Introduction to Arts Administration
MEMT 823 (3 credit hours)
Spring 2012
Professor Steven K. Hedden
Office: 218 Murphy
Office Hours: 9:00 – 10:00 M, 1:00 – 2:00 W, and 11:00 – 12:00 Th
hedden@ku.edu or 864-9757
This course introduces students to Arts Administration as a career possibility. Course
assignments and projects deal with the broad range of issues facing those who work in
management/administration of the arts, whether these positions be in nonprofits, in
government or in higher education. Designed for graduate students interested in
acquiring an overview of the field.
Course Topics
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Overview of arts administration as a career
Philosophy, especially as related to why the arts are important to all
Structures found in various types of arts organizations
Best practices in leadership of arts organizations
Management strategies
Student Outcomes
A student who completes this course will:
 Describe (orally and/or in written form) the history of arts administration as a career.
 Relate the history of arts administration to current practices and trends.
 Demonstrate through spoken and written means an awareness of the key terms and
concepts of the field
 Articulate in spoken and written presentations a clear and cohesive philosophy about
the value of the arts
 Identify the strengths and weaknesses of various structural frameworks for arts
organizations of various sizes/orientations.
 Define and use key terms that describe the work of various positions in the field of
arts administration.
 For a given setting, suggest leadership practices that will optimize the effectiveness of
the arts administrator.
 Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of various managerial approaches.
 Lead a discussion that helps other students attain learner outcomes (specified in
advance as a result of a planning session with the professor).
 Gain a more comprehensive understanding of the field of arts administration through
shadowing an arts administrator during the semester.
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Grading Information
Class attendance and participation: 10% of the course grade.
Discussion in class is a critical component of the learning experience.
Attendance at each class session is expected of all students, as would be the case in the
workplace.
Two absences for personal business are allowed, but please notify the instructor in
advance so that class preparation can be adjusted accordingly.
Each unapproved absence after the allowed two will cause a reduction of the course
grade by one “point” (examples: a one-point reduction would change a grade of A to
A- or a grade of A- to B+).
Additional information regarding attendance appears in the following section of the
syllabus (“Course Requirements and Policies”).
Assignments: 25% of the course grade.
Grading of assignments will consider whether they are submitted on time as well as the
degree of professional preparation that is apparent in the presentation.
1. Each student during Week Three will make a five-minute presentation on the topic
“Why the Arts Are Essential” and respond to questions from the class and
professor. 5%
2. Each student during Weeks Six through Fourteen will make a 30-minute
presentation (including discussion) on a topic assigned by the professor. The
student and the professor will consult no later than two weeks in advance of the
presentation for the purpose of identifying desired outcomes and presentation
strategies. 15%
3. Each student during Week Twelve will present a five-minute presentation that
summarizes the key points of the two chapters s/he reads in Scott’s text (identified
below), then lead a discussion on the material. 5%
Journal: 20% of the course grade.
Each student will make entries on a regular basis—approximately three times each
week—in the “Course Readings/Events” journal on Blackboard. Each student’s Course
Readings/Events journal is private (read only by the professor).
The journal will have three components:
1. For each week’s reading assignment, generate a question (or two) you want to
have the class discuss. The question(s) would need to be submitted by noon the day
before the class meeting.
2. Your observations about the performances/exhibitions/lectures you choose to
attend during the semester, emphasizing particularly the implications for your career
in arts management/administration.
3. Your record of your thoughts as you read “non-assigned” materials, including
professional journals, newspapers, online sources and more.
The major considerations in grading are: Are entries made regularly throughout the
semester? Do the entries provide a balance among the three components identified
above, or do they tend to focus narrowly on only one or two of them? Do the entries
demonstrate increasingly sophisticated knowledge of the field of arts administration?
Shadowing: 20% of the course grade.
Each student will shadow an arts administrator during the semester, where the
expectation is that the student will travel to the arts organization weekly (or at least
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biweekly) between Week Three and Week Twelve (or beyond) of the semester. Plan to
be at the arts organization at least 20 hours during the semester and expect that the arts
administrator will give you some sort of project to be completed during the time you are
doing this shadowing assignment.
For each time you shadow, make a journal entry in the “Shadowing Assignment Journal”
found in the Journals section of Blackboard. Each entry would be a record of your
thoughts as you shadow the arts administrator during the semester: What questions
arise as you observe this person? What actions do you plan to take as a result of your
observations?
