We're knee deep in new graduate student orientation this week in my program, so my entries will be patchy, at best. In the meantime, I'm pleased to point you in a completely self-serving and self-involved way to a feature in September's Madison Magazine about the business of art, and the transition of the degree program I direct into an MBA.

It's all in the context of Madison's new $200-million arts complex, set to open phase one of its facilities on September 18. I give the magazine full credit for populating the entire business section of that issue with arts-related stories. Usual efforts tend to label arts and cultural business as 'business lite' unworthy of extended coverage. (Also worth a look is the interview with the Center's primary donor, Jerry Frautschi, who has already committed $205 million of his own money to the project.)

Note that there are a few errors of fact in the arts and business article. One error is the assertion that ours is the only MBA in Arts Administration, which isn't near true (Southern Methodist University and the University of Cincinnati both offer an MBA option, and York University in Toronto has the degree, as well). And as most will recognize, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is in Washington, DC, rather than New York, unless somebody moved it as some evil joke.

And no, that's not bird droppings on my jacket in the photo...that's paint. They were going for a visual metaphor of art and business that almost worked.