About STP&A

Who is STP&A

Social Theory, Politics, & the Arts (STP&A) is an international membership organization of researchers, policy-makers, educators, practitioners, artists, and students that explores arts trends, practices, and policies.

The STP&A Conference is the oldest and one of the most influential academic gatherings in the field of arts management and cultural policy. STP&A participants are drawn from a broad range of disciplines including political science, sociology, economics, law, arts management, arts education, art history, museum studies, cultural studies, education, and policy studies as well as arts managers and artists.

Mission

To advance knowledge and foster a research community that explores arts trends, practices, and policies.

History

Originally organized as “Sociology and the Arts” in 1973 and hosting the first conference in 1974, STP&A is the longest-running association and gathering in the fields of arts management and cultural policy. In 1975, the name changed to “Social Theory and the Arts”. In 1983, the conference was spearheaded by Dr. Margaret Wyszomirski and Dr. Judith Balfe, connected by Dr. Peter Peterson, Vanderbilt University, and held at Rutgers University, where it convened for the first-time both the ‘Social Theory and the Arts Group’ and the ‘Conference Group on Cultural and Arts Policy’, and hence evolved into what the association is known as today, “Social Theory, Politics, & the Arts.” According to Dr. Wyszomirski, “Both the sociologists and policy/political science scholars were longterm key constituencies of STP&A the Conference and were joined over the years by arts administrators, occasional artists, art critics and art historians and were joined by numerous international scholars in the emerging field.” Robert Leighninger’s 2006 article, “The Origins of Brigadoon: A History of the Social Theory, Politics and the Arts Conference” captures the evolution of STP&A over its first three decades.

With its earliest roots in the United States and Canada, STP&A responded to the growth of its international network and research community and in 2006 began to hold conferences outside of North America, which have included in Seoul, South Korea; Vienna, Austria; Manchester and London, England; and Adelaide, Australia. Since 1973, there have been only a few years when the association did not hold its annual convening, most recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

STP&A has continued to grow and it incorporated as a non-profit entity in 2019, with Dr. Rachel Shane serving as STP&A’s founding board of directors’ president through 2023. In 2024, STP&A will hold its 48th annual conference in Osuna, Spain. STP&A has a rich conference and association history:

ConferenceYearHosts
482024Escuela Universitaria de Osuna-Universidad de Sevilla
Osuna, Spain
472023University of Kentucky, Department of Arts Administration
Lexington, KY, U.S.
462022Hongik University, Department of Arts & Cultural Management
Seoul, South Korea
452019University of New Orleans, School of the Arts
New Orleans, LA, U.S.
442018University of Manchester
Manchester, England
432017University of St. Thomas & University of Minnesota, Arts & Cultural Leadership
Minneapolis, MN, U.S.
422016École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP), Université du Québec
Montreal, Québec, Canada
412015University of South Australia, UniSA Business School, The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre and the Asia Pacific Centre for Arts & Cultural Leadership
Adelaide, Australia
402014University of Ottawa, School of Political Studies
Ottawa, Canada
392013Seattle University, Arts Leadership
Seattle, WA, U.S.
382012Louisiana State University, Political Science and Public Administration
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
372011University of Kentucky, Arts Administration Program
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
362010George Mason University, Arts Management Program
Fairfax, Virginia U.S.
352009University of London, Birkbeck College
London, U.K.
342008University of Baltimore, Schaefer Center for Public Policy
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
332007New York University
New York, New York, U.S.
322006FOKUS (Austrian Association for Cultural Economics and Policy Studies)
Vienna, Austria
312005University of Oregon, Arts & Administration Program
Eugene, Oregon, U.S.
302004George Mason University, MPA Nonprofit Studies Program
Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
292003The Ohio State University, Arts Policy and Administration Program
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
282002College of Charleston, School of the Arts
Charleston, SC, U.S.
272001Golden Gate University, Arts Administration Program
San Francisco, CA, U.S.
262000Americans for the Arts & the Center for Arts and Culture
Washington, DC, U.S.
251999Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
241998Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA, U.S.
231997Do you have details about this conference? Email info@stpaconference.org
221996University of Montreal
Montreal, Québec, Canada
211995The University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.
201994Louisiana State University, Political Science and Public Administration
Baton Rouge, LA, U.S.
191993Northeastern University
Boston, MA, U.S.
181992University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg Center for Communication
Philadelphia, PA, U.S.
171991University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL, U.S.
161990City University of New York Graduate Center
New York, NY, U.S.
151989York University & University of Ottawa
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
141988The American University
Washington, DC, U.S.
131987State University of New York (SUNY)
121986University of California, San Diego
San Diego, CA, U.S.
111985Adelphi University & The New School for Social Research
New York, NY, U.S.
101984University of Maryland – College Park
College Park, MD, U.S.
91983Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.
81981Do you have details about this conference? Email info@stpaconference.org
71980Do you have details about this conference? Email info@stpaconference.org
61979William Patterson College
Wayne, NJ, U.S.
51978Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY, U.S.
41977Stockton State College
Pomona, NJ, U.S.
31976State University of New York
Albany, NY, U.S.
21975State University of New York
Fredonia, NY, U.S.
11974State University of New York-Oswego
Oswego, NY, U.S.

Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society

STP&A is affiliated with the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society (JAMLS). JAMLS has been the authoritative resource for the field of arts management and cultural policy for more than 40 years.

JAMLS has featured numerous contributions about the STP&A professional community and conferences, and has published special issues of the journal featuring papers presented at STP&A’s annual conferences.

By-laws

STP&A is governed by its by-laws, adopted in 2019, which the board of directors works to implement on behalf of STP&A’s membership.

Board of Directors

The members of STP&A’s 2024 Board of Directors are listed alphabetically:

WoongJo Chang STP&A

WoongJo Chang

Chair, Department of Arts & Cultural Management, Hongik University (Republic of Korea)

WoongJo Chang, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor and Chair of the Department of Arts and Cultural Management in Hongik University, Seoul, Korea. Before coming to Hongik University, he taught in the Arts Leadership Program in Seattle University in the state of Washington, USA. He studied performing arts at Seoul National University and earned a Ph.D. in Cultural Policy and Arts Administration from the Ohio State University. His research is focused on small arts organizations’ entrepreneurial practices and how to support them. His recent works have appeared in books and journals, such as in The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, of which he is currently serving as a consulting editor. Chang is also a co-chair of the scientific committee of Korean Society of Arts and Cultural Management.

Hyojung Cho STP&A

Hyojung Cho, Founding Board Member

Texas Tech University

Dr. Hyojung Cho is an Associate Professor of Heritage Management in the Heritage and Museum Sciences program at Texas Tech University. She holds an M.A. in Museum Science from George Washington University and a Ph.D. in Arts Administration, Education and Policy at The Ohio State University, with a specialization in heritage conservation. Her academic interest is in investigating the use of heritage resources for today’s purposes and ways for safeguarding them, which makes her passionate about communicating, learning, and cooperating with the diverse players beyond the boundaries of academia or the field of heritage.

