The science of making management an art

•We identify the three main areas that the art and management field has made contributions.•We review how scholars have researched and built theory in the art and management field.•We provide an outlook for the art and management field.

SummaryScientific studies at the crossroads of art and management are a relatively recent phenomenon. Nevertheless, a dedicated group of scholars has created a considerable diversity in their approaches to this topic. In this paper we take stock of the works that have marked the field, review ways in which scholars have created and furthered theory across domain boundaries, and observe how scholars have addressed the difficulties of studying art and management empirically. We conclude with an outlook for the field, where we address questions of relevance and persistence.