The Arts Management program at B-W prepares you to integrate the artistic and business elements of a career in the arts. Graduates of this program look to careers in the marketing, public relations, development, operations, fundraising, curatorial, front-of-house and education departments of not-for-profit and for-profit arts organizations including symphony orchestras; theater, opera and ballet companies; private dance studios; art museums and galleries; national, state or local arts councils; foundations; presenting organizations; broadcast and cable television stations; film companies; and record labels.
Students enrolled in the program choose a major field of study, a minor field of study, and complete the dedicated Arts Management classes. The program consists at its minimum of an art, dance, music or theatre minor and a business minor. Minors may be replaced by a major in the same area where available.
Faculty - The Arts Management program at Baldwin-Wallace College is directed by Bryan Bowser, Assistant Director of the Conservatory for External Affairs; business and arts courses are taught by faculty from those academic divisions and arts management professionals from the Cleveland-area are utilized to teach the individual arts management classes, directly linking our students with professionals in the field. Current adjunct faculty teaching in the program include: Darcy Ballew, Marketing Director, Cleveland Play House; Heather Sherwin, Development Director, Great Lakes Theater Festival; and Megan VanVoorhis, Vice President, Community Partnership for Arts and Culture.
Guest Artists visit B-W for workshops and presentations throughout the year, which is a great way for students to learn more about arts management from professionals in the field. Recent guests have included: Janet Barlow, Director of the Stocker Arts Center, Lorain County Community College; Brian Bethune, Dean of Performing Arts, Cuyahoga Community College; Larry Bole, Marketing Director, Telarc / Head Up International Records; Kathleen Cerveny, Senior Program Officer for Arts and Culture, The Cleveland Foundation; Linda DeMarco, former owner and manager, A’Bella Gallery; Tom Einhouse, Vice President, Playhouse Square Foundation Management; Tracy Glenn, Program Director, International House of Blues Foundation; Daniel Hahn, Education Director, Great Lakes Theatre Festival; Hadden Hippsley, President and CEO, Lambda Productions, Inc.; Marlene Kelly, Programming Producer, Oprah.com / Harpo Inc.; Terry Liu, Arts Education Specialist, National Endowment for the Arts; Thom Moore, Grammy award-winning Producer, Telarc / Heads Up International; Amy McClellan, Executive Director, Non-Profit Academic Centers Council; John Mullaney, Executive Director, Nord Family Foundation; Jill Snyder, Executive Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland (MOCA); Bob Taylor, Executive Director, Great Lakes Theater Festival; and Gina Vernaci, Vice President for Theatricals, Playhouse Square Foundation.
Alumni are an integral part of the arts management program. Alumni often serve as guest speakers in classes and provide a vital link to the arts management field in helping to connect students with possible internships and career opportunities upon graduation. Alumni include: Caren Babick, Administrative Assistant, Performing Arts, Music and Film, The Cleveland Museum of Art; Judith Horvath, Assistant Director, Czardas Dance Company; Lisa Judge, Educational Programs Coordinator, The Cleveland Orchestra; Marilyn Ladd-Simmons, Gallery Manager, SPACES Gallery; MJ Mennella, Former Vice President for Music, Fox Entertainment and Founder, Music Asset Management; Kristen Muslusky, Assistant Box Office Manager, Virginia Stage Company; Jennifer Naso, owner and manager, Dance Dimensions Studio; Kelly Parks, owner and manager, Movement Connection Dance Store; Brandi Preston, External Affairs Coordinator, Harris Theater of Music and Dance, Lisa Reichel, Director of Extended Studies and Community Outreach, Cleveland Institute of Art; Theresa Schneider, Development Assistant, Cleveland Zoological Association; Valerie Schumacher, Program Associate, Community Partnership for Arts and Culture; Steve Smith, Executive Director, Boston Gay Men’s Chorus; Scott Walton, Executive Director, Communications, KQED Public Broadcasting System for Northern California; and Liz Zeman, Communications and Web Coordinator, George Eastman House.
