Society for Arts Leadership Educators

An Exploration of the Perceived Barriers of Leadership Succession Planning Retention and Transition Among Arts Nonprofit Organizations in South Carolina
Presenter: La Ruchala A. Murphy, Ph.D.
In this session, the speaker will explore the essential aspects of leadership succession, retention, and transition within the arts and culture sector. They will begin with an overview of the topic, emphasizing key insights from a literature review that underscore the importance of thoughtful succession planning. The session will then delve into the methodology employed to identify barriers to effective leadership succession, followed by an analysis of findings and conclusions drawn from the data. The speaker will offer recommendations for future research on this topic, highlighting its potential contributions to strengthening the arts and culture field. The session will conclude with audience feedback, discussion, and questions.

A Palette of Pedagogies: Researching How We Teach Future Arts Leaders
Presenters: Maclain Hardin-Kurza, Audrey Jacobs 
This traditional research presentation will explore a common methdology for investigating pedagogical approaches across three undergraduate arts leadership courses. Through a multiple-case study approach using reflective journals and content analysis within a transformative learning theory framework, presenters will showcase how different instructional strategies inform teaching practices in arts leadership preparation. The presentation will open the door for important conversation on self-study for college-level arts leadership educators while promoting effective and equitable teaching practices.

Harmonising Art and Business: The Janis Ian Archives as an Educational Tool for Arts Leadership
Presenter: Peter Morphew
This presentation explores the innovative approach to fundraising, curating, and facilitating access to the Janis Ian Archives at Berea College, Kentucky.

Opened in October 2024, the archive exists within a duality of identities, providing researchers unparalleled access to original primary / secondary sources, enhancing Berea College's international reputation and serving as a fundraising mechanism not only supporting the preservation of records but additionally support student educational experiences.
As a unique resource in music history, spanning sociological, political, and entrepreneurial research genres, two-time Grammy winner Janis Ian has granted unprecedented access into her personal life, business ownership, and creativity.
The audience will gain insights into the archivists’ strategies that maintain our intellectual control over the preserved knowledge. Through collection management / cataloguing strategies, specially the creation of organizational hierarchies that create conducive conditions of access within an educational working college; to confidential, sensitive information pertaining to licensing, copyright negotiations, and financial asset management in addition to Ian’s songwriting materials. We'll demonstrate how such archival resources can serve as powerful educational tools for arts leadership and administrative education.

This presentation offers a unique reflective perspective from the project archivist on working with a significant body of records to date. Exploring the intersection of art, business, and education within Berea College's distinctive working model. Educators will discover the importance to proactively preserve their community arts heritage, organizational knowledge and leverage such resources for the development of the next generations practical arts administration and leadership skills.

Cultivating Leadership through Holistic Development in Arts Administration Education
Presenter: Rachel Parker
This presentation explores how a Holistic Development approach in arts administration education can cultivate empathetic and emotionally intelligent leaders by integrating emotional and social learning with essential technical skills. By incorporating practices seemingly unrelated to arts administration, educators can equip future arts leaders to navigate challenges effectively and make meaningful impacts within their organizations and communities.

Transforming Arts Leadership Education through Oral History and Inclusive Curriculum Development
Presenter: Jaleesa Wells, Kristin Anne Danko, Morgan Wallace Gilbert, Kate Holland
This research collaboration summit explores the andragogical use of oral history as a transformative tool and method in arts leadership education and focuses on the evolution of my PhD-level course Sustaining Leadership in the Arts, which is a core course in the PhD in Arts Administration curriculum at the University of Kentucky. The aim of the course is to revolutionize how students learn about and engage with leadership concepts through hands-on, real-world research experiences.

This research collaboration summit brings together current students, alumni, and prospective students, as well as educators and researchers who conduct oral history projects in the field, to investigate how oral history methods can uncover new dimensions of arts leadership, including intersectional, relational, and contextualized approaches. By evolving from traditional academic outputs to immersive research experiences, the curricular approach is reshaping students' understanding of leadership complexities and enhancing their qualitative research skills.

During the research collaboration summit, we will examine the impact of the co-creative and andragogical curricular approach, where students actively participate in curriculum development, fostering a more inclusive and engaging learning environment. This collaborative process not only enriches the educational experience but also prepares students for the dynamic realities of arts leadership.

Our research will explore how this methodology can be adapted to create open andragogy courses across various arts administration contexts. By combining oral history with arts leadership education, the curriculum aims to develop more effective, inclusive, and innovative arts leadership learning and teaching. The research collaboration summit discussion will help to inform future curriculum design, provide insights into evolving leadership practices, and offer a model for integrating hands-on research experiences into graduate-level arts administration and leadership education.

Innovating Arts Leadership Education: Collaborative Solutions for Measuring Public Value with Data-Driven Tools
Presenter: Angela P. Meleca
As the arts and cultural sector evolve, arts leadership education must adapt to equip future leaders with the skills to navigate complex challenges. One of the key issues facing educators is balancing theoretical knowledge with practical, real-world application—particularly the integration of data-driven tools to measure and demonstrate the public value of arts programs. This challenge is becoming increasingly critical, as arts organizations need leaders who can communicate their societal impact beyond traditional metrics like attendance or budget.

This collaborative issue presentation will explore how data analytics can transform arts management curricula, preparing students for leadership roles that require transparency, accountability, and measurable outcomes. Drawing on real-world case studies, the panel will introduce a data-driven pilot project, originally successful in the social services sector and now adapted for arts organizations. Presenters will discuss how these tools have been implemented in educational settings to strengthen students’ leadership skills and how practitioners have applied them to enhance community engagement, secure funding, and advocate for their organizations.

The session will include a guided discussion on the following points:

• The role of data in transforming arts leadership education and professional practice.
• Practical challenges and opportunities of integrating data tools into the curriculum.
• Real-world examples of data application in arts organizations to enhance public trust and secure funding.
• Balancing theory and practice to equip students for real-world leadership in the arts.

Attendees will leave with actionable strategies for integrating data-driven methods into their own curricula and professional contexts.

Cross-Sector Partnerships in Arts Administration: An Exploration
Presenter: Jay Pension

Over the past decade, both scholars and practitioners have increasingly explored cross-sector partnerships between arts-focused and non-arts-focused organizations. This presentation and facilitated discussion will explore how these partnerships shape and influence arts practices in the United States, highlighting both the benefits and challenges they present.

Notable cross-sector partnerships in the arts have included non-arts-focused sectors including healthcare, education, technology, manufacturing, retail, government, environmental organizations, finance, and community-based nonprofits. Such multidisciplinary collaborations between diverse fields often lead to innovative projects that might not emerge when organizations operate within silos. Conversely, the bureaucratic structures of larger organizations can sometimes limit the agility of partnered arts organizations, presenting a key challenge to their effectiveness.

This session will be part presentation and part facilitated discussion through which attendees explore key themes and share insights. This presentation and discussion will explore these questions: How do cross-sector collaborations improve community health outcomes, inspire innovative business and social initiatives, and contribute to a richer, more dynamic cultural landscape? How do cross-sector collaborations hinder arts practices the United States?