1st Edition
Innovation in the Arts Concepts, Theories, and Practices
This concise guide aims to increase what we understand by innovation in the arts and identify and support opportunities and strategies for the unique ways in which artists and arts administrators think about, engage in, and pursue successful innovation in their diverse creative practice.
Innovations in the Arts are often marginalised from a research perspective, in part because of the lack of a sound and compelling theoretical framework to support and explain process distinctions from business and management innovation. This book identifies three key concepts - art innovation, art movement innovation, and audience experience innovation - supported by formal theory for each concept presented and evidenced through case studies in art history. In this way, the book enables readers to identify, explain, and support their innovation efforts as visual, literary, and performing artists and arts administrators. It also explores strategies for pursuing innovation in practice.
Drawing attention to the unique ways in which artists and arts administrators think about and engage in innovation, this readable book will be an essential reading for students in all aspects of the creative and cultural industries and an essential guide to developing and promoting innovation in the arts for practitioners and researchers alike.
1. Introduction 2. Key Terms for Mutual Understanding 3. A Theory of Art Innovation 4. A Theory of Art Movement Innovation 5. A Theory of Audience Experience Innovation 6. Conclusions and Suggested Directions
Biography
Dr. Jason C. White is Assistant Professor and the Director of the Arts Administration program in the Department of Art at Xavier University, USA, where he prepares students for diverse careers in arts management and administration.
"Dr. White is a brilliant theorist with a tenacious desire to make theory applicable and effective when put into action. Readers will find this to be supremely true in his book Innovation in the Arts: Concepts, Theories and Practices. For those looking for guidance on how to understand and implement innovation in the context of the arts, this book is an indispensable guide and an essential resource." Jonathan Gangi, The Pennsylvania State University, USA
"Dr. Jason C. White's Innovation in the Arts: Theories, Concepts, and Practices is a welcomed and significant contribution. Not only does the book build linguistic consensus previously lacking in the arts entrepreneurship literature around key terms, but it theorizes key processes necessary for the discipline's future advancement and success." Antonio C. Cuyler, Florida State University, USA
"This is a very much-needed book for arts entrepreneurship scholars and those interested in becoming arts entrepreneurs. This book lays the groundwork for advancing arts entrepreneurship theories by clarifying the most fundamental concepts and early theoretical endeavors in this field. Moreover, this book offers critical resources and perspectives to inspire conversations on research and practices that advocate for artists and arts entrepreneurs of color." Wen Guo, Elon University, USA
"Art is always changing and consistently never the same. Dr. Jason C. White reminds us of something important: that in addition to innovation prescribed in standardized conventions from the top, downward in business management, White shows that innovation also springs fresh from the unique practices of artists and arts administrators." Clayton Funk, Ohio State University, USA
