On April 27, 2024, Arts Admin Next (AAN) hosted its third roundtable event, “Anchoring Across Borders: Exploring the Global Arts Landscape,” at theBLANC. This event, planned and hosted by co-founders Joey Yijiao Chen (ARAD ’24), Katerina Chenyu Wang (ARAD ’24), Demi Wenjie Zhao (ARAD ’25), and Xiaojing Zhu (ARAD ’25), was supported by a microgrant from the Arts Administration program at Teachers College, Columbia University (ARAD). Read the blog post to learn more about their project!
The AAN Spring 2024 Roundtable featured distinguished alumni from the arts administration programs at Columbia University and New York University and seasoned arts professionals working in galleries and museums. Esteemed guest speakers included Zane Culkstena (ARAD ’12, Visiting Scholar at Columbia University, Founder and Chairwoman of Kim? Contemporary Art Centre), Qinrui Hua (MassArt ’18, Associate Director at Gladstone Gallery), María Mora Martínez (VAA ’22, Communications Associate at ISCP; Steering Committee at POWarts), Blaire Townshend (ARAD ’17, Assistant Director of Membership Services & Professional Development at The Broadway League), and Yu Yan (Harvard University GSD ’22, Associate Manager of Advancement, Special Events at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum).
Over 40 attendees attended the event, which converged diverse perspectives and experiences. The roundtable discussions shed light on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for these international art practitioners. Five speakers, who came from various fields, from non-profit to for-profit arts organizations and from visual to performing arts, shared invaluable insights on their professional journeys within the arts administration sphere. They discussed their post-graduation journey and their roles as international professionals in the art world. They also provided practical advice and guidance on securing work visas specifically for international students.
In addition to the enlightening discussions, attendees had the opportunity to participate in breakout sessions that fostered deeper interaction and networking. “These sessions facilitate more personalized conversations, enabling participants to seek advice and share their own experiences in a more intimate setting,” said Katerina Wang. “The diverse backgrounds of the attendees and speakers fostered a rich dialogue that extended beyond the formal sessions, promoting enduring connections and collaborative opportunities,” Joey Chen added.
“As Arts Admin Next approaches the second year of its establishment, we are committed to fostering a diverse community of arts administrators where passion for the arts resonates across various cohorts. In the upcoming years, we will maintain a roster of new annual roundtables, gallery tours, and networking events, providing a dynamic platform for arts administrators and practitioners to connect, discover opportunities, and share ideas in the vibrant city of New York,” said Demi Zhao and Xiaojing Zhu.
Stay tuned for more upcoming AAN events, which will be announced on our Instagram account @artsadminnext!
Special thanks to the Arts Administration program at Teachers College, Columbia University (ARAD), and theBLANC Art Space for fostering a vibrant community in arts administration and supporting global perspectives and collaboration in advancing the field of arts administration.
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