Arts Management Commons^™

Luxury Of Entertainment: Positioning Live Events As Third Places, Kelsie T. Martin

Honors College Theses

This study examines the shift of live entertainment into a luxury commodity and its implications for social accessibility and cultural participation. Rising ticket prices, dynamic pricing models, and industry consolidation restrict access to concerts and festivals to higher-income audiences, as seen through companies such as Live Nation. This increasing trend in the entertainment industry contradicts the original purpose of live entertainment and music events as a shared cultural experience.

By incorporating Ray Oldenburg’s theory of “third places,” this research explores how live events can function as inclusive social spaces that foster community, belonging, and social connection. Using an applied case …

Creative Aging: Living Well Through The Arts, Joshua Brown

Art 895 Research Papers

This research project discusses and analyzes arts programming designed to enrich the lives of older adults (defined here as people older than 55) using a qualitative approach with quantitative support, and how governments can fund community-based creative aging programming to promote wellness. Over the course of one semester, these research techniques were used to explore the practice of creative aging programming through analysis of state-level data, testimonials from participating artists, reviewing literature on the topic of creative aging, and examination of the artwork produced by older adults through these programs. These programs can directly impact the social health of older …

The Changing Landscape Of Artist Success: Evaluating Independent And Label-Signed Career Paths, With A Focus On The Christian Music Industry, Nicholas Ty Brueggemann

Senior Honors Theses

Traditionally, record labels have propelled the music industry (Christian and secular). They established themselves in the late 19th century, allowing artists to accumulate acclaim more efficiently. Since their inception, labels have connected artists to a support network that delegates career-related tasks. Getting signed to a label has historically been the industry standard career path for artists wanting to become successful enough to live off making music full-time. However, with the recent emergence of the digital landscape, more promotional methods, opportunities, and tools have become available to artists. Through this study, insights will be gained into the necessity of signing with …

The Harvey Pittel Saxophone Quartet: Its History And Legacy In American Saxophone Quartet Performance, James M. Lawhn

Glenn Korff School of Music: Dissertations, Theses, Student Creative Work, and Performances

The saxophone quartet has emerged as a legitimate chamber ensemble in the United States through the sustained efforts of a small number of pioneering professional groups. Despite the central role these ensembles have played in shaping repertoire, performance standards, and public perception, their histories have often gone undocumented. Among the most influential of these groups is the Harvey Pittel Saxophone Quartet, an ensemble that maintained an unusually active national and international touring career for nearly four decades and helped establish the saxophone quartet as a viable professional model.

This document addresses a significant gap in the scholarly literature by presenting …

Supersuit Up Or Get Left Behind: Why A Personal Agentic Os Is Required For Commercial Viability In The New Economy, Gary Sheng, Ron Roberts

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

In my first article, The Writing on the Wall, we laid out the case: self-improving AI has arrived, the economy is splitting, and every organization faces an existential choice. This paper answers the question we heard most after that piece: “Okay, I believe you. What do I do on Monday morning?” The answer is your Personal Agentic OS. It is the minimum viable infrastructure that turns you from a passive consumer of AI into a sovereign operator of it. And in April 2026, three events converged to make this the most urgent professional skill in the world: Andrej Karpathy’s LLM …

Humanity Is Evolving Its Consciousness: The Role Of Archetypal Energies As Guides During An Unfolding Weeding Out And Alignment Process, Carroy U. Ferguson

Psychology Faculty Publication Series

Humanity is evolving its consciousness at individual and collective levels.  Given these seemingly tumultuous times, as of this writing (January 2026), to make such a statement may sound like a strange thing to say.  However, I suggest that if you are alive today and if you are reading these words, these are the very times for which you were born—to assist Humanity as it evolves its consciousness with your unique gifts, whatever they may be.  That is, this period of our individual and collective human being-ness may be characterized as an unfolding period of weeding out and alignment with the …

From Altamont To Astroworld: An Analysis Of Management Issues In Large Scale Music Festivals, Jennifer Morriss

Honors College Theses

The most common problems in music festivals can largely be broken into two categories: risks to the individual and risks on a grand scale. It is the responsibility of event managers to consider how to best keep everyone safe and maintain proper organization. Risks to the individual are often things like substance use and abuse, harm reduction, and sexual assault or harassment. Meanwhile, broad risks tend to be issues of evacuation and emergency management, crowd safety, stampedes, and casualties or violence. It is crucial to reflect on prior common safety and security issues when setting out to produce a large …

