M.A. in Arts Administration celebrates 25th anniversary

In the days before Zoom, when Goucher’s M.A. in Arts Administration Program was developed, its hybrid students had to take classes over conference calls and send in their papers through the postal system.  

Now, 25 years later, the field of arts administration has changed, but the mission of the program remains the same—to produce the best leaders and most knowledgeable arts administrators in the country. 

This July, the MAAA will commemorate its 25th anniversary with a weekend of events themed "Celebrate. Reflect. Imagine.”. 

According to Ramona Baker, program director, the event will bring together alumnae/i, scholars, artists, and activists to celebrate the program’s past and look forward to the field’s future.  

The event will feature an alumnae/i dinner Friday night and the burial of a time capsule on Sunday, but the centerpiece is a day of speakers, roundtables, and Q&As on Saturday.  This event is free and open to the public as visiting speakers discuss three of the most pressing topics facing the future of arts administration—equity, the environment, and technology.  

Each topic will have a speaker or panel conversation, with an audience Q&A between sessions. Baker expects an exciting and open dialogue about the future of the arts administration.  

According to Baker, the MAAA Program was the first graduate program in arts administration in the country that offered students an opportunity to keep their jobs, learn, and earn a graduate degree at the same time. 25 years ago, there were only 6 or 7 graduate programs in arts administration in the country.  All of those were located in schools in urban areas and all required in-person learning.   

Founding director, Jean Wilhelm and Goucher's dean of graduate programs, Fred Mauk, believed in an alternative. Wilhelm also believed that the strength of arts administration was in building community which is why she also designed a summer Residency as part of the MAAA which brings students and faculty together on campus once a year.  

"This is a moment to stop and celebrate,” Baker said. “But then we need to focus on the future, to continue to be as innovative as Jean Wilhelm and Fred Mauk were 25 years ago. That’s the challenge.” 

The 25th Anniversary of the M.A. in Arts Administration Program at Goucher College will take place from July 28-30.  For question about the event, housing, and registration, please email Ramona Baker at ramona.baker@goucher.edu. Registration is now open.