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The Arts Management Program
 
The Arts Management Program is an exciting recent addition to the Business Administration Division. A combination of a business core and courses in a concentration - Art History, Dance, Fine Arts, Graphic Communications, Mass Communication, Music or Theatre, allow students an opportunity to study an artistic interest, while at the same time develop practical business skills. The arts are currently experiencing an unparalleled vibrancy and offer attractive career opportunities. Profit and nonprofit arts organizations including theatres, concert halls, museums, dance groups desperately need workers and managers who embrace their field with passion. Business skills such as leadership, financing, marketing, and management will successfully propel these organizations forward.
 
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “as leisure time and personal incomes have grown across the Nation, so has the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry. The industry includes about 122,000 establishments, ranging from art museums to fitness centers…The diverse range of activities offered by this industry can be categorized into three broad groups—live performances or events; historical, cultural, or educational exhibits; and recreation or leisure-time activities.”

The overall goal for students enrolled in the Arts Management Program is to acquire the knowledge/skills necessary to effectively lead art organizations. Students should attain the ability to develop and sustain an arts organization, while maintaining financial stability and servicing targeted audiences. The following specific objectives are stated within the context of art organizational settings:

  1. To develop leadership skills
  2. To develop market communication skills, including public relations
  3. To develop fund raising skills
  4. To develop grant writing skills
  5. To understand how profit and nonprofit organizations are structured and managed
  6. To understand accounting and financial processes
  7. To understand the processes of scanning and analysis of the external environment
  8. To acquire practice and context knowledge/skills in an arts concentration (art history, dance, fine arts, graphic communications, mass communication, music, or theatre)
  9. To apply arts management principles in a real-world setting (goals 1-8)
     

Many students enrolled in the Arts Management Program are also involved with the Small Business Advisory Group (SBA) and/or Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). Both of these opportunities offer students a chance to participate in problem-solving activities such as developing marketing and business plans for profit and nonprofit organizations. The SIFE team affords students the opportunity to compete against other universities and colleges with projects the team has worked on, and meet executives from Fortune 500 companies.

Park Theatre around 1941

Park Theatre Restoration Project
The Arts Management Program, in conjunction with TEAM Jaffrey, has conducted a market research analysis to determine the feasibility of re-opening the theatre.

Market Research Study for the Theatre Restoration Committee of Jaffrey, NH (PowerPoint)

The Franklin Pierce University Advantage: Very few colleges (if any) offer such a program in northern New England. Since cultural and art organizations abound in the area, internship possibilities offer plenty of opportunity. Check out Community for Business Internships.


Heidi Cozzens, Indian Hill Music School, Littleton, MA

Links to Internship Possibilities in the Area:

Other Arts management Links:

Career Opportunity Sampling:

  • Auctioneer
  • Antique Appraiser
  • Archivist
  • Art Dealer
  • Art Director
  • Artist Agent
  • Booking Agent
  • Concert Hall Manager
  • Dance Studio Manager
  • Dance Troupe Manager
  • Event Planner
  • Exhibit Designer
  • Executive Director of an Arts Organization
  • Film, Television and Radio Producer
  • Graphic Designer
  • Museum Curator
  • Museum Extension Officer
  • Museum Guide and Interpreter
  • Museum Cataloguer
  • Music Group Manager
  • Music Instrument Dealer
  • Public Relations Director
  • Props Person and Set Dresser
  • Symphony Orchestra Manager
  • Stage Manager
  • Theatre Designer
  • Ticket Box Manager
  • Virtual Museum Director

Graduate Schools

Graduate degree programs in Arts Management can be found at the Association of Arts Administration Educators. 

If you have any questions concerning the program, you can contact Dr. Jason Little at littlejc@franklinpierce.edu
 Telephone: 603-899-4168.

Dr. Little (biography link) serves as an Arts Management faculty member and coordinator of the program.  

For degree requirements and course listings, consult the Franklin Pierce University Catalog

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