Director of Development

Director of DevelopmentPosition Profile
About the Opportunity
Hudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS) is in the midst of a transformational moment as an organization. After undergoing tremendous artistic and programmatic evolution in recent years, following the successful transition from a founding leader to the installation of Artistic Director Davis McCallum in 2014 and Managing Director Kendra Ekelund in 2022, HVS is in a place of great strength in terms of its mission, work, and leadership. At the same time, HVS (known as Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, until recently) has just broken ground on building a new permanent home in Garrison, NY, a LEED Platinum certified open-air theater, to be named the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center. The new theater will be located on 98-acres of land overlooking the Hudson River, conveyed to the organization by philanthropist and longtime conservationist, Christopher Davis, and providing the organization the opportunity to evolve from a seasonal festival to a cultural anchor for the Hudson Valley and an enduring destination for arts lovers nationally and globally. Now in the public and final phase of a triumphant $58 million capital campaign to complete this project, HVS is poised to assemble a stronger staff infrastructure, provide increased resources to artists, and elevate its presence with the local community and national theatre landscape.
To meet this moment and seize its many opportunities, HVS seeks a highly motivated, skilled, and experienced Director of Development to join the team and lead the organization’s fundraising efforts. They will work in close partnership with the Artistic Director, Managing Director, and an engaged and energized Board to expand development initiatives that support high artistic standards, foster strong connection to the community, and cultivate successful engagement of both loyal and burgeoning donors, funders, and audience members. The Director of Development oversees a full-time Development Manager. At this moment of institutional growth, HVS will also hire a Director of Marketing and Communications, who will be a key collaborative partner to the new Director of Development and leadership. Both leaders will have the rare opportunity to start their journey with the organization concurrently and thereby establish strategies and practices collectively from the outset. Together, as a team, they will find innovative ways to build on the organization’s beloved reputation, and to broaden and deepen its circle of supporters to best position the organization for long-term success.
About Hudson Valley Shakespeare
HVS Mission: Rooted in the landscape of the Hudson Valley, with the plays of WilliamShakespeare as our touchstone, HVS engages the widest possible audience in atheatrical celebration of our shared humanity.
HVS Core Values: Excellence, Inclusion, Playfulness, Generosity, Sustainability
HVS Now: Located eighty minutes north of Manhattan, Hudson Valley Shakespeare (HVS) is a professional non-profit theater company that presents a rotating repertory season of both Shakespeare and more contemporary plays and musicals in an open-air theater overlooking the Hudson River. Founded in 1987, HVS’s critically acclaimed body of work is forged from the most essential of elements – actors, audience, language, and landscape. The company’s spectacular 98-acre campus serves as a vibrant hub for the local community, a cultural and educational anchor for the region, and a national model for environmental sustainability in the performing arts. It encompasses publicly accessible spaces where visitors can picnic and walk, rehearsal studios and production shops where artists carry out creative work, and also houses a successful for-profit restaurant and event space, called The Garrison, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the non-profit theater company. After 38 years of performing in a seasonal tent, in the summer of 2026, HVS will welcome audiences to its first-ever permanent home – the Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, designed by the celebrated architecture firm Studio Gang. Protected from the elements but open to the landscape, the Scripps Theater Center will be the first purpose-built LEED Platinum theater in the United States.
HVS History: HVS was founded by Melissa Stern and Terry O’Brien in September 1987 with an outdoor production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Manitoga, home of industrial designer Russell Wright, in Garrison, NY. O’Brien led the theater for 27 years, directing more than 30 productions, and stepped down as Artistic Director in December 2013. After a nationwide search for his successor, HVS’s Board appointed Davis McCallum as Artistic Director in May 2014. Under McCallum’s leadership, HVS established HVStories, a multi-year exploration of the people, history, and culture of the Hudson Valley, and Full Circle, a community engagement program inspired by 2016’s citizen-driven production of Our Town. In 2017, HVS produced its first ever world premieres — Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice (a co-production with Primary Stages in New York) which went on to be one of the most-produced plays in the country, and Lauren Gunderson’s The Book of Will (produced in partnership with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts). Recent seasons have balanced bold productions of Shakespearean classics with contemporary plays by writers such as James Ijames, Anne Washburn, Madeline Sayet, Whitney White, and Heidi Armbruster. Over the last two seasons, HVS has continued to break ground with new world premiere productions Penelope, a musical re-imagining of The Odyssey; and Medea: Re-Versed, a brand-new hip-hop version of Euripides’ classic, written by Luis Quintero and co-produced with Red Bull Theater and Bedlam.
Critics from the New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal have applauded the clarity, energy, wit, and imagination of our productions, and the unique and playful nature of the actor-audience relationship under the tent. By reaching over 35,000 audience members and more than 15,000 students and educators annually, as well as transferring productions to other regional theaters, engaging our community through radically participatory art-making, and connecting with area schools through year-round education programming; the impacts of our work are broadly felt throughout the tri-state region.
About Philipstown, Hudson Highlands, and the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley Shakespeare is located in Garrison, NY (a hamlet in the town of Philipstown), amidst the spectacular scenic beauty of the Hudson Highlands. Approximately 50 miles north of New York City, the theater is a 70-minute train ride to Grand Central Terminal and all of the city’s theatrical and cultural offerings. The gateway to the Hudson Valley, the Hudson Highlands region is distinguished by its dramatic landscapes, its long history of land conservation and environmentalism, and its own cultural vibrancy.
In addition to HVS, other local anchor arts organizations include Dia: Beacon, Maggazzino Italian Art, Jacob Burns Film Center, Storm King Art Center, Caramoor, and many more. A short drive from the theater are the towns of Peekskill, Cold Spring, and Beacon, which each have thriving downtowns, including thriving communities of local artists.
More resources about the Hudson Valley and local community:
Cold Spring Chamber of Commerce: https://www.coldspringnychamber.com/
Travel Hudson Valley: https://travelhudsonvalley.com/
The NY Times, Living in: Garrison, NY (2018): https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/24/realestate/living-in-garrison-ny.html
The NY Times, Living in: Cold Spring, N.Y.: A Sylvan Village That Beckons City Commuters(2019):https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/realestate/cold-spring-ny-a-sylvan-village-that-beckons-city-commuters.html
