March 6, 2007 - Brianne Barton and Ashley Hodak have several things in common: they live to perform, they never fail to express their love for their home state of Maryland, they are two of the most involved young women on campus, and they are both following a unique educational path to reach their dream careers.
Barton and Hodak are both arts administration majors enrolled in West Virginia Wesleyan College’s 5-year MBA program. This unique combination not only provides them with an extremely well-rounded undergraduate and graduate education, but also allows them to pursue their love for the performing arts in a creative way. This combination of degrees is also unique because Wesleyan is the only school in the state (and one of the few in surrounding states) to offer an arts administration major, as well the only school in the state to offer a 5-year MBA program.
Wesleyan’s arts administration program combines rigorous classes in business and public relations with the student’s choice of an art, music, or theatre specialization. This combination provides a basis for anyone interested in supporting the work of visual and performing artists in nonprofit and for-profit arts and cultural organizations. Hodak, a senior from Anne Arundel County, Md. actually decided to attend Wesleyan because of this unique combination, even though she still professes a love for performing. “I wanted to be involved in the arts, but I also wanted to eat,” she joked – acknowledging the difficulties many aspiring actors and actresses face.
Barton, a fifth-year student from Calvert County, Md., entered Wesleyan as a musical theatre major and began considering Wesleyan’s MBA program her junior year. “An MBA gives you a competitive edge in the job marketplace, as well as merits a higher salary and a higher degree of respect,” said Barton. “Also, the program offers unique courses such as Non-Profit Organizations that directly relate to my career goals.”
Both students assert that their field provides quite a challenge because it requires specialization in so many areas. “You are expected to be able to host a gala, write a grant, design posters, write programs, and know at least five of Sondheim’s greatest musicals,” Hodak joked, in a way that only musical theatre enthusiasts can appreciate. “Arts administration professionals are not accountants, sales people, or graphic designers,” she said, “but they are certainly expected to perform each of their respective tasks on a daily basis.”
Barton further explained that an arts administration degree adds the elements of creativity and culture, which will give her an advantage over strictly business students when applying for a job in the arts. “I think one of the main advantages is that it demonstrates I have a passion for the arts, while possessing the knowledge and skills necessary for the business world,” said Barton, who is currently the captain of the WVWC Dance Team, a member of Alpha Psi Omega (national honorary theatre society), a student employee in Wesleyan’s department of theatre and dance, an ambassador for Wesleyan’s office of admission, and an alumna of Zeta Tau Alpha. Ultimately, she hopes to work at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. or another similar performing arts center because of the many different opportunities it will provide.
Hodak is equally involved on campus as the Greek Editor for the Pharos (campus newspaper), the theatre department box office and front office manager, the PR director for West Virginia Greek Management, Inc., a member of Alpha Psi Omega, and a member of Alpha Delta Pi. Both students have also landed roles in productions such as A Chorus Line, Anything Goes, Carousel, Hair, and Danceworks. Eventually, Hodak hopes to work as an arts administration professional back home in Maryland, and is considering pursuing a master’s degree in the field as well.
WVWC Press Release
