Arts Administrators in Higher Education
A national network for people advancing the arts across colleges and universities.
AAHE connects arts administrators working across disciplines, campuses, museums, centers, galleries, performance spaces, and public programs. Together, members share resources, build relationships, and strengthen the role of the arts in higher education.
What we do
Connection, resource-sharing, and professional support for arts administrators.
AAHE supports members through gatherings, conversations, mentorship, and peer learning. The organization is intentionally practical: members bring real questions from their campuses and leave with ideas, examples, and colleagues they can call on.
Annual Meeting
A national gathering for learning, site visits, conversation, and relationship-building across institutions.
Breakout Sessions
Member-led virtual discussions where colleagues exchange strategies, challenges, and timely ideas.
Career Groups
Peer groups organized by career stage to support growth, reflection, and professional development.
Mentorship
Structured mentorship pairings that connect members across institutions, roles, and areas of practice.
Why AAHE
A place for the people who make campus arts work possible.
Arts administrators often work between departments, disciplines, audiences, and institutional priorities. AAHE creates a space where that work is understood. Members compare models, share documents, talk through challenges, and learn from colleagues who are building arts programs in many different campus contexts.
Whether you are new to the field or in a senior leadership role, AAHE offers a collegial network grounded in generosity, practical knowledge, and a shared commitment to the arts in higher education.
Member voices
What members say about AAHE
AAHE is shaped by the generosity, experience, and shared commitment of its members.
AAHE is a welcoming and inclusive community of professionals who are rooted in the belief that arts administrators provide the necessary support and guidance to the campuses they serve.
—2024 Annual Meeting Attendee
Having been involved with AAHE for the past decade, my experience with and reliance on this organization have helped me grow professionally and personally.
—Joe Levickas, University of Michigan
Being a member of AAHE provides a wonderful community of peers who share many of the same values and career goals.
—Sabrina Wilensky, Stanford University
Programs
Simple, useful ways to stay connected throughout the year.
AAHE programming is designed around conversation and exchange. Members can participate in virtual sessions, join career-stage cohorts, connect with mentors, and gather in person at the annual meeting.
Breakout Sessions
Topical conversations shaped by member questions and current issues in the field.
Career Groups
Small peer cohorts for members at emerging, mid-career, and senior stages.
Mentorship Program
A supportive structure for members seeking guidance, perspective, and connection.
Annual Meeting
Gather with colleagues from across the country.
The AAHE Annual Meeting brings members together for conversation, campus visits, shared learning, and time with colleagues who understand the work of supporting the arts in higher education.
2026
New Haven, Connecticut
Hosted by Yale Schwarzman Center, the 2026 Annual Meeting offers opportunities to connect with peers, visit local arts and cultural spaces, and take part in sessions focused on collaboration, community, and campus arts leadership.
Member network
A cross-campus community of arts leaders and practitioners.
AAHE members work in many institutional settings and roles, including arts centers, academic departments, galleries, museums, performing arts programs, public engagement initiatives, and interdisciplinary spaces.
Members across colleges and universities
Visual, performing, public, and interdisciplinary arts
Peer learning, mentorship, and shared resources