Job DescriptionReporting jointly to the Managing Director and the Artistic Director, the Director of Development is a key member of HVS senior staff and works in close relationship with the HVS Board of Directors, and specifically, the Development and Nominating Committees. They will be responsible for articulating, planning, and overseeing the implementation of a comprehensive development plan for all sources of contributed revenue—from the board, individuals, as well as institutions, including foundation, corporate, and government funding—which currently delivers just over $1.5 million annually, but should be grown in the coming years to surpass $2 million to meet the organization’s strategic goals and operating needs. With the Managing and Artistic Directors, the Director of Development will act as a leader in the successful completion of the organization’s current capital and endowment campaign. They will be entering the organization at a time of great momentum in terms of donor development and must be ready to convert the new relationships cultivated during the campaign into long-standing deeply connected partnerships and ongoing annual support for HVS. The Director of Development has a direct report of Development Manager.
Duties & Responsibilities
Fundraising• Provide strategic and creative leadership in raising just over $2 million in annual contributed revenue through individual and board giving, foundation, government and corporate support, and special events• Articulate and lead a clear annual development plan and incorporate departmental short and long-term goals, benchmarks that reflect growth, specific targets for various areas of giving, and other necessary objectives• In collaboration with the Managing Director, set annual goals for each line of contributed revenue• Oversee management of the department’s budget and the annual evaluation of the development department’s programs including cost benefit analysis• Create a strong and compelling case for support each year, aligned with organizational goals, integrated into various communication platforms, and utilized by staff and Board• Oversee the implementation and management of individual annual fund giving, including board gifts and the major gifts relationships (donors $1,500+), ensuring ongoing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship• Harness an active pipeline of major donor prospects and board prospects, including donors who generously participated in the capital campaign, to ensure that the organization builds on those newly formed relationships and stewards them into the future• Review daily ticket buyers lists for on-site fundraising initiatives and maintain a presence at the theater tent greeting major donors during the summer season• Oversee the planning and execution of the Gala in deep collaboration with the Development Manager, leadership, and the Board; and guide the Development Manager in the task of planning and completing an array of cultivation events for current and prospective donors• Manage HVS’s institutional giving strategies, including the cultivation of institutional relationships, and oversee the workflow of the institutional grant applications and reports, collecting content from all departments and managing submissions• Act as a leader, alongside the Artistic and Managing Directors, in the final phase of the capital campaign efforts, where approximately $8 million is yet to be raised
Board Development• Build ongoing relationships with Board members to further their engagement, solicit their annual gifts, confirm their Gala participation, and support them in their development of relationships for the organization• Liaise with the Board Committees dedicated to all fundraising, Gala support, and Board recruitment, and build ongoing communications related to these efforts• Prepare and present development reports at quarterly Board meetings to show progress towards goals• In collaboration with the Managing Director and Board leadership, identify and recruit potential Board members and solidify the onboarding processes for new members
Organizational and Departmental Leadership• Serve as an enthusiastic and visible spokesperson and ambassador for the organization• Examine and improve systems that will aid development operations, including ongoing fundraising communications, prospect research, and gift acknowledgments, and processing• Manage the hiring, onboarding, and performance review processes for all development team members• Work in partnership with the Artistic Director and Marketing Director and other team members to promote the brand of the organization and continuously understand and improve the patron’s experience• Understand and uplift HVS’s values and practices around equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability
Qualifications• Proven experience and a successful track record of fundraising in the non-profit development sector, knowledge of theater or performing arts is a plus• Knowledge of the arts and culture philanthropic community, familiarity with New York State and the Hudson Valley region is advantageous• Ability to communicate ideas and plans with fellow staff and board members, then build consensus, and manage a project from start to finish• Capacity to build external relationships with a wide range of supporters, and promote HVS’s mission with passion and commitment• Familiarity with capital campaign processes and openness to work with and learn from an outside consultant• Excellent organizational, written/oral communication, and interpersonal skills• Experience planning and executing large-scale donor events (galas, etc.) and engaging a Board in the success of those events• Strong understanding of how to best utilize a relational donor database and the ability to accurately analyze, interpret and take action on patron data• Skill in both innovative and strategic thinking, excited to grasp the big picture, prioritize, and manage the workflow of projects, and collaborate with the team on the testing of ideas• Enthusiastic and curious team member, eager to be an active and engaged leader within a dynamic theater company• Appreciation for the beauty of the HVS environment and passion for sustainable practices
Not sure you meet 100% of our qualifications? Research shows that cis men apply for jobs when they fulfill an average of 60% of the criteria, while others tend only to apply if they meet every requirement. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply.
We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. So, whether you’re returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar.Please use your cover letter to tell us about what you hope to bring to this role.
Compensation
The salary for this position is $100,000-120,000. Hudson Valley Shakespeare provides comprehensive benefits, including providing access to insurance (health, dental, vision, life, long and short-term disability upon eligibility); offers paid time off; and parking. Employees contribute to their health insurance coverage.
HVS offices are located within a renovated cottage on the organization’s new property, located at 2015 Route 9 in Garrison NY. Team members work onsite in the office four days of the week, with some flexibility as needed.
HVS is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building a culturally diverse and equitable environment, and we strongly encourage applications from people of color and women. Candidates from populations underrepresented in the theater field are strongly encouraged to apply.
Application Instructions
The Director of Development search is being conducted on behalf of Hudson Valley Shakespeare by Tom O’Connor Consulting Group, a New York-based executive search and consulting firm specializing in the arts and culture industries. The search is being led by Search Consultant Brenna Thomas, in consultation with and support from the TOCG search team.
To apply, visit the online application (https://tinyurl.com/34pe92pa) and submit your materials. Your cover letter should include any training or experience relevant to the job profile that you would like to highlight, why you consider yourself a good fit for this opportunity, and anything else you’d like us to know about your qualifications that may not be present in your resume.
The priority application deadline for this search is November 21, 2024. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration. While we will still accept and consider applications after this date, we encourage you to apply as early as possible for the best chance at being considered for the position. Please note that meeting the priority deadline does not guarantee an interview.

