find it useful. I also noticed a gap in online learning resources for Arts Management, which inspired me to give it a try.

[@katherineparrish3444]

Thank you so much for this video series, I just finished the last installment and am looking forward to exploring the field guide more in depth! Thus far I have studied and worked as a performer, but I'm starting to look into the possibilities of pivoting into an arts administration/management path that could provide me with more stability while still getting to be a contributing member of this "art world" I love. Thank you for making this series so accessible and interesting, it's actually left me with a lot of hope that this is something I really could enjoy and excel in! I'm looking forward to learning more. Do you have any book recommendations covering arts management topics and ideas? Thanks again!

[@absolvt_]

Sincerely grateful for this information! I’ve been stumbling around for years trying to managing my artistic career & helping my friends on the road, trying learning from experience but somehow this working field is really hard to sustain here without proper knowledge. Will see all the vids definitely, hope your channel grows more!! Wish you the best, Taylor!

[@ArtsManaged]

Thanks so much! Glad these videos are of use to you and your creative work.

[@breezedeep]

Greetings professor, coming to you in 2024, wondering if you'd recommend a Masters in Arts Administration, for someone with an undergrad and grad degree in the dance/theater performance and music tech world? My goal is to transition away from teaching and into more administrative roles; preferably in theater production management or event planning but not sure how to get started, other than studying it for now. Your advice is much appreciated! Also, I love that you offer AA content because there seems to be crickets out there, when requesting AA information (other than from schools marketing their programs). I wonder why Arts Administrators are so digitally-quiet.

[@ArtsManaged]

Thanks for your question! There are so many factors and variables that determine whether a master's degree in Arts Management or Arts Administration is right for you. Happy to connect directly if you'd like to talk it through. Short answer: You can jump directly into administration or management positions in the arts, and rise through the ranks, without a graduate degree. But the master's can give you a more coherent overview of all the moving parts, teachers/mentors who can help you build specific skills and bridge essential gaps, and a network of peers, alumni, and professionals to support your lifelong growth and success. Any master's degree is a significant investment of time and money, of course. So the main question is whether the path is right for you, specifically, not anyone generically. Again, happy to talk. Just email me at [e-mail] to connect.

[@artistxulemmlemmenskurt1915]

Hi Professor, im an artist ,Sculptor ...how come that musicmanagers are easy to find and thats common to have one ... but as a Sculptor /Artist you have to do it all yourself. For music people buy a ticket before coming to a show and buy their drinks and food at the show but me as an artist has to look for people who like to come see my art for free has to give them drink and food and needs to try to sell at or after the exhibition. Where can i find artmanagers who works like for musicians? Kind regards XuLemm

[@ArtsManaged]

Thanks for the note! Different artistic disciplines have different conventions about representation and marketing/sales support. For sculpture and visual arts, the convention is to have a gallery represent and advance your work, rather than a manager. Although several visual and sculptural artists have a management or marketing team.

[@Elena-iy4wg]

Good morning professor, I'm from Italy and I've just come across this channel. my dream is to work in the art/performing arts world, in particular in the management sector. I have a question for you, If you don't mind: is it better for me to get a first bachelor in Economics and management and then a major specialized in the art management? because I'd like to first develop a solid knowledge of the management field. is it a good way to start? Thank you for your work :)

[@ArtsManaged]

Hi Elena! Thanks for your comment and question. There are a thousand paths to successful and meaningful work in Arts Management, so don't worry too much about picking "the right one" in advance. Most essential is that you both learn and take action all along the way. There are likely immediate and important ways you can start working to support artistic expression and experience right now, even as you find ways to learn the craft. So, if you haven't already, dive in to help friends make work and connect that work to an audience. Or find ways to advance your own creative practice. Or find an arts organization near you that makes work you admire and join them as a volunteer or intern or enthusiastic advocate. As for undergraduate and graduate degrees, there are undergraduate programs in arts management and related fields (look among the members of artsadministration.org and www.encatc.org/ for a start). I encourage that your undergraduate degree explore a wide array of topics (liberal arts, perhaps), since Arts Management draws inspiration and action from any and every field of human endeavor. Even specialized programs in economics or management or Arts Management at the undergraduate level should encourage this wide inquiry. And when it comes time to consider graduate study, you'll have a healthy bundle of education and experience to determine what's right for you. Hope that helps.

