About Sarah
Her professional career includes extensive experience in artistic collaboration and administrative leadership, a passion for sharing the arts with broader audiences, a strong background in working collaboratively with stakeholders at multiple organizations on a wide variety of projects, and 15+ years as an educator in the UW System. Projects range from showcasing Professor Mike Leckrone (2001-2019), Corey Pompey (2022-present), and the Badger Band at the UW Varsity Band Spring Concert and welcoming His Holiness the Dalai Lama to the Overture Center for events with the Center for Healthy Minds (2013 and 2016) to Program Director of the Madison Early Music Festival (2015-2020) and General Manager of Forward Theater (2010-2015).
Producing Artistic Director of Four Seasons Theatre, she co-founded and developed the business plan for FST while a graduate student in the Bolz Center (Class of 2005). Through her work at FST she helps brings musical theatre performances to stages, libraries, and assisted living facilities across Madison and has mentored countless high school and college students through the Backstage Arts Internship program. Marty brings this experience and her perspective as an arts leader to the board of the Overture Center, which she joined in September 2019.
Through her work as Co-Director of the Holding History Program, she mentors students in special collections archives as they connect the history of media to the arts and crafts of bookmaking and learn how to share their discoveries in centuries old books through public events in campus libraries.
Inducted into the UW-Madison Teaching Academy in Spring 2017, Marty received the First Wave Faculty Mentor Award in Spring 2019 for her supporting role in the Black Arts Matter Festival (produced by Shasparay Lighteard Irvin) and was the 2008 recipient of the Bartell Award for Excellence in the Arts through the UW-Madison Creative Arts Award program. She’s a lifelong Badger having earned a Bachelor of Music Education (1997), an MS in Curriculum & Instruction (2001), and MA in Arts Administration from the Bolz Center (2005).
Presentations
Downtown Rotary Keynote (2020) “HAMILTON: How a Musical About History is Making Musical History”
Association of Arts Administration Educators Conference (2019) “By Any Other Name”
Holding History Keynote Event (2019) “HAMILTON and the archives: Highlighting the WHS North American History Collection”
Wisconsin Alumni Association Advancement Event (2019) “The Legacy of Mike Leckrone”
UW Continuing Studies Event (2018) “The Legacy of Robert Gard”
UW-Madison Red Talk (2017) “Design Thinking in the Arts”
PAVE Conference on Arts Entrepreneurship (2015) “Arts Enterprise at University of Wisconsin-Madison”
National Community Theatre Directors Conference (2013) “Leveraging Social Media in Arts Marketing”
Graduate Courses
Nonprofit Board Leadership (MHR 765), Spring 2016. Download Syllabus
Team Taught with Dennis Johnson, Sarah Marty, and Kathie Nichols
This service-learning course engages graduate students who seek an opportunity to develop a commitment to community and civic engagement through volunteer leadership of nonprofit organizations in Madison/Dane County.
Students will enroll for 3 credits each semester to complete a sequence worth 6 credits. They will serve on the boards of nonprofits (in a non-voting capacity) and complete an independent governance project for their assigned nonprofit by the end of the second semester.
Students will meet a total of ten (10) times in the fall semester (full-day kickoff and Weds. from 6-9pm). They will participate in an online discussion forum using Learn at UW/Desire 2 Learn (D2L) and complete reflection papers on applicable content.
Outside of regular class time, students will meet with the Program Coordinator at least once over the course of the semester to discuss the governance project development. They will also have the opportunity for small group coaching on projects during some classes.
Students will also attend individual board meetings, advisor/mentor meetings and board committee meetings for their community partner organization.
Nonprofit Board Leadership (MHR 765), Fall 2015. Download Syllabus
Team Taught with Dennis Johnson and Kathie Nichols
This service-learning course engages graduate students who seek an opportunity to develop a commitment to community and civic engagement through volunteer leadership of nonprofit organizations in Madison/Dane County.
Students will enroll for 3 credits each semester to complete a sequence worth 6 credits. They will serve on the boards of nonprofits (in a non-voting capacity) and complete an independent governance project for their assigned nonprofit by the end of the second semester.
Students will meet a total of ten (10) times in the fall semester (full-day kickoff and Weds. from 6-9pm). They will participate in an online discussion forum using Learn at UW/Desire 2 Learn (D2L) and complete reflection papers on applicable content.
Outside of regular class time, students will meet with the Program Coordinator at least once over the course of the semester to discuss the governance project development. They will also have the opportunity for small group coaching on projects during some classes.
Students will also attend individual board meetings, advisor/mentor meetings and board committee meetings for their community partner organization.
Hybrid Courses
Arts Enterprise (MHR 375/765), Fall 2015.
Arts Enterprise: Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship will offer an overview and foundation for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative projects in arts, culture, design, and humanities. Students from a variety of creative majors across campus will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers. Students will cultivate their own career vision and creative project goals while gaining an understanding of the nature and structure of arts entrepreneurship – for-profit, nonprofit, and in between.
The course meets twice weekly over 15 weeks. Guest lectures by creative professionals and class discussions will ensure ongoing connections between theory and practice. The course is intended to align with the Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate Entrepreneurship Certificate for students who are interested in a more intensive focus on creative enterprise.
Arts Enterprise (MHR 365/765), Spring 2015.