Human Resources Generalist

The Human Resources Generalist is an integral role to the human resources department, acting as a support to the Human Resources Director and helping to ensure the flow of human resource operations runs smoothly.  Additionally, this role maintains efficiency in all aspects of the job and the day-to-day activities of the Human Resources department and is considered knowledgeable in all aspects of personnel.
ESSENTIAL DUTIESTo perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be requested to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
Models CST’s core values of service, ingenuity, and collaboration as well as its customer service ethos.Champions the organization’s commitment to a respectful, inclusive and equitable workplace.Manages full-cycle recruiting: recruits, initially interviews, and facilitates the hiring of qualified job applicants for open positions; collaborates with departmental managers to understand skills and competencies required for openings.Conducts all required new hire pre-employment activities such as references, background checks, and employee eligibility verifications.Schedule, track, and facilitate ongoing activities such as onboarding, offboarding, and employee training (employee handbook, IDEA, etc).Administers employee benefits including PTO, health benefits, and FMLA and serves as the plan administrator. Reviews benefit plans with employees and facilitates open enrollment.Ensure compliance and regulatory requirements are met timely and accurately, including data upkeep, tracking, and reporting related to benefit files, EEO-1, OSHA, non-discrimination testing, Medicare Part D, I-9s, and audits.Coordinate and manage employee injury, health concerns, and workers compensation claims including injury care, management, and prevention.Serve as a resource for workforce questions, inquiries, concerns, or needs with the knowledge of where to direct or how to solve.Manage and process unemployment insurance claims in an accurate and timely manner, ensuring legitimacy and compliance with state and federal laws.Serve as the HRIS administrator: regularly audit the HR components of Paycom including creation of metrics, queries, and ongoing reports for company requirementsAssist with employee relations matters by communicating employee concerns, collecting relevant information and documentation, when necessary. Refer employee matters to Director of Human Resources as appropriate.Maintain HR forms and employee content including employee files, staff directory, organizational chart, and staff pages. Update and edit as necessary.Assist with implementation and coordination of human resources policies, programs and initiatives, including the company all-staff meeting.Participate in the development of new HR materials, processes, objectives and systems.Suggests new procedures and policies for improving employee experience as well as the efficiency of HR department and company.Familiarity with trends, regulatory changes, union collective bargaining agreements, new technologies in human resources, and employment law.Performs other duties as assigned.
ADDITIONAL DUTIESMay facilitate or assist in facilitating video or in-person trainings of human resources policy and procedure.Drives IDEA to Action platform by engaging in committees, events, training and other initiatives, as needed.Serves a thought partner in the IDEA space, ensuring the CST platform is elevated in human resources policies and practices.
COMPENTENCIES/SKILLSService, ingenuity, and collaborationEmotional intelligenceMission-drivenStrong adaptability and flexibility.Strong ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.Exceptional interpersonal skills, with a people-first mindset.Excellent verbal and written communication skills.Adept at conflict resolution and a proactive approach to problem solving.Initiative-takingEvident willingness to be of service to others.Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.Ability to meet multiple deadlines, reprioritize as necessary and remain productive.Ability to work effectively with diverse individuals and groups.Ability to prioritize tasks and to ask for assistance when needed.
WORK ENVIRONMENT/SCHEDULEWork hours are 9am – 5pm, Monday through Friday.Overtime hours may be necessary depending on work volume.Evenings, weekends or holidays may be necessary.Position is onsite at Navy Pier in the theater. 
PHYSICAL DEMANDProlonged periods sitting at a desk and working on and viewing a computer.Able to lift up to 50 pounds.Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization’s facilities.
MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCEBachelor’s degree required. Degree in human resources, organizational development, or a related field is preferred.Minimum 3 years of human resources experience.Minimum 3 years’ experience in full cycle recruiting, desirable.Experience with unions and collective bargaining agreements, strongly desired.Proficiency with Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS’s) and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS’s).Computer proficiency, including basic word processing, and spreadsheet software. 
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software a plusProficiency in PowerPoint, Excel, and survey platforms a plus.Thorough knowledge of HR procedures and policies.Knowledge of local and federal employment-related laws and regulations. 
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENTCST is dedicated to increasing equity, diversity and inclusion in our audiences, our programs and in all our hiring for staff and artists. We are committed to providing a work environment that is free from discrimination. CST prohibits discrimination in employment against any employee or job applicant because of that person’s race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, familial status, veteran status, status with regard to public assistance, membership in a local human rights commission or any other legally protected status.
Visit our website to learn more about our IDEA to Action platform.
https://www.chicagoshakes.com/what-we-do/idea-to-action/