Arts-Based Sustainability: From New York To Malawi, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Recognizing that libraries serve multiple constituencies and subject areas, this chapter documents and advocates for development of transdisciplinary arts-based research (ABR) and culture-related projects linked to environmental challenges. Libraries contribute collections and spaces, as well as the research of library and information scientists. Libraries are currently among invisible contributors to sustainability planning and services. The chapter will link this invisibility to the value of what visual arts refer to as negative space elements in subjects ranging from traditional ecological knowledge to environmental science. Library collections, projects, and research contribute to education for sustainable development (ESD) as required to achieve the …

Influence Of Socioeconomic Status On Access To And Success Within The Dance Industry, Stephanie C. Mihali

Honors College Theses

The following thesis examines how socioeconomic factors, specifically location, education, income, and social capital, affect access to and success within the dance industry in the United States. While talent is viewed as the primary driver of success in dance, this research reveals that structural inequities shape career opportunities and outcomes for dancers. The study was prompted by a lack of critical discourse around socioeconomic barriers in the field of dance. Through a combination of survey data and secondary analysis of historical research, the study highlights how those from higher-income families and urban areas benefit from greater access to training, resources, …

How To Industry Plant Yourself, Ted Childish

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

Ted Childish is an artist, creative mind, and cultural organizer working at the intersection of digital culture and contemporary creative economies. His practice spans from conceptual ideation to visual production and designed objects, all approached with a distinct material sensibility. How to Industry Plant Yourself is an analysis of the contemporary creative landscape, delivered in the format of a 'how-to' presentation — a familiar trope of the social media era. This work employs graphic design strategies akin to a pitch deck, symbolizing the increasingly transactional and performative environments in which creatives navigate their careers today.

Creativity In Arts Organizations: Waterfire Providence Unites And Inspires, Tiana Degrace

Honors Projects in History, Literature, and the Arts

Community arts organizations serve as vibrant cultural hubs, uniting diverse networks and fostering creative expression through their dynamic administrative planning and management. This study examines the creative processes at WaterFire Providence, focusing on how administrative teams integrate creativity into their decision-making, and volunteer practices. Drawing from existing literature on arts organizations and music festivals, the research highlights the importance of spaces, audience engagement, and collaborative community involvement in event organizations. By analyzing the decision-making strategies that administrators employ across various stages of event planning and execution, this study sheds light on the interplay between creativity and organizational practices. Through qualitative …

Behind The Curtain: The Influence Of Tourism And Production Costs On Broadway Success, João Branco Chaves

Student Publications

Broadway’s success is closely tied to the fluctuating dynamics of tourism and the rising costs of production. This paper explores how the growth in NYC tourism impacts Broadway’s profitability and the challenges producers face as production costs (lumber and cotton) continue to soar. Through an analysis of various sources, this study highlights the key role tourism plays in sustaining Broadway’s revenue and the vulnerabilities created by its unpredictability. It also examines the increasing financial burden of mounting Broadway productions, exploring how producers are adapting to stay financially viable. The paper identifies key strategies for managing these challenges, including innovative cost …

Exploring Homogeneity In Today's Cultural Expression, Roderick Hunt

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

This article examines the increasing cultural homogeneity driven by the internet's global reach and accessibility. Roderick Hunt—an educator, brand expert, and fashion designer—integrates writing into his creative practice and brand ethos. Through his label, Uniform Journal, he merges ideas and products, emphasizing both form and function. In a Q&A discussion, Hunt explores how the internet has influenced contemporary cultural practices and challenges the notion of originality in an era of digital interconnectedness.

A Conversation With Loe Gino, Loe Gino, Seb Taylor

Digital Laboratory: Publisher of Internet Journal

LOE Gino is a Bay Area native from Berkeley, California and an independent artist. He has been a pioneer in the music industry for new age artistry. His ability to be a voice for independent artists parallels his wordsmith-skills as a rapper. As a part of the Bay Area cultural scene, he is a real life example of how to set a vision and build it as you go. Every aspect of his creative vision is thought out and executed with the accuracy of a freestyle. LOE Gino stands as an example of what it means to never conform to …

Museum Funding As Critical Practice, Camille-Mary Sharp, Samantha Summers

Visual Arts Publications

While museums face an unprecedented amount of public backlash over their financial partnerships with donors and sponsors from harmful industries, the administrative practices of funding and fundraising remain understudied in museum scholarship. Responding to growing polarization between museums and stakeholder groups like artists, activists, and cultural workers, this article highlights findings from recent interviews with museum professionals about their funding-related practices to explore how professional perspectives can enrich current debates over ethical funding. Despite the structural difficulties posed by neoliberal museum models and government austerity, we argue that museum studies can work towards improving the field’s financial challenges by considering …

Confronting Indecision, Lane Allison Murray

ENGS 15.11: Design and Education

This course aims to increase students' understanding of indecision and how to confront it. The class provides insight into how the fear of the unknown holds people back from making decisions and about understanding one's values as a means to combat indecision. Students and teachers alike explore instances of indecision and evaluate their own impulses & thought processes by reflecting on the deeper reasons for their choices. Students will increase their comfort level of asking themselves and their peers questions about the values that guide them and, in doing so, strengthen their relationships with themselves and others.

