Careers In the Arts

A Mediaplanet Guide to Opportunities in the Arts

Careers In the Arts

Jordan Fisher The theater, film, and television actor shares how he discovered his passion for the arts Three students discuss the opportunities and practicalities of an arts administration degree How art and design shape our communities and the way in which we engage with them

SEPTEMBER 2021 | EDUCATIONANDCAREERNEWS.COM

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Vancouver Film School: Supporting Diversity and Inclusivity in the Film Industry At this year’s international Festival de Cannes, actor and Vancouver Film School alumna Grace Dove participated in the pioneering industry program impACT. impACT’s intention is to place the spotlight on inclusion, representation, sustainability, and the responsible and ethical use of data in the film industry.

At the event, Grace Dove delivered a keynote address titled “Indigenous Portrayal in Hollywood and Reclaiming Identity.” Primarily known for roles in “The Revenant” and “How It Ends,” Grace has also worked alongside Hollywood greats such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Forest Whitaker.

Grace is a passionate advocate for Indigenous communities, and her address played a key role in promoting a diverse and inclusive sector.

“When we are in control of our own representation, when we tell our own stories, and when we, Indigenous people, portray ourselves, we are not only challenging stereotypes but also empowering ourselves in a form of truth-telling that is liberating us from the harms of colonialism.”

VFS’s president, James Griffin, added: “We are at an exciting tipping point in the filmmaking sector with a new reality taking hold not only within the context of film production, but also amongst film educators. It is about parity and inclusivity. It is a true honor to participate in the impACT forum, which is an important effort to articulate and codify the diversity of human experience in a way that progresses the human condition.”

Josh Hamelin, Marketing Copywriter, Vancouver Film School

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How Integrating the Arts Into Our Communities Builds Opportunity Allentza Michel is a social practice artist, urban planner, and policy advocate.

She has 19 years of experience across community and economic development, food security, public health, and transportation.

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ichel is also the founder of Powerful Pathways, a consultancy that combines urban planning and art as well as provides workshops and community initiatives on urban planning and civic design.

Powerful Pathways works closely with nonprofits and government agencies to advocate for local underserved communities.

Recently, Michel was awarded the Jorge and Darlene Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design. The foundation and its award were designed to “empower all stakeholders in the public art process and to create a platform to develop greater national visibility and appreciation of the unique role that the arts play in shaping our experience of the built environment.” Michel’s award included a cash stipend of $30,000 to support her work and help facilitate discussions with national leaders in the arts.

A space of refuge Michel’s passion for the arts started at a young age, and it would go on to influence her career path. “I have been writing and drawing for as long as I can remember,” she says. “The arts have always served as a space of refuge from the weariness of the world for me. As I got older and began working in community development and organizing, art making was a vehicle for

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expression and bringing people together.”

Although she never received a formal degree in the fine arts, she took several arts classes throughout undergraduate and graduate school, and her passion for the arts never dimmed. Unfortunately, Michel notes, there aren’t any higher education programs that combine urban planning and public policy with the fine arts. However, she hopes cross-sectional career paths will become more common and accessible in the future.

“I hodgepodge[d] my college education,” she says. “It was a very difficult experience, and there was even some resistance, but I think now there is more openness to cross-sectional career paths.”

Building a platform On her work with Powerful Pathways, Michel says, “It’s sad to admit, but in the past seven years, Powerful Pathways has never received a grant of more than $5,000 for our community-engaged arts practice. Like with academia, the work we do is not common because social practice art is still considered new and unconventional to institutions, including big philanthropy.” This lack of support and recognition often means that Michel must sacrifice some of the time that could have been put into community-based initiatives.

“We find ourselves getting complimented for our work but rarely selected or deemed eligible for funding,” she says. “It also means we are in a pinch as we grow as an organization. The [Jorge and Darlene Pérez Prize] will support just that — our community engagement in the arts.

And my personal hope is to build a platform to amplify the importance of having community members deeply involved in a process.”

Civic design and urban planning are still considered a relatively young field, and as such, awards like the Jorge and Darlene Pérez Prize in Public Art & Civic Design can help young professionals learn about the field and its opportunities. Michel remains excited about the future of the field, and she notes that civic design training and education are needed.

She also shares that her company will soon be offering virtual talks and presentations that will discuss the social impact of design, as well as policies that disrupt design and cause harm to the communities they are meant to serve.