Institutional Performance Librarian

The Institutional Performance Librarian works closely with the Director of Ensemble Operations, ensemble directors, students and faculty to provide administrative coordination and support to all Large Ensemble and Pre-College activities throughout the school year. They will oversee the management of the SFCM Ensemble Library services to support large ensembles, small & chamber ensembles, RJAM, the opera department and SFCM’s Pre-College division.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities• Primary coordinator of grand rights, mechanical licenses, synchronization and permissions for performances, web-streaming, broadcasts, and recordings across the institution• Creates and manages a schedule of music rentals/purchases required for the season in collaboration with artistic team and ensemble directors• Ensures that music is ordered in sufficient time to be received prior to the first scheduled rehearsal date, & communicates with music publishers when needed to ensure timely delivery• Responsible for the acquisition of rental and permanent parts in collaboration with SFCM academic library• Prepares rental music for return to the publisher by the rental return deadline and files music after performances.• Supervises the production and coordination of scores, parts (both practice parts and digital parts) bowings, audition-excerpt preparation, & music for ensembles• Attend large ensemble rehearsals as needed to ensure any music library or sheet music-related tasks are managed• Consult with ensemble directors, SFCM Music Director and SFCM administration regarding performance library matters• Prepare music for ensemble auditions; coordinate with music director and faculty on specific excerpts, and prepare faculty binders for on-site auditions. Prepare scores and comment sheets for the annual concerto competitions• Hires, trains, and oversees all library student workers• Manages the instrument library, a collection of instruments and bows provided to students in need of better instruments, during their studies at SFCM• Maintains orchestra library inventory and database• Maintain current inventory of library supplies• With the Director of Ensemble Operations, oversees the departmental budget• Assist with summer residency and partnership activities as assigned• Performs other duties as required• Bachelor’s degree in music required.• Prior music library and/or ensemble management experience required, as well as a clear understanding of ensemble skill needs of 21st Century musicians.• Comprehensive working knowledge of performance practices, musical terminology, orchestration, transposition, and repertoire.• Experience working with faculty and students in higher education or other related settings.• Demonstrated capacity to lead artistic projects effectively and creatively.• Extraordinary attention to detail and strong organizational skills, including the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and consistently meet deadlines.• Excellent communication skills as well as dynamic interpersonal skills, including nuanced management skills, capacity to steward institutional relationships, and ability to solve programs in a highly demanding and face-paced environment.• Ability to maintain procedures and policies combined with good judgment in weighing exceptions.• Familiarity with music publishing, licensing, and copyright laws.• Relevant budgetary skills.• Knowledge of Sibelius and/or Finale software is preferred.• Willingness to work flexible hours, including some weekends & evenings.
CompensationThis is a full-time position (minimum 35 hours/week) with medical, dental, vision, life/AD&D, and long-term disability insurance in addition to a 403b plan that currently offers a 5% match after two qualifying years of service. The hourly rate is $33.00.
How to ApplyWe prefer to receive applications through our website. This position will be open until filled.
About UsSFCM’s mission is to transform our students: artistically, intellectually, professionally and individually. Through the study of music at the highest level, our students learn to seek achievement in every endeavor, to convert challenges into opportunities, to understand the nature of excellence and to pursue their dreams with vigor and determination. We believe that inspiring the imagination, cultivating the artist, honing the intellect and developing the professional are the keys to launching innovative graduates who excel in any field.
SFCM loves to be at the center of good things happening in classical music: attracting the most creative musicians; students and alums doing incredible work ranging from landing positions at the world’s top ensembles, to working at the intersection of music and technology in Silicon Valley, to starting their own organizations and even going to medical school; and offering additional programs locally and nationally like the Pre-College curriculum, the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism, and the new Center for Innovative Leadership. On top of this, SFCM recently opened the brand-new Bowes Center, which doubles the campus footprint, provides dorm room housing for the student body, brings state-of-the-art teaching facilities and three new performance halls to San Francisco’s Civic Center arts corridor.
Equal Opportunity EmployerSFCM is a fully committed equal employment opportunity institution and welcomes applications from all qualified persons, including those who consider themselves to be of a race, national origin or ancestry that is not fully represented in musical arts programs in the United States. Personnel decisions regarding applicants for employment are made without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran, age, citizenship, or any other consideration made unlawful by federal, state or local laws.
Apply Here: https://www.click2apply.net/mWJyKVC5lGLWriKQdt4LqO
PI254450510