Each week you also are asked to read the entries of other students and make comments
and/or provide suggestions. Only the professor and other students in this class will read
entries in the Shadowing Assignment Journal.
The grade for Shadowing will be based on the thoughtfulness of the entries you make in
the Blog (both your entries and your comments/suggestions) and the feedback from the
arts administrator about the project you completed. An additional consideration will be the
amount of time you invest at the arts organization.
The “Job Shadowing Information” document in the Documents section of Blackboard
provides additional information about the shadowing assignment; a copy of the document
will be shared with each arts administrator who is being shadowed.
Project: 25% of the course grade.
Students will make both written (20%) and oral (5%) presentations of the project.
The written presentation will include several pieces of information about an arts
organization you want to create: mission statement, vision statement, fundraising plans,
and plans for creating community partnerships. Also, describe the “constituency” for each
person you would want to recruit to your board of directors. Finally, include a press
release that announces the creation of the organization. The written and oral
presentations will be due during the final examination period: May 10, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
The KU grade appeal policy is found at www.policy.ku.edu/academic.shtml
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Course Requirements and Policies
Class Attendance/Grading. As noted above, attendance is expected, and more than two
absences, excused or unexcused, will result in a reduction of the course grade.
No grade of “Incomplete” will be given.
All written assignments are to be computer-generated. Handwritten work is not
acceptable.
Preparation for Class. The expectation in a graduate-level class is that a student will
devote three clock hours of prep time each week for each unit of credit for the class.
Academic Integrity/Conduct. Academic integrity is characterized by honesty, trust,
fairness, respect and responsibility—on the part of the students and the professor.
The assignments you submit will be original for MEMT 823 (rather than a copy of or a
revision of a paper submitted for another class), the information you report and the
citations you include will be accurate, and the work you submit will be entirely your own.
According to the document available at www.policy.ku.edu/academic.shtml:
Academic misconduct by a student shall include, but not be limited to, disruption of
classes; threatening an instructor or fellow student in an academic setting; giving or
receiving of unauthorized aid on examinations or in the preparation of notebooks,
themes, reports or other assignments; knowingly misrepresenting the source of any
academic work; unauthorized changing of grades; unauthorized use of University
approvals or forging of signatures; falsification of research results; plagiarizing of
another's work; violation of regulations or ethical codes for the treatment of human and
animal subjects; or otherwise acting dishonestly in research.
Course Materials. Course materials prepared by the instructor, including the content of all
lectures, are the property of the instructor. As an overall policy, video and/or audio
recording of lectures is not allowed. Exceptional circumstances/situations should be
brought to the attention of the professor in advance of a class meeting where the student
might want to create a recording for study purposes.
Courtesy to others. Cell phones and other mobile devices should be turned off during
class.
Services for Students with Disabilities. Any student who has a disability that might
prevent the fullest expression of her or his abilities in this course should contact the staff
of Services for Students with Disabilities (135 Strong, 785/864-2620 v/TTY) in order to
coordinate accommodations and services for this course.
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Course Readings
Reading assignments will be from the required textbook, other books, journal articles,
listservs and websites.
The required textbook is:
Byrnes, William J. (2008). Management and the Arts (4th edition). Amsterdam; Boston:
Focal Press. The website established for the book has several useful resources
for students: www.managementandthearts.com
The following books are on reserve for the semester. The assigned readings from these
sources usually are available electronically. Several books listed below do not have
assigned readings, but you will find it valuable to peruse them.
Booth, Eric (1997). The everyday work of art. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, Inc. N71 .B66
Cherbo, Joni M. and Wyszomirski, Margaret J., editors (2000). The public life of the arts
in America. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers. NX 180 .S6 2000
Cherbo, Joni Maya; Stewart, Ruth Ann and Wyszomirski, Margaret Jane, editors (2008).
Understanding the arts and creative sector in the United States. New Brunswick,
NJ: Rutgers. NX 180 .S6 U53 2008 (CSW)
Herman, Robert D. and Associates (2005). The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit
Leadership & Management, second edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. HD 62.6
.J67 2005 (Herman et al.)