“Civic design is about so much more than putting up murals for beautification,” she says. “The ‘civic’ means that the people are democratically setting the course for themselves and revitalizing their community, with art being just one of many design dimensions they can take.” n Lauren Hogan

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Publisher Joanna Tronina Business Developer Gretchen Pancak Managing Director Luciana Olson Lead Designer Tiffany Pryor Designer Celia Hazard Lead Editor Mina Fanous Copy Editor Taylor Rice Director of Product and Content Jordan Hernandez Cover Photo Andrew Rose All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise specified. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today.

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Students Are Using Art to Paint a Bigger Picture Arts management students, including Carnegie Mellon alumna Grace Stewart, are utilizing their degrees to improve inclusivity and understanding within cultural organizations.

“People are actually talking about issues surrounding diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) within organizations now.

That’s the biggest change from when I was in school,” said Grace Stewart, senior manager of DEAI Programs at the American Alliance of Museums (AAM).

Stewart is a graduate of the Master of Arts Management program at Carnegie Mellon University. She now heads an initiative at AAM called Facing Change, which currently partners with about 50 institutions. Facing Change works directly with museums’ board of trustees to change the dynamics at their organization, centering on racial disparities in particular.

“You need action from both ends, grassroots and leadership, and alignment between them to make sure the staff and the board are using the same language and working in tandem,” Stewart said.

Stewart brings significant quantitative management skills to her work as a DEAI leader. She graduated from CMU with an understanding of how to integrate data into her approach to solving problems. Especially in DEAI work, data and evaluations are important to understanding whether an organization is serving its community and meeting its goals.

“At CMU I learned about organizational design and structure, how decisions are evaluated and made, and how structures and systems are built,” she said. “Not everyone understands that management and leadership are skills you can learn, and because I learned those skills at CMU, I am continuing to grow and hone those skills in my professional work.”

Scott Barsotti, Content Writer, Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy

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Fulfilling A Vision: The Benefits of an Arts Administration Degree Students in arts administration share their passion for the arts and the opportunities that have come from pursing an arts administration degree.

Rebecca Ferrell Arts Administration Ph.D. Program, University of Kentucky

Jackson Cooper MFA, Arts Leadership, Seattle University

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in arts administration?

Rebecca Ferrell: The arts have been an integral part of my entire life, and I have had tremendous opportunities to learn and be mentored by amazing dancers, choreographers, and teachers throughout my education. While I had taken grant writing and non-profit management courses sporadically during my undergraduate and graduate studies, my focus was primarily on dance performance. Once I stepped into leadership roles within the nonprofit dance sector, the importance of a more formalized arts administration educational experience became clear.

Jackson Cooper: I started in the offices of North Carolina Theatre, a major regional theatre in Raleigh.

My desire was less about being on stage and more about gathering artists and audiences around an evening of joyous art that celebrates our human spirit. I had known that arts management was not something that was offered as an undergraduate degree, so when I began my coursework at UNC-Greensboro, I pieced together a degree in arts administration through the theatre and business departments to better prepare myself to apply for those graduate programs. It has been refreshing to see more and more undergraduate arts administration programs being offered, as it prepares students for careers in the arts.

Why did you choose to pursue your specific degree program?

Tom Abruzzo: Completing my master’s degree was the first time I had ever considered arts administration as an academic field. I immediately became interested in the praxis of best practices in arts management and the science of creating and discovering new knowledge to advance our field. I also developed a particular lens

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Tom Abruzzo Masters in Arts Leadership and Cultural Management, Colorado State University

of social justice while pursuing this degree. This is something I’ve always believed in vehemently, but now I was interested in considering how my beloved field of study could be better and more equitable.

What career path are you considering once you graduate?

RF: While I am currently able to weave together the artistic, administrative, and pedagogical threads of the dance field into a sustainable and fulfilling career, I am gravitating towards a political position in the future as an arts commissioner.

JC: I plan to continue in the arts fundraising field and pursue teaching opportunities to inspire the next generation of community-centered development professionals.

What advice do you have for students considering a degree in arts administration?

TA: I’ve found that pursuing the field of arts leadership and cultural management is an incredibly interdisciplinary journey. You’ll find that you are studying alongside musicians, actors, school administrators, museum workers, stage managers, and more. No one will be exactly like you in your field. While you will have much to learn from others, don’t be afraid to lean into your true voice and passion even if you are the only one with your specific interest. Leverage the uniqueness of your peers in ways that other fields of study don’t necessarily get to enjoy.