Douglas DeNatale STP&A

Douglas DeNatale, Secretary

Boston University

Douglas DeNatale is an Associate Professor of the Practice and the Director of the Graduate Program in Arts Administration at Boston University. In addition to serving on the board of STP&A, he is a member of the board of directors for ENCATC, the European Network on Cultural Management and Policy. Prior to joining the BU faculty, he was president of Community Logic, Inc., an arts consulting firm specializing in research and documentation. He previously served as Director of Research for the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), where he played an instrumental role in forecasting the emerging creative economy and in developing NEFA’s web-based regional database.  He has directed collaborative arts research projects for the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Library of Congress. His creative economy research has been widely cited.  He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a B.A. from Wesleyan University.

B. Kathleen Gallagher

Assistant Professor, Public Administration, Department of Political Science, Texas Tech University

Dr. Gallagher is an interdisciplinary researcher whose research interests are broadly focused on topics related to community development and community assets, including the practice of placemaking, cultural district policies, and nonprofit and arts management.  Her research is published in ArtivateThe International Journal of Arts ManagementThe Journal of Arts ManagementLaw, and Society, The Journal of Emergency Management, The Journal of Rural and Community DevelopmentLocal Development & Society, The Policy Studies JournalPublic Administration Quarterly, Public Performance and Management Review, as well as several book chapters in edited volumes.  Gallagher has taught courses in arts management, cultural policy, and cultural economics for undergraduate and graduate students.  She currently teaches graduate MPA courses in public administration and nonprofit management and an undergraduate course in public policy. Prior to returning to academia, she operated an appraisal firm and specialized in the valuation of fine arts objects. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Affairs from the University of Colorado Denver, an MA from Christie’s Education, an MBA from the University of Illinois, and a BA from College of the Holy Cross.

Wen Guo STP&A

Wen Guo

Department of Art Education, Florida State University

Wen Guo is an Assistant Professor of Art Administration at Florida State University. She graduated with a doctoral degree in Cultural Policy and Arts Administration at Ohio State University in 2019. She is recently named as a Research Fellow for the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, administered by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research. Wen studies a broad array of arts management and cultural policy issues in the US and China. She has published peer-reviewed articles in The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and SocietyStudies in Art EducationVisual InquiryArtivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts, and the American Journal of Arts Management. She currently serves as an editorial board member of the American Journal of Arts Management. She works as a faculty mentor in the Center for Design Thinking and Leading Women in Audio Conference of Elon University. Before coming to the US, she worked for Daku Decorative and Artistic Design Company in Beijing 798 Art District.

Jesús Heredia Carroza

Universidad de Sevilla, Department of Economics and Economic History & Vice President of Fundación Pública de Estudios Universitarios Francisco Maldonado de Osuna

Dr. Jesús Heredia-Carroza is Professor at Universidad de Sevilla in its Department of Economics and Economic History. Also, Jesús is Vice-President of Fundación Pública de Estudios Universitarios Francisco Maldonado de Osuna. This foundation manages and represents the “Escuela Universitaria de Osuna”, associated Centre of Universidad de Sevilla, Spain, which will host the 2024 STP&A Conference.

The role of the Foundation “Francisco Maldonado” is very important in its region because it is located in a rural environment and contributes to the high education of the population which could also have a positive effect on discouraging rural depopulation. Likewise, it has its own Music Conservatory, its College of Arts and Design and its recently established College of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Goods. At this moment, its strategy is focused on quality of educational services, create synergies with other institutions which allow to promote internationally.

Jesús is the youngest founder member of Red Iberoamericana de Economía de la Cultura (RIEC), (Medellín, Colombia, 2017). Besides, Jesús is co-founder of Workshop of Popular Culture Economics & Management. His research interest is focused on Cultural Economics and Management, specifically in traditional popular music, festivals and spectators’ profiles. Currently, through interdisciplinary methods, he explains the relationship between copyright and perceived value of flamenco.

His research papers have been published or accepted for publication in renowned academic journals such as: Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, Empirical Studies of the Arts (USA), International Journal of Heritage Studies (United Kingdom), Arbor (Spain), Kepes (Colombia), or Trames. A Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences (Estonia), amongst others. And, he was Guest Editor for Special Issues related with Cultural Economics & Management of international indexed Journals such as: Scientific Annals of Economics and Business (Romania) and Revista Finazas y Política Económica (Colombia)

Divya Janardhan STP&A

Divya Janardhan

Assistant Professor of Arts Administration, Management, and Advocacy | Area Head: Arts Administration at Texas Tech University

 

Dr. Divya Janardhan is the Area Head and Assistant Professor of Arts Administration, Management, and Advocacy at the Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts, Texas Tech University. Her research lies at the intersection of arts management practices, cultural policy, and cultural equity within the arts and cultural sector, and their interaction with cultural funding within the larger urban system. Her research articles appear in the International Journal of Arts Management, Journal of Knowledge Management, and American Journal of Arts Management. Dr. Janardhan has been an invited speaker at Lalit Kala Akademi – India’s National Academy for the Visual Arts, an invited reviewer for the cultural policy graduate curriculum standards for the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE), and an invited speaker, peer reviewer, and discussant at multiple conferences in the arts administration and cultural policy fields. Dr. Janardhan serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Arts Management.

Dr. Janardhan brings prior experience in consulting for the nonprofit arts and cultural sector, and marketing and branding experience from the advertising industry. She is a trained classical performing arts vocalist in the Carnatic musical tradition and has acquired visual arts training under one of India’s leading contemporary artists. Dr. Janardhan was awarded a Ph.D. in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from the Ohio State University; an M.S. in Arts Administration from Drexel University; a P.G.D. in Advertising and Marketing from the Xavier Institute of Communications, St. Xavier’s College; and a B.A. in Media and Communications from Bangalore University.

Yuha Jung

Associate Professor, Department of Arts Administration, University of Kentucky

Dr. Yuha Jung is an associate professor and the director of graduate studies of Arts Administration at the University of Kentucky. She was named the University Research Professor at UK for the 2022-2023 academic year. Her research is focused on systems theory and cultural diversity in arts and culture organizations. Her work is interdisciplinary including museum studies, arts management, historic preservation, and the law. She has published various peer-reviewed articles, co-edited a book, Systems Thinking in Museums: Theory and Practice, and completed a monograph in 2022, Transforming Museum Management: Evidence-Based Change through Open Systems Theory. She recently received the National Endowment for the Humanities Research and Development Grant for her project, “Whose History Are We Preserving?: Mapping the Gaps of the National Register of Historic Places from Racial and Ethnic Historical Perspectives (2023).” She is currently editing the Oxford Handbook of Arts and Cultural Management. She holds an MA in Museum Studies, an MPA, and a PhD in Art Education. She is currently pursuing a JD.

