Dr. Jay Pension

Biography

Jay Pension, M.F.A., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance, focusing on Entrepreneurship and Leadership. He serves as a faculty advisor for the Performing Arts Management and Entrepreneurship minor, guiding students across various academic disciplines. Jay teaches courses such as Producing American Theatre, Fundraising for the Arts, Marketing for Audience Development, and Performing Arts Management. His scholarship examines the intersection of creative practice in theatre producing and empirical theoretical research, emphasizing engagement through cross-sector collaborations with nonprofit arts organizations. Jay has co-authored a book published by Oxford University Press proposing a new marketing paradigm for arts organizations centered on engagement. Additionally, he has served as co-editor for 'Business Issues in the Arts', an edited volume exploring essential topics in the arts sector, which is widely used in U.S. arts management classrooms. His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society, and the Journal of Cultural Management and Cultural Policy. Jay has presented at numerous conferences and has been involved in over 100 theatre productions across Boston and New York City. His current work includes producing the new musical 'Marian', which tells the story of Marian Anderson, a Black contralto who performed before a racially integrated audience at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939.

Research Interests