Belfast community arts center begins search for new executive director
Photo / Kyle Dubay, courtesy of the Maine Arts Commission
Waterfall Arts Executive Director Martha Piscuskas, right, and Director of Programming and Outreach Meg Fournier are shown at the 2018 Maine International Conference on the Arts.
Waterfall Arts, a community arts center in Belfast, is looking for a new executive director.
The organization’s board of directors announced on Friday that Executive Director Martha Piscuskas told the board she needs to step down from her position for personal reasons, effective in February.
A co-founder of Waterfall Arts, Piscuskas has been with the organization since its inception in 2000. She was appointed executive director in July 2018 as part of a major reorganization that the board implemented that May and was tasked with running the organization while transitioning Waterfall Arts to the new organizational structure.
That transition is now completed and the board expressed its gratitude to Piscuskas for positioning Waterfall Arts as “Midcoast Maine’s most comprehensive community arts center and a leader in the Maine arts community,” according to a news release announcing the search for a new director.
“We truly would not be where we are today without her knowledge, skill and care,” said founding director Alan Crichton, currently the chair of the Waterfall Rising Capital Campaign. “I know that her dedication to the organization will continue through her ongoing participation in the Waterfall Rising Capital Campaign.”
Prior to her current role, Piscuskas served eight years as the co-director and director of programming, leading the organization to diversify and expand its offerings, staffing, and audience. She also served the board as program committee chair for the organization’s first five years.
“Waterfall has been a wonderful part of my life and identity for the past 20 years,” she said. “I raised my kids in and around both the Montville and the Belfast sites, and made lots of art here myself. I helped start Waterfall Arts because I wanted a local source for art instruction and community, and I got that back in spades. Our dedicated staff will carry on the excellent programming and transformative user experience this community has come to expect.”
Search begins for successor
The board of directors will conduct search to find a new executive director over the next few months. During this transition period, their priority is to maintain a stable and effective organization while seeking the best individual to lead the organization’s team.
The team includes Director of Programming Meg Fournier; Director of Operations Julia Raite; Youth and Family Outreach Coordinator Bridget Matros; Facilities Manager Mike Fletcher; Facilities Assistant Jeff Densmore; and newly hired Marketing Manager Michele Christle.
The organization’s activities also are supported by numerous committees comprised of board members and community volunteers.
A job announcement is on the website. Review of applications will begin Jan. 31.
There will be a public celebration of Piscuskas’ time with Waterfall Arts on Jan. 25, 5-7 p.m., at the opening reception for “In House,” the annual show of work by Waterfall Arts’ staff, teachers, volunteers and artists with studios in the building.
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