Arts Administration, Arts Management, and Cultural Policy: Structure and Maturity of the U.S. Field

Arts Administration, Arts Management, and Cultural Policy: Structure and Maturity of the U.S. Field examines the intentional and incidental interweaving of histories, theories, and practices that comprise the U.S. field of arts administration, arts management, and cultural policy.

In a national context where there is no central cultural ministry and where the market is meant to facilitate and generate the cultural sector, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers have worked to make sense of the arts sector, how to manage it, and to understand its impact on society. This book takes stock of the maturity of arts management and cultural policy research as “a field” at the significant milestone of the fiftieth research convening of Social Theory, Politics & the Arts (STP&A), the longest-running and most prominent convening among the international research networks and communities in this field.

Readers of this book will gain a reflexive understanding of the evolution and maturing of the interdisciplinary social scientific research field focused on arts, artists, and the systems within which they exist and operate in relation to shaping and evaluating public policy and systemic decision-making, with a focus on the United States.

Jennifer Novak-Leonard serves as President of the Board of Directors of Social Theory, Politics and the Arts (STP&A). Her influential work has advanced conceptual and analytical frameworks for understanding the diverse ways individuals participate in the arts and creative expression, and the value those experiences create for individuals and communities. Her interdisciplinary work links culture and creativity, social impact, and public policy.

Rachel Skaggs is a sociologist who conducts research about artistic careers and arts ecosystems. Rachel holds the Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Professorship in Arts Management as associate professor at The Ohio State University, where she teaches about arts entrepreneurship, the social world of the arts, and empirical research methods.