Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Arts Manager

🎯 Role Definition

The Arts Manager is an experienced arts administration professional responsible for developing, managing, and growing cultural programming, overseeing daily operations of a venue or arts organization, securing earned and contributed revenue, and building partnerships across communities. This role blends strategic planning, budget management, grant and sponsorship development, marketing and audience development, artist/curator liaison, and operational oversight to deliver high-quality artistic experiences and measurable community impact. The Arts Manager drives audience growth, ensures fiscal sustainability, and supports artistic teams to realize program goals while adhering to organizational mission and KPIs.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Program Coordinator / Program Assistant (arts organizations)
Production or Technical Manager
Development / Fundraising Coordinator

Advancement To:

Head of Programming / Senior Arts Manager
Director of Arts or Director of Programming
Executive Director / CEO of small-to-medium arts organizations

Lateral Moves:

Development Manager / Fundraising Manager
Marketing & Audience Development Manager
Community Engagement or Education Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead the end-to-end planning, development, and delivery of seasonal artistic programs, festivals, exhibitions, and community projects that align with the organization’s mission, strategic goals, and audience development targets.
Develop and manage multi-year operating and project budgets, track income and expenditures, prepare accurate monthly and quarterly financial reports, and work with finance teams to ensure fiscal compliance and sustainability.
Research, write, and submit grant applications and reports to government agencies, foundations, and public arts funders; maintain compliance with funder requirements and steward relationships to renew and expand funding.
Identify, cultivate, and secure corporate sponsorships, philanthropic partnerships, in-kind contributions, and major gifts; develop compelling proposals and sponsorship packages tailored to organizational priorities and sponsor objectives.
Oversee ticketing, box office, and reservation systems to maximize earned revenue, manage pricing strategies, sales promotions, and reporting on sales KPIs to drive audience conversion and retention.
Build and execute integrated marketing and communications plans in collaboration with marketing teams, including digital campaigns, social media, email marketing, press outreach, and community activations to grow attendance and brand awareness.
Serve as the primary liaison with artists, curators, agents, and creative partners, negotiating contracts, coordinating technical riders, scheduling rehearsals, and ensuring artist needs and expectations are met.
Manage venue operations, including front-of-house, back-of-house, technical production, health & safety, accessibility, and maintenance to ensure safe, inclusive, and professional event execution.
Supervise, coach, and develop cross-functional teams and seasonal staff, including program coordinators, production crews, volunteers, and contractors; foster an inclusive culture of collaboration and accountability.
Design and monitor program evaluation frameworks and KPIs (attendance, demographic reach, revenue per event, audience satisfaction) and use data-driven insights to refine programming and outreach strategies.
Lead community engagement and outreach initiatives to build partnerships with schools, community groups, cultural organizations, and underserved audiences to deepen relevance and impact.
Oversee recruitment, contracting, and onboarding of freelance creatives, production teams, and teaching artists; ensure contracts reflect fair pay, rights, and clear deliverables.
Create and manage timelines, project plans, and workflows for multi-venue or multi-event projects; coordinate logistics across departments to meet milestones and budgets.
Implement audience development strategies focused on retention, membership growth, season subscriptions, and diversity of audiences using segmentation, targeted communications, and loyalty incentives.
Ensure timely reporting and compliance for all public and private funding streams, including budget reconciliation, impact narratives, and documentation required by auditors or funders.
Prepare board reports, program briefs, and executive summaries to inform governance decisions and support fundraising and strategic planning.
Develop and maintain supplier and vendor relationships (lighting, sound, staging, catering, security) and manage procurement processes to control costs while maintaining production quality.
Champion equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility across programming, hiring, audience engagement, and partnerships to ensure culturally responsive delivery.
Negotiate and manage licensing, rights, and intellectual property agreements for commissioned works, recordings, and public presentations.
Lead crisis and risk management planning for public events, including emergency procedures, insurance coordination, and contingency planning to minimize reputational and financial exposure.
Design revenue diversification strategies (merchandise, digital content, education programming, venue hire) to strengthen financial resilience and program reach.
Maintain a robust calendar of performance, exhibition, and education events, coordinating with external partners, public stakeholders, and internal teams to avoid conflicts and maximize cross-promotional opportunities.
Advocate for the organization in public-facing forums, industry networks, and funding panels to raise profile and build strategic alliances that support long-term growth.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc reporting requests for board members and funders, synthesizing program performance metrics into accessible dashboards and narrative summaries.
Assist in audience research projects, surveys, and focus groups to capture qualitative feedback and guide program development decisions.
Help maintain and update CRM and ticketing databases, ensuring donor, member, and attendee records are current and segmented for targeted outreach.
Facilitate volunteer recruitment, training, and scheduling to support front-of-house and outreach activities during peak seasons.
Contribute to content creation for newsletters, program guides, web pages, and social platforms to maintain consistent storytelling and outreach cadence.
Participate in cross-departmental planning meetings and strategic initiatives, providing operational insight to support fundraising, marketing, and education goals.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Arts administration and cultural programming management
Budget development, financial forecasting, and fiscal stewardship
Grant writing, grant reporting, and funder stewardship
Fundraising strategy, corporate sponsorship sales, and major gift cultivation
Project management (program timelines, Gantt charts, resource allocation)
Contract negotiation and vendor management (artists, suppliers, technical teams)
Venue operations and technical production knowledge (stage, AV, front/back-of-house logistics)
Ticketing and CRM systems experience (e.g., Tessitura, Spektrix, AudienceView, PatronManager) and donor database management
Marketing and audience development tools (email marketing platforms, social analytics, SEO basics)
Data analysis and KPI reporting (attendance metrics, revenue per event, ROI analysis)
Licensing, intellectual property, and basic legal/contractual literacy
Microsoft Office / Google Workspace and familiarity with virtual event platforms and streaming tools

Soft Skills

Strategic thinking with the ability to translate vision into operational plans
Strong written and verbal communication for proposals, reports, and public-facing materials
Relationship-building and stakeholder management with artists, funders, community partners, and board members
Leadership, team development, and the ability to manage dispersed or seasonal teams
Negotiation and diplomacy under pressure
Problem-solving and resourcefulness in dynamic live-event environments
Cultural competency, inclusion mindset, and community-centered program design
Time management, prioritization, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects
Adaptability and resilience in response to changing public health or funding landscapes
Attention to detail in contracts, budgets, and reporting

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration, Arts Management, Performing Arts, Cultural Studies, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree in Arts Management, Arts Administration, MBA with arts/nonprofit specialization, or equivalent professional certification (e.g., arts leadership programs).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Arts Administration / Arts Management
Performing Arts / Visual Arts / Cultural Studies
Business Administration / Nonprofit Management
Marketing, Communications, or Public Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–7 years of progressive experience in arts administration, programming, production, or cultural sector operations.

Preferred:

5+ years in arts management with demonstrated responsibility for budgeting, fundraising, program development, and team supervision; proven track record of successful grant awards, sponsorship deals, or revenue growth; experience working with diverse communities and delivering both in-person and digital cultural experiences.