Arts Agenda: Independent Galleries – November/December 2024

Sarah Emerson, Go On, (detail), 2024. (Image courtesy of Whitespace)
Each week, ArtsATL delivers a critic’s short list of the shows, exhibitions, concerts and events we recommend for the coming weeks within one discipline in the kaleidoscope of Atlanta arts and culture. Every week, we’ll present a different art form.

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Now open

Jamele Wright Sr.’s We Are the Dreamers of Dreams at September Gray Fine Art Gallery. The renowned artist is a veteran of draped canvases and expressionistic paint.

David Clifton-Strawn’s ECCE HOMO at Alan Avery Art Company. A rethink of traditional portraiture through an LGBTQ+ lens.

Through November 16

Sarah Emerson, Go On, (detail), 2024. (Image courtesy of Whitespace)

Sarah Emerson’s In the Land of Plenty at Whitespace. Wild and cartoonish paintings that are simultaneously silly and menacing.

Through November 23

Cosmo Whyte, Fahamu Pecou and Ashante Kindle at Johnson Lowe. Three tour de force painters in a single exhibition.

Through November 29

Chronicles at Kai Lin. Featuring witty abstracts by Daisy-Anne Dickson, Elliston Roshi and others.

Opens November 8

Hail Holtzclaw’s Gloss at The End Project Space. The miniature East Point space launches some of Atlanta’s most interesting new careers.

Opens November 10

Hail Holtzclaw, Vague, 2023. (Image courtesy of the artist)

The United Kings’ Kings Arrive at Eyedrum. A look at Atlanta’s first hip-hop graffiti crew fresh from the ATL StyleWriters Jam.

Through December 7

Rocío Rodríguez’s Night Poems at Sandler Hudson Gallery. Delicate abstracts that border on landscape.

Through December 21

Matt Eich: We, the Free at ACP Project Lab. A distillation of the photographers vast, 13-year project documenting the conditions of life under late capitalism.

November 14-January 2

Little Things at Swan Coach House Gallery. Horacio Arias, Kate Burke, Amina Daugherty, Sabre Esler, Honey Pierre, Noah Reyes, Matthew Sugarman, Tori Tinsley and more.

Opens November 15

Ren Dillard. (Image courtesy of Mason Fine Art)

Ren Dillard’s Letters to Deja at Mason Fine Art. Collage work from one of the curators of the popular Hold the Line exhibition at ArtsXchange.

November 22-February 11

D. Pierre Baulos’ We See the Same Eternity at Echo Contemporary. Installations reflecting multiple interests including the history of gardens, anatomy, and medicinal plants.

Pairs well with…

Other events you might enjoy.

Pianist Michelle Cann debuts at Spivey Hall with a program of Chopin, Joel Thompson, Liszt and others (November 10) … Just Roxie brings singer-songwriter Americana and folk to Eddie’s Attic (November 9) … A few readings remain in the Mel Konner Play Festival at 7 Stages (through November 10) … The NEXT Movement brings together poet Jon Goode, musician CC Sunchild, visual artist Melissa A. Mitchell and others on the largest movie screen in the southeast at Off the Wall @ 725 Ponce on the Beltline (November 8 and 9).

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Next week’s Arts Agenda: Film

Atlanta Opera’s ‘The Magic Flute’ charms audiences with pep and puppetry

Luke Sutliff as Papageno in Atlanta Opera’s “The Magic Flute.” (Photos by Raftermen)
The Atlanta Opera’s peppy and graceful staging of Mozart’s The Magic Flute provided a joyful conclusion to the high drama of Election Day Tuesday night.

A first-rate cast delivered Mozart’s last opera with luminous singing and nimble comic acting at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center through November 10.

The 1791 opera is famously a rather odd bird, a singspiel with both singing and dialogue in the service of a fairy tale, with alternating episodes of ritual solemnity and playful high jinks.

Barry Banks as Monostatos, far left, and his minions capture Mei Gui Zhang as Pamina, center left, and Luke Sutliff as Papageno, center right.

Atlanta Opera has dusted off C. David Higgins’ 15-year-old sets — towering walls adorned with hieroglyphics — and added new elements such as dazzling projections by Nicholas Hussong. The result is often eye-popping. Cute animal puppets in a range of sizes contribute to the delightful spirit of this production.

