Finding Supportive Mentors Key to Sustained Career Success in Changing Arts World
Dr. Douglas DeNatale, director of Arts Administration at BU’s Metropolitan College (MET), has good news for those committed to a career in the arts: despite the field’s massive sea changes amid a worldwide pandemic, there are still ample professional opportunities to be had, given the proper guidance.
Contributing to USA Today’s Education and Career News sectional pullout, Dr. DeNatale outlined the state of the industry. The arts account for 4.5% of the US gross domestic product, and while nearly 40% of performing arts organizations remain closed to the public as of July 2021, the organizations that have weathered the worst of the disruption and remain are stronger and more able than ever. What the pandemic has demonstrated, he explains, is the vital role qualified arts administrators play in maintaining organizational cohesion and continuity. As he writes:
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.
MET offers multiple programs that provide the professional mentorship, tools, and skills needed to help arts organizations adapt and thrive, led by the MS in Arts Administration—designed to support hungry artists eager to find roles connecting audiences with creative endeavors, as well as arts management staff looking to develop skills to advance in their career, and even those looking to professionalize their love of the arts by gaining entry to the field.
MET also offers the Performing Arts Enterprise Graduate and Advanced Graduate Certificates, made available in partnership with Nederlander Worldwide Entertainment, which can be taken as part of the master’s degree program and connects students with real-world Broadway experience via internships. Graduate certificate students learn to promote social good through the arts by developing in-demand skills pertaining to innovation, creative entrepreneurship, and even technology and analytics.
Throughout the field, Dr. DeNatale explains, the key to success is finding the kinds of support through mentorship offered by MET’s programs in Arts Administration. Read more in USA Today’s Education and Career News.