UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Arts and Architecture has launched a minor in arts entrepreneurship designed specifically for Arts and Architecture students, with separate tracks for different majors. The minor program, which provides students with the entrepreneurial knowledge needed to make a living as an artist or as someone who connects audiences to artists, is open for enrollment now.
Core courses in the 18-credit minor, including arts creation, production and pedagogy, teach skills and know-how to create a sustainable arts career, while supporting course options — which can overlap with major requirements — enable students to tailor the minor exactly to their arts focus.
This new minor adds an important specialization for arts majors, said Jonathan Gangi, director of arts entrepreneurship in the College of Arts and Architecture.
“In particular, the design for this new minor recognizes, honors and includes coursework from arts major degree programs, while simultaneously making it very feasible for students to complete the program by double-counting 12 credits from their major toward the minor,” said Gangi, noting the arts creation, production and pedagogy courses are included because they provide students with the skills used in arts entrepreneurship. “For example, performing musicians create value with their performing skills. One could never be a successful performing musical entrepreneur without the required performance skills.”
Gangi actively engages arts entrepreneurs and alumni to serve as tangible examples of success, role models and mentors to students in the program. Each spring, students have the opportunity to enter the Arts Business Idea Competition, where they compete for cash prizes while gaining valuable experience pitching their arts business concept to a panel of judges.
Student feedback praises the real-world skills taught in the arts entrepreneurship courses, which the College of Arts and Architecture has offered since 2015.
“This [arts entrepreneurship] course not only furthered my knowledge of my career path, but gave me real-world experience with pursuing it,” said Sa’ida Bronner, a fourth-year student majoring in integrative arts with a focus on music technology and arts entrepreneurship. “This class will provide an invaluable foundation to your career.”
For more information on the minor or to enroll, visit the Arts Entreneurship minor program website.