Emilie Jensen had a hunch that her work would lead to arts management but it wasn’t until COVID hit that she decided to take AES online classes.

“When the pandemic hit and I found myself with a lot more time on my hands, I decided to see what the Introduction course was like and found myself loving being able to look at the field of arts management from the perspective of my experienced professors and my peers. Being able to understand best practices, while also discussing how various organizations may or may not follow those best practices, gives a really great outlook on the field as a whole. After the first course, I knew I wanted to continue towards the Professional Certificate. I would recommend these courses to people in the arts sector at any place, either as artists, staff, volunteers, or board members. The courses help to place your work in the broader context of the field and the case studies allow for real-world application to the lessons,” Emilie explained.

Emilie began with the Introduction to Arts Management course then she delved into Grantwriting for the Arts, Arts Programming, Cultural Equity in the Arts, Financial Management in the Arts, and Arts Marketing— all of which have better prepared her for her dream job as an artistic director or director of education at a regional theater.