AAAE 2002 Conference, New York City, USA

Faculty members from countries throughout the world, students, and guest speakers participated in several panel discussions over the future of arts administration, and how AAAE could best address the challenges that await the modern arts manager. Which competencies are required to ensure successful and sustained arts administration careers. Several panelists pointed out that accounting and finance skills are becoming more important, since the line between commercial organizations and nonprofits is steadily blurring. However, besides all those important academic skills, it will be more and more crucial to know how to present oneself, sustain an argument, solve conflicts, and manage change. Several speakers said that internships and other employment opportunities helped them to learn "non-academic" skills and helped them prepare for their professional lives. In addition, internships were important for them to build professional networks, which are essential for a successful arts management career.

To this end, the atmosphere of the conference became very heated. Executive search firm representatives discussed the skills needed to get a top job, and indirectly brought up the value of an arts administration degree. Even though arts administration programs have been around for more than 30 years, many search firms do not even know how to assess a degree in arts administration. New York-based alumni agreed. According to them, there are many arts organizations, such as Carnegie Hall, that value an arts administration degree, but still, many other organizations need to be acquainted with the qualities of such a degree. Several panel discussions sought to answer the question how AAAE could change this situation. They concluded that only well-trained graduates will be able to change this misperception in the long run. "The best advertising is the best students," said Columbia's Program Director Joan Jeffri.

Among all the fascinating guest speakers of the conference, two were the most controversial, and probably had the most impact: Thomas Krens, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and Peter Sellars, acclaimed director of opera, theatre, film, and television. Both shared with the audience different extreme visions of modern arts management. The discrepancies between both were compared with the Star Wars metaphor: "The Empire Strikes Back" versus "Return of the Jedi".

Thomas Krens presented his vision of "The Global Guggenheim." The dark lighting of the Guggenheim auditorium was perfect to emphasize Krens's image as successful business manager, with the authority of Darth Vader, ready to conquer the universe. In a very professional PowerPoint presentation, he explained his corporate concepts and strategies.

Peter Sellars is definitely one of the rare Jedi Knights of the world. In his emotional speech "Stirring up the Arts at Home and Abroad," Mr. Sellars pondered over what the arts could do besides entertain. He considers art as the reason to breathe. Art should be a tool for "doing something everybody else is afraid to do" and a tool to address the big issues of society." Arts administrators have to learn to think in a bigger picture, and "to recognize and communicate the missing gap in society." But he recognizes that this is no easy task. Artists are visionary creatures with lives that can be very different from others. "Artists have board meetings in the morning and hang out with gang members at night," he added.

Without doubt, both speakers provided valid arts management models and frameworks. Maybe, the real opportunity and challenge for arts administration programs (in comparison with other more traditional academic programs) is to find and to teach the right balance between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, the Jedi. Doing so will help create more valuable programs and broader appreciation for the arts administration degree in the future.