news and networking

The Americans for the Arts Emerging Leader Network strives to keep its members informed and connected. This network is an ideal way for new leaders to nurture passion for their work with others as they continue to develop their leadership potential and your commitment to the arts. We also recognize that our members possess an enormous capacity to learn from each other. By facilitating both formal and informal interactions among members, this program serves as a national network of arts leaders.

The strength of the national Emerging Leader Network depends on cultivating strong and sustainable local emerging leader networks in communities of all kinds across the country. New professionals need to develop their own cohorts of peers for continued growth, support and renewal. Each local emerging leader network looks and operates differently because each reflects the unique characteristics of its community or region.

National Roster of Local Emerging Leader Networks
This list includes contact information for nearly 20 established networks across the country, some recently formed and others more established. In all cases, these local networks are led by emerging leaders in their spare time—in service of their own professional development and of their peers. To add or update your network, please e-mail leadership@artsusa.org.
View map of local Emerging Leader Networks.

How to Start a Local Emerging Leader Network
Local networks come in all shapes and sizes. What to start one in your community? Use these tips and strategies from established networks on how to launch a network or bring your network to the next level.
Click here for more information on starting or strengthening your network.

Through Americans for the Arts Emerging Leaders Network resources, each community network connects nationally to one another. Every year, Americans for the Arts offers a broad range of national events, tools, and programs designed specifically for emerging leaders.

Emerging Leaders Listserv
This online forum yields lively discussions and intellectual exploration of issues relevant to emerging leaders. Are you looking for daily stimulation from peers across the country? Do you have an urgent issue that about which you would like input? Maybe you want to share a thought-provoking article or news item? You can get all of this information and more by joining Americans for the Arts and subscribing to the Emerging Leaders listserv. We hope you will become an active member of this vibrant, virtual learning community. This is a professional membership benefit—join here. Not a professional member? Read more about the benefits of joining Americans for the Arts.

Emerging Leaders Council
The Emerging Leaders Council (ELC) is a peer-elected advisory body to Americans for the Arts and assists with developing programs and resources to promote the knowledge, visibility, and engagement of emerging arts professionals nationwide. The ELC meets four times a year, including during the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention. Only professional members of Americans for the Arts are eligible to serve on the council. Elections for open seats on the council are held in the fall.

Networking with Emerging Leaders at the Annual Convention
Every year, Americans for the Arts comes together to share the strategies and the best practices of leading creative communities. With more than a thousand participants, the Americans for the Arts Annual Convention is a productive meeting ground for professional development, networking, and personal renewal. Emerging Leaders are eligible to apply for scholarships. There are also Emerging Leader dine-a-rounds, morning peer meetings, and an evening reception.

Networking with Emerging Leaders at National Arts Advocacy Day
March is the month when the arts march on Capitol Hill. Arts Advocacy Day: The National Arts Action Summit is a one-day workshop that teaches arts professions how to make the case for the arts. Teams of arts administration students attend from all over the country. After the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy in America, we host an emerging leaders reception—a great event for networking.