Arts Management & Arts Entrepreneurship

male teacher talks to students in an auditorium
two women talking at a table

Through our minors and two graduate programs, the Division of Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship prepares future managers, entrepreneurs and innovators for long-term careers in arts organizations, creative endeavors and the creative economy.

In addition to learning high-level managerial skills, our developing arts managers can act entrepreneurially within the professional companies they work for, consequently becoming highly valuable to their organizations.

Meadows’ arts entrepreneurs devise original creative concepts and strategies to build impactful organizations. Simultaneously, they acquire skills to manage their original entrepreneurial visions, organizations and teams to found and grow unique, sustainable creative endeavors of value.

Meet Our Faculty

Sandra Duhé

Sandra Duhé

Chair ad interim, Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship

James Hart James Hart

James Hart

Director of Arts Entrepreneurship; Professor of Practice; Director, Meadows Artist Bridge; Faculty-in-Residence of McElvaney Commons

Andrea Perez Andrea Perez

Andrea Perez

Adjunct Lecturer

Zannie Voss Zannie Voss

Zannie Voss

Professor; Director, SMU DataArts

Featured Courses

AMAE 3301

Introduction to Arts Management
James Jillson

Provides a foundation in the management of arts organizations, creative enterprises and other endeavors. Students explore key issues in the management of arts organizations and events at local, regional, national and international levels.

AMAE 3387

Creative Entrepreneurship and Attracting Capital
Jim Hart and James Jillson

Students gain fundamental skills in creative entrepreneurship, explore ways to attract capital, learn about legal structure and discover how to differentiate themselves from competition in the market. Topics include ideation, adaptation, pitching investors and more.

AMAE 4390

Developing Creative Strategies: Planning for Success
Jim Hart

Students brainstorm; develop original concepts; and explore business models, team-building and innovation to create a plan of action for a career in the arts and creative economy.

AMAE 3370

Entrepreneurship and the Hero Adventure
Jim Hart

Students draw parallels between the "hero journey" structure in storytelling and the grand adventure of entrepreneurship to gain perspective and a practical structure to use to help build a unique career and life in the arts.

Student Work

JuliaBacaArtsManagementEducationPoster
Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship

Julia Baca, a current M.A./M.B.A. student, earned her bachelor’s degree in viola at SMU in 2020. An arts management and arts entrepreneurship minor, she conducted an independent study on how women become community leaders and presented her findings at a national conference.

TandisEsfandiari
Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship

Tandis Esfandiari (’23) is a social media chef, influencer and entrepreneur who has cultivated a large following through her TikTok reviews and recipes. Her website, Mixitupbaby.com., and videos are viewed internationally and have led to partnerships with companies such as Samsung.

Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship

Theatre alumna Alysia Giakoumas (’21) founded The Playground Acting Program in Dallas, offering premium acting classes for students ages eight through adult. Students learn acting techniques taught at the top universities while mastering soft skills like public speaking.

Alysia Giakaoumas, Theatre, ’21
KonjoBeauty
Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship

Lidya Winnie studied arts entrepreneurship and earned a degree in markets and culture at SMU in 2019. She founded Konjo Beauty, a natural skincare brand for women with different skin colors and skin conditions.

Faculty

But What Does Arts Entrepreneurship Even Mean?

Article By Jim Hart, written for Americans for the Arts blog

Read more