Murphy Arts District in transition
Incoming CEO Pamela Griffin looks to strike balance between cultural activities and public health regulations
The Murphy Arts District (MAD) announced on Tuesday that Chief Executive Officer Terry Stewart will be stepping down and current President and Chief Operations Officer Pamela Griffin will be transitioned in as the nonprofit’s new CEO. Stewart will stay on as Chairman of the MAD Board of Directors through the end of year.
“Terry brought a lot of credibility to our organization in the early years of development. It has been an absolute joy working with him, getting to know him, and I’m going to miss him dearly,” Griffin said on the announcement around Stewart’s departure.
Stewart’s decision to retire is in part due to the current pandemic and the hardships that come with the frequent travel as the COVID19 virus continues to spread.
“He lives full-time in Cleveland and he’s been commuting from Cleveland to El Dorado every week for six years now. And with COVID, he has not been able to travel. So with everything that’s going on the timing felt right for his transition,” Griffin stated.
Even though MAD is going through this transition, Griffin said she is extremely excited about stepping into this new role and has a vision for the work that she will do as the new CEO.
“I want to continue growing the organization to be the arts and entertainment destination for the region. That includes concerts, but also partnering with local businesses and organizations,” Griffin said.
One of the big challenges Griffin will have to contend with as the new CEO is the current pandemic. Right now, MAD does not have any concrete plans around reopening. They’re thankful for
the continued local support, she said, but ask that local residents continue to be patient as they navigate the circumstances the virus has caused.
“We’re in such an unprecedented time and the real fact of the matter is we don’t know where this virus is headed. We’ve been closed since mid-March and we are unsure of a reopen date,” Griffin said.
Though the organization faces a lot of hurdles right now, Griffin said she is embracing the challenge and will continue to find ways to engage with the community while honoring public health guidelines with regards to COVID-19.
“We don’t want to be a reason why this virus continues any longer than it has to. We’re trying to balance that with our customer demands for something to do. That’s why we started MAD Movie Mondays. We thought that would be a good place to start,” Griffin explained.
Throughout the summer, MAD has also hosted regular educational workshops with local artist and educator Gay Bechtelheimer through Facebook Live; Bechtelheimer also hosted a regular ‘Meet the Artist’ question and answer series with artists from the region who have gone on to make it big. MAD also resumed its Farmers Market on June 13. It’s closed for the rest of this month but will resume again in September after the fall harvest.
Griffin said she wants the community to know that MAD staff and executives are working hard and anxiously await the day they can reopen their doors. Until then, she encourages community members to continue to show their support and consider giving donations.