Graduating Class (Year): 2011

What you are up to now?

Artistic Director of Torn Space Theater and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurism

What led you into arts management?

I wanted to transfer an artistic vision into a structured organization. I wanted to understand how an organizational structure could be developed and expanded. Ultimately, I wanted to understand how management could support the artistic process.

Most memorable experience in the Program?

The study abroad experience at the The Venice Biennale. It was the perfect introduction to the program.

What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

That it is really important to listen to the leaders of organizations to understand what they are experiencing on the ground level. Obviously you need to know the theory and the principals. But you need to understand and appreciate the context so you see how everything really works. 

Advice for current/prospective students?

The Arts Management Program provides a wide perspective on the field; from cultural policy, to management principles, to fundraising, to networking, to organizational structure. The process of managing an arts organization is messy and complicated and challenging and you need a core set of principals to guide you. This is a dynamic field and an essential one. This program prepares you to navigate and to excel.