Kate Preston Keeney STP&A

Kate Preston Keeney, Vice President of Membership & Communications

Associate Professor of Arts Leadership & Entrepreneurship, University of Maryland

Kate Keeney is an Associate Professor of Arts Leadership and Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland. Her research interests bridge arts management and nonprofit management scholarship with a specific focus on cultural policy, leadership, and organizations. Prior to her appointment at the University of Maryland, Keeney served as Associate Professor and Program Director of Arts Management at the College of Charleston. She is a consulting editor for the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society and a board member for Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts.

Dr. Keeney holds a PhD in Public Administration from Virginia Tech and a Master of Arts Administration from American University. Previously, Dr. Keeney held professional positions with the National Symphony Orchestra, Americans for the Arts, the Cathedral Choral Society, and the New York Philharmonic.

Elise Kieffer, Vice President of Conferences

Program Director and Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Leadership Studies at Murray State University

Dr. Elise Lael Kieffer is Program Director and Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Leadership Studies at Murray State University. She also directs the Nonprofit Resource Center, providing professional development for nonprofits across West Kentucky. Professional affiliations: Association of Arts Leadership Educators (President); Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts (Board Member). Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (Strategic Planning Committee); Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership (Editorial Board). Education: PhD (Florida State University; MPA (Tennessee State University); BFA (Jacksonville University, FL). Research focuses include developing capacity at arts organizations serving rural communities, and improving communication between rural arts organizations. Current Project: Rural Arts Management (Routledge, 2024, along with co-author, Dr. Jerome Socolof). She is published in Business Issues in the Arts, Local Government in Small-town America, Journal of Nonprofit Innovation, American Journal of Arts Management, International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education, and International Journal of Social, Political, and Community Agendas in the Arts.

Karen Munnelly

ArtsVision

 

Karen Munnelly is the Director of Client Services for ArtsVision, a cloud-based performing arts management software solution. Prior to moving into the tech sector, Dr. Munnelly served as the Director of Arts Administration and an Assistant Professor in the College of Music at Florida State University. She also served as the Director of Professional Programs at the University of Texas at Austin, where she oversaw Fine Arts Career Services and assisted in implementing a variety of professional development initiatives.

Dr. Munnelly also enjoyed a successful career as an arts administrator. She previously held positions with the Aspen Music Festival & School, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center and the National Repertory Orchestra.

Dr. Munnelly’s research centers around career preparation and the arts portfolio career. Her articles appear in the Journal of Arts Management, Law & Society, the American Journal of Arts Management and Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts.

Dr. Munnelly received the Ph.D. in Arts Administration, Education & Policy from The Ohio State University, the Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Florida State University and the Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from the University of South Florida.

Travis Newton STP&A

Travis Newton

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Visual & Performing Arts at Le Moyne College

Travis Newton is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Visual & Performing Arts at Le Moyne College, where he directs the Le Moyne College Symphony Orchestra and teaches courses in music and arts administration. He founded the arts administration minor and Master of Science at Le Moyne, and his current research is focused on community engagement. Recent publications include Orchestra Management Handbook (Oxford University Press, 2022) and co- author (with Yuha Jung) of “Open Systems Theory in Arts Management” in the Oxford Handbook of Arts and Cultural Management (Oxford University Press, 2023). In addition to his role as a board member with STP&A, he currently serves on the board of directors and as director of music programming of the Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music.

Jennifer Novak-Leonard, President

Research Associate Professor & Research Director, Arts Impact Initiative, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Dr. Jennifer Novak-Leonard is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the College of Fine & Applied Arts and serves as Research Director of its newly launched Arts Impact Initiative. Her influential work includes the creation of both conceptual and analytical frameworks for interrogating the diverse modes in which individuals participate in art and creative expression, and the value those experiences provide. Her intersectional work links culture and creativity, social impact, cultural policy, and arts management. She is often called upon by policymakers and cultural practitioners to guide their use of research and data for strategic decision-making. Novak-Leonard has also led numerous applied research efforts, including those funded by the National Endowment for the Arts; The James Irvine Foundation; First People’s Fund; the American Academy of Arts & Sciences; and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. From 2016 – 2020, Novak-Leonard was the Principal Investigator of one of the four inaugural National Endowment for the Arts’ Research Labs. She serves as the Board Vice President for the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) and on the editorial advisory boards of Cultural Trends, Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts, and The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society.

Jay Pension STP&A

Jay Pension STP&A

Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan

Jay Pension is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan where he supervises the Performing Arts Management and Entrepreneurship minor. In this role he teaches courses focused in performing arts management for undergraduate and graduate students. From 2017-2023 he worked for Florida State University. At Florida State he developed online courses in Introduction to Theatre and Introduction to Arts Administration. He is the co-author with Anthony Rhine of the book How to Market the Arts published by Oxford University Press and is the co-editor on Business Issues in the Arts, a volume published by Routledge.

He is originally from the Boston area. Over the past 15 years he has worked as a producer on over 100 theatre productions in Boston and New York City for both regional theatres and off-Broadway. Jay is a Ph.D. Candidate focused on arts administration. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, he completed an M.F.A. in Theatre Management at Florida State University.

Anthony Rhine STP&A

Anthony Rhine, Founding Board Member

PACE University

 

Anthony S. Rhine holds a Ph.D. in business administration and both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theatre management.  He worked for the first two decades of his career as a theatre executive, running multi-million-dollar and Tony-nominated theatre companies.  During that time, he also wrote the librettos for over twenty produced musicals, including several that toured both nationally and internationally, and directed scores of professional productions.  For the last decade-and-a-half, he has been a professor of arts management, focusing his research on advancing and improving arts management education and its application in improving nonprofit arts organizational outcomes such as increased ticket sales and unearned income.  His research has been published in the top-ranked journals of arts management, and he is author of the business book, “Leading the Creative Mind,” the textbooks, “Theatre Management: Arts Leadership for the 21st Century,”  and “Arts Marketing: An Introduction,” and the forthcoming “How to Market the Arts: A New Approach for the 21st Century,” and “Business Issues in the Arts.” He has also written two novels.

Gordon Shockley, Treasurer & Founding Board Member

Associate Professor of Social Entrepreneurship, Arizona State University

Gordon E. Shockley, Ph.D., M.M., M.A., is an Associate Professor of Social Entrepreneurship in the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University. He earned his doctorate in public policy at George Mason University’s School of Public Policy in 2006. Before returning to academia, he utilized his Master of Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management (1998) in working for all levels of American government, including the finance division of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the budget offices of Milwaukee County, Kentucky, and Missouri. He also earned an M.A. in Art History at Arizona State University and a B.A. with high honors in Ancient Greek and English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles.  His teaching and research interests concentrate on building the field of non-market entrepreneurship (specifically, social and policy entrepreneurship) as well as contributing to public policy modeling and the politics, economics, and sociology of the arts and humanities.

