STP&A 2026 Conference
50th Annual STP&A Conference
October 15-17, 2026
Columbus, OH
The Ohio State University
Conference Hosts
STP&A is excited to partner with faculty and partners at The Ohio State to host the 50th annual conference.
Schedule At-A-Glance & Attendee Guidance
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio is the 14th largest city in the United States and the second largest city in the Midwest, after Chicago. It is the largest and fastest-growing city in Ohio and is known to be an open and dynamic place. Between incredible arts and entertainment, exciting collegiate and professional sports and a spectacular downtown riverfront of sprawling greenspace, Columbus has something for everyone.
Some of Columbus’s top sites of interest include the Columbus Museum of Art, the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, and the only museum of its kind, COSI, voted best science museum in the U.S. three times by USA Today’s 10Best awards. Columbus is also known for its sporting events, including Ohio State Football alongside professional soccer and hockey, and minor leagues baseball. Columbus was named one of Essence’s Best Destinations for Culinary Travel in 2024 and is home to restaurateur Cameron Mitchell (who just opened his 100th restaurant in 2023), James Beard Award-
winning cookbook author Jeni Britton (of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams), Top Chef season 18 contestant Avishar Barua, 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist Chef BJ Lieberman and several other culinary stars.
Information adapted from Experience Columbus.
Pre-conference activities.
OSU Symposium on Experiential Learning through Community Engagement in the Arts
Wednesday, October 14, 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Free. RSVP is required and details on how to RSVP for this event are forthcoming.
OSU has been engaged in a three-year initiative, funded by the Mellon Foundation, meant to contribute to community engagement via the arts, with a particular focus on placing OSU graduate and undergraduate students in experiential learning placements with community arts organizations. Concluding in December 2026, this initiative will have supported well over 35,000 hours of paid intern, extern, and graduate associateship hours. This half-day symposium will speak to what we have learned from this initiative and what others might learn from our shared work. The half-day event will include a research presentation, student panel, and community partner panel, as well as a keynote speech by Dr. Alexandre Frenette about his new book, Blame the Intern: On (Not) Breaking Into the Creative Economy. Lunch will be provided, and a reception will conclude the event.
UNESCO World Heritage Hopewell Earthworks Sites. *Limited spots remaining.
Thursday October 15, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Fee for all participants and guests: $20
The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are Ohio’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site and the 25th World Heritage Listing in the United States. Led by Marti Chaatsmith, interim director of Newark Earthworks Center and Dr. Christine Ballengee Morris, AAEP professor emerita. The activity will be a half-day trip to visit two earthworks sites. Participation fee will include bus transit, a box lunch, a private tour of both sites, and programming with experts.
Presenter technology. Coming soon.
Authors’ book table. Any registered attendee who is the author or editor of an academic book is invited to display their work. This is an opportunity to showcase, not sell, your work. Drop-off & Pick-up: Bring your book to the registration desk during check-in. Authors must retrieve their books by the close of the conference. Unclaimed books will not be returned. Contact vpconferences@stpaconference.org with questions.
- Authors are responsible for providing a copy of their book.
- Only one copy per title will be accepted.
- Books will be displayed in a designated area for the duration of the conference.
Important Dates
| Call for Proposals Announced | mid-March 2026 |
| Proposal Submissions Portal Opens | mid-March 2026 |
| Conference Registration Opens | Early May 2026 |
| Proposal Submissions Portal Closes + Deadline to apply for conference scholarship via submission portal | May 6, 2026 |
| Acceptance, Waitlist, Denial Letters | May 29, 2026 |
| Conference Registration Deadline for Early Pricing + Presenter/panelist registration deadline + Deadline to indicate interest for conference research awards via submission portal | June 29, 2026 |
| Conference Registration Deadline for Standard Pricing + Cancellation deadline (with refund) + Deadline to submit papers for conference award consideration + Deadline to submit papers for presenters/authors accepted to ‘Research Paper & Discussion’ track | September 15, 2026 |
| Late Registration & Guest Registration Final Deadline + Deadline to submit final entries for conference book of abstracts | October 5, 2026 |
| Cancellation deadline (for transfer & without refund) | October 12, 2026 |
| 2026 STP&A Conference Dates | October 15-17, 2026 |
| Submission deadline for JAMLS special conference issue | November 13, 2026 |
Call for Proposals
The STP&A Conference is the oldest and one of the most influential research gatherings in the field of arts management and cultural policy. STP&A conference participants stem from a broad range of disciplines from across the globe and value the interdisciplinary nature of the overall conference. STP&A heartily welcomes participants engaged not only in arts management and cultural policy research, but also researchers at the various intersections of the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
Research stemming from STP&A conference presentation may be submitted to the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society for consideration in the special STP&A conference issue. Submissions will be due to JAMLS following the conference convening.