Theatre For The People: Exploring The Need For A New National Theatre, Kai Yamanishi

Theatre and Dance Honors Projects

The Covid-19 pandemic sent shockwaves through the theater industry that have seen dozens of venues across the country laying off workers, shortening seasons, and even closing altogether. Costs have risen, audiences have been slow to return, and traditional sources of funding have dried up. What then, are theaters to do? By conducting an economic analysis and examining published and original interviews with theater practitioners, this essay explores this crisis as it has affected the regional nonprofit theater sector, specifically the members of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT). It concludes that LORT’s model is no longer sustainable because of its …

Behind The Lens, Jolie M. Adams Miss

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

What Fuels Me as a Photographer?

Many photographers don’t realize their ability and opportunity to give back and make a difference. I believe photography extends beyond taking a series of photographs. For me, it is my way of serving others, connecting with people, and sharing their stories. I believe photography is a powerful tool to inspire change in communities—especially in those that are underserved. Photos are visual statements of humanity: an abstract of our failures, ignorance, arrogance, compassion, resilience, progress, and so much more. I want my photography to go beyond a small circle of influence. All of us have …

Timing Matters: Applying Musicians’ Insights To Business, Ray Haeng Soo Seol Edd, Barry Van Zyl Mba

Faculty Works

Timing, a critical aspect in social contexts and human cognition, has been extensively studied across diverse fields, such as biology, neuroscience, and business. However, there is a lack of interdisciplinary approaches that offer fresh perspectives on how timing works. Music performance, being inherently temporal in nature, presents a unique opportunity to bridge this gap and explore timing mechanisms in a multifaceted context. This research explores how professional musicians understand and utilize timing in their training and artistic development, and how these insights can be applied to business contexts, bridging the two fields to understand timing more comprehensively. Through a qualitative …

It's A Bitter Sweet Symphony: Licensing Complexities And Copyright Law In The Music Industry., Sadie Lorence

Honors College Theses

Historically, there has consistently been tension in the music industry between the ideas of ownership and accessibility. This past semester, I researched the history of copyright law and how it has evolved in regard to the licensing of musical works. I have conducted a content analysis of The U.S. Copyright Act in the last century to gain insight into its evolution and advancements. After I gathered an adequate understanding of intellectual property law within the realm of the music industry, I focused my case study research on one milestone example of copyright law’s relationship to issues of licensing and ownership …

School Of Culinary Arts & Food Technology, Tu Dublin Newsletter - Spring Edition 2023, James Murphy

Other resources

The School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology, TU Dublin, Spring Newsletter captured the many events, research, awards, significant contributions and special civic and community activities which the students and staff members of the school across our (3) three campuses have successfully completed up to the Spring period of 2023. The successful completion of these activities would not be possible without the active and on-going support of the 'INSPIRED' friends of Culinary Arts (school supporters), our school's industry association supporters and our school's fantastic academic, laboratory assistants, technical support and administrations teams across our (3) three TU Dublin campuses in …

A Musician’S Livelihood: Bringing Together Educators And Leaders To Examine Perceived Barriers To Profitability Through Musicians’ Lens, Wyvonne M. Hawkins, David Cross

Publications

Building, maintaining, or scaling a sustainable music ecosystem business can be challenging due to a lack of resources to improve business operations, a lack of consistent goals, or know-how to capture and enhance customer value in an oversaturated and competitive music industry. According to Amy Wang, most musicians in the United States make $25,000 a year or less, and Next Big Sound follows up by stating that approximately 91 percent of artists go undiscovered. This study interviewed twelve independent musicians and used four common themes of the business of music, access to resources, digital technology, and performing rights organizations to …

Consumers’ Preferences For Ethical Entertainment Consumption: Conceptualization, Development, And Validation Of A Scale, Avirupa Basu, Tamas Makany, Pratap Chandra Mandal, Ashutosh Bishnu Murti

