January 12, 2006

The Business Of The Arts
Nerenhausen tapped to teach course at Nova Southeastern University
which combines the arts with business savvy

FORT LAUDERDALE-DAVIE, Fla. — Mark Nerenhausen, CEO of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, has been tapped to teach a graduate-level course in arts management at Nova Southeastern University.

Nerenhausen is credited for turning the once-languishing Broward Center into one of the most successful performing arts venues in the nation. Additionally, he has used the Broward Center as an economic engine to connect the county’s cultural organizations to one another and to the local business community.

This course offers a unique niche. It is pioneering arts management education, said David Spangler, Director of the Interdisciplinary Arts Program at NSU’s Fischler School of Education and Human Services. Offered in partnership with NSU’s Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship, the course offers a no-nonsense view of managing cultural and fine arts organizations, teaching students to marry business savvy with cultural sensitivity. 

The new course, “Business Applications of Interdisciplinary Arts & Social Entrepreneurism,” introduces students to concepts and practices of arts business and management while incorporating the concept of “social entrepreneurism” as a new approach to business practices in the arts.

Nerenhausen is recognized as an influential business leader in the region. He was instrumental in forming the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District, which fosters collaborations among performing and fine arts organizations in Broward County, and has played a key role in marketing the area as an economic hub.

Last year, Nerenhausen helped to organize “State to State Business to Culture: Focus ’05 Brazil,” a series of workshops, lectures, and bi-national forums at NSU which brought companies from South Florida and Brazil together with potential customers in the region. Currently, plans are underway to develop similar programs with other nations.