A partnership with the Denver Art Museum, Department of Management at Daniels College of Business and the University of Denver’s School of Art and Art History resulted in an innovative new degree for graduate students.
The new program, master of science in management with an emphasis in art museum administration, launched this January, aims to teach students how to run museums and galleries.
According to Annette Stott, director of the School of Art and Art History, the new degree for the first time combines art and business at DU.
“Students take art and business classes, which are quite separate, and then put the two together in the practical realm of internships, which are guided by faculty,” Stott said.
The 54-hour degree targets the $130 billion arts industry, and according to a report from the Americas for the Arts, Boulder and Fort Collins generate $30 billion in nonprofit arts spending. Thus far the program only has one student, although Stott anticipates a small enrollment of only four to five students.
Director of the Master of Science in Management program Dr. Gordon Von Stroh said that the collaboration between the three different arenas creates a more marketable student.
“These elements will help graduates remain true to their personal areas of interest while becoming more marketable- and that’s particularly valuable in today’s economy,” said Stroh.
Stott said that finding a successful arts-related career is difficult with only a bachelor’s degree.
“Research shows that applicants for open museum and gallery positions frequently lack the business skills that hiring managers consider essential,” Stott said.
The Denver Art Museum and DU have a long and established history with each other. Graduate students began doing internships with the museum in the 1950s, and in 1991 an agreement between the two institutions let museum curators teach specific classes to DU students on a rotating basis.
“Many of our students take a very popular course in contemporary art from Dianne Vanderlip, curator of modern and contemporary art, that is offered each winter quarter,” Stroh said.
Internships are currently available in many Denver Art Museum departments. Contact Stott at astott@du.edu or Stroh at gvonstro@du.edu for more information.
