The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has appointed Emilie Amrein as the Founding Director of UTSA Arts and the Associate Dean for Community Engagement in the College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA).
Established in 2022, UTSA Arts is dedicated to community arts education, presenting performances, exhibitions, and arts-based research and partnerships that make art accessible to the general public. At that time, UTSA launched a national search, with support from the search firm Koya Partners, to identify a director.
In a 2022 press release, COLFA Dean Glenn Martínez stated, “UTSA Arts is one piece of UTSA’s bold recommitment to arts education. It will be a space of collaboration and co-creation that meaningfully engages with artists, performers, funding agencies, school districts, donors, art institutions, and the whole of San Antonio’s aesthetically rich and historically grounded arts communities. Over the next several years, the term ‘UTSA Arts’ will become synonymous with public exhibitions and performances, community arts education, and arts patronage of the highest caliber.”
Emilie Amrein
Emilie Amrein currently serves as an associate professor of music, Chair of the Department of Music, and the Director of Choral Scholars at the University of San Diego. She holds a DMA in Conducting from the University of Minnesota, an MM in Choral Conducting from the University of Arizona, and BS degrees in Vocal Performance and Italian from Indiana University. Ms. Amrein is the co-artistic director of Common Ground Voices / La Frontera, a bi-national community music project that works to build relationships and understanding across borders. She is also the founder of The Choral Commons, a media platform that produces podcasts and events, offers educational resources, and serves as a creative incubator for choirs and singing communities.
In a press release announcing Ms. Amrein’s appointment, Mr. Martínez remarked, “Dr. Amrein’s extensive experience and forward-thinking vision make her an excellent choice to lead UTSA Arts. Her work will elevate our arts programming and strengthen our connections with the San Antonio community, creating an inclusive cultural environment that will put UTSA at the forefront of arts programming in South Texas.”
Ms. Amrein commented, “UTSA has been an important anchor in this community for the past 50 years, and I am excited to be a part of the next chapter. I look forward to working with UTSA’s remarkable faculty, students, and community partners as we imagine and build UTSA Arts together.”
Ms. Amrein will begin her roles as Director of UTSA Arts and Associate Dean for Community Engagement in COLFA on Monday, July 1.