Arts Enterprise: Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship will offer an overview and foundation for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative projects in arts, culture, design, and humanities. Students from a variety of creative majors across campus will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers. Students will cultivate their own career vision and creative project goals while gaining an understanding of the nature and structure of arts entrepreneurship – for-profit, nonprofit, and in between.
The seminar course meets once/week for 15 weeks. Guest lectures by creative professionals and class discussions will ensure ongoing connections between theory and practice. The course is intended to align with the Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate Entrepreneurship Certificate for students who are interested in a more intensive focus on creative enterprise.
Arts Enterprise (MHR 365/765), Spring 2014.
Arts Enterprise: Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship will offer an overview and foundation for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative projects in arts, culture, design, and humanities. Students from a variety of creative majors across campus will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers. Students will cultivate their own career vision and creative project goals while gaining an understanding of the nature and structure of arts entrepreneurship – for-profit, nonprofit, and in between.
The seminar course meets once/week for 15 weeks. Guest lectures by creative professionals and class discussions will ensure ongoing connections between theory and practice. The course is intended to align with the Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate Entrepreneurship Certificate for students who are interested in a more intensive focus on creative enterprise.
Arts Enterprise (MHR 365/765), Fall 2013.
Arts Enterprise: Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship will offer an overview and foundation for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative projects in arts, culture, design, and humanities. Students from a variety of creative majors across campus will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers. Students will cultivate their own career vision and creative project goals while gaining an understanding of the nature and structure of arts entrepreneurship – for-profit, nonprofit, and in between.
The seminar course meets once/week for 15 weeks. Guest lectures by creative professionals and class discussions will ensure ongoing connections between theory and practice. The course is intended to align with the Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate Entrepreneurship Certificate for students who are interested in a more intensive focus on creative enterprise.
Arts Enterprise (MHR 365/765), Fall 2014.
Arts Enterprise: Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship will offer an overview and foundation for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative projects in arts, culture, design, and humanities. Students from a variety of creative majors across campus will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers. Students will cultivate their own career vision and creative project goals while gaining an understanding of the nature and structure of arts entrepreneurship – for-profit, nonprofit, and in between.
The seminar course meets once/week for 15 weeks. Guest lectures by creative professionals and class discussions will ensure ongoing connections between theory and practice. The course is intended to align with the Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate Entrepreneurship Certificate for students who are interested in a more intensive focus on creative enterprise.
Arts Enterprise (Intro to Arts Entrepreneurship) (MHR 365/765), Fall 2016.
“Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship” will offer an overview and foundation for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative projects in arts, culture, design, and humanities. Students from a variety of creative majors across campus will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers. Students will cultivate their own career vision and creative project goals while gaining an understanding of the nature and structure of arts entrepreneurship – for-profit, nonprofit, and in between.
The course meets twice weekly over 15 weeks. Guest lectures by creative professionals and class discussions will ensure ongoing connections between theory and practice. The course is intended to align with the Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate Entrepreneurship Certificate for students who are interested in a more intensive focus on creative enterprise.
Arts Enterprise (Intro to Arts Entrepreneurship) (MHR 365/765), Fall 2017.
“Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship” will offer an overview and foundation for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative projects in arts, culture, design, and humanities. Students from a variety of creative majors across campus will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers. Students will cultivate their own career vision and creative project goals while gaining an understanding of the nature and structure of arts entrepreneurship – for-profit, nonprofit, and in between.
The course meets twice weekly over 15 weeks. Guest lectures by creative professionals and class discussions will ensure ongoing connections between theory and practice. The course is intended to align with the Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate Entrepreneurship Certificate for students who are interested in a more intensive focus on creative enterprise.
Intro to Arts Entrepreneurship (MHR 365/765), Fall 2018.
“Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship” will offer an overview and foundation for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative projects in arts, culture, design, and humanities. Students from a variety of creative majors across campus will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers. Students will cultivate their own career vision and creative project goals while gaining an understanding of the nature and structure of arts entrepreneurship – for-profit, nonprofit, and in between.
The course meets twice weekly over 15 weeks. Guest lectures by creative professionals and class discussions will ensure ongoing connections between theory and practice. The course is intended to align with the Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate Entrepreneurship Certificate for students who are interested in a more intensive focus on creative enterprise.
Intro to Arts Entrepreneurship (MHR 365/765), Fall 2019. Download Syllabus
“Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship” will offer an overview and foundation for students interested in developing, launching, or advancing innovative projects in arts, culture, design, and humanities. Students from a variety of creative majors across campus will learn the unique contexts and challenges of creative careers. Students will cultivate their own career vision and creative project goals while gaining an understanding of the nature and structure of arts entrepreneurship – for-profit, nonprofit, and in between.
The course meets twice weekly over 15 weeks. Guest lectures by creative professionals and class discussions will ensure ongoing connections between theory and practice. The course is intended to align with the Wisconsin School of Business undergraduate Entrepreneurship Certificate for students who are interested in a more intensive focus on creative enterprise.
Learning/Teaching Oriented Publications
Marty, S. & Calhoun, J. (2022). Holding History Podcast
Marty, S. “Six Steps to Help Artists Thrive as Entrepreneurs”
Professional Organizations
Overture Center Foundation
Madison Early Music Festival
Meet More Management and Human Resources Faculty
Dan Olszewski
Tracy Nelson
Stav Atir
