Braun Endowed Fund | College of Fine Arts

As the Director from 1995 to 2013, Michael Braun provided the vision and leadership for the University of Kentucky’s Arts Administration Program. The Michael Braun Endowed Fund was created in honor of Professor Braun’s dedication and service to the program and its students.

Michael Braun

Through the Braun Endowed Fund, awards of up to $1,000 each will be awarded annually to students seeking a BA or MA in Arts Administration who wish to enhance their educational endeavors by participating in an activity that enriches their knowledge of the arts administration profession or field including but not limited to, a study abroad program, an internship, a research or capstone project, or conference attendance.

Application Deadlines

April 1
For projects occurring between May 1-October 31

November 1
For projects occurring between November 1-April 30

Braun Endowed Fund Recipients

Spring 2019

Isaiah Page, BA Student - KIIS Paris I - Paris, France
Isaiah will be participating in the KIIS Education Abroad Paris I program. While in France, he will study cultural tourism and performing and visual arts management.

Alaina Short, BA Student - Niko Companies - New York, NY
Niko Companies are a theatre management firm that handles hiring and contracting for new shows. Alaina will be doing administrative work as well as learning how to properly contract and manage accounts on the business side of Broadway.

Fall 2018

John Tomas Priar, BA Student - The Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) - Knoxville, TN
This conference features a job fair for professional networking and interviews for future employment in theatre management. He is excited to meet with theatre professionals from the southeast.

Erin Reed, BA Student - Marathon Live Entertainment, New York, NY
Marathon Live Entertainment is a social media and producing company whose current clients include Hamilton, Miss Saigon, Les Mis US Tour, Escape to Margaritaville, Sweeney Todd, and BroadwayCon. BroadwayCon is the ultimate Broadway fan experience that celebrates shows and the people that make them happen. Erin will assist in social media management for the event alongside the team at Marathon Live Entertainment.

Allison Ray, BA Student - Association for Performing Arts Professionals (APAP), New York, NY
This is Allison’s first visit to the Association for Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) Conference in New York City. APAP is one of the largest performing arts conferences in the world. While at the conference, Allison will be a student volunteer.

Fall 2018

Spring 2018

Michaela Bowman, BA Student - Celtic Blue Museum Studies Internship Program - Edinburgh, Scotland
The nine-week program through Arcadia University is composed of an orientation, four week course, and a four-week internship. Michael's internship location will be located at any one of the multiple heritage and culture sites in the city.

Eve Payor, MA Student - Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Conference (LEAD) - Atlanta, Georgia
What interests Eve most about participating in the upcoming Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) conference is the wide spectrum of specialties that must work together to truly incorporate accessibility on a large scale. It is through professional development and collaboration that Eve can help make the arts relevant to her community through her work at Atlantic Center for the Arts.

Rebecca Pogue, MA Student - American Alliance for Theatre and Education Conference (AATE) - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Rebecca will co-present a breakout session at the American Alliance for Theatre and Education Conference (AATE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota in August. She will discuss an exciting research study with the Woodruff Arts Center and Atlanta Public Schools that evaluates the effects of arts-focused field trips on students and will share results from the first two years of the study.

Haley Potter, BA Student - John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts - Washington D.C.
Working closely with artists, musicians, and the operations department, Haley will serve as the National Symphony Orchestra Operations Intern.

Fall 2017

Ben Otten, BA Student – The Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), Greensboro, NC
The Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) is one of the largest gatherings of theatre professionals in the United States. Along with hosting a variety of workshops, SETC puts on one of the largest Technical Theatre & Arts Administration job fairs in the country. While at SETC, Ben will be participating in workshops to enhance his education and network for post-graduation opportunities.

Erin Reed, BA Student – Marathon Live Entertainment, New York, NY
Marathon Live Entertainment is a social media and producing company whose current clients include Hamilton, Miss Saigon, Les Mis US Tour, Escape to Margaritaville, Sweeney Todd, and BroadwayCon. BroadwayCon is the ultimate Broadway fan experience that celebrates shows and the people that make them happen. Erin will assist in social media management for the event alongside the team at Marathon Live Entertainment.

Jordan Rouse, BA Student – Association for Performing Arts Professionals, New York, NY
This is Jordan’s second visit to the Association for Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) Conference in New York City. APAP is one of the largest performing arts conferences in the world. While at the conference, Jordan will serve as a volunteering and Shift Leader, guiding and assisting other conference volunteers.

