Foundations of Art Management

FA 362/383, Unique # 20190 or 20230

T/Th, 3:30-5:00 pm
MRH 2.604

Instructor: Carra Martinez, PhD

Office Hours: Tuesdays, by appointment only
Email: [email protected]

Class Overview:
This course offers an overview of the external and internal management of contemporary
arts organizations with an emphasis on non-profit management. In particular, the course
hones in on mission development, programmatic strategies, hosting philosophies,
audience development and community engagement, financial management, and funding
strategies. Contexts are provided by academic writing, professional models and
examples, and guest speakers.

Class Objectives:
After completing this course, students will be able to:
• Articulate the operational components of an arts organization and describe
how those components impact one another inside an institutional ecosystem.
• Explain how an organization’s mission, vision, and values impact not only its
programmatic choices but its hosting capabilities, audience development and
community engagement, financial management, and funding strategies.
• Conduct research that explores the holistic relationship between
mission/vision/values and programmatic choices, hosting capabilities,
audience development and community engagement, financial management,
and funding strategies.
• In a collaborative setting, develop a programming and planning process that
reflects the relationship between mission/vision/values impact and
programmatic choices, hosting capabilities, audience development and
community engagement, financial management, and funding strategies.
• Get to know some arts professionals.
• Participate in snacking/eat salsa.

Required Texts
The following text(s) are required for the course:
• Rosewall, E. Arts Management: Uniting Arts and Audiences in the 21st
Century. Oxford University Press: 2013. 1st Edition.
• Links to additional readings are online in Canvas.
• Grad students, please also pick up:
o Brown, Adrienne. Emergent Strategy. AK Press, 2017.
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COURSE POLICIES
Attendance:
Attendance and promptness for the course are mandatory. It is your responsibility to sign-
in at the beginning of each class. Unexcused absences will impact a student’s attendance
grade (10% of final grade) as follows:

Number of Unexcused Absences Grade

0-1 100
2 90
3 80
4 70
5 60
6 0

NOTE: Students with six or more unexcused absences will fail the course. It is
recommended that students who have six or more unexcused absences withdraw from the
class. Arriving to class more than ten minutes late will be recorded as an absence.

Excused Absences: Students will notify me in writing of absences prior to class and
provide documentation within one week of absence in order for it to be excused. Please
be prepared to show documentation for any request for an excused absence, for example
a doctor’s note. Appropriate notification of absences due to university-related trips is
required prior to the absence. Students anticipating an absence for a major religious
holiday are responsible for notifying me in writing of anticipated absences due to their
observance of such holidays no later than the last day in the semester to add a class,
February 2nd.

Assignment Submissions:
Assignments should be submitted via Canvas. An assignment must be submitted before
the start of class on the due date in order for it to be considered on time.

Late Submissions:
Assignments that are submitted any time after class starts on the due date are considered
late. There is a 10-point deduction for each day an assignment is late. Assignments that
are seven or more days late will receive a grade of “0.”

Number of Days Late Late Penalty Highest Possible Grade

1 -10 90
2 -20 80
3 -30 70
4 -40 60
5 -50 50
6 -60 40
7 or more days late 0
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Grading:
Grading Scale:
A = 93-100 B = 83-86 C = 73-76 D = 63-66
A- = 90-92 B- = 80-82 C- = 70-72 D- = 60-62
B+ = 87-89 C+ = 77-79 D+ = 67-69 F = 59 or lower

Grade Calculation:
Each student’s overall course grade will be computed according to the following
breakdown:
Assignment Percentage of Grade

Attendance 10%
Participation 10%
Case Study One: Small Orgs 20%
Case Study Two: Large Orgs 20%
Team Event Presentation 20%
Team Event Written Plan 20%
TOTAL 100%

Assignment Guidelines & Assessment Criteria:

Assignment Guidelines & Assessment Criteria will be posted on Canvas. On January
27th, we will also discuss Case Studies and Team Assignments in deep detail. Students
are encouraged to review this information prior to completing assignments.

Class Participation:
You must participate in discussions during class.
• Comment on what you find interesting about a reading.
• Ask a question.
• Request clarification.
• Relate a personal anecdote.
• Bring some new information or a different perspective to the topic being
discussed.
If you are asked to participate in discussion, the request is a signal that your participation
in class is low and your grade in the area is suffering.

During these discussions you need to display interest and respect for your fellow class
participants. Failure to show respect includes the following: coming unprepared, not
paying attention, not participating, sleeping, working on or reading non-class materials,
and/or not being civil to people during interactions. You may use your computer in class
to take notes and look up class related materials. Expect to be challenged if it appears you
are using your computer for other purposes. These types of behaviors will also
dramatically lower your participation grade. Remember, class participation is worth
10% of your final grade.

