California Institute of the Arts
24700 McBean Parkway
Valencia, CA 91355A
California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) invites nominations and expressions of interest for the position of President of one of the most distinguished visual and performing arts institutions in the world, one that is in the vanguard of teaching artistic experimentation and innovation.
Under the leadership of President Steven D. Lavine, who will step down in May 2017 after 29 years at the helm, the Institute has undergone a remarkable period of growth and taken its place as a powerhouse in the field of arts education. The next President will lead an organization already deeply engaged in its mission and committed to providing the highest quality education for its students, fostered by its creative ethos and extraordinarily talented community of practicing faculty-artists. Building on CalArts’ history of cultivating a steady stream of influential artists—who continue to make a profound impact in arts and culture internationally—the new President will have an opportunity to help define the future of arts and education, and expand the role that creativity will play in the 21st century.
About CalArts
As the first higher education institution in the nation to offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees in the visual as well as performing arts, CalArts is in the top tier of highly competitive art schools. Established in 1961 by Walt and Roy Disney, CalArts emerged with a bold new paradigm for arts education, the kind not seen since the Black Mountain College experiment of the 1930s that promised freedom to create with boundless imagination, unfettered by conventional expectations. Offering a curriculum that is both imaginative and rigorous, CalArts continues to distinguish itself as a pioneer, nurturing and respecting students as artists, offering remarkable interchange with faculty across disciplines, and allowing students to cross-pollinate and inspire each other.
CalArts currently enrolls 1,489 students, 985 undergraduate through six primary divisions: the School of Art; School of Critical Studies; Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance; Herb Alpert School of Music; School of Film/Video; and the School of Theater. In 2016, its MFA program was ranked in the Top 10 by U.S. News & World Report.
In addition to the main campus in Valencia, CalArts operates the Roy and Edna Disney CalArts Theater (REDCAT), a contemporary arts center for innovative visual performance and exhibition in downtown Los Angeles. The Institute also provides arts education to underserved youth in the area through the Community Arts Partnership and maintains strong ties with an array of educational partners globally.
Located on a large campus 25 miles north of Hollywood in the Santa Clarita Valley, CalArts has helped fuel several movements in the arts, its graduates fanning out internationally in every major arts arena. It now holds a prominent place in the exploding arts scene in Los Angeles, where a critical mass of emerging artists and professional working colleagues both come from the ranks of CalArts alumni.
Unleashing creativity
In a world that is hungry for innovation, CalArts is seeking a leader who is passionate about nurturing and unleashing creativity; who has an unwavering commitment to student and faculty success; an accomplished fundraiser who will excite interest about an institute on the cutting edge of arts education; and a thought-leader who will embrace the core values of CalArts while shaping a vision for its future.
Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. For best consideration, please submit materials by September 1, 2016.
For more details, including the full position profile, and to submit inquiries, nominations, referrals, and applications, please see the Isaacson, Miller website for the search: www.imsearch.com/5473. Electronic submission of materials is required.
