Faculty Friday: Michael Crowley ’08

Our "Faculty Friday" series highlights one faculty member from the Welch Center every Friday. We ask these faculty members about their career, their work, and what they love about Goucher.

This week's faculty member: 
Michael Crowley ’08
Adjunct Lecturer, M.A. in Arts Administration

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

Rockville, MD, and New York, NY

How are you involved in the arts or arts administration?

I currently serve as director of marketing and business development at LaPlaca Cohen, a strategy, design, and advertising agency helping arts and culture organizations grow their audiences.

What do you see as the future for arts administration?

As the definition of "culture" continues to broaden beyond the traditional arts disciplines we often associate with the term, I also believe we'll see a shift in how arts administrators (and their skills) are utilized in arts and non-arts organizations. Arts administrators who can work across multiple types of organizations, and who possess multiple functional skills, will be able to serve effectively in a world where the boundaries of cultural participation and programming begin to blur.

Tell us about your first job in the arts or arts administration.

I interned at Roundabout Theater Company during my time studying in Goucher's M.A. in Arts Administration Program. I was able to serve on staff at the organization following my internship, which then springboarded my career in arts administration.

Do you have a favorite artist?

I'm a huge fan of the musical theater composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim. I'd travel just about anywhere to catch a production of one of his musicals.

How do you enjoy the arts yourself?

I attend as many cultural events as possible!

What's your favorite thing about Goucher's M.A. in Arts Administration Program?

I love that the program's distance-learning design allows for students and faculty from all of the country, and even around the globe, to participate and share information about their own surrounding areas. Having a broad geographic representation in the program allows us to expand our understanding of arts organizations beyond the local communities and cities in which we individually reside.