A Message From Our Board Chair
On behalf of our entire organization, I share the news of the departure of our founding Executive Director Wendy Bury to pursue a new opportunity in the region. She will remain with the Cultural Coalition in February and then gradually transition to her new role as Managing Director at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts by June in order to support a smooth change of leadership.
Until 2012, when the Cultural Coalition was formed, Southeastern Connecticut was the only region in the state without a Designated Regional Service Organization (DRSO) supporting the CT Office of the Arts to organize and advocate for the creative sector. Bury has led the organization since her hiring in January 2014 following its grassroots formation by a group of more than 50 regional business, arts, tourism, government, and education leaders in both the greater New London and greater Norwich areas.
Bury said, “This is a time that I always knew would come and it is bittersweet indeed. It is my personal and professional belief that my role has been to build and grow the organization, create stability, and then pass the baton so that it may thrive and have long-term sustainability.” She continued, “It has been an absolute honor and privilege to serve this amazing organization. This is an opportunity to welcome a new leader who will continue to oversee quality programs and services and help take the Cultural Coalition to new heights in eastern CT.”
Thanks to Wendy’s leadership, the Cultural Coalition has become an important voice for the cultural community in eastern CT and is in the strongest financial and organizational position since its start in 2012. We have grown to include a team of two full-time staff and four part-time positions that support the business.
We are in the process of forming a search committee and will share updates as they become available. The search for a leader to fill Wendy’s shoes will be difficult. However, Wendy’s continuing support during the transition gives the Cultural Coalition board confidence of a smooth transition. Wendy plans to remain active with the organization, both as a partner and advocate.
Wendy will leave an unforgettable legacy with the Cultural Coalition. Over the course of her tenure, the Coalition has grown to 600 partners including sole proprietors, individual artists, small volunteer-run organizations, professionally staffed museums, major tourist attractions and community arts centers.
In January 2021, the Cultural Coalition became the Designated Regional Service Organization for the Northeastern region of CT, and currently serves 42 towns in eastern CT.
Some of our achievements under Bury’s leadership include:
- Awarded top economic development agency in southeastern CT after its first year
- Selected to host the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) Creative Community Exchange (CCX) conference for New England
- Conducted the first economic impact study of New London County’s nonprofit arts and cultural sector in partnership with Americans for the Arts’ Arts & Economic Prosperity study
- Introduced international Make Music Day to the region
- Hosted THRIVE! conferences to celebrate and advance the creative community
- Partnered with Electric Boat to conduct an employee survey and implement solutions to help with the attraction and retention of talent
- Initiated a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion series for nonprofits to advance social and racial justice
- Established a Funding Booster Program to help artists and businesses – for profit and nonprofit – apply for and win grants
- Supported the formation of the New London Arts Council and New London Cultural District
- Established an economic recovery fund and grant programs with support from Community Foundation of Eastern CT and Chelsea Groton Bank to respond to the impact of the pandemic on the creative sector, including partnering with the Edward and Mary Lord Foundation that dedicated $100,000 to arts and cultural nonprofits
- Created a percent-for-art-call to action for municipal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to allocate at least 1% of local funds to support arts and culture
- Steered nearly $2 million in ARPA funds to support arts and culture in eastern CT
- Currently administering the City of Norwich’s investment of $1 million in ARPA funds to support arts and culture
Our entire organization, past/present board members, partners and all who have worked with Wendy know the impact she has had on the arts and cultural landscape in the eastern CT community. She will be missed, but thankfully not too far away. We now begin the journey of finding the leader who will champion the Cultural Coalition’s next phase of growth.
Sincerely,
Nishant Sahoo, Board Chair