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Our study describes the conceptualization, development, and validation of a reliable scale to measure the Consumers’ Preferences for Ethical Entertainment Consumption (CPEEC) in the context of OTT platforms. Past literature has addressed Ethical Consumption in various contexts that hold significant importance among consumers. However, there is limited literature on the Ethical Consumption in the domain of OTT entertainment, which is a new and burgeoning field of literature. Conceptualizing and developing a measurement scale for CPEEC will help measure the ethicality of entertainment like films, web shows and reality shows. The CPEEC scale is developed and validated by performing 33 in-depth …

Arts Marketing, David Ocon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Although there are hundreds of resources on traditional and commercial marketing, the materials available specifically for arts marketing are scarce, posing additional challenges for Gillian. Furthermore, while some focus on arts management, few of them address marketing from the perspective of a small-to-medium (often financially struggling) arts organization. An organization like Gillian’s often has limited resources, both financial and human, and can only approach marketing informally. However, it experiences the same pressures to perform well as larger arts institutions. Often, survival depends on how well it implements the marketing strategies that marketing staff create on their own. This chapter is …

Struggles And Successes In Accessing Art, Theodore J. Szpakowski

Student Publications

According to the 2021 American Community Survey, 13% of Americans self-reported being disabled. That is over 42 million people. Many of have the same interest in attending art museums and galleries as non-disabled Americans, but face additional barriers. It is critical for art museums and galleries to recognize these barriers and take steps to reduce them. Several large art museums have begun innovative programs that can provide an example of what an art space with the time, staffing, and resources can achieve. Although accessibility requires a plethora of considerations to be done properly, museums and galleries have shown incredible progress …

Television Strategies In Digital Media: How The Tonight Show Has Transformed In The Age Of Digital Distribution, Julia Hansen

Honors College Theses

Digital Media has impacted the ways in which people consume and engage with media, and this change influences the strategies of television networks, from content style, production practices, and distribution methods. This study explores the implications of digital media in television strategies through the examination of NBC’s The Tonight Show, first through a comparative analysis of historical host, Johnny Carson, to the show's most recent host, Jimmy Fallon. This analysis found that the two hosts have contrasting personalities which cater well to the audiences of their time. Additionally, it was discovered that the programming of the show has grown more …

The Death Of Print Magazines In Fashion: The Fight To Stay Relevant During The Digital Era And A Look At The Future Of Fashion Print Magazines, Mary Shannon Donnelly

Honors College Theses

We have found ourselves in a digital era. For the past ten years, the public’s Internet usage per day has skyrocketed across all age groups, which in turn, has had an effect on the print industry (e.g. books, magazines, newspapers). As technology has progressed, many have turned to online magazines and journals to receive their fashion news. Given this rapid advance in digital technology, in my honors thesis, I plan to focus on the effect of digital media on print, specifically in the context of fashion magazines. Specifically, I will explore the history of the fashion magazine, its efforts to …

Rock On: The State Of Rock Music Among Generation Z, Gianna Cicchetti

Honors College Theses

Rock music is a significant part of American culture and has always had ties to the socialization of the youth since its rise in the 1950s. Many musicians and music journalists have pushed forth the opinion that the genre is “dead” as its relevance in young adult culture has faded away in favor of different genres of mainstream music. However, rock artists have seen more success and virality in the past few years. This is primarily true through the social media platform TikTok, the largest platform of its kind with most young people as part of its userbase. The following …

Covid-19 & Broadway: A Comparative Analysis Of The Shifting Marketing Strategies Of Playbill And The Broadway League, Leah Gaffney

Honors College Theses

On March 12th, 2020, all Broadway productions closed their theaters due to the declaration of the Covid-19 global pandemic. This shutdown led to companies in the Broadway industry transitioning to nontraditional marketing strategies. This paper will outline how the Covid-19 pandemic led to changes in strategic marketing decisions and compare the motivations of these decisions for two Broadway companies: Playbill and The Broadway League. Previous literature denotes changes to marketing strategies as a result of other historic events in the
industry, and current news sources provide industry insight into the campaign discussions.Primary research will be conducted through one-on-one structured interviews …

Navigating The Public Funding Landscape: Lessons From One Small, Isolated, Rural, Arts Organization, Elise L. Kieffer

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

This study follows the experience of one arts organization in an isolated, rural, Appalachian community of Kentucky, to explore the relationship between the NEA and the state arts agencies with which they partner. Using the case study of Burkesville Academy of Fine Arts as an inspiration, this question is explored: If BAFA had received necessary technical support from the KAC, is it likely that it might have been awarded funding by the NEA? The study compares BAFA to organizations in comparable communities who received NEA funding. Following findings, suggestions for policy and practice are provided.