By Rob Ollikainen
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES — Robin Anderson hopes to make a good thing better as the next executive director of the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center.
Anderson, who has verbally accepted the position and is expected to ink a formal agreement in Port Angeles this week, knows she has big shoes to fill in replacing recently retired Executive Director Jake Seniuk.
Associate Director Barbara Slavik is retiring at the end of this year.
“Jake and Barbara have done an amazing job,” said Anderson when reached by cellphone from Newberg, Ore.
Anderson said the fine arts center is “already well-established.”
She hopes to build on Slavik’s successes and foster partnerships with the business community and other arts centers in the Puget Sound region.
When she arrives in Port Angeles early this week, Anderson said she will “talk to everyone I possibly can and learn as much as possible.”
“The center’s been there,” she added.
“It’s a time for me to listen and gather information and bring that all together and share that with the board to come up with a vision we can work for.”
Anderson hopes to develop a 10-year vision for the arts center and update the business model for challenging economic times.
“The nature of nonprofits has really changed,” Anderson said.
“Before, there was a lot more expendable income. It’s really dried up.”
It took a $50,000 anonymous donation for the city to hire a director this summer. The donation will cover Anderson’s salary and benefits for the second half of the year.
Interim City Manager Dan McKeen said the anonymous donation will go a long way in keeping the continuity of leadership at the 25-year-old arts center, which is sustained largely by donations and fundraising events, with a small portion from the city of Port Angeles.
“She has great ideas to build on what Jake has accomplished as director,” McKeen said of Anderson.
“One thing she wanted to do was take it further, getting kids involved in the fine arts center and getting more exposure throughout the community.”
Under Seniuk’s and Slavik’s leadership, the arts center has hosted art classes — such as this summer’s “Monday’s Child” series of outdoor workshops — as well as “ArtPaths: Portfolio,” a major exhibition of work by Forks, Sequim and Port Angeles High School students.
The director position was advertised earlier this year with an annual salary range of $54,257 to $64,850 plus benefits.
McKeen on Saturday said Anderson’s salary will be $62,941.
Anderson has spent the past 25 years working in the arts, most recently as executive director of the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg, which she started up in 2009.
The San Francisco Bay Area native said she is fulfilling a dream of working in the Puget Sound region.
She described her new job as the “pinnacle” of her career.
“I’ve always wanted to live up there,” Anderson said.
As the new executive director, Anderson said she will develop new programs for the Port Angeles Fine Arts Center and work to integrate the center into the community.
“It’s good to see how much support there is,” Anderson said.
“I want to nurture those relationships and make them stronger.”
Before moving to Oregon, Anderson worked as arts programming curator, senior supervisor for events and visual arts for heritage, culture and art at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Lakewood, Colo., near Denver.
She was the curator for five art galleries, supervised the visual and performing arts outreach programs, and organized community events.
After starting up the Chehalem Cultural Center in Newberg, which is housed in 40,000 square feet of a former elementary school, Anderson resigned in November.
“It’s in great shape now,” she said.
Anderson earned degrees in fine arts and sculpture from the California College for the Arts.
In her spare time, Anderson enjoys kayaking and bicycling.
Anderson this week plans to meet with fine arts center board President Linda Crow, the other board members and city officials to go over the first steps and expectations.
“We’re excited to bring her on board,” McKeen said.
Anderson said she would be ready to start at the beginning of August at the latest. She said she is looking forward to becoming part of the community.
“I’m so excited to be moving to Port Angeles and getting to know everybody,” she said.
Slavik will be recognized for his contributions to the arts center at the next Port Angeles City Council meeting July 17, McKeen said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladaily
news.com.