Dr. Shockley publishes his research in many social-science journals, including Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector QuarterlyJournal of Arts Management, Law & SocietyPublic Administration Review, and Journal of Social Entrepreneurship. He also has produced many book chapters and an edited book, Non-market Entrepreneurship: Interdisciplinary Approaches (2008, Edward Elgar) and has recently submitted two new book projects.

He has served as chair and board member for several terms of the Social Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Section of ARNOVA and as a board member of the Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations Section of APSA. He currently serves on the board of Social Theory, Politics and the Arts as well as on the editorial board of the journal Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts.  He has also several years of experience in managing, volunteering, and coaching community youth sports, such as the American Youth Soccer Association and the Special Olympics.

Hsin-Ching Wu, SPT&A

Hsin-Ching Wu

Assistant Professor of Arts Management and Director of the Arts and Cultural Management graduate certificate program at the College of Charleston

Dr. Hsin-Ching Wu is an Assistant Professor of Arts Management and Director of the Arts and Cultural Management graduate certificate program at the College of Charleston. Her research focuses on the intersection of nonprofit arts and cultural management, public administration and policy, and social equity. She has published on a wide range of topics, including national arts branding initiatives, the contribution of artists to the co-creation of public value, digital branding for government public relations, and issues concerning immigrant and marginalized populations.
With a background in American Studies and Arts Administration, Dr. Wu is particularly interested in representations of diverse arts and narratives in cultural institutions. She has experience in collection management at university galleries and also served as a collection manager for a private collector. Dr. Wu was an American Society for Public Administration Founders’ Fellow. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Biyun Zhu

Program Director of Arts Management, Policy, and Practice, Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Cultural Policy and Governance, The University of Manchester

Biyun Zhu is a Lecturer in Cultural Policy and Governance, and the Programme Director of Arts Management, Policy, and Practice at The University of Manchester. She attained her PhD in Cultural Policy and Arts Administration from The Ohio State University and a master’s in Public Policy from King’s College London. With experience working with governments and UN agencies, her interdisciplinary research delves into global cultural governance, comparative cultural policy, creative industries, and soft power. Currently, she is exploring network-building methodologies within cultural and public diplomacy.

2024 STP&A Board Committees

Executive Committee: Dr. Jennifer Novak-Leonard, President (president@stpaconference.org); Dr. Kate Preston Keeney, Vice President of Membership & Communications (vpmemcomm@stpaconference.org); Dr. Elise Kieffer, Vice President of Conferences (vpconferences@stpaconference.org); Dr. Gordon Shockley, Treasurer (treasurer@stpaconference.org); & Dr. Douglas DeNatale, Secretary (secretary@stpaconference.org)

Conference Committee: Dr. Elise Kieffer (chair), Dr. Divya Janardhan, Jay Pension, Dr. Jesús Heredia Carroza, Dr. B. Kathleen Gallagher & Dr. Hsin-Ching Wu

Finance Committee: Dr. Gordon Shockley (chair) & Dr. Travis Newton

Membership & Communications Committee: Dr. Kate Preston Keeney (chair), Dr. Wen Guo, Dr. Karen Munnelly & Dr. Anthony Rhine

Research & Development Committee: Dr. Douglas DeNatale (chair), Dr. Hyojung Cho, Dr. Yuha Jung, & Dr. Biyun Zhu

Special Initiatives Committee: Dr. Jennifer Novak-Leonard (chair) & Dr. WoongJo Chang

Prior STP&A Board of Directors Members

STP&A has grown as a professional association with regular gatherings due to the efforts and contributions of many individuals, conference hosts, sponsors, and additional stakeholders. In 2019, STP&A incorporated as a non-profit and wishes to recognize the significant contributions of its prior board of directors members:

  • Rachel Shane*, President, Board of Directors (2019-2023)
  • James Marchant*, Vice President (2019-2022) & Board of Directors (2019-2023)
  • Alex Hinand*, Board of Directors (2019-2023)
  • Mina Matlon, Board of Directors (2021-2022)
  • David Edelman*, Treasurer, Board of Directors (2019-2021)
  • Todd Dellinger*, Board of Directors (2019-2020)
  • Tracy Harris*, Board of Directors (2019-2020)
  • Stephen Miles*, Board of Directors (2019-2020)
* Founding Board Member

Codes of Ethics & Conduct

Code of Ethics

Social Theory, Politics, & the Arts (STP&A) is an international membership organization of researchers, policymakers, educators, practitioners, artists, and students that explores arts trends, practices, and policies. STP&A brings together professionals and students who bring research insights and contributions to the field and advance knowledge stemming from arts administration, cultural policy, and adjacent fields.

This Code of Ethics outlines the expectations of STP&A and its members as they serve, represent, and engage within the STP&A membership and at its activities and events.

Core Principles:

  • Strive for professional excellence — STP&A members contribute to strengthening individual and collective capabilities and support the effective, professional development of others towards excellence in their work.
  • Uphold professional integrity — STP&A members strive to promote honesty, transparency, fairness, and respect for human dignity in the scholarship, teaching, and practice of their profession and studies.
  • Respect diversity and foster inclusion — STP&A members acknowledge the diversity of the STP&A community as an asset and a value. Members treat others with equity, fairness, and respect, and work to foster ever greater inclusion within STP&A.
  • Promote a welcoming space — STP&A members strive to ensure a welcoming and safe space for those with whom they interact, in person or virtually, during STP&A activities and governance. Members do not engage in any form of bullying or harassment, including within intellectual debate.

By holding membership in STP&A, members agree to abide by this Code of Ethics.

Code of Conduct
At all times, attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests should act in accordance with STP&A’s Code of Ethics, upholding and advancing the integrity, honor, and dignity of the international community of researchers, policymakers, educators, practitioners, artists, and students that explores arts trends, practices, and policies. STP&A aims to enable and foster rich and open intellectual exchange and enrichment for all conference attendees and stakeholders of its professional membership community.

STP&A’s Board of Directors has developed this Code of Conduct to provide guidelines for fostering a positive environment of trust, respect, open communications, and ethical behavior. These guidelines apply to conferences, meetings, and other events organized by STP&A or affiliates who may conduct business on behalf of STP&A. Specifically:

  1. Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests at the STP&A conference and other events organized by STP&A should understand and support STP&A’s Code of Ethics.
  2. Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests should contribute to a collegial, inclusive, positive, and respectful environment for fellow attendees, volunteers, and guests, and other stakeholders, including the STP&A Board of Directors.
  3. Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests, and other stakeholders, should communicate openly and thoughtfully with others, listen well to others; use welcoming, constructive, and inclusive language and be respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences. Consistent respect should be shown to all colleagues, regardless of discipline, employment status, and organizations for which they work, whether industry, academia, government, or some other entity. Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests, and other stakeholders, including the STP&A Board of Directors, should avoid making inappropriate statements or taking inappropriate action based on race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, political affiliation, presence of disabilities, or educational background. Other actions to avoid include, but are not limited to, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
  4. Disruptive, harassing, threatening, or other inappropriate statements or behavior (as interpreted by the Board of Directors) toward other attendees, volunteers, guests, and other stakeholders, including the STP&A Board of Directors, is unacceptable.
  5. Violations of this conduct policy should be reported promptly to the STP&A President or other member of the STP&A Board of Directors’ Executive Committee

Reported violations will be reviewed by the STP&A Board of Directors and will be kept confidential. A majority finding by the Board of Directors of a violation may result in expulsion from membership including committees and exclusion from conferences and other STP&A activities and events.

