Kulture Klub Collaborative, 1998-2009
As the Director of Kulture Klub Collaborative, I gained expertise in all facets of non-profit organizational oversight, program management, and executive leadership.This position challenged me to transcend my fine arts background and to learn new skill sets and organizational capacities within a very unique arts and social service setting. During a ten year period following the transition of founding Director Dorit Cypis, I developed and ushered the organization’s core vision, re-established its mission within our community by establishing a working board of Directors and receiving a 501C3 nonprofit status. In addition, I managed collaborative partnerships with over 100 local arts and cultural organizations, dozens of funding institutions, and over 200 professional artists.
Green Chair Project, Manager 1994-1998
The Green Chair Project was begun in 1991 by Joel Sisson, Director, and Chris Hand. During its 10 years in operation, the Green Chair Project has provided hundreds of urban core youth the paid opportunities to:
– learn responsible work habits in a real job site
– business skills through marketing chairs to potential customers
– carpentry skills through our full service woodshop
– furniture design and sustainable design practices (designing products from stock lumber that does not produce cut-off waste)
– peer-to-peer mentorship and project/shop management
– large group teambuilding trainings for corporations (Alina, Childrens Hospital, Am. Exrpess, etc.) where youth led a group of 5-10 adults through the process of building a chair from start to finish.
– large-scale public art/placemaking projects throughout the Twin Cities and Washington D.C. to further highlight the power of young people when given creative opportunities.
Artists and their work play a fundamental role in enriching society, as well as inviting and challenging us to creatively transform our world. I have dedicated my career to the pursuit of generating value for artists and their work within our communities and culture.