At Princeton Arts Alumni, we are guided by these principles:
The arts are a mechanism for change: in the lives of individuals, in communities, and in society.
The arts should not only be treated as a luxury good, to be funded only after all other needs are met.
The arts are fundamental and necessary in order to connect with our own humanity, empathize with others, change minds, heal, and inspire action.
Strengthening a network of Princeton University-affiliated arts supporters will have a tangible impact on arts ecosystems and communities worldwide.
In 2024, we celebrated our 10th year. This is an exciting time for our organization: our story is shifting and our mission is crystallizing.
Read on to learn more about how you can get involved.
What is PA2?
Princeton Arts Alumni is a 501c3 non-profit organization. It operates separately from—though in close and warm partnership with—Princeton University.
PA2 is for anyone who has crossed paths with the arts: the student who took one Lewis Center class, played in one concert, or attended one arch sing is just as welcome as the student who made an artistic pursuit into a career. We welcome faculty, staff, partners, alumni and students from both graduate and undergraduate programs.
We started out as a series of events—gatherings, cabarets, and panel discussions. We soon grew into a major avenue for Tigers to share word of their creative projects through our monthly newsletter, which receives upwards of 300 submissions each year. During the pandemic, we opened a database to better assist alumni and students in connecting.
We are currently building a board of advisors and, to commemorate our 10th year, we are hosting ArtsXFest, a festival of events illuminating the impact, power, and ubiquity of the arts in shaping our society.
For artists who would like to market their work or seek collaborators, be sure to submit your work to our newsletter and join the database:
For art enthusiasts who would like to get involved with ArtsXFest or other programming, learn more here and subscribe to our newsletter:
For those moved by our mission, your tax-deductible donation will make our expanding work possible:
PA2 is Evolving
Princeton encourages many students to cultivate a love for the arts and an understanding of art’s importance to them. Then, every year, hundreds of alumni graduate without a new home for that interest and appreciation.
Whether an alumnus participated in a certificate, a student group, or rogue performances in a quad, PA2 was founded to connect them with fellow Tigers in service of each other, current students, and the resilience of the arts in our society.
We still believe in this mission, but we’re expanding our scope.
We believe that there should be more diverse and fortified pathways to arts careers, which will serve all communities who seek to keep the arts in their lives, whether as creators or enthusiasts. To this end, we are working to revive and expand a mentorship program that we piloted in 2019.
We believe that all industries and fields benefit from exploring their intersections with artistry and creativity. To this end, we created Arts X Fest to bring together experts who are already working at these intersections. We hope to make sure these conversations reach specialists who have not yet discovered the power of incorporating creativity into their work.
We believe that there is more work for us to do beyond these efforts, and that plenty of people in this community have great ideas about how to do it. To this end, we are welcoming volunteers to our organization and to our board.