Approved by STP&A Board of Directors, June 2023

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Who is STP&A

Social Theory, Politics, & the Arts (STP&A) is an international membership organization of researchers, policy-makers, educators, practitioners, artists, and students that explores arts trends, practices, and policies.

The STP&A Conference is the oldest and one of the most influential academic gatherings in the field of arts management and cultural policy. STP&A participants are drawn from a broad range of disciplines including political science, sociology, economics, law, arts management, arts education, art history, museum studies, cultural studies, education, and policy studies as well as arts managers and artists.

Mission​

To advance knowledge and foster a research community that explores arts trends, practices, and policies.

History

Originally organized as “Sociology and the Arts” in 1973 and hosting the first conference in 1974, STP&A is the longest-running association and gathering in the fields of arts management and cultural policy. In 1975, the name changed to “Social Theory and the Arts”. In 1983, the conference was spearheaded by Dr. Margaret Wyszomirski and Dr. Judith Balfe, connected by Dr. Peter Peterson, Vanderbilt University, and held at Rutgers University, where it convened for the first-time both the ‘Social Theory and the Arts Group’ and the ‘Conference Group on Cultural and Arts Policy’, and hence evolved into what the association is known as today, “Social Theory, Politics, & the Arts.” According to Dr. Wyszomirski, “Both the sociologists and policy/political science scholars were longterm key constituencies of STP&A the Conference and were joined over the years by arts administrators, occasional artists, art critics and art historians and were joined by numerous international scholars in the emerging field.” Robert Leighninger’s 2006 article, “The Origins of Brigadoon: A History of the Social Theory, Politics and the Arts Conference” captures the evolution of STP&A over its first three decades.

With its earliest roots in the United States and Canada, STP&A responded to the growth of its international network and research community and in 2006 began to hold conferences outside of North America, which have included in Seoul, South Korea; Vienna, Austria; Manchester and London, England; and Adelaide, Australia. Since 1973, there have been only a few years when the association did not hold its annual convening, most recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

STP&A has continued to grow and it incorporated as a non-profit entity in 2019, with Dr. Rachel Shane serving as STP&A’s founding board of directors’ president through 2023. In 2024, STP&A will hold its 48th annual conference in Osuna, Spain. STP&A has a rich conference and association history:

ConferenceYearHosts
482024Escuela Universitaria de Osuna-Universidad de Sevilla
Osuna, Spain
472023University of Kentucky, Department of Arts Administration
Lexington, KY, U.S.
462022Hongik University, Department of Arts & Cultural Management
Seoul, South Korea
452019University of New Orleans, School of the Arts
New Orleans, LA, U.S.
442018University of Manchester
Manchester, England
432017University of St. Thomas & University of Minnesota, Arts & Cultural Leadership
Minneapolis, MN, U.S.
422016École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP), Université du Québec
Montreal, Québec, Canada
412015University of South Australia, UniSA Business School, The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre and the Asia Pacific Centre for Arts & Cultural Leadership
Adelaide, Australia
402014University of Ottawa, School of Political Studies
Ottawa, Canada
392013Seattle University, Arts Leadership
Seattle, WA, U.S.
382012Louisiana State University, Political Science and Public Administration
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
372011University of Kentucky, Arts Administration Program
Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.
362010George Mason University, Arts Management Program
Fairfax, Virginia U.S.
352009University of London, Birkbeck College
London, U.K.
342008University of Baltimore, Schaefer Center for Public Policy
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
332007New York University
New York, New York, U.S.
322006FOKUS (Austrian Association for Cultural Economics and Policy Studies)
Vienna, Austria
312005University of Oregon, Arts & Administration Program
Eugene, Oregon, U.S.
302004George Mason University, MPA Nonprofit Studies Program
Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
292003The Ohio State University, Arts Policy and Administration Program
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
282002College of Charleston, School of the Arts
Charleston, SC, U.S.
272001Golden Gate University, Arts Administration Program
San Francisco, CA, U.S.
262000Americans for the Arts & the Center for Arts and Culture
Washington, DC, U.S.
251999Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
241998Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA, U.S.
231997Do you have details about this conference? Email info@stpaconference.org
221996University of Montreal
Montreal, Québec, Canada
211995The University of California at Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA, U.S.
201994Louisiana State University, Political Science and Public Administration
Baton Rouge, LA, U.S.
191993Northeastern University
Boston, MA, U.S.
181992University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg Center for Communication
Philadelphia, PA, U.S.
171991University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL, U.S.
161990City University of New York Graduate Center
New York, NY, U.S.
151989York University & University of Ottawa
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
141988The American University
Washington, DC, U.S.
131987State University of New York (SUNY)
121986University of California, San Diego
San Diego, CA, U.S.
111985Adelphi University & The New School for Social Research
New York, NY, U.S.
101984University of Maryland – College Park
College Park, MD, U.S.
91983Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ, U.S.
81981Do you have details about this conference? Email info@stpaconference.org
71980Do you have details about this conference? Email info@stpaconference.org
61979William Patterson College
Wayne, NJ, U.S.
51978Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY, U.S.
41977Stockton State College
Pomona, NJ, U.S.
31976State University of New York
Albany, NY, U.S.
21975State University of New York
Fredonia, NY, U.S.
11974State University of New York-Oswego
Oswego, NY, U.S.

Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society

STP&A is affiliated with the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society (JAMLS). JAMLS has been the authoritative resource for the field of arts management and cultural policy for more than 40 years.

JAMLS has featured numerous contributions about the STP&A professional community and conferences, and has published special issues of the journal featuring papers presented at STP&A’s annual conferences.

By-laws

STP&A is governed by its by-laws, adopted in 2019, which the board of directors works to implement on behalf of STP&A’s membership.

Board of Directors

The members of STP&A’s 2024 Board of Directors are listed alphabetically:

WoongJo Chang STP&A

WoongJo Chang

Chair, Department of Arts & Cultural Management, Hongik University (Republic of Korea)

WoongJo Chang, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor and Chair of the Department of Arts and Cultural Management in Hongik University, Seoul, Korea. Before coming to Hongik University, he taught in the Arts Leadership Program in Seattle University in the state of Washington, USA. He studied performing arts at Seoul National University and earned a Ph.D. in Cultural Policy and Arts Administration from the Ohio State University. His research is focused on small arts organizations’ entrepreneurial practices and how to support them. His recent works have appeared in books and journals, such as in The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, of which he is currently serving as a consulting editor. Chang is also a co-chair of the scientific committee of Korean Society of Arts and Cultural Management.

