Promoting the Vitality of the Arts Through Research and Education

UMass Amherst is home to a vibrant arts scene, offering countless opportunities for students to experience, explore, and hone their skills across multiple art forms. But as graduation approaches, these students may find themselves asking: “What’s next?”

For 50 years and counting, the Arts Extension Service (AES) at UMass Amherst has helped answer that question by providing high-quality arts management research, training, and educational resources for on- and off-campus UMass students as well as artists and arts-related organizations around the region and the country.

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"I want our students to leave UMass with a clear idea of what they want to do and a sense of the different opportunities available to them,” says Dee Boyle-Clapp, AES director. “We want to teach them that there’s a home for them in arts management. They can continue their practice while having the resources to make a living and the opportunity to shape their field.”

Founded in 1973 by then recent UMass graduate Stan Rosenberg (who went on to become a Massachusetts state senator), AES sought to extend the university’s cultural and educational resources to stimulate cultural activity across Massachusetts. At the time, it was one of the only organizations doing this type of community development work in the arts, meaning its leaders were often “figuring it out as they went” and paving the way for others that would follow, according to Boyle-Clapp.  

From its early work providing training to local cultural council staff in western Massachusetts, AES has grown by “leaps and bounds,” says Boyle-Clapp, and today has national reach. Even with other similar organizations now on the scene, AES remains on the leading edge of emerging issues in the field, from creative economy to sustainability. Today, AES serves students from more than 70 percent of academic departments in the UMass College of Humanities & Fine Arts as well as in other departments around the university. 

What is Arts Management?

According to AES, arts management involves “all the behind-the-scenes work to bring art and audiences together by ensuring that arts programs move from concept to completed project, are funded, marketed, experienced by the region’s community members, and support the artists/performers/work.”

AES primarily works with small and mid-sized organizations, both here in Massachusetts and around the country, to help them best serve their local communities. 

How Does AES Support the Arts?

AES works to disseminate best practices and the latest research to UMass students and working professionals in the arts and arts management, through such endeavors as:

•    teaching courses on the UMass campus and online, through University+ Session, exploring both fundamentals and cutting-edge topics in arts management;
•    offering the nation’s only online arts management bachelor’s degree through the University Without Walls Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, as well as certificates in arts management;
•    producing publications, including the groundbreaking text Fundamentals of Arts Management (now in its 6th edition);
•    holding workshops and symposia on topics such as women leadership in the arts, and climate action and creativity;
•    conducting research and consulting for clients around the country and the world;
•    hosting the Arts Entrepreneurship Initiative, which facilitates internship opportunities for students. 

Connecting Students with the Art World

Since 2015, the UMass Arts Entrepreneurship Initiative has advanced the region’s culture, community, and creative economy by strengthening ties among UMass students, artists, and arts organizations. AES regularly hosts internship fairs and symposia in collaboration with partners, including the Augusta Savage Gallery, the Women of Color Leadership Network, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, as well as academic departments and other units around the university.

To date, hundreds of students have been placed in internship opportunities in both in-person and virtual roles. Students gain valuable experience in the field while supporting the work of artists and small to medium-sized nonprofit organizations.

In addition, most courses offered through AES, both on-campus and online, include case study organizations in which students produce financial, program, or marketing plans for nonprofit arts organizations. To date, AES students have worked on nearly 350 case studies—learning experiences that also help sustain small and medium arts organizations. These include community theaters, music schools, arts centers, professional dance companies and studios, galleries, museums, historic houses, symphonies and orchestras, school systems, city arts and parks and recreation departments, and arts advocacy organizations.

Rachel Rivard enrolled in a course through AES, in which she learned about the role of arts organizations in a community and applied her coursework to conduct a case study of the Community Music School of Springfield. She then sought an internship at the school and eventually worked her way up to the position of director of education.

“I really, truly value the collaboration that the Arts Extension Service supported me in doing with the school that I’m at now,” she says. “It has totally changed the trajectory of my life.”

Often, AES’s work with small organizations spurs plans for long-term growth and improvement, including applying for significant grants. In addition, AES’s work with individual organizations sometimes spans many years. For example, the Northampton Center for the Arts has been a community partner to AES since 2020, working closely with UMass students on and off campus.  

“The center’s co-director, Kelly Silliman, has been active in mentoring students and providing opportunities for career exploration,” says Terre Parker, AES program coordinator. “Students give back by conducting research, volunteering at events, and pitching new program ideas to add to the center’s repertoire.” 

Looking to the Future

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Through its research and engagement with arts organizations, AES has been at the vanguard of important issues confronting the field since its inception. Today, its focus is largely on climate action and the arts.

Boyle-Clapp teaches a course on “Greening Your Nonprofit Arts Organization” in which her students work with case study organizations to help them be more sustainable. For example, one class focused its semester on Amherst Cinema. After several site visits and significant research, the students developed a comprehensive report with progressive action steps—including those requiring no or low cost, others with a financial investment, and a list of potential grant opportunities to cover these costs.

“The Amherst Cinema took this to heart. Over the course of eight years, they carried out all the plans the students recommended, and now they’re at net zero carbon emissions,” says Boyle-Clapp.

Building on this work, Boyle-Clapp has been implementing a new program, Culture for Climate Action (C4CA), that advises arts organizations on how to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and increase access to clean energy while spurring climate action in their communities through their programming, all through an equity lens.

“Through this work, we’ve created a training series of action steps, all tied to grant opportunities. Because every organization is so different, we’re working with small cohorts to develop plans that fit with their mission, goals, and budget,” says Boyle-Clapp.

To date, AES has worked with State Arts Agencies, including the Vermont Arts Council, on this program and will soon engage with Rhode Island State Council on the Arts. Boyle-Clapp will be moderating a climate action panel at an upcoming state arts agency conference in Puerto Rico.

“We’re taking this work onto the road, helping organizations explore how to reduce their carbon emissions,” says Boyle-Clapp. “It’s been very exciting work.”

This story was originally published in October 2024.