Alumna leads Minnesota arts community

A key figure in the Minnesota arts community, alumna Sue Gens understands the importance of leading a creative life. With bachelor of arts degrees in music and individualized studies, Gens has carved a remarkable career dedicated to fostering the arts across the state of Minnesota.

BA in Music

Recently returning to her alma mater to speak at the Art-A-Fair - a Minnesota State Moorhead tradition that brings high school art students to campus for an exhibition, awards, and workshops - Gens shared valuable insights with students about navigating careers in the arts and the importance of cultivating a creative life, regardless of one's chosen profession.

"The skills you learn as an artist are skills that apply anywhere: problem solving, creativity, understanding that there is no one way to do things, and, most importantly, empathy. The arts require you to put yourself in the place of the artist and think about what they're trying to convey," she says.

Gens currently works as the executive director at the Minnesota State Arts Board, one of the nation's oldest state arts agencies, established in 1903. Their mission is to stimulate and promote the arts throughout the state, which is primarily done through the Arts Board's robust grant-making program. The Board allocates approximately 94% of its $60 million budget annually to local artists, art projects, programs, and art organizations.

Gens' role is a combination of her love of the arts and public policy. Thanks to the flexibility of her degrees from Moorhead, which merged her musical interests with a strong business foundation, Gens felt prepared to take on the many responsibilities of her role.

"I really had a wide range of experiences, which made it all very exciting, and it said to me that there are a lot of possibilities in this work," she says.

Gens advises students to take each day one step at a time and to never discount the importance of their creative skills. She shares that there are many careers where imaginative skills are needed. Most importantly, she shares that students have to find their own path.

"You really have to design your own plan, your own future, your own direction," she says.

Gens highlights the unifying power of the arts, especially in a world often focused on division. She also underscores the fundamental role of the arts in exploring and understanding our shared humanity, allowing us to connect with emotions, experiences, and cultures beyond our own.

"The arts are really about what makes us human. It's about the emotions and experiences we have - our fears and joys," she says. "By tapping into all of those human experiences, we can understand that we're not alone."

Inspired daily by the courageous artists who share their gifts, Gens encourages students to embrace their passions and recognize the many ways their powers can be utilized. Her own journey, from a young pianist at Moorhead to a leading figure in Minnesota's arts community, serves as a powerful testament to the impact of combining the arts with practical acumen. Sue Gens' dedication ensures that the art community continues to thrive and enrich the lives of all Minnesotans, fostering a more connected, vibrant, and creative society.