Conference Tracks
STP&A invites conference proposals related to arts management and cultural policy research and the various intersections of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the STP&A Conference and related research, all proposals will be considered within the delineated framework of 5 tracks, including an “open track.” If you have questions about the suitability of your proposal for conference consideration, please email STP&A: conference@stpaconference.org
1. Ecosystems of Creative Production and Participation
The arts and culture operate within interconnected social, economic, and institutional systems. This theme looks at how art and culture is made and what structures (e.g., policies, organizations, funding, labor conditions) shape the ecosystem.
Key words may include: aesthetics; arts and cultural participation; arts and cultural workforce/ labor/creative production; cultural policy and planning; heritage
2. Equity, Access, and Inclusion Across the Arts and Culture
This theme focuses on understanding and addressing inequities in both the consumption and production of the arts and culture—who is welcomed, who is supported, whose work is valued, and how systems can change to be more equitable.
Key words may include: inclusion in participation and/or audiences; labor equity; philanthropy (especially equitable funding); cultural policy with an equity lens
3. Infrastructure, Investment, and Sustainability
This theme examines the financial, policy, and structural supports required to sustain the arts sector, with a focus on managerial practices and policies that foster long-term resilience, fair compensation, adaptive governance, and organizational capacity.
Key words may include: arts management, systems and institutions; leadership and governance; organizational practices (as learning organizations)
4. Methodologies, Frameworks, and Ways of Knowing
This theme emphasizes the role of arts-specific ways of generating knowledge—creative inquiry, participatory research, embodied methodologies—and how these inform practice, pedagogy, and strategy.
Key words may include: arts-based research and methodologies; teaching and learning; cultural policy and planning (as knowledge-informed practice)
5. Open Track / Cross-Cutting Innovation
A designated theme for research that falls outside or across traditional boundaries and beyond the themes already outlined—supporting emergent ideas, hybrid practices, and experimental approaches. Encourages innovation and experimentation to surface new directions and disruptive thinking.
Key words may include: new theoretical provocations; cross-sector collaborations (health, tech, environment, justice, etc.); unusual partnerships or artistic experiments; topics not yet recognized in arts policy/education/management
Proposal Formats
STP&A accepts proposals for the following types of formats:
- Research Paper & Discussion Proposals
- Research Presentation Proposals
- Panel Proposals
- Interactive Sessions
1. Research Paper & Discussion Proposal
A 20-minute presentation and commitment to review 1-2 fellow presenters’ work in advance of the conference, forming 75-minute conference sessions. The purpose of this track is to provide opportunity for deep engagement with, and discussion of, works-in-progress that are intended for publication as a journal article, book chapter, or other publication. A “work-in-progress” is defined as a research paper that has been started, but may not be fully complete. Preliminary data collection, analysis, and findings are expected. The length of the paper should be typical for publication in an academic journal (approximately 6,000-10,000) words.
Upon acceptance, the author(s) written work is due approximately 4 weeks in advance of the conference convening. For the 2026 conference, works-in-progress are due by September 15, 2026, and can be uploaded within ExOrdo. If the written work is not submitted by the due date, then accepted proposals may be transitioned for inclusion within the conference as a Research Presentation and authors notified of this change. Members of the STP&A Scientific Committee and/or STP&A Board Members will be assigned to review written work and will serve as discussants.
Initial Review Process:
Submissions will be reviewed by members of the STP&A Scientific Committee to confirm alignment with the track’s purpose and readiness for constructive feedback. If the written work is not submitted by the due date, does not align with the outlined expectations for a work-in-progress, or otherwise is not be suitable for the Research Paper & Discussion track, then accepted proposals may be transitioned for inclusion within the conference as a Research Presentation and authors notified of this change.
Discussant Assignment:
- Each paper will be assigned a primary discussant drawn from the Scientific Committee and/or Board of Directors. Where needed and/or feasible, an additional reader may be assigned to support the discussion.
- The papers within a session will be shared with all paper-presenters. Each presenter within the session will be expected to read all other papers within their session and prepare brief remarks focused on contributions and key areas in need of further clarity and/or development
Matching Considerations:
Assignments will be guided on topical and/or methodological alignment, while balancing workload and avoiding conflicts of interest.
Preparation Expectations:
Discussants are expected to review assigned papers in advance and prepare brief, structured comments that highlight key contributions and identify areas for further development.
2. Research Presentation Proposal
A 20-minute presentation in a session with other research presenters, forming 60-75 minute conference sessions. This format has been the most traditionally included at STP&A conferences.
Research presentations may be based on completed work or work in development that exists in one of several forms, including, but not exclusive to scholarly papers, research reports, and performance-based research projects. There is no expectation for written work to be submitted in advance of the conference.
