ARAD is delighted to welcome Melissa Weisberg (ARAD ’20) as our new Social Media Manager. Learn more about Melissa, her goals for her new role, and what she’s been up to since graduation.

Tell us a little bit about yourself? Where are you from? What was your undergraduate degree focused on and how has it informed your current professional path?

I am from Long Island, New York and earned my undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I was a dual degree student majoring in Art & Design and English Language & Literature. Without knowing there was a name for it, I discovered my love for “arts administration” when given the opportunity to run the student art gallery on campus and leading the marketing for TEDxUofM. Those two roles made me realize that I didn’t want to be a practicing artist, I really enjoyed stewarding the stories of artists and creatives to a larger public audience. Cue the beginning of a career in fundraising and communications in the art, architecture, and design sector!

What sort of things are you looking forward to with this role?

As an alumni of the ARAD program, I’ve enjoyed following the ARAD social media accounts as a means to stay connected to the program and learn what current students and alumni are up to. ARAD’s network is so far-reaching – it’s incredible to see what everyone continues to accomplish. I’m looking forward to strengthening the ARAD community (prospective students, current students, alumni, and faculty) through the program’s social media channels. 

What originally motivated you to come to TC as a student?

After working for a number of years in the nonprofit space, I wanted to strengthen my skills to become a stronger financial leader. ARAD’s partnership with Columbia Business School was extremely attractive to me and it proved to be exactly what I was looking for. I especially liked ARAD’s interdisciplinary approach to arts administration – taking classes in law, fundraising, arts education, accessibility, and data analytics has prepared me to become a well-rounded leader in the arts. 

What have you been doing after graduating from ARAD/Teachers college?

I have been building my business, Artivore, which actually began as my Capstone Project. Artivore makes arts and culture-centric itineraries for urban millennials who need guidance navigating the art world so that they more easily participate in enriching leisure activities. We’re always looking for itinerary writers since it’s a community-driven platform. If you’d like to contribute, you can submit an itinerary here!

What are some of your favorite things about living in NYC?

The arts and culture scene, of course! I actually think visiting museums in NYC during the pandemic has been my favorite in terms of visitor experience – at 25% capacity and minimal tourism, you truly have the museum to yourself. That being said, I can’t wait for museums to be bustling with visitors again and I absolutely can’t wait for live performances to come back.

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Melissa Weisburg is an arts administrator with a background in nonprofit fundraising and public relations for established NYC arts organizations including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Public Art Fund, and Storefront for Art and Architecture. She is founder of Artivore, a platform revitalizing the arts and culture industry by helping organizations identify, engage, and grow their audiences. Melissa’s passion lies in creating financially stable creative communities for the organizations she works with, supporting inclusive and accessible exhibitions and programming in the arts. She is a 2020 ARAD alum and a 2014 University of Michigan alum.