ArtsCore - Statewide Executive Director
Cohort

Arts Executive Directors Need Support
ArtsCore is here to help!

It's been a tough few years for arts organizations. Arts leaders have been working incredibly hard, adapting their programs to meet new community needs and keeping their organizations sustainable. Through this, we have seen many longstanding arts leaders retire and many leave the field, resulting in a huge turnover in leadership in the sector. Arts organization leaders need help. They need tools and training to help them find new and better ways to do this work. More than that, they need peer support to help them know their work is valued and understood, share successes and failures, and become more confident in their leadership. New leaders, in particular, need training and support. This spring, in partnership with the North Carolina Arts Council, Triangle ArtWorks will pilot a statewide support program, learning cohort and peer network for Executive Directors of N.C. arts organizations to provide them with the tools they need to thrive as the next generation of arts leaders.

LET’S GET THIS SUPPORT STARTED!

LEARN MORE BELOW

ArtsCore Inaugural Cohort Is Now Open for Applications

Apply by
March 21, 2025

Benefits of participation

By participating in this cohort, new Executive Directors will 1) gain a deep understanding of the ins and outs of the arts nonprofit sector in North Carolina, 2) receive tailored arts professional development training in organizational management and board training, 3) network with peer leaders and senior leaders from pivotal arts organizations statewide.

Who can apply?
The cohort will be limited to approximately 20 members, admitted on a first-come basis. Cohort participants must:

  • Be Executive Directors of 501(c)(3) arts nonprofits in North Carolina.

  • Have been in these positions for five years or less.

  • Commit to full participation in the cohort, as described below.

Cohort Requirements
This program will include three events, described below, including one in-person event. By applying to participate in this cohort, you agree that:

  • You can attend all three events.

  • You will be an active participant.

  • If accepted, you will pay the Cohort Fee.

Cohort Fee:
$150 for cohort participation (includes all programs)
(payment made upon acceptance in cohort)

COHORT PROGRAM SCHEDULE
AND DESCRIPTIONS

  • blue square with How Arts Work In NC on the square

    A Primer For New Leaders and a Reminder for the Rest of Us

    April 21, 2025, 4 - 6pm
    Artspace, Raleigh

    In Person

    Social/Dinner following

    At this live workshop, the cohort will gather, in person, to gain a solid understanding in how arts funding and other support “works” in North Carolina. This includes

    • Discussion of who gives out what types of grants to who
    • A review of statewide organizations and resources
    •A review of potential local partners (arts councils, economic development, tourism, commerce, etc)

    The cohort will first gather at Artspace the night before Arts Day to get grounded in how the arts work in NC, and connect with other cohort members and other NC arts leaders at the workshop and social following.

    Speakers:
    • Vicki Vitiello - N.C. Arts Council
    • Nate McGaha - Arts North Carolina
    • Rhonda Bellamy, President/CEO - Arts of Wilmington & NHC
    • Angie Hays - Director, N.C. Theater Conference

  • blue square with strategies for building support around your organization's work

    Strategies for Building Support Around Your Organization's Work

    May 28, 2025, Noon to 1:30pm
    Zoom Event

    To grow your impact, your arts organization needs funding, Board members, volunteers, community partners and more. As a leader, particularly a new leader, how do you manage this, while also working to fulfill your nonprofits Mission?

    Leader: Hannah Grannemann, Asst. Professor and Director Art Administration Program, UNCG

  • blue square with developing board champions, activating engaged leadership on it

    Developing Board Champions - Activating Engaged Leadership

    June 24, 2025, Noon to 1:30pm
    Zoom event

    We all need to be reminded, encouraged, and held accountable to being a 100X leader, equipped to do our job, and intentionally helping others to be successful in their responsibilities. This requires self-awareness, discipline, and accountability. This workshop will allow participants to survey their current leadership style, analyze how it shapes his/her leadership capacity to either flourish or flounder, in turn impacting the relationship with their board of directors.
    In this workshop, we will identify multiple key factors in developing board champions:

    • Define board of director best practices
    • Discover how to create healthy expectations and establish mutual accountability
    • Determine the tone and direction for engaged board leadership

    Leader: Wendy F. Adams, Cultivate for Good

interested? apply here

This project is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.