Internships are an integral part of the arts management program. Two are required of program participants, one on-campus and one off-campus, but students are encouraged to participate in additional internships when possible. Students choose their internship locations in consultation with their advisor and the Arts Management coordinator, selecting sites that move them closer to their career goals and connect them with professionals in the field. Past students have interned at:
Agora Theater and Ballroom (OH)
Akron Symphony Orchestra (OH)
Art House (OH)
Ashland Community Arts Center (OH)
Beck Center for the Arts (OH)
Berea Arts Fest, Inc. (OH)
Central City Opera (CO)
Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater (OH)
The Cleveland Orchestra (OH)
The Cleveland Play House (OH)
Cleveland Pops Orchestra (OH)
Csardas Dance Company (OH)
Dance by Gloria (OH)
Erie Playhouse (PA)
Glimmerglass Opera House (NY)
Great Lakes Theater Festival (OH)
Interlochen Center for the Arts (MI)
Museum of Contemporary Art - Cleveland (OH)
Music and Performing Arts at Trinity Cathedral, Inc (OH)
National Endowment for the Arts (Washington DC)
New Albany Arts Council (OH)
Ohio Dance (OH)
Ohio Light Opera (OH)
Opera Cleveland (OH)
Pittsburg Symphony Orchestra (PA)
Playhouse Square Center (OH)
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (OH)
Sankofa Fine Arts Plus (OH)
Sculpture Center (OH)
Shattered Glass Theatre Company (IL)
Showstopper Camps of America (IL)
Sony Entertainment (CA)
Spaces Gallery (OH)
Stephen Joseph Theatre (Scarborough, England)
Telarc / Heads Up International Record Label (OH)
The Talent Group (OH)
Toledo Museum of Art (OH)
Unicorn Theatre for Children (London, England)
Walt Disney World (FL)
The Senior Capstone Experience is an integral part of the Arts Management program at B-W. In their last semester at B-W, arts management seniors participate in a culminating project. Past projects have included participation in the International Performing Arts for Youth Showcase Conference as moderators of conference sessions. In 2007, the Conservatory began a collaboration with PlayhouseSquare. In a multi-tiered partnership, B-W music theatre students stage a production at Playhouse Square while B-W senior arts management students conduct marketing research, administer the business operations, implement the marketing plan and manage the arts education aspects of the engagement with the assistance of Playhouse Square personnel.
Arts Management Association is a student organization whose mission is to provide 1) service to area arts organizations and the Baldwin-Wallace community and 2) professional development opportunities for its members including all the arts (art, dance, music, theatre), as well as both not-for-profit and for-profit arts topics. The association has partnerships with various organizations in the Cleveland-area including The Cleveland Orchestra and assists in promotion and operation of college sponsored arts events and festivals.
Recent AMA events…
Networking Trip to New York City
Arts Advocacy Day trip to Washington DC
Grant Writing Workshop including panelists from the National Endowment for the Arts and
the Ohio Arts Council
Tour of PlayhouseSquare’s new Idea Center
Instrument Discovery with The Cleveland Orchestra
The Three components of the program:Arts Management Program
Business Major or Minor
Fine Arts Major or Minor
Required Arts Management Courses / Experiences:
Intro to Arts Management - 3 credits
Fine Art Appreciation Course - 3 credits
Public Relations, Marketing & Fundraising for the Arts - 3 credits
On-Campus Internship - 2 credits
Senior Experience - 1 credit
Off-campus Internship - 3 credits
Business Component (choose one):
Accounting Major
Administration Major
Finance Major
Human Resources Major
Management Major
Marketing Major
Accounting Minor
Administration Minor
Entrepreneurship Minor
Finance Minor
Human Resources Minor
Management Minor
Marketing Minor
Fine Arts Component (choose one):
History of Art Major
Studio Art Major
Music Major – BA, BM or BME
Theatre Major
History of Art Minor
Studio Art Minor
Dance Minor
Music Minor
Music Minor – Arts Management Emphasis
Theatre Minor
For more information about the Arts Management Program or to set-up a phone or in-person meeting about the Program, contact Bryan Bowser, Director of the Arts Management Program at 440-826-2366 or bbowser@bw.edu.
275 Eastland Rd.