There comes a time or a moment when you know in which direction you’re going to go. I know it happened to me when I was quite young. Johnny Carson ’49

Dream bigger.

This simple mantra—inspired by the scientific measurement unit used to reflect a dramatic shift in power—captures the entire mission of the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts. We exist to inspire our students to dream bigger. We teach them how to boldly leverage new and emerging technologies. We push them to pursue audacious new career pathways and to tackle global-scale problems. We ignite their curiosity and help them learn how to master the universal art of storytelling. Our students will help design and create new jobs and industries of the future because we will nurture, support, educate and equip them to realize their most aspirational dreams.

Borne out of a groundbreaking $57 million partnership between the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, the Johnny Carson Foundation, and numerous private industry partners, the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts will become a global destination for students and faculty who reside in the future and who share our ambitious ideas, plans and goals.

Our Vision

In our vision of the future, the Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts has become the premier destination in the world for creative, young pioneers who use technology to innovate, to solve human-scale problems, to entertain audiences, and to tell breathtaking stories that stimulate, provoke and inspire.

Our Goal

We will produce transformative creative leaders by building the ultimate student-centered program where every graduate is able to realize their dream job or raise money to start their dream company, straight out of school.

Strategic Plan

Download a PDF of our Strategic Plan.