Society for Arts Leadership Educators

Empowering Inquiry: Engaging Students in Research Practice
Presenter: Julie Goodman, Brea Heidelberg
Research practice helps students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, time management, and communication skills. This discussion explores how faculty can foster a culture of inquiry, driven by observation and curiosity, that supports students’ intellectual development, academic success, and lifelong learning. The facilitators will share their approaches to developing a culture of inquiry through engaging graduate and undergraduate students in research practice. The challenges and opportunities of this work will be discussed alongside practical strategies for implementation. Examples of student engagement in course activities, assignments, and faculty research projects will be shared, followed by a discussion with attendees about the ways that a culture of inquiry is (or can be) fostered in their respective programs. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences and ideas, building relationships and opportunities for future student and faculty research collaborations among programs.

Bridging the Gap Between Classroom Education and Real-World Application in Arts Administration
Presenter: Jeffrey Rebudal, Anthony Rhine
Jeff Rebudal and Anthony Rhine, both professors at Pace University, recognize the critical challenge of bridging the gap between classroom education and real-world application in arts administration. They emphasize that this goes beyond traditional experiential learning, focusing on helping students grasp the profound impact of their studies on their future careers and the arts sector as a whole.

Controversial & Provocative Art: Their Role in Communities, Classrooms, & Arts Organizations
Presenter: James Marchant
This is a study and research paper that investigates, examines, and analyzes the creation of controversial and provocative art and the role it plays in communities, classrooms, and arts organizations.

Developing Unique Theories for Arts Administration
Presenter: Anthony Rhine
This research collaboration aims to address the critical need for developing theories specific to arts administration, a field that currently relies heavily on theories borrowed from other disciplines. The unique business model of nonprofit arts organizations, which blends charitable missions with commercial ticket sales, necessitates a tailored theoretical framework. Our discussion will focus on:

1. Identifying gaps in existing theories when applied to arts administration
2. Exploring the distinctive challenges faced by arts organizations, such as balancing artistic integrity with financial sustainability
3. Examining how traditional marketing practices fall short in the nonprofit arts sector
4. Investigating the impact of evolving funding models and audience engagement strategies on organizational theory
5. Analyzing the intersection of arts management with other disciplines to create a multifaceted theoretical approach

Participants will be encouraged to share their expertise in various aspects of arts administration, including financial management, audience development, and organizational structure. We will collaboratively map out potential new theories that address the sector's unique characteristics, such as the artist-manager relationship, the role of public funding, and the balance between mission fulfillment and revenue generation.

Student Perceptions of Faculty Generative AI Usage
Presenter: Alicia Jay
This research presents findings about student perceptions of faculty generative AI usage in coursework and assignments.

What Graduate Projects in Arts Management Are Effective? Lessons from Multiple Attempts in China
Presenter: Ruby Yu
As Arts Management emerges as a new interdisciplinary field, it necessitates both theoretical construction and critical reflection, as well as the production and guidance of applied insights. With the increasing number of Master’s programs in Arts Management, it's worth considering what kind of graduation projects students should undertake to demonstrate the skills and knowledge they've acquired. This question is crucial for educators in Arts Management as it reflects our educational purpose and goal.

The conventional route of a research thesis and defense is common, but a survey of Chinese arts organization entrepreneurs reveals that the industry seldom reviews academic work, especially student-produced theses. When academic research fails to drive industry development, should we explore alternative graduation projects that showcase students' skills, ensuring their voices are heard and their findings seen? Should there be a complete shift to an applied route, encouraging students to undertake art projects as their capstone, whether as exhibitions or performances and use these as a stepping stone to their industrial careers? Or might there be a more effective combination of approaches.

This study addresses these research problems and questions, using several Chinese graduate programs in Arts Administration as examples to discuss their capstone projects. Employing case studies with interviews and surveys, it illustrates China's situation, raising the issue and critically discussing the potential for optimized capstone projects in future graduate Arts Administration programs.

Disrupted Leadership, Disrupted Art: Analyzing Organizational Discontinuity in the Arts
Presenter: Stan Renard
This article explores the critical impact of leadership discontinuity on the failure of arts organizations through the lens of Organizational Discontinuity Theory. Leadership discontinuity, characterized by frequent changes in executive roles, disrupts the strategic direction and operational stability of arts organizations. This instability often leads to a breakdown in communication, loss of institutional knowledge, and diminished stakeholder confidence. The study is based on ongoing research of arts organizations followed for the past four years across the United States that have since failed and shuttered, as well as those that have merged with other organizations and reincarnated. It examines several case studies to highlight the correlation between leadership discontinuity and organizational decline, emphasizing the importance of consistent and visionary leadership in maintaining the health and sustainability of arts institutions. The article discusses internal and external factors contributing to the demise of these organizations, including economic pressures, funding challenges, and shifts in audience engagement. Strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of leadership discontinuity are also explored, such as succession planning, fostering a strong organizational culture, and implementing robust governance structures.

Crafting a Disaster-Ready Arts Organization from the Ground Up: Stories from the Gateway Regional Arts Center
Presenters: Leah Hamilton, Jordan Campbell
This discussion will feature the Executive Director of the Gateway Regional Arts Center, Jordan Campbell, and Assistant Professor of Arts Administration, Leah Hamilton, in a timely discussion on bridging normative theories in emergency management to the realities of managing creative spaces.