SomArts Cultural Center Announces New Executive Director

November 2 , 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: (415) 863-1414 or press@somarts.org

San Francisco CA, Nov 2, 2008—The Board of Trustees at SomArts Cultural Center has named Lex Leifheit, a community arts activist with a background in communications, programming and arts education, as its new Executive Director. SomArts (South of Market Arts Resources, Technology, and Services) maintains one of four buildings owned by the San Francisco Arts Commission and operated by nonprofit arts organizations to provide cultural and arts programs with support from the Hotel Tax Fund, under the supervision of the Community Arts & Education Program of the San Francisco Arts Commission.

Brian Freeman, playwright/director and chairman of the search committee said, “Lex's passion for community-based art, artists and their impact, fused with a strong grounding in arts administration makes her an excellent choice to provide the next generation of leadership at SomArts."

Leifheit comes to SomArts with more than ten years’ experience in arts administration, with an emphasis on partnerships across disciplines and organizations. From March 2004 through August 2008 she worked with Wesleyan University's Green Street Arts Center, a neighborhood arts and cultural center operated by Wesleyan in partnership with the city of Middletown, Connecticut. After being promoted to Assistant Director of Green Street, Leifheit initiated more than a dozen successful new programs including the Latina Voices performance series; the Project Green Street Emerging Filmmakers Symposium; a literary series; and the North End Grid Project, a city-wide and online photography exhibition. During her first year, attendance at evening and weekend events increased by 35%, and earned income for these activities increased by 137%. In 2007-08, enrollment in Green Street's arts education program increased by 73%.

Prior to working at Green Street, Leifheit worked at Wesleyan's Center for the Arts and the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. She served as Vice President of the North End Artist Cooperative, an income-based housing co-op for artists, and is currently Vice Chair of the Emerging Leader Council of Americans for the Arts. Leifheit holds an M.A. in Liberal Studies from Wesleyan University and a BFA in Theater from Drake University.

SoMarts Board Chairman Tom Mazzolini said, "The Board is very pleased with the selection of Lex Leifheit as Executive Director. Her experience, enthusiasm and understanding of the nature of SoMarts and its role in San Francisco's cultural milieu will make her an indispensable champion of the arts for years to come."

"I am deeply honored to serve as Executive Director of SomArts," said Leifheit. "It is a tremendous opportunity to pursue something I strongly believe in—supporting and promoting the free expression of artists—in a city that has historically championed freedom of expression. San Francisco has benefited greatly from the efforts of Jack Davis and Interim Director Ernest Rivera in securing the future of this important institution, and I hope to work closely with the artists and cultural communities of San Francisco to continuing their legacy."

About SomArts Cultural Center
SomArts serves approximately 450,000 people annually with its year-round schedule of community arts classes, theatrical performances, gallery exhibitions and technical services' support of cultural events.

Upcoming events at SomArts include “Synthetic Masquerade,” an exhibit of online personae or “avatars” interpreted through painting, photography and sculpture. The exhibit runs through November 26, the opening reception is November 6 from 7pm to 9pm.

SomArts is also hosting several fundraisers for local nonprofit organizations including Visual Aid’s “Big Deal” on November 11 (www.visualaid.org), and NaNoWriMo’s 2008 Write-a-thon on November 15 (www.nanowrimo.org).

SomArts Cultural Center is located at 934 Brannan Street. For more information about space rentals, tech services and upcoming events, visit www.somarts.org or call (415) 863-1414.