Hyojung Cho STP&A

Hyojung Cho

Texas Tech University

Dr. Hyojung Cho is an Associate Professor of Heritage Management in the Heritage and Museum Sciences program at Texas Tech University. She holds an M.A. in Museum Science from George Washington University and a Ph.D. in Arts Administration, Education and Policy at The Ohio State University, with a specialization in heritage conservation. Her academic interest is in investigating the use of heritage resources for today’s purposes and ways for safeguarding them, which makes her passionate about communicating, learning, and cooperating with the diverse players beyond the boundaries of academia or the field of heritage.

Douglas DeNatale STP&A

Douglas DeNatale, Secretary

Boston University

Douglas DeNatale is an Associate Professor of the Practice and the Director of the Graduate Program in Arts Administration at Boston University. In addition to serving on the board of STP&A, he is a member of the board of directors for ENCATC, the European Network on Cultural Management and Policy. Prior to joining the BU faculty, he was president of Community Logic, Inc., an arts consulting firm specializing in research and documentation. He previously served as Director of Research for the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), where he played an instrumental role in forecasting the emerging creative economy and in developing NEFA’s web-based regional database.  He has directed collaborative arts research projects for the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Library of Congress. His creative economy research has been widely cited.  He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a B.A. from Wesleyan University.

B. Kathleen Gallagher

Assistant Professor, Public Administration, Department of Political Science, Texas Tech University

Dr. Gallagher is an interdisciplinary researcher whose research interests are broadly focused on topics related to community development and community assets, including the practice of placemaking, cultural district policies, and nonprofit and arts management.  Her research is published in ArtivateThe International Journal of Arts ManagementThe Journal of Arts ManagementLaw, and Society, The Journal of Emergency Management, The Journal of Rural and Community DevelopmentLocal Development & Society, The Policy Studies JournalPublic Administration Quarterly, Public Performance and Management Review, as well as several book chapters in edited volumes.  Gallagher has taught courses in arts management, cultural policy, and cultural economics for undergraduate and graduate students.  She currently teaches graduate MPA courses in public administration and nonprofit management and an undergraduate course in public policy. Prior to returning to academia, she operated an appraisal firm and specialized in the valuation of fine arts objects. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Affairs from the University of Colorado Denver, an MA from Christie’s Education, an MBA from the University of Illinois, and a BA from College of the Holy Cross.

Wen Guo STP&A

Wen Guo

Department of Art Education, Florida State University

Wen Guo is an Assistant Professor of Art Administration at Florida State University. She graduated with a doctoral degree in Cultural Policy and Arts Administration at Ohio State University in 2019. She is recently named as a Research Fellow for the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, administered by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research. Wen studies a broad array of arts management and cultural policy issues in the US and China. She has published peer-reviewed articles in The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and SocietyStudies in Art EducationVisual InquiryArtivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts, and the American Journal of Arts Management. She currently serves as an editorial board member of the American Journal of Arts Management. She works as a faculty mentor in the Center for Design Thinking and Leading Women in Audio Conference of Elon University. Before coming to the US, she worked for Daku Decorative and Artistic Design Company in Beijing 798 Art District.

Jesús Heredia Carroza

Universidad de Sevilla, Department of Economics and Economic History & Vice President of Fundación Pública de Estudios Universitarios Francisco Maldonado de Osuna

Dr. Jesús Heredia-Carroza is Professor at Universidad de Sevilla in its Department of Economics and Economic History. Also, Jesús is Vice-President of Fundación Pública de Estudios Universitarios Francisco Maldonado de Osuna. This foundation manages and represents the “Escuela Universitaria de Osuna”, associated Centre of Universidad de Sevilla, Spain, which will host the 2024 STP&A Conference.

The role of the Foundation “Francisco Maldonado” is very important in its region because it is located in a rural environment and contributes to the high education of the population which could also have a positive effect on discouraging rural depopulation. Likewise, it has its own Music Conservatory, its College of Arts and Design and its recently established College of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Goods. At this moment, its strategy is focused on quality of educational services, create synergies with other institutions which allow to promote internationally.

Jesús is the youngest founder member of Red Iberoamericana de Economía de la Cultura (RIEC), (Medellín, Colombia, 2017). Besides, Jesús is co-founder of Workshop of Popular Culture Economics & Management. His research interest is focused on Cultural Economics and Management, specifically in traditional popular music, festivals and spectators’ profiles. Currently, through interdisciplinary methods, he explains the relationship between copyright and perceived value of flamenco.

His research papers have been published or accepted for publication in renowned academic journals such as: Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, Empirical Studies of the Arts (USA), International Journal of Heritage Studies (United Kingdom), Arbor (Spain), Kepes (Colombia), or Trames. A Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences (Estonia), amongst others. And, he was Guest Editor for Special Issues related with Cultural Economics & Management of international indexed Journals such as: Scientific Annals of Economics and Business (Romania) and Revista Finazas y Política Económica (Colombia)

Divya Janardhan STP&A

Divya Janardhan

Assistant Professor of Arts Administration, Management, and Advocacy | Area Head: Arts Administration at Texas Tech University

 

Dr. Divya Janardhan is the Area Head and Assistant Professor of Arts Administration, Management, and Advocacy at the Talkington College of Visual and Performing Arts, Texas Tech University. Her research lies at the intersection of arts management practices, cultural policy, and cultural equity within the arts and cultural sector, and their interaction with cultural funding within the larger urban system. Her research articles appear in the International Journal of Arts Management, Journal of Knowledge Management, and American Journal of Arts Management. Dr. Janardhan has been an invited speaker at Lalit Kala Akademi – India’s National Academy for the Visual Arts, an invited reviewer for the cultural policy graduate curriculum standards for the Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE), and an invited speaker, peer reviewer, and discussant at multiple conferences in the arts administration and cultural policy fields. Dr. Janardhan serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Arts Management.

Dr. Janardhan brings prior experience in consulting for the nonprofit arts and cultural sector, and marketing and branding experience from the advertising industry. She is a trained classical performing arts vocalist in the Carnatic musical tradition and has acquired visual arts training under one of India’s leading contemporary artists. Dr. Janardhan was awarded a Ph.D. in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from the Ohio State University; an M.S. in Arts Administration from Drexel University; a P.G.D. in Advertising and Marketing from the Xavier Institute of Communications, St. Xavier’s College; and a B.A. in Media and Communications from Bangalore University.

Yuha Jung

Associate Professor, Department of Arts Administration, University of Kentucky

Dr. Yuha Jung is an associate professor and the director of graduate studies of Arts Administration at the University of Kentucky. She was named the University Research Professor at UK for the 2022-2023 academic year. Her research is focused on systems theory and cultural diversity in arts and culture organizations. Her work is interdisciplinary including museum studies, arts management, historic preservation, and the law. She has published various peer-reviewed articles, co-edited a book, Systems Thinking in Museums: Theory and Practice, and completed a monograph in 2022, Transforming Museum Management: Evidence-Based Change through Open Systems Theory. She recently received the National Endowment for the Humanities Research and Development Grant for her project, “Whose History Are We Preserving?: Mapping the Gaps of the National Register of Historic Places from Racial and Ethnic Historical Perspectives (2023).” She is currently editing the Oxford Handbook of Arts and Cultural Management. She holds an MA in Museum Studies, an MPA, and a PhD in Art Education. She is currently pursuing a JD.