[@Elena-iy4wg]

@@ArtsManaged thank you so much!!

[@DOLPHIN_DIVINITY]

Hi Andrew, Thank you for providing this quality video with terminology and a wide view of Arts Management. I am hoping to get your feedback about enter a Masters in Arts Management. I am looking into studying in Barcelona after feeling burned out in my current position within the health care field. What do you see as the most important way of getting involved in this world as someone without a scholarly "arts" background, is it possible?

[@ArtsManaged]

Thanks for your note, and your question about connecting to an Arts Management career. Your best first step is to find arts organizations near you that you find compelling or connected to you. Schedule informational interviews with the leaders at those organizations in the roles you feel most drawn to (marketing, operations, fundraising, executive, etc.) and learn more about what they do, and what skills/abilities/connections are required to do that work. After a few of these, you'll have a more focused understanding of the career trajectory that might suit you best. For exploring graduate study, check out the Association of Arts Administration Educators directory at artsadministration.org (mostly US programs, but some international) or the ENCACT website (the European network on cultural management and policy): www.encatc.org I hope that gets you started!

[@DOLPHIN_DIVINITY]

@@ArtsManaged Thank you so much for this sound advice. I will do it!

[@DianaMartinez-yf6md]

Hi Professor Taylor! I just happen to find this extremely useful video about Arts Management. I have always been into performing when singing, dancing or acting. But I had to quit because of my parents decision, so now it's quite late to go back to it, since I'm 25. So now I'm planning to do a master degree in this field to be able to continue within the performing arts world, but this time behind the scenes. My question is: Would it be possible for me to do a master degree on Arts Management if I graduated as an Industrial Product Designer? I mean my background is not similar to that other field. Does courses/classes tend to start from scratch for those that are new on the management or business administration's world?

[@ArtsManaged]

Hi Diana. Thanks so much for your comment and question. My answer would be YES, that you can absolutely enroll in and complete a master's degree in Arts Management (or Arts Administration or Cultural Leadership or the like) with what might seem like an unrelated undergraduate degree. Most programs that I know (including ours at American University) welcome students from a wide range of backgrounds - some with many years of direct experience in the nonprofit arts, many who have been pursuing creative careers as artists or makers, and many who want to pivot from one career path to a new one. Graduate programs fast track you from a basic overview of each function toward strategic-level analysis and action in the work. Each program has different strengths and learning/teaching approaches. I'd encourage you to explore a few. You can find a good list of programs (undergraduate and graduate) at the Association of Arts Administration Educators website: artsadministration.org/ If you'd like to talk with me about your career interests and goals, and the possible path through graduate study, feel free to contact me directly: [e-mail]

[@ArtsManaged]

…also should have mentioned that if you're interested in graduate study beginning this Fall, the priority application deadlines are coming on fast. Our priority deadline for best funding and fellowship consideration is February 1: www.american.edu/cas/arts-management/

[@DianaMartinez-yf6md]

@@ArtsManaged Thank you so much for your answer! I get in contact with you right now!

[@focused2605]

Hello professor, I’m a student from China who is studying art management. Your video is really a good lesson. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask your permission to translate and share your video on bilibili (a Chinese video sharing platform like KZbin). Of course, I will give sources of the original website. It’s just sharing and I am not going to make any profit from it. I will add your name and put the KZbin link in the introduction. There’s a increasing number of students who want to study art management now in China and I’m sure your video will be really helpful. Could you kindly reply to this message even the answer is a no? Thank you!

[@ArtsManaged]

Hi there. Sorry to be slow to respond. Please feel free to translate and share, as long as you attribute the source. So glad you found this useful enough to share it further.

[@mrslavanderblu]

So arts managers are basically producers?

[@ArtsManaged]

The two jobs can overlap, yes. But not all arts managers "produce" creative work. Some present, curate, preserve, or support other producers as their primary function. Although in some disciplines, that's considered producing, as well.