The Arts Entrepreneurship (AE) program continues to grow as a cornerstone of career readiness within the School of the Arts. Now with 46 minors, the program has expanded its impact across disciplines, reflecting a shared understanding that today’s emerging artists need entrepreneurial skills and professional strategies to navigate an evolving creative economy.
This year also marked the development of the Arts Passport, a university-wide initiative designed to engage students in the arts and strengthen community connections. Developed in collaboration with local arts organizations, the Arts Passport has deepened the School’s relationships with community partners and is serving as a template for the creation of additional passport programs across the university.
High-impact experiential learning remains central to AE’s mission. Through the course Conversations with Working Artists, students get to engage with active creative professionals each semester. In Entrepreneurship and Innovation, students develop a full business plan and marketing strategy for their own venture and compete in a pitch competition hosted by the Venture College.
AE alumni are increasingly visible across the creative workforce, demonstrating the strength of the program’s focus on applied learning, career readiness and community-engaged practice. As we continue to cultivate partnerships with arts organizations and expand internship pathways, the Arts Entrepreneurship program is preparing the next generation of artists to enter and shape the creative economy.