UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Jonathan J. Gangi, lecturer in arts entrepreneurship at North Carolina State University and faculty advisor to the school's Entrepreneurship Student Group, has been appointed the College of Arts and Architecture’s inaugural Professor in Arts Entrepreneurship, with rank of assistant professor, effective August 18.
In this role, he will work with academic faculty across the college to develop new courses and programs that focus on “the business” of the arts for artists, and on arts entrepreneurship and innovation. He will also teach courses in these areas and provide guidance and assistance to academic units in developing, implementing and coordinating college-wide internship and mentoring programs. He will be an affiliate faculty member in the School of Music, offering instruction in classical guitar.
Barbara O. Korner, dean of the College of Arts and Architecture, says the position was created in order to address the need for professional guidance and a deeper engagement with entrepreneurship as a key to successful careers in the arts.
“During the interviews of the finalists, it was encouraging to see many faculty and students in the college attend presentations and question-and-answer sessions as affirmation of the importance of this new position,” says Korner. “As someone who is helping create this emerging field of study and engagement of art and design students with career-building skills, Jonathan Gangi, under the guidance of the college’s associate dean for academic affairs, will provide assistance to students in disciplines across the college. We anticipate important connections and links with other areas in the University as well.”
Gangi, who holds bachelor and master of music degrees in classical guitar performance from the University of Akron, is a founding member of the Arts Entrepreneurship Academic Society, established in July 2013. He is also a member of the College Music Society’s Committee on Music Entrepreneurship Education and assisted in developing and teaching the Music Entrepreneurship Summer Certificate Program at North Carolina State University in summer 2013. He has presented and served as a panelist at a conference of the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
“I am honored to accept this appointment, and look forward to the important work of helping young artists gain entrepreneurial skills,” says Gangi. “Knowing that so many College of Arts and Architecture students, faculty and administrators support arts entrepreneurship education gives me great confidence that, together, we can build a leading arts entrepreneurship program at Penn State, and I am eager to begin that exciting task.”
Gangi expects to receive his doctor of musical arts degree in classical guitar performance from the University of South Carolina this year. He is the founder and artistic director of the Rosario Guitar Festival and Competition at the University of South Carolina, and in that role has secured major grants and corporate sponsorship from companies such as Westinghouse. Gangi has performed on South Carolina public radio and on National Public Radio’s "The Front Row," among other performances.
He is a member of the Association of Arts Administration Educators, United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, International Council for Small Business, College Music Society and Guitar Foundation of America.