Kate Preston Keeney STP&A

Kate Preston Keeney, Vice President of Membership & Communications

Associate Professor of Arts Leadership & Entrepreneurship, University of Maryland

Kate Keeney is an Associate Professor of Arts Leadership and Entrepreneurship at the University of Maryland. Her research interests bridge arts management and nonprofit management scholarship with a specific focus on cultural policy, leadership, and organizations. Prior to her appointment at the University of Maryland, Keeney served as Associate Professor and Program Director of Arts Management at the College of Charleston. She is a consulting editor for the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society and a board member for Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts.

Dr. Keeney holds a PhD in Public Administration from Virginia Tech and a Master of Arts Administration from American University. Previously, Dr. Keeney held professional positions with the National Symphony Orchestra, Americans for the Arts, the Cathedral Choral Society, and the New York Philharmonic.

Elise Kieffer, Vice President of Conferences

Program Director and Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Leadership Studies at Murray State University

Dr. Elise Lael Kieffer is Program Director and Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Leadership Studies at Murray State University. She also directs the Nonprofit Resource Center, providing professional development for nonprofits across West Kentucky. Professional affiliations: Association of Arts Leadership Educators (President); Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts (Board Member). Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (Strategic Planning Committee); Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership (Editorial Board). Education: PhD (Florida State University; MPA (Tennessee State University); BFA (Jacksonville University, FL). Research focuses include developing capacity at arts organizations serving rural communities, and improving communication between rural arts organizations. Current Project: Rural Arts Management (Routledge, 2024, along with co-author, Dr. Jerome Socolof). She is published in Business Issues in the Arts, Local Government in Small-town America, Journal of Nonprofit Innovation, American Journal of Arts Management, International Journal of Lifelong Learning in Art Education, and International Journal of Social, Political, and Community Agendas in the Arts.

Karen Munnelly

ArtsVision

 

Karen Munnelly is the Director of Client Services for ArtsVision, a cloud-based performing arts management software solution. Prior to moving into the tech sector, Dr. Munnelly served as the Director of Arts Administration and an Assistant Professor in the College of Music at Florida State University. She also served as the Director of Professional Programs at the University of Texas at Austin, where she oversaw Fine Arts Career Services and assisted in implementing a variety of professional development initiatives.

Dr. Munnelly also enjoyed a successful career as an arts administrator. She previously held positions with the Aspen Music Festival & School, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Kennedy Center and the National Repertory Orchestra.

Dr. Munnelly’s research centers around career preparation and the arts portfolio career. Her articles appear in the Journal of Arts Management, Law & Society, the American Journal of Arts Management and Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts.

Dr. Munnelly received the Ph.D. in Arts Administration, Education & Policy from The Ohio State University, the Master of Arts in Arts Administration from Florida State University and the Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from the University of South Florida.

Travis Newton STP&A

Travis Newton

Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Visual & Performing Arts at Le Moyne College

Travis Newton is Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Visual & Performing Arts at Le Moyne College, where he directs the Le Moyne College Symphony Orchestra and teaches courses in music and arts administration. He founded the arts administration minor and Master of Science at Le Moyne, and his current research is focused on community engagement. Recent publications include Orchestra Management Handbook (Oxford University Press, 2022) and co- author (with Yuha Jung) of “Open Systems Theory in Arts Management” in the Oxford Handbook of Arts and Cultural Management (Oxford University Press, 2023). In addition to his role as a board member with STP&A, he currently serves on the board of directors and as director of music programming of the Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music.

Jennifer Novak-Leonard, President

Research Associate Professor & Research Director, Arts Impact Initiative, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Dr. Jennifer Novak-Leonard is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the College of Fine & Applied Arts and serves as Research Director of its newly launched Arts Impact Initiative. Her influential work includes the creation of both conceptual and analytical frameworks for interrogating the diverse modes in which individuals participate in art and creative expression, and the value those experiences provide. Her intersectional work links culture and creativity, social impact, cultural policy, and arts management. She is often called upon by policymakers and cultural practitioners to guide their use of research and data for strategic decision-making. Novak-Leonard has also led numerous applied research efforts, including those funded by the National Endowment for the Arts; The James Irvine Foundation; First People’s Fund; the American Academy of Arts & Sciences; and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. From 2016 – 2020, Novak-Leonard was the Principal Investigator of one of the four inaugural National Endowment for the Arts’ Research Labs. She serves as the Board Vice President for the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project (SNAAP) and on the editorial advisory boards of Cultural Trends, Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts, and The Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society.

Jay Pension STP&A

Jay Pension STP&A

Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan

Jay Pension is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan where he supervises the Performing Arts Management and Entrepreneurship minor. In this role he teaches courses focused in performing arts management for undergraduate and graduate students. From 2017-2023 he worked for Florida State University. At Florida State he developed online courses in Introduction to Theatre and Introduction to Arts Administration. He is the co-author with Anthony Rhine of the book How to Market the Arts published by Oxford University Press and is the co-editor on Business Issues in the Arts, a volume published by Routledge.

He is originally from the Boston area. Over the past 15 years he has worked as a producer on over 100 theatre productions in Boston and New York City for both regional theatres and off-Broadway. Jay is a Ph.D. Candidate focused on arts administration. Prior to beginning his doctoral studies, he completed an M.F.A. in Theatre Management at Florida State University.

Anthony Rhine STP&A

Anthony Rhine

PACE University

 

Anthony S. Rhine holds a Ph.D. in business administration and both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in theatre management.  He worked for the first two decades of his career as a theatre executive, running multi-million-dollar and Tony-nominated theatre companies.  During that time, he also wrote the librettos for over twenty produced musicals, including several that toured both nationally and internationally, and directed scores of professional productions.  For the last decade-and-a-half, he has been a professor of arts management, focusing his research on advancing and improving arts management education and its application in improving nonprofit arts organizational outcomes such as increased ticket sales and unearned income.  His research has been published in the top-ranked journals of arts management, and he is author of the business book, “Leading the Creative Mind,” the textbooks, “Theatre Management: Arts Leadership for the 21st Century,”  and “Arts Marketing: An Introduction,” and the forthcoming “How to Market the Arts: A New Approach for the 21st Century,” and “Business Issues in the Arts.” He has also written two novels.

