Bolz Center for Arts Administration

08/27/2026

The 2026 Wisconsin School of Business Master's Orientation winds down today. This week our students learned about employer relations and the recruiting process, reflected on their CliftonStrengths, participated in a Capsim simulation, practiced and mastered their Big 3, explored the power of network and relationship building, ate some Babcock ice cream, became experts on Union South, and listened to a little 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton. There was a lot of activity packed in, and hopefully through it all, these Badgers know that the Bolz Center is a pretty great place to be and we are happy that they are a part of it.

08/25/2026

The sun is setting on Day 1 of the Wisconsin School of Business 2026 Master's Program Orientation. But this shining group of University of Wisconsin-Madison Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership graduate students are just getting started.

On, Wisconsin!

08/20/2026

It's back-to-school season, and our newest Bolz Center students are ready to begin their graduate studies in Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership! The group will gather next week on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus for the 2026 Wisconsin School of Business Master's Program orientation.

We share a very special welcome to the Class of 2027 cohort members: Zhiyao Chang, Mandy Descorbeth, Ayden Fowler, Sarah Margaret Horn B.A., Leah Johnson, Aidan Kaddatz, Isabelle Kiekhofer, Cassandria Kowalski, Samantha Lezama, Ainsley Morton, Kendall Schumacher, Marielle Shiring, Grace Olivia Tohm, Katarina Wickman, Matt Wisotsky.

On, Wisconsin!

08/13/2026

Due to a completely unexpected, yet lovely surprise, Maya Dougherty-Harris has come full circle.

And in the best way possible.

After completing her Wisconsin School of Business master’s curriculum in Arts and Creative Enterprise Leadership this past spring, Maya returned home to accept an arts management position in La Crosse, WI. Only a year ago, she had been working as the Administrative Assistant for the Fine Arts Center at Viterbo University. But with her new graduate degree in hand, she now serves as the Rental and Operations Manager. Maya is utilizing the tools and frameworks that she accumulated as a student to help her find success at work (and home) on a daily basis. And while we know that she misses her Bolzie cohort, a special little guy named Coulee is around to keep her company!

We're so proud of you, Maya!

Before my time as a student in the Bolz Center for Arts Administration, I was an Administrative Assistant to the Fine Arts Center at Viterbo University, a

07/30/2026

These happy individuals had the opportunity to meet today for their first of many convenings together. The incoming Class of 2027 spent the morning learning about the Bolz Center, prepping for graduate school, and practicing the Big 3! Along with two additional classmates, they'll gather again in late August for a weeklong orientation with their fellow Wisconsin School of Business Master's Students. Welcome, Bolzies!

07/15/2026

Not everyone starts their first job at a Tony Award winning theatre. But that’s where Paige Verbsky found herself this summer through her work with American Players Theatre. Now two months post-graduation from the Wisconsin School of Business, she is spending her days (and nights) at APT, and also having fun away from the job, too. Read more about Paige’s summer excursions here and how the Bolz Center made it all happen!

Life Beyond Grainger Hall, or in other words, two months after graduating from the Bolz Center for Arts Administration, has been full of shows up the Hill

07/14/2026

Every end is a new beginning, and for our longtime Bolz Center colleague and friend, we are excited for the next stop on his career journey ahead. This week we say goodbye to the best as Professor John Surdyk heads off to New England where he will serve as Director of the Halloran Lab for Entrepreneurship at Colby College. Anyone who has had the privilege of his teaching, mentorship, or collaboration knows that his passion for entrepreneurship is uncontested. The Mules will be in superior hands.

While we are deeply sad that our paths will no longer cross on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus or at arts events around the city, we are thrilled that John will have the opportunity to soon meet and reconnect with the East Coast Bolzies.

Thank you for 22 years of service and spirit to the Wisconsin School of Business, John!

05/21/2026

Congratulations to Bolz Center Alum Marla Poytinger for being recognized by Milwaukee Business Journal as a 2026 Women of Influence! Marla's first business post-MBA was Splash Studio, a painting and wine bar in Milwaukee, WI. If you roam the halls and offices of Grainger Hall, you'll find artwork created by Wisconsin School of Business students and staff members led through instruction by Marla and her Splash Studio team. Thank you for your commitment to the arts and hospitality, Marla!

Here is the complete list of 2026 Women of Influence honorees >> See the full article below ⬇️

05/11/2026

We are delighted to see several of our Bolzies (Maja Hastings, Ali Mammadov, Palmer Papson, Elizabeth G. Sage, Brielle Wallace, William Arnold) represented in the University of Wisconsin-Madison 2026 Commencement video! As ever they show their care for each other (1:12) and a meaningful reminder that they will always be Badgers (1:24). On, Wisconsin!

05/09/2026

The Bolz Center Class of 2026 is all Mastered up!