Research Presentation proposals should be submitted for studies that are to be fairly mature both conceptually and methodologically, ideally with some preliminary data analysis and findings that are suggestive of the impact and significance of the research, by the time of the conference. The Research Presentation should be a complete discussion of finalized data analysis and findings. The Research Presentation proposal may stem from the results of quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods studies or report the findings of studies that use historical or philosophical methods. These studies are based on original data collection or secondary data analysis.
Research Presentations may also present well-developed arguments on philosophical, theoretical, or practical problems in the study of the arts. They are not required to adhere to an empirical research design (e.g., methods, data collection, and data analysis). Rather, such Research Presentations pose critical questions, synthesize divergent bodies of literature, or elaborate new theoretical or conceptual frameworks.
Research Presentations may also present performance-based research projects that may take the form of art, music, dance, spoken word, or theatrical performance in a standard classroom/conference space. Such Research Presentations proposals should describe how the research advances knowledge in the fields of arts administration and/or arts policy.
3. Panel Proposal
An up to 75-minute Panel Presentation typically consisting of 3-5 speakers in a session focused on a shared topic of inquiry, or that may consist of three to four research papers or other works that share a topic, approach, or other vital shared element that enhances the advancement of knowledge by being presented in a shared session.
A minimum of 3 speakers offering 3 unique perspectives (e.g. papers, experiences, etc.) are required for a panel, meaning that at a minimum of 3 speakers must register for and be in attendance for the panel presentation. In limited circumstances, if the number of required panelists cannot be met, Panel Presentation proposals may be converted to Research Presentations with approval from the Conference Committee.
The author of the Panel Presentation proposal will serve as the point of contact for all panelists.
4. Interactive Session Proposal
A 30 or 45-minute interactive session intended to provide a form of active engagement with participants. Such interactive sessions may, but are not limited to, take the form of workshops or facilitated discussions or meet-ups of STP&A members with shared affinities or research interests.
A workshop is a hands-on session that features interaction between and among the presenter(s) and the audience to advance knowledge of a particular issue or research problem.
Facilitated thematic discussions or research-focused meet-ups include a convening of members around shared affinities or research interests. Such proposals will describe and motivate the theme/topic of focus for the session, what the benefit of the session to participants will be, and describe the planned nature of facilitation for the session.
Interactive Sessions may be proposed by an individual or co-researchers/authors. The author of the Interaction Session proposal will serve as the point person for the panel.
Proposal & Submission Guidelines
Each proposal submission is to include:
- Title (150 characters or less)
- Abstract/overview (500 words or less):
- The abstract/overview may include in-text references.
- To facilitate the blind review process, individuals and institutions should not be identified in the body of the abstract/overview; e.g. use ‘author’s institution’ instead of using the name of the university or organization.
- The proposals for this conference are peer-reviewed and available online post-conference. By submitting to this conference, the author hereby affirms that the work submitted is theirs, original, and recent. Please provide the information below in the proposal abstract/overview and use the corresponding headings:
- Background
- Aims and objectives of the study (specific research questions where relevant)
- Methodology and/or theoretical approach
- Findings
- Conclusions and implications
3. Author(s)/presenter(s) information, which includes name, affiliation, email, and short biography (250 words or less) for each author/presenter.
Additional guidance and requirements:
- All proposals and final papers/presentations must be presented in English. If an interactive session is planned to be conducted in a language other than English, then the proposal must state the language in which it will be conducted.
- Proposals are accepted with single or multiple authors/presenters. Only one author/presenter should complete the proposal submission and will need the name, affiliation, email, and short biography (250 words or less) of each author/presenter. There is a limit of five authors/presenters per proposal.
- The maximum number of accepted Research Paper & Discussions and/or Research Presentations for any individual author is two. An individual accepted to the conference for two Research Paper & Discussions and/or Research Presentations, however, may also submit proposals for Interactive Sessions and may be accepted for one Interactive Session.
- Proposals can be edited within ExOrdo until the submission deadline.
Submit Proposals
Click on the button below or the link here to submit your proposal(s) to the 2026 STP&A conference; the button will take you to the proposal submission platform ExOrdo. You will need to create a login for the ExOrdo site if you do not already have one.
Conference Awards and 2026 Mentorship Pilot Program
Research Awards
Individuals who wish to be considered for either Emily Mulcahy Student Research Award or the Mulcahy Emerging Scholar Award, must meet the eligibility criteria for the respective award and additional requirements for award consideration. Individuals who meet one of the conference award’s criteria and want to be considered for the award must express their interest to be considered for the conference award at time of submitting their eligible conference proposal within the conference submission platform ExOrdo.
All individuals who wish to be considered for a conference research award must carefully review the eligibility criteria, award adjudication criteria, and be prepared to submit their papers by the deadlines identified in the conference submission system.
