BW alumna leverages the arts for social justice

Long-time theatre lover Emily Hutlock '20 has used her passions to guide her to the "perfect place" to start her career, right in Cleveland.

Emily Hutlock '20 enjoyed studying English as a Baldwin Wallace University undergraduate student. She harbored a passion for theater but resolved that it would have to remain a hobby and not a serious career path.

Then, she discovered BW's arts management & entrepreneurship program. She recognized an opportunity to add a minor that could blend her professional skills and love of theatre to support the arts in a meaningful and fulfilling way.

She credits her English advisor, Dr. Susan Oldrieve, for encouraging her to pursue her passion for the arts.

BW launches growth

After graduation from BW, Hutlock pursued a master's degree in arts policy and administration at The Ohio State University.

Since she attended graduate school during the height of COVID-19, she focused her master's thesis on the impact the pandemic had on the arts by creating a documentary, "Breaking the Fourth Wall," featuring discussions with community arts leaders from around Ohio.

With her academic experiences under her belt, she felt prepared to take on the professional world — beginning at Near West Theatre in Cleveland, where she now works as the company's advancement associate.

Art for Social Justice

Near West Theatre (NWT) is a community theatre, which Hutlock says serves as a "social justice organization that creates affordable, accessible, and transformative arts experiences."

Her passion for the arts, reignited at BW, and the research on community theatres she did at Ohio State drew her into this impactful organization where she considers her coworkers "like family."

Her role is centered on outreach through "grant proposal writing and management, donor stewardship and cultivation, event planning, and writing [their] newsletter," among other responsibilities.

BW alumni network

Hutlock heard about the position opening through BW's arts management alumni Facebook page, where she connected with BW graduate Brendan Reynolds '08, director of NWT's advancement department, which gave them a point of mutual connection. They have used this shared experience to host BW-centric events at the theatre.

Hutlock states that she is honored to work for an organization that is so influential throughout Cleveland.

Using the passion BW's environment helped her nurture, Hutlock has worked to establish herself as "a collaborative, knowledgeable, and hard-working arts administrator" and launched a career in a field she once thought impossible.