Director Tomer Zvulun brings a lively momentum to the production, which takes a few appropriate liberties with Emanuel Schikaneder’s libretto. Zvulun cuts some elements that modern audiences may find offensive and adds some pleasing contemporary references. A nod to Chick-fil-A is particularly amusing. 

The perennially popular opera, sung here in German with English subtitles, centers on Prince Tamino (Santiago Ballerini, with a ringing tenor), who journeys to save the Queen of the Night’s daughter, Pamina (the opulent soprano Mei Gui Zhang).

Mozart and Schikaneder muse on young love — Tamino and Pamina fall head over heels (rather quickly!) — mixing romance with a Masonic quest for enlightenment.

Santiago Ballerini as Tamino, sitting, with Luke Sutliff as Papageno, center.

The opera is probably most famous for the two high-flying arias sung by the Queen of the Night. The role is actually rather small: The Queen appears on stage primarily two times but often steals the show with arias that soar to a stratospheric “F” above high “C.”

On Tuesday, Rainelle Krause brought a dramatic coloratura to the role of the Queen with laser-focused high notes and a pointillist exactitude in negotiating Mozart’s inhumanly difficult arias. It’s quite breathtaking, and Krause was rewarded with rapturous applause.

Tamino is joined on his quest by the bird-catching man-child Papageno, engagingly played on Tuesday by the warm-voiced baritone Luke Sutliff. They were assisted by three boys (the fine young singers Angel Williams, Adrienne Ocfemia and Max Walls), who travel by hot-air balloon.

Pamina, it turns out, is being protected — not everything in the story is what it seems — by the priest Sarastro, sung in this production by Peixin Chen with a magnificent sonorous bass.

The roles of three attendants to the Queen were radiantly sung with a lovely blend by Diana Newman, Alexandra Razskazoff and Meridian Prall. Others in the cast included the lyrical tenor Barry Banks (playing the pesky villain Monostatos) and the silvery-voiced Amanda Sheriff as Papageno’s love interest, Papagena. Wayd Odle and Jason Zacher provided solid contributions as, respectively, the First Priest and Second Priest.

Rainelle Krause, left, as Queen of the Night, with Mei Gui Zhang as Pamina.

Mozart’s music clearly defines character and ranges from simple and direct for characters like Papageno to more elaborate and noble for Tamino and Pamina, stately for Sarastro and faux-Baroque for the Queen of the Night.

The chorus, numbering about two dozen, doesn’t sing often in the opera but added robust oomph to climactic moments on Tuesday. Rolando Salazar is responsible for the fine choral preparation.

Conductor Arthur Fagan led a buoyant performance, drawing polished and transparent playing from the excellent Atlanta Opera Orchestra.

On Tuesday night, the election didn’t seem too far from the minds of the audience. A passing line suggesting that liars should have their mouths padlocked garnered uproarious laughter and applause.

Two more performances remain of this charming production of The Magic Flute, November 8 and 10.

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Paul Hyde is a longtime arts journalist and English instructor in Upstate South Carolina. He writes frequently for the Greenville Journal, South Carolina Daily Gazette and Classical Voice North America.

‘Humblabad Four’ backyard dance event took flight with poetry and paper airplanes

The backyard performance featured (left to right) Corian Ellisor, Nicholas Goodly, Olivia Anderson and Alejandro Abarca, in ‘Keep Your Head Up.’ (Photo by Hussain Askree)
Three of Atlanta’s experienced movement artists, Corian Ellisor, Alejandro Abarca and Nicholas Goodly, teamed up with newcomer Olivia Anderson in Ellisor’s new introspective work about joy and belonging.

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Olivia Anderson never imagined she would make her professional debut performing in the choreographer’s backyard. She probably didn’t expect the audience for the two-show run of Corian Ellisor’s Humblabad Four to look like a gathering of “who’s who” in Atlanta dance, either. Nonetheless, Anderson, who graduated from Brenau University in May with a degree in dance and moved to Atlanta in July to continue working with her mentor, Angela Harris, as an intern for Dance Canvas, told ArtsATL that it was the “perfect experience” for a newcomer with her background and aspirations.

As I arrived for Sunday’s performance and parked near what turned out to be a residential address, I was thinking I made a mistake calling up directions in Google Maps. A mother and tween-ager were pulling picnic blankets from the trunk of their car, so I followed them around the side of the house, through a carport decked out in string lights and into the backyard, where other show-goers were setting up camp chairs, ground tarps and blankets to supplement the seating furnished by the hosts. Against the back fence was the stage, brightly illuminated by two powerful LED film lights.

Nicholas Goodly, Olivia Anderson and Alejandro Abarca. (Photo by Robin Wharton)

Anderson was warming up on stage. Ellisor and the two other performers, Alejandro Abarca and Nicholas Goodly, were mingling with the audience. Ellisor’s husband played DJ with a well-curated list of 1990s party hits. It was a beautiful fall evening, perfect weather for an outdoor performance.

