Arts Administration

Coordinator: Professor McGraw

For every artistic event, much of the work to make it successful is hidden. Arts administrators work behind the scenes to make sure artists keep creating and the public keeps appreciating art of every kind. Arts administrators provide the leadership to guide arts programs that range from finger-painting to digital media; from ballet to belly dance; from musical theaters in the bright lights of Broadway to traveling companies taking theater productions across the country; and from hip-hop to opera. The Arts Administration major is built on a multidisciplinary approach, combining a strong core rooted in arts administration approaches to management, legal issues, and marketing, with a management/business component, and a concentration in the student’s chosen area (i.e. art and art history, music, or performing arts). Students graduating with this major are well-prepared through the coursework and their internship experiences to enter the professional artistic field and employ their expertise to bring artistic events to the public. Similarly, they may also choose to enter a graduate program in Arts Administration (or related field) to hone their skills and seek more specialized positions within the arts administration profession.