Whitney S. Christiansen

Director of Messaging

Whitney S. Christiansen serves as Director of Messaging for 4A Arts, driving initiatives focused on mobilizing citizens via compelling messaging about the power of the arts. After a 10-year career in public education in Kentucky, Christiansen received her Master of Arts Leadership and Cultural Management from Colorado State University in 2021.

Christiansen also worked with Be An #ArtsHero/Arts Workers United, leading a number of research projects, including a report on the long-term effect of arts investments in small towns, and serving as researcher for “The Green Room with Nadia Brown,” a collaboration with Ovation TV that explored the economic impact of arts and culture in the U.S., and the House hearing on the creative economy, where she created the “The Power, Peril, and Promise of the Creative Economy” report, including targeted data points for every congressional district represented on the House Small Business Committee.

Joining 4A Arts in 2022, Christiansen collaborated with Whippoorwill Arts and the Center for Music Ecosystems to create a set of evidence-based recommendations and best practices for fair pay and professional protections for working musicians. In 2023, Christiansen began researching the potential effects of the proliferation of artificial intelligence on the arts ecosystem, collaborating with arts organizations in California, North Carolina, and Texas to create educational resources on AI for artists and audiences alike, alongside her work on strategic messaging and narrative change.