RF: Never stop asking questions and be brave enough to ask the questions you are afraid of. The arts need more people who are willing to shift the status quo and embrace innovation. That will truly make the arts more equitable and inclusive.

Always More to Learn: How Advanced Arts Degrees are Encouraging Postgraduate Study With free time on her hands during the pandemic lockdown, Emily Garven strove for self-improvement by enrolling in an arts administration postgraduate course.

Before you decided to delve into arts administration, what career path in the arts were you following?

Providing performing arts opportunities to underserved members of the community is a personal mission of mine. I have always wanted to use the arts as a resource to help people in need. I started a performing arts organization, Inspiration Performing Arts Company, in 2009 that now puts an emphasis on giving theater opportunities to children and young adults with special needs. Along with running that organization, I took a

year after graduating college to run the Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center in Foxboro, Massachusetts, as their executive director.

How did you discover degrees in arts administration?

As a new executive director of a theater that was unexpectedly closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself completely overwhelmed and feeling unequipped for the challenges ahead of us. With a little extra time on my hands during quarantine and a thirst for bettering my abilities, I Googled “performing arts management master’s degree.”

I found a few schools offering programs in my field of interest. After viewing the curriculums for each of the programs, I found that the Bos-

ton University arts administration program aligned with my learning needs the most, combining coursework in fundraising, marketing, management, and consulting.

Why did you choose to pursue your specific degree program?

I know that arts management, specifically in the nonprofit sector, is a career path that I find both fulfilling and challenging. As someone who encompasses a growth mindset and values lifelong learning, I know that I always have room for improvement. The arts are always changing and adapting, and leaders in the field need to be open to constant learning. I decided to pursue my master’s degree in arts administration at BU so that I can be the best leader I can

be for my community and the organizations I serve.

What advice do you have for other professionals who are considering arts administration?

Even if you have had a ton of experience in the arts, there is always something you can learn from your peers and professionals in the industry. Pursing a degree in arts administration is so much more than the coursework and credit hours; it is an opportunity to network, gain new perspectives, and learn a little bit more about yourself in the process. If you are on the fence, definitely reach out to schools of interest and ask if you can sit in on a class, view a syllabus, or talk to current students to gauge if the major or program is right for you! n

Is An Arts Career Still Viable?

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The art world has changed, but there’s a growing need for trained, qualified managers.

he arts are essential to our economy, contributing 4.5 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) — more than transportation, agriculture, or construction. In 2020 in-person arts programming vanished, and as of July 2021 nearly 40 percent of performing arts organizations remain closed to the public.

Some organizations not only survived the pandemic but emerged stronger. Jennifer Hughes, executive director of Boston Baroque, inked a streaming deal with Amazon Prime. Kate Maguire, artis-

tic director of the Berkshire Theater Group, pivoted productions outdoors. Creative responses to unprecedented challenges like these demonstrate the biggest difference between success and failure is often skilled administration. There has never been a greater need for professionally trained and diverse arts managers.

The right program Artistry and passion aren’t enough for a sustainable career in the arts today. A successful arts career demands the same tools and skills found among professional

nonprofit and commercial leaders. The key to acquiring those skills is choosing a program based on direct mentorship with practicing professionals.

Boston University’s Metropolitan College (BU MET) offers two programs that lean into the mentorship model.

The MS in Arts Administration program teaches the professional tools and skills needed to help arts organizations adapt and thrive. It is ideal for young artists who realize they can contribute most as a bridge between arts and audiences, arts organization staff who need profes-

sional training to advance their careers, and non-arts professionals who want to retool to serve their love of the arts.

BU partnered with Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment to create the Performing Arts Enterprise Certificate, which can be earned as part of the MS; students can learn directly from entrepreneurial Broadway producers via hands-on internships.

Additional courses in innovation, entrepreneurship, data analysis, and technology teach future arts leaders how to creatively promote social good through the arts, ulti-

mately building an innovative arts field.

Arts administrators will reshape the arts in the future.

To be part of that revolution, you need a program that offers real-world experience and mentorship. n Douglas DeNatale, Ph.D., Director, Arts Administration; Associate Professor of the Practice

visit bu.edu/met/artsadmin

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Breaking the Creative Sound Barrier with Oscar Winner Phillip Bladh Phillip Bladh won his first Academy Award for Best Sound as the production mixer on Darius Marder’s film “Sound of Metal.”

Bladh did this by turning the very technical job of production mixing into a creative one. “Sound of Metal” takes the viewer along professional drummer Ruben’s devastating journey as he begins to go deaf. Throughout the film, the audience hears exactly what Ruben is hearing (or not hearing) while he tries to find a new direction for his life.