Classroom Behavior and Civility

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Free discussion, inquiry, and expression are encouraged in this class. Classroom behavior
that interferes with either (a) the instructor’s ability to conduct the class or (b) the ability
of students to benefit from the instruction is not acceptable. Examples may include
routinely entering class late or departing early; not silencing of cell phones and/or texting
in class; talking while others are speaking; or disparaging another person’s opinion.

Accommodations:
If you have a documented disability that requires academic accommodations, please see
me as soon as possible by requesting an appointment. In order to receive
accommodations in this course, you will need to provide me with a Letter of
Accommodation from the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services
for Students with Disabilities (512- 471-6259) for coordination of campus disability
services available to students with disabilities.

Academic Integrity:
Per university policy, students shall not plagiarize, cheat, or falsify or misuse academic
records. Students are expected to adhere to University policy on cheating and plagiarism
in all courses.

Plagiarism:
Copying and claiming someone else’s words, ideas, or works (i.e. essays, term papers, in
part or in full) as your own is considered plagiarism. A proper reference style should be
used when using words or ideas of other people. Suspected cases of plagiarism will be
reported immediately to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity. The Committee
regards academic misconduct as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences
that range from probation to expulsion. If in doubt, credit your source. Be sure to consult
the course instructor, if you have questions about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or
collaboration.

Please note: Any assignment you turn in may be submitted to an electronic database to
check for plagiarism.
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COURSE SCHEDULE
This course schedule reflects my best intentions. But, y’all, it’s COVID. We’re in the
classroom. We’re not in the classroom. In April, I participate in an enormous
performance festival in Austin, and in June, I lead a brand new enormous performance
festival that takes place in a different state. (So my job that actually pays the bills via
actual arts management will be intense by the end of the semester.) All this to say,
sticking to this schedule may not be possible. In the spirit of mutual survival, I reserve
the right to change topics, assignments, exams, due dates, and readings as long as
adequate notice is given. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to contact a
fellow student or me to see if there have been any changes in the schedule.

* = reading available on Canvas under Module

DATE TOPIC ASSIGNMENTS DUE
Week 1: Jan 18 Intro course
Discuss Best BDay Party
Week 1: Jan 20 What is arts management? Reading Due:
Systemize BDay party planning Rosewell Ch 1 & 3
*Devos Institute Materials
Week 2: Jan 25 Gathering Reading Due:
*Brown selections defining
“emergent strategy”
*Parker Ch 1
Week 2: Jan 27 More Gathering Reading Due:
Review Course Assignments *Parker Ch 3
Week 3: Feb 1 Business Structures Reading Due:
Rosewell Ch 4 & 5
Week 3: Feb 3 Building Treasure(?) Hunt Note:
Grad students schedule a
Carra meeting this week
Reading Due:
*Parker Ch 4
*T. Hunt questionnaire
Week 4: Feb 8 Arts Programming Reading Due:
Rosewell Ch 7
Week 4: Feb 10 In-class programming research Note:
Bring your laptop devices
Reading due:
*Explore websites linked
on mission/vision handout
Week 5: Feb 15 Planning an arts season Reading Due:
Start talking about project groups *Howlround article
*Brown selections on
“interdependence/
decentralization”
Week 5: Feb 17 Guest speaker: Ron Berry
Snacks
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DATE TOPIC ASSIGNMENTS DUE

Week 6: Feb 22 Guest Speaker: Zac Traeger Reading Due:
Snacks *Brown selections on
“nonlinear and iterative”
Week 6: Feb 24 Arts programming, education Reading Due:
Create final project groups Rosewell Ch 12
Assignment Due:
Case Study One
Week 7: March 8 Arts programming: community Reading Due:
Rosewell Ch 15
Week 7: March 10 Guest speaker: H Adam Harris Note:
Snacks class potentially on Zoom
*Grad students schedule a
Carra meeting this week
SPRING BREAK
Week 8: March 22 Marketing Reading Due:
Rosewell Ch 13 & 14
*Devos Institute Materials
Week 8: March 24 Financial Management Reading Due:
Rosewell Ch 8 & 9
*Sample budgets
Week 9: March 29 Guest speaker: Liz Fisher Note:
Snacks class potentially on Zoom
Week 9: March 31 Fundraising Reading Due:
Rosewell Ch 10 & 11
*Devos Institute Materials
*Sample Social Media
Strategy
Assignment Due:
Case Study Two
Week 10: April 5 Fundraising Reading Due:
*Sample grant apps
Week 10: April 7 Guest Speaker: Jeff Freeman Note:
Class potentially on Zoom
Week 11: April 12 Independent Team Work Week
(Martinez at Festival)
Week 11: April 14 Independent Team Work Week
(Martinez at Festival)
Week 12: April 19 Team Presentation
Week 12: April 21 Team Presentation
Week 13: April 26 Team Presentation
Week 13: April 28 Team Presentation/Last Class Day
Week 14: May 5 Assignment Due:
Team Written Plan