Kotler, Philip and Scheff, Joanne (1997). Standing room only: Strategies for Marketing
the Performing Arts. Cambridge: Harvard Business School Press. PN 1590 .M27
K68 1997
McCarthy, Kevin F., Arthur Brooks, Julia Lowell and Laura Zakaras (2001). The
Performing Arts in a New Era. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. PN 2266.5 .P475 2001
Scott, David Meerman. (2008) The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News
Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing, & Online Media to Reach Buyers
Directly. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. Access the book by clicking on the
following link, then entering your KU Online ID/password:
http://catalog.lib.ku.edu/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?bbid=6933444
Stein, Tobie S. and Bathurst, Jessica (2008). Performing Arts Management. New York:
Allworth Press. PN1584 .S74 2008 (S/B)
Journal articles are from the following sources, each available electronically through the
KU Libraries website:
International Journal of Arts Management
Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society
Other pertinent journals, also available electronically:
International Journal of Cultural Policy
Journal of Cultural Economics
Nonprofit Management and Leadership
A listing of useful websites, listservs and blogs appears at the end of this syllabus.
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Course Content/Organization/Assignments
Week One (1/19): Overview of Arts Administration; overview of course
What is arts administration/management? What are the career possibilities for an
arts administrator?
Reading Assignment:
Byrnes
Chapter 1: “Overview of the Arts and Management”
Chapter 2: “Arts Organizations and Arts Managers”
Week Two (1/26): The State of the Arts
What are the current realities for the arts? What is the status of the arts?
What makes up the arts/creative sector?
What trends/changes are apparent or ones we can anticipate?
Reading Assignment:
Byrnes, Chapter 4: “The Adaptive Arts Organization”
Access www.nea.gov/research/ResearchReports_chrono.html to read
“Artists in the Workforce, 1990 - 2005”
and to skim
“2008 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts”
Access
www.americansforthearts.org/information_services/research/services/creative_ind
ustries/default.asp to review data for your legislative district at both state and
federal levels
Week Three (2/2): Why the Arts Are Essential
Why are the arts essential? Why do people participate/make art? Why do people
attend arts events (in halls, galleries, etc.)? How do arts administrators work
toward increasing the number of persons who attend/participate?
Reading Assignment:
“The Universality of the Arts in Human Life” by Dissanayake, Ellen in CSW, pp.
61 – 74. Access through Blackboard.
Review various advocacy documents on websites of AftA, AEP, NEA and RAND.
Assignment: Each student makes a five-minute presentation on “Why the Arts Are
Essential,” and responds to questions.
Week Four: (meeting time TBA; Professor Hedden at TMEA): Planning
Approaches to strategic planning, including mission/vision and strategies
Reading Assignment:
Byrnes, Chapter 5: “Planning and the Arts”
Week Five (2/16): Organizing/Staffing.
Structuring the organization; staffing the organization (both employees and
volunteers)
Reading Assignment:
Byrnes, Chapter 6: “Organizing and Organizational Design”
Byrnes, Chapter 7: “Human Resources in the Arts”
“Principles of Training for Volunteers and Employees” by Macduff, N. in Herman et
al. (pp. 703 – 730). Access through Blackboard.
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Week Six (2/23): (meeting time TBA; Professor Hedden at KMEA): Leading
Leadership approaches/theories; group dynamics; executive leadership and
artistic leadership
Reading Assignment:
Byrnes, Chapter 8: “Leadership and Group Dynamics”
Week Seven (3/1): Leading (continuation of 2/23)
Leadership approaches/theories; group dynamics; executive leadership and
artistic leadership
Reading Assignment:
Byrnes, Chapter 13: “Managing the Arts Organization”
“Executive Leadership” by Herman, R. D. and Heimovics, D. in Herman et al. (pp.
153 – 170). Access through Blackboard.
Weeks Eight and Nine (3/8 and 3/15): Managing
Establishing/managing budgets; legal realities; management information systems
Reading Assignment for Week Eight:
Byrnes, Chapter 9: “Operations and Budgeting”
Reading Assignment for Week Nine:
Byrnes, Chapter 10: “Economics and Financial Management”
“The Legal Framework of the Nonprofit Sector in the United States” Silk, Thomas
in Herman et al. Access through Blackboard.
