Joint-Degree Spotlight: Stewarding Artistic Institutions

Hometown: New York
Education: AB in history of art, Harvard University
Internship: CCS Fundraising

Why did you decide to pursue a joint degree at Yale SOM?

My PhD research in art history focuses on artistic engagements with institutions. I’m particularly interested in how artists have grappled with the promises and failures of our institutions in works ranging from performances, videos, to installations. As I dove into my research, however, I realized that I needed to learn more about organizational structure and management to better understand the art I was studying. At the same time, there were urgent conversations in the art world about how to make museums more accessible. Pursuing a joint degree, I realized, would help me deepen my research and equip me with the skills needed for nonprofit management. As I learned quickly, Yale SOM was the perfect fit for me, with its emphasis on society and a stellar alumni community of arts leaders.

Describe some favorite classes and campus groups you’ve participated in.

It’s difficult to pick just a few favorite classes. That being said, Professor Raphael Duguay’s Impact Measurement & Financial Reporting in the Social Sector was one of the most memorable ones. Contrary to the common misconception that the impact of many nonprofit organizations—say, the New York Philharmonic or the Museum of Modern Art—cannot be measured, the class taught me ways to quantify the immense values that these organizations bring to society. Through the class, my classmates and I had the opportunity to design an impact measurement study with VisualAIDS, a contemporary arts organization that raises AIDS awareness and supports artists living with HIV/AIDS.

Another favorite “class”—I say that with quotation marks, because it’s a campus group in the form of a course—has been the Wine Society, for which I was one of the “teaching fellows.” It’s been an incredible way to connect with other students while learning about the rich history and agriculture practices of various wine regions around the world.

Have there been unexpected benefits from your joint-degree program?

My time at SOM has enriched my research in ways that I could not have expected. I recently finished the third chapter of my dissertation, which discusses the artist Andrea Fraser’s work as a professional “consultant.” Leaning into my consultant friends’ experiences and management literature, I explore how service work and contemporary art have increasingly converged. On a practical level, I’ve become very much familiar with aspects of establishing and running a nonprofit, ranging from articles of incorporation to 990s and annual reports.

What professional opportunities have you pursued as a result of your joint degree?

The joint degree has positioned me to explore both curatorial and strategic opportunities. My MBA internship was at CCS Fundraising, a consulting firm that partners with nonprofits. Through the internship, I worked with two major nonprofit organizations in the advocacy and higher education sectors, devising a peer benchmarking survey and overseeing the launch of the public phase of a major campaign. With outreach from an alum, I also conducted an impact evaluation for a major arts nonprofit that supports exhibitions around the world. Most recently, I was a Mellon-Marron Research Consortium Fellow at the Museum of Modern Art, where I had the opportunity to partake in all aspects of exhibition planning, including design, valuation, and public programming.

How has your MBA enriched your understanding of the art world?

The MBA has made me think much more concretely about what constitutes the “art world.” There is no one single “art world.” I now see it as an interdependent ecosystem of artists, institutions, donors, and the public, each with distinct perspectives and hopes for what art can do. By the same token, the MBA has expanded my understanding of museums’ roles and responsibilities: how mission statements are crafted and implemented, how resources circulate, and how these choices shape the broader art world. Lastly, the program has made me appreciate the immense work and care that sustain the art world—and given me optimism for the future.