Gordon Shockley, Treasurer

Associate Professor of Social Entrepreneurship, Arizona State University

Gordon E. Shockley, Ph.D., M.M., M.A., is an Associate Professor of Social Entrepreneurship in the School of Community Resources and Development at Arizona State University. He earned his doctorate in public policy at George Mason University’s School of Public Policy in 2006. Before returning to academia, he utilized his Master of Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management (1998) in working for all levels of American government, including the finance division of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the budget offices of Milwaukee County, Kentucky, and Missouri. He also earned an M.A. in Art History at Arizona State University and a B.A. with high honors in Ancient Greek and English Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles.  His teaching and research interests concentrate on building the field of non-market entrepreneurship (specifically, social and policy entrepreneurship) as well as contributing to public policy modeling and the politics, economics, and sociology of the arts and humanities.

Dr. Shockley publishes his research in many social-science journals, including Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector QuarterlyJournal of Arts Management, Law & SocietyPublic Administration Review, and Journal of Social Entrepreneurship. He also has produced many book chapters and an edited book, Non-market Entrepreneurship: Interdisciplinary Approaches (2008, Edward Elgar) and has recently submitted two new book projects.

He has served as chair and board member for several terms of the Social Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Section of ARNOVA and as a board member of the Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations Section of APSA. He currently serves on the board of Social Theory, Politics and the Arts as well as on the editorial board of the journal Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts.  He has also several years of experience in managing, volunteering, and coaching community youth sports, such as the American Youth Soccer Association and the Special Olympics.

Hsin-Ching Wu, SPT&A

Hsin-Ching Wu

Assistant Professor of Arts Management and Director of the Arts and Cultural Management graduate certificate program at the College of Charleston

Dr. Hsin-Ching Wu is an Assistant Professor of Arts Management and Director of the Arts and Cultural Management graduate certificate program at the College of Charleston. Her research focuses on the intersection of nonprofit arts and cultural management, public administration and policy, and social equity. She has published on a wide range of topics, including national arts branding initiatives, the contribution of artists to the co-creation of public value, digital branding for government public relations, and issues concerning immigrant and marginalized populations.
With a background in American Studies and Arts Administration, Dr. Wu is particularly interested in representations of diverse arts and narratives in cultural institutions. She has experience in collection management at university galleries and also served as a collection manager for a private collector. Dr. Wu was an American Society for Public Administration Founders’ Fellow. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Biyun Zhu

Program Director of Arts Management, Policy, and Practice, Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Cultural Policy and Governance, The University of Manchester

Biyun Zhu is a Lecturer in Cultural Policy and Governance, and the Programme Director of Arts Management, Policy, and Practice at The University of Manchester. She attained her PhD in Cultural Policy and Arts Administration from The Ohio State University and a master’s in Public Policy from King’s College London. With experience working with governments and UN agencies, her interdisciplinary research delves into global cultural governance, comparative cultural policy, creative industries, and soft power. Currently, she is exploring network-building methodologies within cultural and public diplomacy.

Prior STP&A Board of Directors Members

STP&A has grown as a professional association with regular gatherings due to the efforts and contributions of many individuals, conference hosts, sponsors, and additional stakeholders. In 2019, STP&A incorporated as a non-profit and wishes to recognize the significant contributions of its prior board of directors members:

  • Rachel Shane, President, Board of Directors (2019-2023)
  • James Marchant, Vice President (2019-2022) & Board of Directors (2019-2023)
  • Alex Hinand, Board of Directors (2019-2023)
  • Mina Matlon, Board of Directors (2021-2022)
  • David Edelman, Treasurer, Board of Directors (2019-2021)
  • Todd Dellinger, Board of Directors (2019-2020)
  • Tracy Harris, Board of Directors (2019-2020)
  • Stephen Miles, Board of Directors (2019-2020)

Codes of Ethics & Conduct 

Code of Ethics

Social Theory, Politics, & the Arts (STP&A) is an international membership organization of researchers, policymakers, educators, practitioners, artists, and students that explores arts trends, practices, and policies. STP&A brings together professionals and students who bring research insights and contributions to the field and advance knowledge stemming from arts administration, cultural policy, and adjacent fields.

This Code of Ethics outlines the expectations of STP&A and its members as they serve, represent, and engage within the STP&A membership and at its activities and events.

Core Principles:

  • Strive for professional excellence — STP&A members contribute to strengthening individual and collective capabilities and support the effective, professional development of others towards excellence in their work.
  • Uphold professional integrity — STP&A members strive to promote honesty, transparency, fairness, and respect for human dignity in the scholarship, teaching, and practice of their profession and studies.
  • Respect diversity and foster inclusion — STP&A members acknowledge the diversity of the STP&A community as an asset and a value. Members treat others with equity, fairness, and respect, and work to foster ever greater inclusion within STP&A.
  • Promote a welcoming space — STP&A members strive to ensure a welcoming and safe space for those with whom they interact, in person or virtually, during STP&A activities and governance. Members do not engage in any form of bullying or harassment, including within intellectual debate.

By holding membership in STP&A, members agree to abide by this Code of Ethics.

Code of Conduct
At all times, attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests should act in accordance with STP&A’s Code of Ethics, upholding and advancing the integrity, honor, and dignity of the international community of researchers, policymakers, educators, practitioners, artists, and students that explores arts trends, practices, and policies. STP&A aims to enable and foster rich and open intellectual exchange and enrichment for all conference attendees and stakeholders of its professional membership community.

STP&A’s Board of Directors has developed this Code of Conduct to provide guidelines for fostering a positive environment of trust, respect, open communications, and ethical behavior. These guidelines apply to conferences, meetings, and other events organized by STP&A or affiliates who may conduct business on behalf of STP&A. Specifically:

  1. Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests at the STP&A conference and other events organized by STP&A should understand and support STP&A’s Code of Ethics.
  2. Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests should contribute to a collegial, inclusive, positive, and respectful environment for fellow attendees, volunteers, and guests, and other stakeholders, including the STP&A Board of Directors.
  3. Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests, and other stakeholders, should communicate openly and thoughtfully with others, listen well to others; use welcoming, constructive, and inclusive language and be respectful of differing viewpoints and experiences. Consistent respect should be shown to all colleagues, regardless of discipline, employment status, and organizations for which they work, whether industry, academia, government, or some other entity. Attendees, volunteers, sponsors, reviewers, and guests, and other stakeholders, including the STP&A Board of Directors, should avoid making inappropriate statements or taking inappropriate action based on race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, political affiliation, presence of disabilities, or educational background. Other actions to avoid include, but are not limited to, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
  4. Disruptive, harassing, threatening, or other inappropriate statements or behavior (as interpreted by the Board of Directors) toward other attendees, volunteers, guests, and other stakeholders, including the STP&A Board of Directors, is unacceptable.
  5. Violations of this conduct policy should be reported promptly to the STP&A President or other member of the STP&A Board of Directors’ Executive Committee

Reported violations will be reviewed by the STP&A Board of Directors and will be kept confidential. A majority finding by the Board of Directors of a violation may result in expulsion from membership including committees and exclusion from conferences and other STP&A activities and events.

Approved by STP&A Board of Directors, June 2023

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