I settled into my seat after procuring a plastic cup of wine from the self-serve refreshment table. Sitting next to me were two young friends who couldn’t recall the last time they had been to a dance performance.

We had a brief discussion about the folded paper airplanes placed on their seats but not on mine. When Abarca, who is an assistant teaching professor of dance at Emory University’s Oxford College and an adjunct professor of dance at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, walked over to join us, I discovered my seating companions were his housemates.

DIY shows like Humblabad Four always have an impromptu vibe; that is part of what makes them accessible, especially for patrons new to dance. As Abarca pointed out while we spoke before and after the show, however, he and the other dancers were compensated professionals, and preparations for the event began in June when he and Ellisor started collaborating on a new piece. Further, backyard or public outdoor showings have been bringing newbies like Anderson together with Atlanta dance veterans like Ellisor, Abarca and Goodly for more than a decade.

“The stage in the backyard was part of the reason we bought the house,” said Ellisor. He took inspiration from Maryn Whitmore’s backyard concert series, Skwhirlhaus, which she ran at her residence in Kirkwood from 2013 until she moved to Athens, Georgia, around 2016. Ellisor decided he and his spouse could fix up the stage and take advantage of extra parking offered near the school across the street to launch something similar. “The neighbors seemed not to totally hate the idea,” recalled Ellisor. After two years of repairs to the stage, built along with the house in 1959, Humblabad premiered last summer with a duet between Ellisor and Abarca.

Ellisor, co-director of the Prime Mover Dance Company at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center and an adjunct instructor at Oxford College of Emory, said the series name, Humblabad (pronounced “UM – blah – bahd”), combines the name of his hometown — Humble (“UM – ble”), Texas — with that of his spouse, Hussain Askree — Islamabad. It is a fitting name for an event that brought together the far-reaching community the two have built here in Atlanta. Goodly said, “Corian shows up so energetically, for so many people, that when it’s our turn, people really show up for him.” 

Left to right: Nicholas Goodly, Alejandro Abarca, Olivia Anderson and Corian Ellisor. (Photo by Robin Wharton)

The fourth iteration on Sunday was, like the extra hour granted by the end of daylight saving time, a small but meaningful gift of the season. Introspective and spare, the quartet, — Keep Your Head Up — explored themes of loneliness, empathy, estrangement and belonging.

The paper airplanes turned out to be copies of a poem by Goodly, who is a Ph.D. student in creative writing at Florida State University and author of the collection Black Swim (Copper Canyon Press, 2022), read aloud during the performance. As art inspired by Ellisor’s choreography and material records of the gestures Goodly used to fold them, they made elegant mementos of the performance.

Keep Your Head Up opened with the four dancers on stage together, moving to the smooth harmony and up-tempo rhythm of “I Want You Back” by Infinity Song. As the first section ended, Ellisor and Abarca took seats on the steps leading up to the stage, while Anderson and Goodly moved to opposite sides of the performance space.

Tentatively at first, Anderson and Goodly began to dance to “Free” by Deniece Williams, synchronized but not together. Their gestures were small, a hand passed by the head as if tucking hair back behind the ear, hesitant glances toward but not at each other. Moving sideways, their movements drew them gradually together at center stage, where they moved through some shared weight work, resting their heads against each other’s palms, leaning slightly into a shoulder here, a hip there.

Toward the middle of the section, they moved apart once more, repeating the gestural sequence from the beginning, but this time they joined at center stage more quickly, as if gaining confidence the second time through.

Photo by Robin Wharton

At the end of their duet, Goodly and Anderson exchanged places with Abarca and Ellisor, who moved immediately to center stage with large strides. Unlike Goodly and Anderson, they were partners from count one of “Intro” by The 180 Gs and remained so throughout. As Goodly described the pair: “Corian and Alex always seemed to start in the middle of something in a really nice way.”

The structural movement hinted at narrative: from quartet, through duets and back to ensemble, layered with four more popular songs and Goodly’s poem about a neighbor who takes in a stranger in need of help, only to find they themselves are helped in turn by that act of generosity. As Abarca described it: “The piece is about what we do to keep each other going, finding joy when you can and accepting help when you need it.”

Like the narrative, the creative process for Keep Your Head Up was open-ended and generative, according to Anderson. Ellisor and Abarca have been dancing together for almost 20 years, since they were in college at the University of Houston. Goodly’s history with them goes back to the days of Skwhirlhaus.

Anderson thought she might be intimidated by her first-time collaborating with older, more experienced dancers. “It wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be,” she said. “They were all so confident in their own artistic voices that they created a space where I could begin to find mine.”

::

Robin Wharton studied dance at the School of American Ballet and the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. As an undergraduate at Tulane University in New Orleans, she was a member of the Newcomb Dance Company. In addition to a bachelor of arts in English from Tulane, Robin holds a law degree and a Ph.D. in English, both from the University of Georgia.

Americans for the Arts and Americans for the Arts Action Fund Joint Statement on the 2024 Elections

Congratulations to those who won their elections on November 5th. Americans for the Arts has a long and robust working relationship with both political parties, which is essential to advancing federal policy goals.   We will continue to advocate for the creative sector at the federal level to showcase how the arts are an economic engine of opportunity and job creation for the nation. We are focused on success in Congressional bipartisan support for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and arts education funding at the Department of Education, among other programs. 

