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The Curb Center at Vanderbilt
1207 18th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37212
615-322-2872

About the Curb Program in Creative Enterprise and Public Leadership

The Curb Program in Creative Enterprise and Public Leadership lies at the heart of Vanderbilt's Creative Campus Initiative.   The Program prepares students to lead and navigate an increasingly complex system of creative enterprise and expression in the U.S.—a system defined by interdependent global markets and cultures; media consolidation; emerging technologies; complicated intellectual property rules; and changing demographics.

The Curb Program, which includes the Undergraduate Scholars program and a fifth-year Master’s Degree, is modeled after the career of Mike Curb—philanthropist, founder of Curb Records, and former lieutenant governor of California.  The program emphasizes fluency across private and public sectors, commitment to public service, and a critical approach to decisions affecting the nation’s creative and cultural life—from museums to the music industry; from Hollywood to Bollywood; from arts and crafts to interactive media.

The Curb Scholars program, administered by the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy at Vanderbilt, is the first of its kind in the nation.  Based on a deep respect for the value of both academic and experiential learning, the Scholars program includes courses, seminars and workshops led by top faculty, artists and executives, coupled with internships and projects that provide first-hand experiences with a variety of creative enterprises.     

Program Components

Courses.  The program will be offering a range of courses and seminars designed to build Scholars’ understanding of the complex system of creative enterprise and expression in the U.S., and to broaden and deepen their leadership skills and creative practice.   Courses encompass a broad range of study, including:

• Creative Enterprise and Public Leadership
• Creativity & Society
• Ways of Seeing
• Public Discourse, Controversy and Digital Media
• Negotiating Creativity: Entrepreneurs, Producers and Catalysts
• Design of Places, Spaces, and Things
• Survey of American Popular Culture & History
• Politics, Power & America’s Cultural Life
• Social Media & Social Change
  
  

Salons & Events.  Creative Creative Leadership Salon series and Curb Center events will provide Scholars the opportunity to engage in intimate, informal conversations around contemporary issues related to creativity, culture, expressive life, leadership, enterprise and the public interest. 

One-on-one Interviews with Leaders & Entrepreneurs. Scholars will have the opportunity to interview top leaders and policy makers working in the arts, entertainment and media industries, and the government.

Summer Leadership Internship. Between their junior and senior years, Scholars will participate in a paid summer internship in New York City, Washington DC, or Los Angeles. 

Capstone Project.  In their senior year, Scholars will develop a creative “work”—such as an entrepreneurial venture, a new composition or production, a new social media platform, or a festival—that serves both the public interest and contributes to the vitality of the community’s cultural life.