Our vision:
Individuals and communities everywhere are uplifted when the arts are part of our shared public life. A world where the arts educate, heal, restore, empower and connect us is a world worth creating together.
When we hired ArtsAspire Consulting, we only had a dream. Susan operationalized that dream, creating manageable pathways of work that brought people together and provided a steady and encouraging hand along the way.
— Stacie Sanders Evans
President and CEO, Young Audiences of Maryland
Our Projects
We work with clients and their constituents to develop and manage projects that catalyze change for the common good through the power of the arts.
Professional Development Institute
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) partner to provide an annual three-day Professional Development Institute (PDI) for state arts agency arts education managers. ArtsAspire Consulting’s Founder & Principal Susan Oetgen has consulted with NASAA since 2014, staffing the PDI working group, managing and contributing to the planning, programming and evaluation of the PDI, and overseeing a mentorship program for NASAA’s arts education peer group.
National Residency Teaching Artist Credential & Professional Development Initiative
In 2016, the Young Audiences Arts for Learning (YA) national office and several network affiliates came together to research and pilot a national teaching artist credential and professional development program. ArtsAspire Consulting has partnered with YA between 2017-2020, managing the project working group and operationalizing the annual YA National Residency Teaching Artist Credential application and adjudication process.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mentorship Pilot Program
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) piloted a mentorship program for their state arts agency members of color in 2019. ArtsAspire Consulting’s Founder & Principal Susan Oetgen co-designed and co-managed this mentorship pilot program for a cohort of ten mentor and mentee pairs, researching best practices, leading training and orientations, providing mentorship support, and conducting program evaluation.
40 Hours: Conflict Resolution & Studio Skills
In 2017, SchoolTalk piloted a VSA Kennedy Center Rosemary Kennedy Initiative program to provide professional development in a creative field for young artists with disabilities. Along with artist Konshens the MC, ArtsAspire Consulting collaborated with SchoolTalk to design and manage the ‘40 Hours: Conflict Resolution & Studio Skills’ residency program with students from Luke C. Moore Alternative High School in Washington, DC.
