
Emily Arden
Arts management specialist with10+ years experience curating exceptional community-based spaces, places, programs, and events.
My work exists at the intersection of artist management, event management, and design, which allows me to view the Public Programming + Performing Arts fields from multiple lenses. While working for organizations that were combining all modes of artistic expression with community-based events, I found my passion for curating programs where unlikely and unexpected connections are ignited. I bring a commitment of authenticity and joy to all of the work I do, and I am deeply interested in exploring innovative ways of engaging new and diverse audiences.
I seek to help artists and organizations tell their stories in new and meaningful ways, and to provide opportunities for unexpected and eye-opening collaborations. I am committed to creating space for artists to make and share their work. I love a good challenge, and thrive in settings that ask us to think about a problem from a new angle.
In the same way a chef uses food to show love, creating beautiful, welcoming, comfortable s p a c e is the way I best know to contribute to making the world a better place. Whether it's a stage or a living room, designing and programming spaces is the foundation upon which I know how to build community. I do so with a commitment to curiosity, sustainability, and with a DIY spirit.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Event Production Manager // Oakland Museum of California // 2019-Present
Associate Producer // Yerba Buena Center for the Arts // 2018-2019
Program + Events Manager // Rhode Island Ave NE Main Street // 2015-2017
Co-Founder + Director // ReCreative Spaces // 2014-2017
Facility Event Rental Host // Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts // 2014-2016
Creative Community Fellow // National Arts Strategies // 2015

