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10th Anniversary Letter from the ATHICA Board
Spring 2012
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Wow, ten
years! What a huge accomplishment! In the decade since
March 2002, ATHICA: Athens Institute for Contemporary Art has
become the primary local showcase for the avant-garde in art,
music and performance. Under the leadership of its founding
director, Lizzie Zucker Saltz, ATHICA has presented an amazing
and diverse series of themed shows for the Athens arts
community. No other local gallery has been so relentlessly
devoted to high-quality, thought-provoking contemporary
art.
Over the years Lizzie and a fleet of volunteers have launched
45
exhibitions with many more affiliated events. Such
innovative programming has transformed a fledgling organization
into one of the few non-profit galleries to have earned a
regional and national reputation. ATHICA's laundry-list
of accomplishments will be celebrated over the course of our
tenth year. Check out the ATHICA website if you need proof of
these lofty claims.
Change is inevitable for any institution and Lizzie has
announced she
plans to transition out as Artistic Director, moving into emerita
status and on to other pursuits.
Hence, ATHICA's second decade will also begin a new
chapter.
This picture shows many ATHICA Board members as well as volunteers and interns who attended the 10th Birthday party on Sunday, March 4th. From left to right, front row: Katherine Hodges, Judy McWillie, Lauren Willamson, Havivah Lizzie, Noah and David Z. Saltz, Caroline Warner, Katie Faulkner. Back row: Sage Rogers, Michael Lachowski, Ted Kuhn, John English, Stanley Bermudez, Elliot Gootman (obscured).
ATHICA's board has decided to take advantage of this transition
to
re-evaluate and restructure the organization. Instead of
rushing to hire a
new director, the ATHICA board will divide up the myriad tasks
that go
into making the gallery operate. The board will lead the
charge, but we
want as much community involvement as possible. We will need
lots of
support with fundraising, marketing, curating and general
gallery
management. We hope those that feel ATHICA is an important part
of the Athens art community will help us continue the important
work Lizzie started. ATHICA earned its non-profit status
because it has always had a community-based focus. While its
mission will remain the same, keeping the bar high will never
be easy.
The board also believes this 10th anniversary is a time to
re-evaluate the
different aspects of ATHICA. We will be seeking community
feedback on how patrons would like ATHICA to move forward into
its second decade. In the following weeks, we will be sending
out a survey to gain a better idea of how you, ATHICA's
community, feels about the organization. We feel that your
input is critical as we plan for the future.
With your help, ATHICA can continue to bring exciting
contemporary art to Athens. Thank you for the past ten
years. Now let's get ready for the next ten!
Sincerely,
The ATHICA Board
March 22, 2012
ATHICA Officers:
Katherine McQueen, President
Elliot Gootman, Treasurer
Jordan Rothacker, Secretary
Board Members:
John English
Katherine Hodges
Michael Lachowski
Judith McWillie
Beth Sale
P.S. If you are interested in being involved with ATHICA please
contact
board@athica.org.
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