Study Abroad

During this course students immersed themselves in global arts management strategies in Ireland (Dublin, Galway, and the Donegal region). Time abroad included meetings with top arts managers and executives, policy experts, marketing and community outreach directors, heritage and tourism officials, Gaeltacht specialists, entrepreneurs, and artists, on-site observations, and exclusive guided tours!

Students explored topics including economic drivers in the arts, the Basic Income for the Arts pilot program, marketing, community engagement, policy and fundraising strategies, national identity and cultural heritage issues, and day-to-day arts management challenges. We will examine how the Gaeltacht organizations utilize the arts to revitalize the rural areas, build community engagement and business connections and how popular culture tourism drivers such as the Game of Thrones franchise celebrate and popularize the arts and heritage of Ireland.

Class activities included meetings, performances, and tours at:

• Arts Council Ireland
• Galway International Arts Festival
• Údarás na Gaeltachta
• Abbey Theatre
• Druid Theatre Company
• Galway Arts Centre
• Irish Writers Centre
• The James Joyce Centre
• Project Art Centre - Dublin
• National Gallery of Ireland
• Trinity University & The Book of Kells
• National Museum of Ireland
• Claddagh Arts Centre
• Katie’s Cottage Museum
• Wild Atlantic Way
• castles, cliffs, burrens, and the historic Gaeltacht area. 

In June of 2020, Dr. Karalee Dawn MacKay took graduate and undergraduate students on our third trip to Ireland where we embraced the life of musicians, dancers, storytellers, writers and artisans as we explored the performing, visual, literary arts and cultural heritage of Ireland. Through immersive learning experiences that put the students in the field with service learning, interactive projects, behind-the-scenes access, and meetings with top arts leaders in Dublin, Galway, and the Aran Islands, we explored the historical, traditional and cultural arts heritage of Ireland. Our time abroad included meetings with world renowned arts managers, policy experts, marketing and outreach directors, heritage and tourism officials, Gaeltacht specialists, artists, and entrepreneurs as well as on-site observations and exclusive guided tours.

Highlights included meetings, performances, and tours with:

• Galway 2020: EU Capital of Culture, Arts Council Ireland,
• Údarás na Gaeltachta
• Abbey Theatre
• Druid Theatre Company
• Riverdance
• The National Leprechaun Museum
• Irish Writers Centre
• The James Joyce Centre
• Project Art Centre - Dublin
• National Gallery of Ireland
• Trinity University & The Book of Kells
• National Museum of Ireland
• Claddagh Arts Centre
• Katie’s Cottage Museum
• traditional music, dance, craft and storytelling tours
• explorations of the Wild Atlantic Way, castles, cliffs, burrens, and the historic Gaeltacht area.

During Winter Term 2019, Dr. Karalee Dawn MacKay and Program Director Aimee Fullman took twelve students to Paris and London to explore arts management and cultural relations strategies and issues in these two countries. Topics that were explored include: the impact of Brexit on the arts, economic drivers in the arts in France and the United Kingdom, cultural relations and arts policy initiatives and fundraising strategies, marketing and community outreach programs, and the day-to-day arts management challenges in both regions.

Arts policy, cultural relations and funding models were examined through meetings with organizations such as:

• UNESCO
• The British Council
• The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport in the UK

Class activities included meetings, performances, and guided tours at:

• Paris Opera House and the Opéra Bastille
• Centre Pompidou
• Musee D'Orsay
• Louvre
• Notre Dame Cathedral
• Eiffel Tower
• Trocadéro
• Champs de Mars
• Sacre Coeur
• tour of the Château de Versailles

In London, we explored the:

• Victoria & Albert Museum
• Tate Museum
• British Museum
• National Theatre of England
• The Globe Theatre
• The Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
• Southbank Arts Centre
• several West End theatres
• day trip to Hogwarts in the Snow at Warner Bros. studio tour  London - The Making of Harry Potter

In June of 2018, Dr. Karalee Dawn MacKay led twelve graduate and undergraduate students on an international study abroad course to Scotland and Ireland. This course allowed students to immerse themselves in international arts management strategies in Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow and Loch Ness) and Ireland (Dublin, Galway and the Aran Islands). Our time abroad included meetings with top arts managers and executives, policy experts, marketing and outreach directors, cultural heritage and tourism officials, entrepreneurs, designers and artists; as well as on-site observations and exclusive guided tours. During this course, we examined the relationships between art management and tourism and cultural heritage, Gaeltacht and Scottish heritage preservation and ongoing initiatives to research, create and preserve traditional music, dance, literary and oral traditions.

