On Friday, October 7, Davidson Trustee Sherburne Laughlin ’83 spoke to a room of 20 engaged students, staff and faculty about careers in arts management. Many students in attendance had backgrounds in a variety of arts disciplines, including theatre and art history, as well as interests in economics and business.
After introductions, Laughlin spent some time discussing recent trends in the art world, encouraging students who interested in the management side of the arts to think internationally, outside of their specific discipline, and about the relationship between arts and cities.
In response to a senior’s question about how to break into the field, Laughlin advised students to search for various “assistant to” positions as well as entry-level jobs in marketing and development. She also encouraged students not to overlook the value of unpaid internships and networking to get a foot in the door of an organization of interest to them.
Laughlin ended the interactive session by giving an overview of graduate programs in arts management, including the Masters of Arts Management program she directs at American University. Currently, no PhD programs exist in Arts Management, which makes the master’s the terminal degree in the field.
If you were unable to attend the session but are interested in taking to Laughlin about your interests in arts management, you may contact her directly at slaughlin@american.edu. Indicate that you are a Davidson student in your e-mail.