Our economy thrives off of the creative sector which plays an essential role in our society and economy comprising 4.3% of our gross domestic product or $1.1 trillion.   Arts education and STEAM programs foster creativity and innovation, traits that are in demand by the business community.   The arts also play an important role helping to address PTSD and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in our military service men and women.  

Americans for the Arts will work to achieve these goals given our decades of work in educating Senators and Members of the House of Representatives of both parties about the economic value of the Arts and Culture.   We look forward to continuing to work with strong arts champions on Capitol Hill, including Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who will likely be the new chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee along with current chair Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), which has funding authority over the NEA and NEH.  We also look forward to continuing working with House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) and Ranking Member Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME).  Our work remains important to make sure the Legislative Branch continues to understand the economic value of the arts and culture. Our success depends on the support of the creative sector and our partners.

 “As Americans for the Arts celebrates out 65th anniversary in 2025, we have a long history of educating and advocating for the creative sector.  We have decades of experience in working in a non-partisan manner to educate all our federal officials on the value that the creative sector brings to every state, county and city in America.  Americans for the Arts will be working every day to ensure that the creative economy continues to flourish.”

“The Arts Action Fund and its 400,000+ grassroots members will be laser-focused on working to engage both Republican and Democratic freshmen and incumbent Members of Congress on the economic and community impact and value of public funding of the arts and culture back home in their states and congressional districts,” said Nina Ozlu Tunceli, executive director of the Arts Action Fund.

To learn more about how the 2024 General Election will affect the creative sector, please register for our upcoming Post-Election Webinar, which will be hosted by Americans for the Arts and the Arts Action Fund on Thursday, November 21st at 3 pm EDT. 

Media Contact:
Mariaesmeralda Paguaga
[email protected]

Apply Now for Grants to Support Arts Projects for Military-Connected Individuals

2024 Creative Forces Community Engagement grant recipients. Pictured top to bottom, left to right: So Say We All, photo by Matthew Getz; Exit 12 Dance Company, photo by Alberto Vasari; Brushwood Center, photo by Josiah Shaw; UrbanGlass, photo courtesy of UrbanGlass; Carnegie Hall, photo by Jennifer Taylor; Killeen Creators, photo courtesy of Killeen Creators; Colorado Photographic Arts Center, photo courtesy of Colorado Photographic Arts Center.  

Washington, DC—The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, has released guidelines and application materials for the Creative Forces Community Engagement grant program, part of the Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network. Grants support non-clinical, community-based arts engagement programming for military and veteran populations, including family members and caregivers. Applications are now available on maaa.org/CreativeForces. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, January 15, 2025.  Since 2017, Creative Forces has invested in community-based arts engagement activities that take place in healthcare, community, or virtual settings. Creative Forces Community Engagement projects address the distinct experiences, challenges, and strengths of a broad military-connected population through experiences of art or art-making. Projects should focus on one or more of the following participant outcomes:Creative Expression—a better understanding of self and others by creating or engaging with artSocial Connectedness—supportive relationships and a sense of belonging to a communityResilience—the ability to rebound from stress, unexpected events, or life’s challengesIndependence and successful adaptation to civilian life—a sense of purpose and positive self-worth that supports adapting and readjusting to civilian lifeFunding will support projects beginning on or after July 1, 2025, in one of two categories:Emerging:  Support for eligible organizations to develop and implement new or emerging non-clinical arts engagement programs or for small organizations to provide non-clinical arts engagement for military-connected populationsCost-share/matching grant amount: up to $10,000 for one-year projectsAdvanced: Support for eligible organizations with established military-related non-clinical arts engagement programming  Cost-share/matching grant amounts: $10,000 – $25,000 for one-year projects or up to $50,000 for two-year projects  Projects will require at least one partner and be led by or include at least one organization with a history of creative or artistic programming. Partnerships among arts organizations and veteran and military service organizations are highly encouraged. Learn more about building partnerships in the upcoming webinar on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET. Register today for Creative Collaborations: Unlocking the Power of Community Arts Partnerships.Additional Applicant Resources:The NEA has funded more than 100 Creative Forces Community Engagement grant projects nationwide in the past three years. Projects benefit active-duty service members, guardsmen, reservists, veterans, military and veteran families, as well as caregivers and healthcare workers who provide care for military service members and veterans. Learn more about current and previous grant recipients on the Creative Forces National Resources Center.About Creative Forces: NEA Military Healing Arts NetworkCreative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. The initiative seeks to improve the health, well-being, and quality of life for military and veteran populations exposed to trauma, as well as their families and caregivers. Creative Forces is managed in partnership with Civic Arts, the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, and Mid-America Arts Alliance. More information can be found on the Creative Forces National Resource Center or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.About the National Endowment for the Arts Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States. To learn more, visit arts.gov or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.About Mid-America Arts Alliance Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) strengthens and supports artists, cultural organizations, and communities throughout Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and beyond. To learn more about M-AAA grants, programs, traveling exhibitions, and fellowships, visit www.maaa.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.