Tess Taylor, BA Student – UK Education Abroad, Florence, Italy
Tess will be studying abroad at Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy during the Spring 2018 semester. She will be taking several classes that will count for credit toward her Arts Administration degree, including an internship at a performing arts venue in the heart of Florence. Tess is very thankful that the University of Kentucky offers this amazing, life-changing and career-building opportunity for students with specific areas of interest.

Spring 2017

April Biggs, BA Student - VenueConnect, Nashville, TN
VenueConnect is a conference for venue professionals hosted by International Associations of Venue Managers (IAVM). Professionals from arenas, convention centers, amphitheaters, fairgrounds, universities, performing art centers, and more will join to inspire, educate, and create relationships. While attending VenueConnect I will further my education in a professional setting and work hands-on to gain an understanding of venue-specific operations. VenueConnect offers a variety of sectors developed by top industry professionals that align content with specific venue types. During the conference, I will have access to IAVM’s on-site career center for career advice, advancements, resume review, and meet with potential employers. I will also be able to attend venue tours in Nashville, including the Grand Ole Opry, Bridgestone Arena, and Ascend Amphitheater that will develop my understanding of different types of venues and recognize the differences in how the venues operate. With access to all sectors sessions I will develop and my knowledge of the industries changing technology and how to work with industry professionals. During the five-day conference, I will gain education of venue security and emergency plans that are vital to any venue. The conference will allow me to develop useful of social media tactics, off-season venue use, and more while also offering networking opportunities within the field from all over the world.

Nik Dumas, MA Student - Opera America, Dallas, TX
I will be attending the Opera America conference in Dallas, TX, May 4-8, 2017. The theme of the conference is "Creating Collaborative Change". Throughout the conference, Nik will meet with leaders in the opera field to share ideas for collaborating with other civic and arts groups to bring about positive, societal change to their communities through opera.

Ron Kelsey, MA Student - DoD/VA Conference, Denver, Colorado
Reflection of Generosity (RoG) has been officially invited by the Defense Suicide Prevention Office (Department of Defense) to exhibit artwork and conduct art therapy workshops at the DOD/VA Suicide Prevention Conference from August 1-3, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. RoG is a nonprofit arts organization that was founded by Ron Kelsey in 2010. Throughout the upcoming conference, he will strive to expand future art opportunities for servicemembers, veterans and their families by utilizing everything he has learned through the University of Kentucky's Arts Administration Master's Program.

Ben Otten, BA Student - Williamstown Theatre Festival, Williamstown, MA
Williamstown Theatre Festival, a Tony Award-winning regional theatre, is one of the top summer theatre festivals in the country. With two theatres and a variety of performances spaces, Williamstown puts on a variety of events in an eight-week season. These events include: 7 main stage productions, Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabarets, readings, workshops, and educational programs. Ben is completing a 12-week summer internship as a Company Management Intern.

Erin Reed, BA Student - Marathon Live Entertainment, New York, NY
I am very excited to be interning with Marathon Live Entertainment in NYC this summer. MLE is a producing and social media management company whose current clients include Hamilton: An American Musical, The Great Comet, Miss Saigon, Bandstand Broadway, and more! I am looking forward to gaining experience in content creation, community management, and more within the realm of digital marketing!

Jordan Rouse, BA Student - Arts Midwest Conference, Minneapolis, MN
The 2017 Arts Midwest Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio from August 28-31. The Arts Midwest Conference is a gathering of artists and representatives of performing arts presenting organizations to create and rekindle relationships between artists and venues from functioning to provide communities in many states in a full array of opportunities to experience and participate in arts, humanities, and culture. The conference consists of several seminars, exhibits, and professional development sessions. Seminars and informational meetings will be held to introduce new ideas and helpful advice on how to develop better successes both as an artist and professionals willing to display content out into the world.

Education Abroad, Paris, France
The following students participated in the Department of Arts Administration Education Abroad Program in Paris, France. Students will take classes in Cultural Tourism and Museum Management.
Sarah Durham, MA Student
Monica Mitry, MA Student
Tyler Roberts, BA Student
Candace Weber, MA Student
Boyu Zhang, BA Student

2016

Jordan Rouse, BA Student - Society for the Performing Arts, Houston, TX
The Society for the Performing Arts is the largest nonprofit presenting organization in the Southwest. Their three theatres present different artists and groups, including Broadway shows from all over the nation, and also work internationally with arts organizations from different countries. Jordan completed an 8-week summer internship as the Education and Community Engagement Intern.