Class activities included meetings, performances, and tours with:

• Visit Scotland
• National Theatre of Scotland
• Traverse Theatre
• Abbey Theatre
• Druid Theatre Company
• Scottish National Gallery
• National Museum of Scotland
• Scottish Writers’ Museum
• Scottish Storytelling Centre
• Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
• Irish Writers Centre
• The James Joyce Centre
• Irish Arts Council
• Project Art Centre (Dublin)
• Riverdance
• National Museum of Ireland
• Claddagh Arts Centre
• Katie’s Cottage Museum
• Udaras Na Gealtachta.

We also enjoyed day trips in both countries to:

• Loch Ness
• The Scottish Highlands
• the Aran Islands
• Cliffs of Moher and the Burren
• Corrib Princess River Cruise
• taking the ferry from Scotland to Ireland

In addition we enjoyed visits to castles, cliffs, lochs, and the historic Highlands and islands regions and many nights watching and listening to traditional music, dance and storytelling tours and taking part in the world-famous Bloomsday events in Dublin

During the first summer session in 2017, Dr. Karalee Dawn MacKay and Program Director Claire Huschle took six Arts Management  graduate students to the Netherlands and Belgium for an exploration of the various arts management strategies, issues and challenges. This course included exclusive guided tours, workshops, and meetings with top designers, executives, managers, cultural policy experts, educators, and artists which will provide a broad understanding of how these diverse and forward-thinking countries develop and foster the arts and design.

Organizations and venues visited included:

• the Rijksmuseum
• Stedelijk Museum
• de Appel Art Center
• Hermitage Amsterdam Museum
• the Mauritshuis
• the Nieuw Institute for Architecture
• Eindhoven’s Strijp S
• several of Rotterdam’s famous contemporary architectural landmarks such as Markthal and the Cube Houses.

Museums in Brussels included:

• Wiels Contemporary Art Centre
• Ampersand House
• The Magritte Museum
• Horta Museum
• Bozar - Palais des Beaux Arts
• Art Nouveau Collection - Royal Museums of Art & History
• Brussels’ world famous Comic Strip Murals.

Performing arts organizations and venues included:

• Muziektheater
• Concertgebouw
• Holland International Festival

Arts policy and funding models were examined through meetings with:

• Amsterdam Fund for Arts
• The Creative Industries Fund
• DutchCulture
• Dutch Ministry of Culture
• Dutch Cultural Council
• Creative Europe (European Union).

In May and June of 2016, a group of fifteen students (14 MA candidates in the Arts Management program and one undergraduate from the Music department) and Professor Karalee Dawn MacKay, travelled to London, England and Dublin, Ireland to take part in the International Arts Management: United Kingdom & Ireland summer course. This course provided an introduction to arts management models, concepts and issues in the United Kingdom and Ireland and encouraged students to engage, examine and explore London and Dublin’s rich historical and contemporary performing, visual and literary arts management traditions. This course combined classroom sessions in Arlington, VA with an in depth and immersive experience in London, England; Dublin, Ireland, and the surrounding areas. Our time abroad included guest lectures, discussions, on-site observations, exclusive guided tours and meetings with top executives, arts managers, entrepreneurs, and artists, which provided a broad understanding of how these diverse and forward-thinking countries develop and foster the performing, visual and literary arts at home and abroad.

Highlights included:

• National Theatre of England
• The Globe Theatre
• Bush Theatre
• St. Martins-in-the-Field
• several West End theatres
• Abbey Theatres
• Bewley’s Café Theatre
• Traditional Irish Music Walk
• the annual Bloomsday Celebrations
• National Portrait Gallery
• Victoria & Albert Museum
• Imperial War Museum
• The National Museum of Ireland
• The National Gallery of Ireland.

Literary venues included:

• Irish Writers Centre
• Dublin Writers Museum
• Trinity College and the Book of Kells
• Project Art Centre – Dublin.