Call for Mentors
This is a paid position for experienced arts administration educators, researchers and practitioners. Requirements for mentors include a minimum of five years of teaching experience, a minimum of five years of practical experience, or a combined minimum of seven years. Preference will be given to AAAE members. All mentors must commit to the entire program, which runs approximately between mid December 2026 and early June 2027. The program involves participating in 5-6 individual remote meetings, cohort meeting(s), and participation in one of the events within the Cross-exposure Series. We encourage mentors from diverse cultural backgrounds and geographies to apply. Please fill out this brief questionnaire to express your interest in the position: https://forms.gle/a2xtqY42KmX4mvtB9
Call for Mentees
AAAE seeks mentees for its annual mentorship program. This is a unique opportunity for early-career arts administration educators and emerging arts administrators to receive focused mentoring, networking opportunities, knowledge exchange, and access to AAAE’s wealth of membership resources. Successful candidates will be paired with seasoned mentors in one of the program tracks: Arts Administration Education and Arts Administration.
So far the program has proven especially beneficial to recent graduates, early career arts administration educators and mid-career professionals from adjacent disciplines transitioning to the field of arts administration, people tasked with curriculum /course development and researchers looking to collaborations.
Structured Mentor-Mentee Program: Participants will work on individual goals through one-on-one meetings over a six-month period. Examples of successful mentor-mentee partnerships may include, but are not limited to: navigating the job market in arts administration, education, or the creative workforce; transitioning to arts administration education from other adjacent disciplines or from the arts administration practice; developing a new course and syllabus; and honing research skills and qualifications in arts leadership and arts management.
In addition to receiving rigorous, individualized guidance, the mentorship cohort will co-produce an online series that explores the arts at the intersection of other public spheres and/or the integration of arts in other sectors.
Cross-Exposures: Under the guidance of the AAAE’s executive director and mentors, the mentees will co-organize a series of presentations or round tables that will bring together artists, arts administrators, researchers, educators and professionals from other sectors to interrogate the current play of the arts administration profession, the role of education, changing responsibilities and competences required to ensure that, as the next generation of arts administrators, the mentees feel confident creating, developing and executing impactful programming and leadership decisions for a diverse and inclusive audience. The series will be produced in close collaboration with the mentees to refine their skills in managing public programming and deepen their understanding of the broader societal impact of the arts. The cohort will be divided into small interest-based groups responsible for refining or modifying the suggested themes, collecting background information, gathering data and research, liaising with speakers, and promoting the series.
Study Visit: AAAE is only able to offer a partial support for attendance at its annual conference, which provides access to a robust network of professional contacts in the field, connections with local arts organizations, and opportunities to increase the cohort’s visibility through a public presentation. The limited travel stipend does not cover visa expenses; however, AAAE can provide a letter of invitation if needed.
Mentees of diverse cultural backgrounds and geographies are encouraged to apply.
Eligibility
Candidates must be AAAE members at the time of their application or enrolled in member institutions. To become a member, please follow this LINK.
The program prioritises:
- Early career educators with up to five years of teaching experience in arts administration or a related field are eligible.
- Current undergraduate and graduate students or two years from graduation in arts administration or a related field are eligible.
Interested candidates may email a résumé and a statement of interest using the following LINK.
Deadline: 28 September 2026, 11:59 pm EDT.
Please email any questions to mdeleva@artsadministration.org with a subject line “Mentorship program”.