SPRING BREAK
Weeks Ten and Eleven (3/29 and 4/5): (3/29 meeting time TBA; Professor Hedden at
NAfME): Fundraising
Fundraising plans, techniques and tools for working with individuals and
foundations; grantwriting; working with a development director; capital and
endowment campaigns
Reading Assignment for Week Ten:
Byrnes, Chapter 12: “Fundraising for the Arts”
Reading Assignment for Week Eleven:
Scott: each student will be assigned one chapter from Part 2 (Web-Based
Communications to Reach Buyers Directly) and one chapter from Part 3 (Action
Plan for Harnessing the Power of the New Rules)
Assignment for Week Eleven: Each student makes a five-minute presentation that
summarizes the key points of the chapters s/he read in Scott’s book and leads a
discussion on the material.
Week Twelve (4/12): Marketing and Public Relations
Strategic marketing plans; print and nonprint marketing, including mobile media;
building audiences
Reading Assignment:
Byrnes, Chapter 11: “Marketing the Arts”
Wiggins, Jennifer (2004). Motivation, ability and opportunity to participate: A
reconceptualization of the RAND model of audience development. International
Journal of Arts Management, 7 (1), 12 pages. Online
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Week Thirteen (4/19): Arts Education and Arts Presenting
Teaching artist programs; learning in museum settings; public art programs
Reading Assignment:
“Performing Arts Education” Chapter 8 in S/B (pp. 341 - 364). Access through
Blackboard.
Week Fourteen (4/26): The Arts and Economic Development; The Arts and Community
Development
Reading Assignment:
“The Arts and Artist in Urban Revitalization” Stewart in CSW, pp. 105 – 128.
(CSW is on reserve, but this selection is not available electronically)
Cohen, R., Schaffer, W, and Davidson, B. Arts and economic prosperity: The
economic impact of nonprofit arts organizations and their audiences. Journal of
Arts Management, Law and Society, 33 (1), 17 – 31.
Sterngold, A. H. Do economic impact studies misrepresent the benefits of arts and
cultural organizations? Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, 34 (3), 166
– 187.
Explore website of Community Arts Network: www.communityarts.net/
Week Fifteen (5/3): What are the job opportunities for arts administrators?
Organizing your job search; finding the right internship; structuring the successful
internship; career development options
Reading Assignment:
Byrnes, Chapter 14: “A Career in Arts Management” (skim)
“Career Development Strategies: The Role of the Internship” Chapter 12 in S/B
(pp. 505 – 525). Access through Blackboard
Week Sixteen: Presentation of Final Projects during the Final Examination Period (May
10, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.)
Useful Websites, Listservs and Blogs
Americans for the Arts (abbreviation used above: AftA)
www.artsusa.org/
Arts Education Partnership (abbreviation used above: AEP)
www.aep-arts.org/
Arts Journal—the daily digest of arts, culture and ideas (also lists various blogs)
www.artsjournal.com/subscribe/subscriptioncenter.shtml
The Arts Manager—a weekly weblog on the business of arts and culture
www.artsjournal.com/artfulmanager/about/subscribe.php
Arts Marketing.org
artsmarketing.org/
Arts Presenters
http://www.artspresenters.org/
BoardSource, a National Center for Nonprofit Boards
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www.boardsource.org
Community Arts Network
www.communityarts.net/
Cultural Policy Listserv—a weekly email from the Americans for the Arts
www.americansforthearts.org/information_services/
research/cultural_policy_listserv/subscribe.asp
Fieldstone Alliance—consulting, etc. to nonprofits, etc.
www.fieldstonealliance.org/index.cfm
Kansas Arts Commission
arts.ks.gov/index.shtml
National Arts Policy Database
www.artsusa.org/NAPD
National Assembly of State Arts Agencies
www.nasaa-arts.org
National Endowment for the Arts
www.nea.gov/research
“Artists in the Workforce, 2005”
“2002 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts”
“Age and Arts Participation: 1982 – 1987”
“1997 Survey of Public Participation in the Arts”
“Volunteers with Arts or Cultural Organizations: A 2005 Profile”
Nonprofit Finance Fund
www.nonprofitfinancefund.org/index.php
Nonprofit Quarterly
www.nonprofitquarterly.org/
RAND
www.rand.org/research_areas/arts/
“Improving Arts Education Is Key to Stemming Audience Decline”
“Public and Private Collaboration Can Provide Arts Education, Aid Child
Development”
“How Local Arts Education Systems Can Deliver High-Quality Learning”
“Gifts of the Muse: Reframing the Debate About the Benefits of the Arts”
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