News and Announcements

April 24, 2023

PenArt has selected Adam Erickson as Executive Director, following a national search process led by Ford Webb Associates. He begins his tenure on May 1, 2023.

Erickson is a nonprofit leader, cultural producer, and educator who works with world class artists, thinkers, and leaders as well as with dynamic grassroots organizations across the United States in Tribal, rural, suburban, and urban communities. From 2016 to 2020, he was a member of ArtPlace America’s leadership team, directing the organization’s national network building initiatives and its strategic communications. ArtPlace was a ten-year, $150 million collaboration among a number of foundations, federal agencies, and financial institutions that worked to position arts and culture as a core sector of equitable community planning and development.

Prior to ArtPlace, Erickson managed the Aspen Institute Arts Program, where he brought together leading voices from a variety of sectors, with the purpose of accelerating arts-driven social change, service, and innovation. Most recently, he served as advisor to the President of the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), and also directed strategic partnerships including the institution’s corporate, foundation, and government relations.

For nearly 60 years, PenArt has served as a creative incubator in Door County. Through its long history and dedication to the community, it has become widely recognized for its outstanding artistic programs. “We are elated to welcome Adam as our new Executive Director,” said Steve Sauter, PenArt’s Board Chair. “He will bring enthusiasm, great communication skills, and a new outlook, drawing on his background in national philanthropy, nonprofit strategy, and arts education. Our organization has blossomed into a nationally acclaimed arts center under the leadership of past Executive Director, Cathy Hoke, and we look forward to continuing the success with Erickson at the helm.”

“I am thrilled to join the remarkable board and staff of PenArt. Much of my career has focused on bringing people together to make positive connections because it’s my strong belief that creative, cultural initiatives, like those PenArt is known for, are among the most powerful tools we have in fostering social cohesion, bridging divides, and aligning around shared values. We need these connections now more than ever.”

Erickson is a founding member of Vital Little Plans, an artist collective and giving circle. He has lectured at a variety of institutions, and previously taught graduate students in the Arts Management and Entrepreneurship program at the New School in New York City. He received his BA in Art History and Studio Art, and his MFA in Visual Arts. Originally from the Twin Cities, Minnesota, he began his career at Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul.