Women Of Excellence: Lisa Cremin
Director, Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund
Allison Shirreffs
July 1, 2008
sponsored by:
L
ast year, Lisa Cremin took a six-week sabbatical from her job as director of the
Metropolitan Atlanta Arts Fund. With a nod from her workplace and family, Cremin headed to Europe
to "catch up" on the arts scene.
During her stint abroad, she "aerobically consumed art," embarking on an eight-country trip around a trio of arts events – the Venice Biennale, one of the world's most prestigious contemporary arts festivals; Germany's Documenta, which takes place every five years; and the Skulptur Projekte Münster, a once-a-decade, large-scale sculpture show in Münster, Germany. She also took in the arts scene in Berlin, where artists have flocked and dealers have followed.
When asked what lessons Atlanta's cultural and arts environment could glean from European cities, Cremin notes two things: public transportation and the notion of "free."
Families in Europe spend their Saturdays hanging out at museums because they can, Cremin says. "It's access. Not just the ability to get there and see it but access is ‘free.' Some [free museum goers] have the ability to pay, but perceive it as a barrier." Cremin believes this type of access to art and culture makes the arts more of a habit for people, not a special event.
In her decade and a half at the helm of the Arts Fund, the organization has given a multitude of the region's small- and medium-sized arts organizations in the region more than $5.2 million. The grants given to organizations such as 7 Stages, IMAGE Film & Video and the Georgia Ballet, have funded 53 new permanent staff positions – business development directors, administrative assistants, chief operating officers and the like.
Since its inception in 1993, the organization's strategy has been to stabilize small and medium-sized arts organizations. "What we find is that their art gets better when the organization is more beautifully managed," Cremin says.
Alicia Philipp, president of the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, hired Cremin to run the Arts Fund 15 years ago. She was struck by Cremin's intellect, creativity and ability to see the big picture while dealing with details. As Atlanta has changed, says Philipp, Cremin has been able to keep
he fund relevant and exciting.
"Lisa has thoughtfully laid out a course. The resonance of the Arts Fund has been incredible."
Cremin is encouraging her two daughters to be what they want to be, but admits while she sees women in leadership roles of small- and medium-sized art and cultural organizations, there's "a lot more distance to travel" when it comes to the number of women at the helm of larger institutions.
Says Cremin, "There's always a little farther we can go to keep up with our male counterparts."
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