Joel Murtaugh, BA Student - Accademia Europea di Firenze Summer Programs, Florence, Italy
The AEF Summer Program offers a 6-week immersive experience filled with activities designed for students to learn about Florence's unique culture. The program is comprised of four weeks study abroad in two disciplines and a two-week business music internship.

2015

Matthew Bade, MA Student - Kidane Mehret Orphanage, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Medenes is a project dedicated to the artistic education and overall inspiration of orphaned children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Through the teaching of various dance style, Matthew seeks to show the participants new, exciting and inspirational sides to life, while also building their confidence and expanding their world-view.

Michelle Franzetti, MA Student - Association of Arts Administration Educators Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon
Michelle presented research at the 2015 Association of Arts Administrator Educators Conference. This conference offers a wide variety of workshops tailored towards educators working within undergraduate and graduate Arts Administration programs across the world. Michelle presented at the conference with a panel of faculty members from three major universities on tools for creativity and collaboration in the online classroom.

Nathan Hewitt, BA Senior - Binge Culture Collective and Hutt Valley Community Arts, Wellington, New Zealand
Binge Culture Collective is an innovative theatre collective located in Wellington. Nathan will assist the 5-person theatre group with grant writing, marketing, communications and technology needs. Hutt Valley Community Arts serves the Lower Hutt community through numerous arts programs and events including street-art commissions projects and two gallery spaces. Nathan will assist the Hutt Valley Community Arts organization with marketing and communications.

Erin Smith, BA Junior - Camp HOPE for Kids Performing Arts Camp, Schwenksville, Pennsylvania
Founded in 2014 by a small group of accomplished artists of diverse art forms, Camp HOPE for Kids Performing Arts Camp encourages young artists of faith to honor that faith with both their art and their lives. Erin will contribute to the education of emerging artists, some of whom will be inner city children from Philadelphia, while learning from arts administrators in a variety of disciplines.

2014

Art In Unlikely Places, BA Students, Lexington, KY
A new arts organization that was established by students in an AAD 402 topics course spring 2014, Art in Unlikely Places connects inspiring artists to those most in need of the transformative powers of the arts. The organization’s founders intend to deliver these artists’ work to the ailing, the impoverished, and the distraught, sharing beauty with those whose life-circumstances might otherwise prevent them from discovering the hope that is found in the artistic moment. The organization’s first initiative is the Future Doors project, which connected local visual artists with local nonprofits. Each artist painted a door that captures the spirit of the organization’s mission. The doors are currently on display at each partner organization.

Michelle Franzetti, MA student - Association of Arts Administration Educators Annual Conference, Montréal, Quebec
“With the assistance of the Michael Braun Endowment Fund, I will be attending the 2014 Association of Arts Administration Educators Conference in Montréal, Quebec. During the three day conference, I will be able to attend lectures by arts administration and cultural educators from around the world. In addition to the fantastic lecture content, I will be able to develop my professional networking skills and have cultural experiences such as visiting the headquarters location for the Cirque du Soleil rehearsals and enjoy a Montréal Symphony tour.”

Melissa Simon, BA senior - Louisville Ballet, Louisville, KY
“This summer, I will be completing an internship with the Louisville Ballet. The Louisville Ballet is recognized as the official ballet of the commonwealth of Kentucky and strives to enrich the city of Louisville and surrounding communities through the power of dance. I will work closely with the Director of Development, C.F. Callihan II as well as Cara Hicks, the General Manager of the Louisville Ballet. This internship will allow me to gain experience in meeting with high-level community leaders and enhance my networking skills throughout the city of Louisville. I was selected as the single summer intern for the Ballet after a rigorous interview process. I look forward to spending the summer in a new city and am excited for the opportunity to work with the Louisville Ballet!”

Rebecca Schaller, BA senior, iCadenza
“In collaboration with Dr. Mark Rabideau and the founders of an organization providing career resources for musicians, iCadenza, I will be creating the multimedia presentations coinciding with Dr. Mark Radbieau's ten lectures on Arts Entrepreneurialism. I will fly out to Los Angeles and record the women's voices on it and finalize the product. iCadenza is an arts organization that supports and teaches music professionals through their blossoming career.”