#ukartsadmin

Erin Reed secured her dream job before graduating with an Arts Administration degree last spring. After interning with the organization, Erin works as Account Coordinator at Marathon Digital, a New York social media company that represents Broadway shows.

Nik. L. Dumas, UKY Arts Administration Masters (online) 2018.

Nik Dumas, Artistic Administrator for Opera Idaho, shared his experience as a student in UKY Arts Administration online Mater’s program. “One of the many highlights of studying in the Arts Admin program was the amount of flexibility I had. Not only was I ale to comfortably work full-time, but I was able to make time for things I enjoyed as well. Another great point aout the program was the immediate feedback that I received.” 

Dumas said that he appreciated the expertise of all the Arts Admin professors he worked with, and in particular, his academic advisor, Jill Schinberg, who helped him realize that he had a “knack” for working in the arts.

CFA recently caught up with Jenny Thompson, who earned her Masters of Arts Administration from UKY in 2015, and asked what she has been up too since graduation. We were thrilled to learn that she is now the Senior Director of Development & Revenue Strategies at Gibney Dance Company in New York City.

Thompson, who also holds a Bachelor's Degree from NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study in Dance Studies, Choreography, & Performance Writing, tells us that, not only does she still feel comfortable reaching out to her mentors, Dr. Shane and Professor Rabideau, but she occasionally refers to her course materials.

Paducah Symphony Orchestra’s general manager, Morgan Walker earned her BA in Arts Administration in 2015. We hope that her success story will inspire Arts Administration students who are uncertain about the opportunities their futures hold.

Ms. Walker was a first semester business major, minoring in music, when a music professor recommended the Arts Administration program to her. She now calls it the best decision she ever made. She admits that she had a very limited understanding of the nuances of nonprofit work when she first chose her career path, but is now convinced that “…Arts Administration prepares you for this very unique field in a way that I’m not sure any other type of degree can. Each area of concentration can be as broad or specific as you want it to be, but I can say that I use the arts admin knowledge I gained on a daily basis in managing an orchestra.” 

This week, the University of Kentucky welcomed 256 talented high school students for the Governor’s School for the Arts. Leading the charge is vocal performance and arts administration alum Nick Covault.

Thanks to UKNow for this article and a video interview with Nick!

Toni Hobbs, M.A. Arts Admin (2017) is Director of Creative & Branding Services and Instructional Staff at Morehead State University, Morehead, KY.

Hobbs earned both a B.A. in Art/Graphic Design and an M.A. in Studio Art from Morehead State University, Morehead, KY before enrolling in UK’s Arts Administration Masters’ program. In her own words, “The (UK’s) Arts Admin. M.A. program is one of THE best experiences in my professional/academic careers.”

UKY Arts Administration graduate (BA 2010), Emily Trujillo uses her arts management skills in the financial world, as PR & Communications Specialist for the Louisville based financial services firm, ARGI.

After an internship in Marketing and Public Relations at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago followed by the Assistant Directorship at Sacred Heart School for the Arts, Ms. Trujillo took a “leap of faith” to switch careers and join the for-profit world. She joined ARGI as a marketing coordinator and attended the American College of Financial Services to become a Charted Advisor in Philanthropy. Along with her Arts Administration training she helped set up a corporate philanthropy program, ARGI Gives. Since its establishment in 2016 Art Gives has given over 50 nonprofit organizations nearly $100,000 in employee funded community grants.