Arts administrators are responsible for facilitating the day-to-day operations of the organization as well as the long term goals by and fulfilling its vision, mission and mandate.
For examples theaters, museums, symphony orchestras, concert bands, jazz organizations, opera houses, ballet companies and many smaller professional and non-professional for-profit arts-related organizations (e.g. auction houses, art galleries, music companies, etc.).
An arts administrator often directs the hiring and training of personnel, devises their schedules and task assignments.
An effective arts administrator must also be knowledgeable in local, state and federal public policy as it relates to human resources, health insurance, labor laws and volunteer risk management.
Internal changes may be related to the audience, membership, Board of Directors, personnel, facilities, growth, or financial operations.
Although a good arts administrator constantly monitors and manages change, they must also remain aware of the overall direction and mood of the organization while helping people do their day-to-day jobs.
[10] Arts organizations, as part of the economic system, experience the effects of expansion and contractions in the local, regional, national, and world economies.
[13] As a result the Canada Council made the payment of fees to living Canadian artists a requirement for eligibility for Program Assistance Grants to Public Art Galleries.
Depending on the governmental party in power, the amount of funds available for the arts and culture vary.
Canada Council for the Arts, a federal granting body, was created in 1957 and it fulfilled the requirements of the Massey Commission.
[20] The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that was created in 1965 in the United States of America.
[22] The NEA’s funding is project-based and goes to thousands of nonprofits each year, along with partnerships and special arts initiatives, research and other support that contribute to the vitality of neighborhoods, students and schools, workplace and culture.
For over 110 years they have supported museums and galleries, and have helped them buy and display great works of art for everyone to enjoy.
[26] Art Fund also advocates and campaigns for important causes like the free entry to national museums in the UK, and more recently for tax incentives to encourage philanthropy.
Planned giving is when a donor leaves an endowment, assets or a portion of their last will and testament to an organization at the end of their lifetime.
[29] Legacy giving is considered the highest charitable gift an organization can receive and often takes many years to establish this kind of relationship with a donor.
Another program differentiator of note is that the MFA is considered a terminal degree in the field, allowing graduates to apply to teach at the university level as a full-time professor.
Other programs, such as Ohio State, Indiana, and (increasingly) American, are strongly rooted in cultural policy.
Another program differentiator is the amount of time spent "in the field," applying academic principles to existing arts organizations through practicum or internship experiences.
[37] In Italy, the Istituto Europeo di Design, in Venice, offers a Master in Business Administration in Arts and Cultural Events that provides advanced knowledge and entrepreneurial skills necessary to understand and operate in the multifarious world of the arts.
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, offers 1-year Specializing Master program in Arts Management.
Another example is the University of Southern California's Master of Science in Arts Leadership which is housed within the USC Thornton School of Music, and accepts thought leaders in any artistic discipline including music, theatre, dance, film, and fine art.