February 9, 2000

NMAC hires on full-time director

By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
       Five years ago, the board of directors for the Northwestern Michigan Artists and Craftsmen began thinking of where to go next. After more than four decades as a volunteer-led organization, board members decided the organization needed the consistent guidance and representation in the community that a full-time director could provide.
      Last year they got serious about the idea and, in January, the board welcomed their new director, Sherry Dillard. Bringing a strong background in the arts and non-profit management plus an enthusiasm for the organization, Dillard has many ambitions for her tenure at NMAC.
      "I am really, really pleased to be involved with this organization," said Dillard, who has a master's degree in public administration with a focus in non-profit management from the University of Arizona. "The board is really gung-ho about taking the organization forward and encouraging growth and more professionalism."
      Taking on a full-time director is a big commitment for an organization that started out as an artist's co-operative in 1953. All through the years, from it's annual Traverse Bay Outdoor Art Fair to the dozens of courses it offers annually, Northwestern Michigan Artists and Craftsmen volunteers have made things happen.
      With the organizations growth in recent years to more than 250 members and calls coming in from around the world about their summer course offerings, the board realized it was time to invest in their future. They dipped into some money they had saved just for this moment and committed to hiring Dillard for a year.
      "It's a very exciting step for us and a critical one," said Dick Templeton, president of the Northwestern Michigan Artists and Craftsmen board. "We're taking a leap of faith and expecting that with the expanding interest in all facets of art we can meet those needs in a creative way. We probably do more art education than any other single organization and need a full-time person overseeing it."
      One of the year's biggest goals for the Northwestern Michigan Artists and Craftsmen is to find a bigger space for a home. The organization has outgrown its current facility in the former All Faith's Chapel on S. Elmwood. A larger facility will enable them to offer both more classes and multiple classes simultaneously. Dillard and the board will explore a number of options, including sharing space with another arts-oriented non-profit, building their own space or expanding their current facility.
      "We have had a lot of growth, we've sort of grown out of the facility we are in," said Robbie Carmichael, a board member of the Northwestern Michigan Artists and Craftsmen. "We could really have two or three or four workshops going consecutively in the summer months because we have artists coming in from all over the country."
      Once the organization finds new space, they plan to revive the idea of hosting a gallery to display members' work. Northwestern Michigan Artists and Craftsmen has hosted a gallery in the past for its members, staffed by volunteers. Recently, however, the gallery has only displayed works by NMAC instructors and was only open sporadically when a volunteer or the part-time office manager was available. Having Dillard working on-site, full time will make the gallery a feasible idea once more.
      Dillard will draw on her experience with non-profits to build partnerships with other non-profits, another goal the board identified for the year. She will find ways that NMAC can co-sponsor education and fundraising programs with other like-minded organizations, sharing resources and expertise to achieve similar goals. Northwestern Michigan Artists and Craftsmen is especially interested in expanding its offerings for children and teens, Dillard noted, and some classes are already being planned for this spring.
      "A lot of our members are members of other organizations," Dillard said. "There are lots of tie-ins and we just haven't taken advantage of them in the past. We are a hidden gem in Traverse City and we just have to get the word out."
      Dillard hails from the Upper Peninsula and finds her way to Traverse City via Arizona and California. Growing up in retail business, she has served as Executive Director of non-profit organizations including the Bakersfield Museum in California and the Convention and Visitors Bureau in both Iron Mountain and Marquette.
      Though she had visited Traverse City only once before her job interview late last year, she was very excited to come to this area.
      "I really fell in love with the environment in Traverse City and the fact that the arts are so important to people here," Dillard said. "You don't have all the kinds of organizations, like the junior symphony here, unless there's support in the community."