Locally, nationally and globally, there is a lack of diverse leadership within the arts and culture fields to represent the communities served. Facts demonstrate that there is almost no diversity in the leadership of arts and culture in the US. A Mellon Foundation study shows 4% of museum curators, conservators, educators and leaders are African American and 3% are Hispanic.
Program Objective
The primary goal of the program is to increase the diversity of the leadership in major cultural and ethnic arts organizations. CEA graduates will be recognized as a group of diverse individuals motivated and prepared to lead significant cultural and ethnic arts organizations. The CEA cohort group will be composed of experienced arts professionals, with the majority drawn ideally from underrepresented populations, whose experience and ambition position them to be a CEO of an arts or cultural organization. It is also one of the objectives of the CEA Certificate Program to embrace the diversity of our nation’s communities, and to identify and provide opportunity for advancement to candidates who can engage their communities at large and who will serve as inspiration and role models to others who wish to pursue careers in arts and culture.
The Cultural and Ethnic Arts Executive Leadership (CEA) Program is a new certificate program consisting of a ten-day intensive, on-site program with classroom training, experiential and group learning, colloquia, and site visits, followed by a one year mentorship with a member of the program's diverse and nationally recognized faculty. According to James Abruzzo, co-director of the Institute and noted arts management consultant, “There are few, if any, individuals from underserved populations now running the major cultural organizations and ethnic arts organizations. And the pipeline is sparse. The knowledge gained from the program and the influence from the faculty mentorships, will produce a group of leaders and will fill the leadership pipeline.”
The first 10-day in-residence program took place June 17-26, 2016 in Newark, NJ with a multi-pronged curriculum. The cohort of 16 participants made a commitment to remain in-residence with the other participants for the entire ten-day program. Program materials, tickets for performances and events, room, board, and flights (where necessary), were all included in tuition. Each participant and their employer made a modest financial commitment to the program. No applicant will be denied acceptance for financial reasons only.
2016 Cohort
The inaugural cohort of 16 outstanding participants includes arts organization founders, senior arts managers from major institutions, artists and CEOs of smaller arts organizations. They work at dance, visual arts, theater, literature, museums, performing arts centers and arts education organizations located across the United States and abroad.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Us
The program is led by the Co-founder of the Institute for Ethical Leadership at Rutgers Business School (IEL), James Abruzzo, and several partners and sponsors.
Institution Partner
- New Jersey Performance Arts Center
Arts Partners
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
- Museum of Chinese in America
- New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
- Studio Museum of Harlem
- Rutgers-Newark College of Arts and Sciences
- Institut fur Kultur und Mediamanagment (IKM), Freie Universität, Berlin
Founding Sponsor of Rutgers Institute for Ethical Leadership
- Prudential Financial & Prudential Foundation
Major Sponsors
- Rutgers University-Newark, Office of the Chancellor
- The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
- The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation
Corporate Sponsors
- Wells Fargo
- PSEG
Individual Sponsor
- Donald E. Strangfeld
Organization Sponsors
- Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
- The African American Museum in Philadelphia
- Camden Repertory Theater
- Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute
- David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts
- Gallery Aferro
- Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles
- Kalamazoo Institute of Arts
- Latina/o Theatre Commons (LTC)
- Museum of Chinese in America
- Newark Arts Council
- New Jersey Symphony Orchestra
- PEN America
- SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)
- Stonewall National Museum & Archives
- Yendor Productions/ Yendor Arts
Questions?
Please contact Program Manager, Vicki Fernandez, at 973-353-3488 or vfernandez@business.rutgers.edu