2026 Conference Mentorship Pilot Program
The STP&A Mentorship Pilot Program is a newly created initiative designed to foster meaningful professional connection, guidance, and community-building among members of STP&A. Specifically, the program is intended to support graduate students, junior scholars, practitioners, and others who would benefit from structured mentoring and collegial exchange.
Funded by The Ohio State University College of Arts and Sciences to support the creation of six mentorship pods, each made up of one mentor and three mentees, the 2026 mentorship pilot program aims to strengthen pathways into arts administration and cultural policy, support professional development at critical early career stages, and foster a sense of community and continuity during STP&A’s 50th anniversary year by creating an intentional, interdisciplinary mentoring environment tied to conference themes and conversations.
Please direct any questions to mentorship@stpaconference.org
Benefits for Mentees:
Student membership in STP&A ($70 value), if needed and eligible
Access to structured mentorship and guidance from experienced scholars and practitioners
Opportunities for peer support and professional networking within the STP&A community
Participation in a funded mentorship dinner during the conference
Benefits for Mentors:
Opportunity to support and guide emerging colleagues in the field
Engagement in meaningful professional exchange and community-building
Participation in a funded mentorship dinner during the conference
Access to mentorship resources and guidance
Opportunity to provide feedback about future STP&A mentorship initiatives
Conference Registration
Membership is required for conference attendance. Learn more about STP&A Membership.
| Dates | Standard Registration Base Fee | Student Registration Base Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Early (register by June 29, 2026) | $515 | $345 |
| Standard (after June 29 and by September 15, 2026) | $575 | $375 |
| Late (after September 15 and by October 5, 2026) | $680 | $445 |
STP&A’s Conference Cancellation and Refund Policy
Conference registration cancellations must be made online in the ExOrdo Registration system, https://stpa2026.exordo.com. A conference registration cancelled on or before Tuesday, September 15, 2026, midnight eastern, is refundable minus a $50 USD processing fee.
A conference registration cancelled after September 15, 2026, midnight eastern will not receive a refund. The refund and cancellation policy will not be waived. If the cancellation is made in the ExOrdo Registration system before Monday, October 12, 2026 midnight eastern, then the individual may choose one of the following two options*:
- Convert the amount paid for conference registration to a donation to STP&A; or
- Transfer the amount paid for conference registration (not for membership) to the following year’s conference registration fee; the amount paid for registration may be transferred only one time to the next conference. If option 2 is chosen, and the carried-forward registration fee is cancelled before or after the deadline for refund/cancellation for the conference to which it is newly applied, then the individual is not entitled to any refund or the option to transfer the amount paid to a future year.
In the event STP&A must cancel the conference due to unforeseen circumstances, STP&A will refund the full amount paid by each conference registrant for the conference registration fee. The refund will equal the paid amount for the conference registration ONLY and NOT to the membership fee. If the conference registrant paid additional fees for pre- or post- conference activities, or other add-ons to the registration fee, STP&A will make all efforts to reimburse such payments in full. STP&A does not assume responsibility for any additional costs, charges, or expenses including charges made for travel and lodging.
*A cancellation request must be made within the designated conference platform (e.g. ExOrdo) at least 3 days in advance of the conference’s opening reception to be eligible to “transfer” the registration fee paid to the following year (i.e., by the end of business on Monday before the opening of the conference on a Thursday evening). Requests for cancellation made less than 3 days in advance of the conference’s opening reception are not eligible for refund and are not eligible for transfer.
Transportation
Nearest airport: John Glenn International Airport (CMH), located 8.3 Miles (14 minute drive) from the OSU campus.
There are taxis, shuttles, and rideshares available into Columbus from CMH. More detailed information can be found at: https://flycolumbus.com/passengers/taxis-shuttles-
rideshare/
More information about transportation to and around Columbus is available through the Experience Columbus transportation page, including information about bus
schedules and bike share programs.
Accommodations
The Graduate Hotel
50 king rooms at $122 per night blocked at The Graduate Hotel. Reservations in the block should be booked by September 15th to access this rate.
Address: 750 N High St, Columbus, OH 43215
Directions to Conference: The Graduate Hotel is 1.5 miles from Sullivant Hall, where the main conference activities will take place. It takes 6 minutes by car, 34 minutes by foot, or a short ride on the city bus ($2).
The Blackwell Inn
12 king rooms blocked at The Blackwell Inn, our on campus hotel. Reservations in the block should be booked by September 14th.
Address: 2100 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH 43210
Directions to Conference: The Blackwell inn is 0.8 miles from Sullivant Hall, where the main conference activities will take place. It takes 4 minutes by car, 17 minutes by foot, or a short ride on the city bus ($2).