Bladh’s job as production mixer was to capture the muffled ambient noises mixed with normal sound levels that Ruben was experiencing dealing with hearing loss. Actor Riz Ahmed wore two microphones on set to accomplish the different sounds.

He had one lavalier mic to record high-quality sound and then another mic strapped to his body to record under-the-clothes audio for low-quality sound.

Supervising sound editor Nicolas Becker led a team of sound engineers to create the piercing silence and high-frequency noises experienced once Ruben transitions to a cochlear implant.

“Sound of Metal is very much first-person perspective audio recording,” said Phillip Bladh in an interview with his alma mater, The Los Angeles Film School.

“Recording audio live on set to get the necessary contact sound was how we made this film’s sound production work so well.”

The sound production worked well indeed. The film received two Oscar wins, a BAFTA for Best Sound, and was nominated for countless other film critic awards.

Jourdan Arnaud, Copywriter/ Content Marketer, Los Angeles Film School

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Actor Jordan Fisher on Persevering, His Love of Broadway, and the Importance of Finding Your Why Theater, film, and television actor Jordan Fisher discovered the arts when he was in the fifth grade, after a girl he liked at school asked him to join the drama club.

“I fell in love with art. I fell in love with acting and music and dance,” says Fisher, who had acted in some church plays and a school play.

That childhood inspiration launched a career for Fisher, who’s preparing to resume the lead role in the Broadway show “Dear Evan Hansen” when the musical reopens in December.

Fisher was playing the role when the show shut down due to the pandemic in March 2020.

Mastering his art Fisher’s career had a quick ascent. At age 13, he did his first community show and later joined a Birmingham theater conservatory, Red Mountain Theatre Company. That’s where he met a girl, Ellie, who would eventually become his wife. The couple married in November 2020.

Six months after he started acting, he was in an audition process for Simba in The Lion King on Broadway. He made it all the way to the final two but didn’t get the role. That didn’t matter though, because the

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young actor was fascinated by the craft.

“I have an obsessive personality. When I find something that I like a lot, and it’s new and it’s fresh, I obsess over it until I master it,” says Fisher.

Early in his career, Fisher, who also was a gymnast as a kid, traveled between his home in Birmingham and Los Angeles. He was homeschooled from eighth grade through high school. He moved to Los Angeles full-time when he was 16.

He is also starring in and executive producing two films, “Field Notes on Love” and “Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between.”

Fisher wouldn’t change anything about his path. He struggled to find work in his late teens, but he says all his experiences made him who he is today.

“I think that the advice that I would give myself at 10 would be to just, no matter what, keep going, keep doing it,” he says.

Fisher has diversified his career to include gaming,

Fisher wouldn’t change anything about his path.

He struggled to find work in his late teens, but he says all his experiences made him who he is today.

Keep going One of his early acting roles as Holden in nine episodes of the Disney Channel show “Liv and Maddie” is still a fan favorite. He also starred on stage as Philip Hamilton in “Hamilton,” and in TV musicals including “Rent: Live,” “Grease: Live!,” and “Teen Beach Movie.” His latest films for Netflix include “Work It” and “To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You.”

music, acting on stage and screen, and producing. He loves the business side of the industry, having just sold a film. He’s also currently pitching a television show pilot.

Daydreaming Throughout the pandemic, he avoided the mentality that 2020 was a lost year.

Instead, he hunkered down with his wife at their L.A.

home and used it as a transformational year.

Now, as he’s preparing to head back to New York, he’s reflecting on what it will mean to be back on stage.

“It means quite literally everything,” he says. “The heart and soul of New York is Broadway. That is the pulse of the city.”

He’s already thinking about what it’ll be like to play Evan Hansen again.

“You can’t really calculate what that’s going to feel like, but you can have some daydreams about the idea of putting the polo on and getting the cast on,” he says.

Find your why When Fisher was 13, actor Christopher Jackson praised him and said they would work together someday. Sure enough, the two worked together in “Hamilton” on Broadway. Whenever Fisher is speaking to students, he tells them he can’t wait to work with them one day.

Three times in his career, that has come to fruition.

When people ask him for advice about becoming an actor, Fisher asks them why they want to act.

“Your ‘why’ is because it’s stimulating for you,” he says.

“It’s because all you want to do is work in this industry, because it’s a beautiful industry.” n Kristen Castillo

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