Dr. Michael Seman is an assistant professor of arts management at Colorado State University where he is also the director of the Arts Management program. He received his doctorate in urban planning and public policy from the University of Texas at Arlington. Michael’s work examines issues in the creative economy, most recently the economic, cultural, and social impacts of music venues. Before joining Colorado State University, Michael was Director of Creative Industries Research and Policy at the University of Colorado Denver College of Arts and Media.

Michael recently co-authored music and film strategies and creative economy reports for the City of Denver and the State of Colorado and co-authored, Lost Art: Measuring COVID-19’s Devastating Impact on America’s Creative Economy with Richard Florida for the Brookings Institution. His co-edited volume concerning the production and consumption of music in thedigital age was published by Routledge in 2016 as part of their Contemporary Human Geography Series. Michael created the Music Venue Economic Impact Calculator for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) and is currently writing a book about music ecosystems and cities for the University of Texas Press. His work can also be found in many academic journals including Cities, Regional Science Policy and Practice, Applied Research in Economic Development, City, Culture and Society, Industrial Geographer, Artivate: A Journal of Entrepreneurship in the Arts, and most recently in Growth and Change.

The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, CNN, and many regional media outlets seek Michael’s insight concerning the creative economy, and he is often invited to speak at professional and civic events across the country. Prior to completing his graduate work, Michael spent several years as an executive at Creative Artists Agency in Beverly Hills, California where he focused on internal marketing and project development. Michael also managed daytime programming for the “35 Denton” and “Oaktopia” music festivals in Denton, Texas while earning his doctorate.