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Beth Ann Morean Arts Center Names New President/Executive Director
St. Petersburg, FL (January 30, 2009): Terry Brett, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Evelyn Craft, President/Executive Director, are pleased to announce the appointment of Katee Tully as President/Executive Director of the Beth Ann Morean Arts Center, effective March 1. Ms. Craft will remain with the Morean Arts Center in a consulting capacity to ensure a seamless transition.
Ms. Tully joined the Morean Arts Center in April 2008 as Capital Campaign Director. Prior to this appointment, Katee served in key leadership roles within the City University of New York (biography below). Ms. Tully was hired consistent with a succession plan developed by Ms. Craft and the Board of Trustees.
Under Ms. Craft's leadership and vision, the Morean Arts Center attendance has grown from 3,800 to over 100,000 per year; studio classes and workshops have grown from under 100 to approximately 800; and the annual budget now exceeds $2.5 million. She oversaw the design and renovation of the current facility and has led the effort to create the collaboration with noted glass artist Dale Chihuly for the development of the Chihuly Collection. The Collection and the Bank of America Children's Learning Center will be housed in a 19,000 sf expansion for which ground was broken in September, 2008. (A complete list of Ms. Craft's achievements is below.)
"This is a bittersweet moment for me and the Morean Arts Center", said Terry Brett. "Evelyn has been the face of the Center for 12 years and has accomplished more than any of us thought possible. As an example of her leadership, she initiated the succession planning process which led to Katee's hiring. We're confident that Katee will continue to provide extraordinary leadership to the Morean Arts Center as we move forward with our very exciting plans for the future. We wish Evelyn all the best as she moves into the next phase of her life and thank her for her enormous contributions."
"When Katee joined the Arts Center, I found an innovative and strategic partner and colleague. The Board and I quickly understood we had our succession plan and today I am thrilled to announce Katee's appointment." Ms. Craft went on to say, "My time at the Morean Arts Center has been among the best years of my life, giving me the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people and accomplish so much. I will continue to be available to Katee and the Board as needed and this provides me the time to take on a new challenge as Director of the Belger Foundation and Arts Center in Kansas City, MO, (www.belgerartscenter.org)."
Ms. Tully said, "I am honored that Terry, Evelyn and the Board of Trustees have asked me to serve as the next President/Executive Director. In the years ahead, the Morean Arts Center will provide a central and compelling presence — offering the highest quality arts education, contemporary art exhibits, innovative partnerships, economic development and of course, the Chihuly Collection." She continued, "Since joining the Morean Arts Center almost a year ago, I have been impressed with the talent and commitment of the staff, the instructors and the students. The Center is a touchstone for generations of artists and creative minds of all ages. Evelyn provided the vision and leadership that helped make the Beth Ann Morean Arts Center a recognized leader — St. Petersburg, Pinellas County and Florida are better places to live as a result of her influence in the arts."
Katee Tully — Biography
Katee Tully joined the Beth Morean Arts Center in April 2008 as the Capital Campaign Director. Prior to her appointment, Katee spent twenty years in higher education leadership positions in North Carolina and New York. During her tenure, Katee raised significant funding and established a strong reputation for building collaborations and partnerships. Katee became known for her expertise in leadership development and business outreach during her ten years with East Carolina University; implementing a nationally recognized leadership program for middle grade and high school students which was featured on PBS.
Katee then moved to NYC to join Medgar Evers College, a Historically Black Institution, where she directed the School of Continuing Education and External Programs. It was in this setting that Katee developed a wide range of corporate, government and community constituencies which furthered her work in economic and workforce development. She continued this focus when she became Dean of Continuing Education and Workforce Development at Borough of Manhattan Community College (City University of New York) shortly before 9/11. In the years that followed, Katee was intimately involved with the Mayor's office and the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan — creating and implementing strategic partnerships with well over a hundred agencies and businesses — and raising nearly $18M to foster those partnerships.
Prior to her academic career, Katee trained as a master jeweler and subsequently opened retail shops in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Gatlinburg and Tallahassee. Jewelry, glass, and recently ceramics (at the Morean Arts Center) are just some of the art forms she has explored.
As a fourth generation Floridian, Katee was delighted to return to her native state and join her life-partner, Helen Levine, in January of 2007. Additionally, Katee resumed contract negotiations, property sales and asset management of her family's real estate and business holdings in the Panhandle.
Arts Center Accomplishments During Evelyn Craft's Tenure
Highlights of 12 years:
- 1997 - 1999: Oversaw the capital campaign, design and renovation of the current Arts Center's 32,000 Audrey Morean Petersen facility in downtown St. Petersburg
- Growth in attendance from 3800 to an average of 100,000 a year; annual budget from $200,000 to over $2.5 million
- Growth in studio art classes from under 100 to approximately 800 six week classes and workshops annually
- 1997: Developed the Word and Image art and language educational program for elementary, middle and high school students in partnership with the Pinellas County School System. Founding sponsor is the Hough Family Foundation.
- 1997: Developed the studio arts partnership with Academy Prep
- 2004: Developed the Hot Glass educational partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts exhibition of the work of Dale Chihuly
- 2005: Curated the 2005 London Now exhibition of contemporary artists living and working in the East End of London in cooperation with London's Whitechapel Gallery
- Exhibitions of note: William Eggleston; Major Mud, curated by Russ Gustafson-Hilton; Voulkus, Autio, Soldner; London Now: Are You in Love Yet?; Beyond Glass, curated by Marjory Aronson; Renee Stout; Creighton Michael; Robert Stackhouse and Carol Mickett; Jun Kaneko, and Jasper Johns: Prints.
- 2005: Initiated the collaboration with Dale Chihuly for the Chihuly Collection and hotshop
- 2005: Recipient of the $200,000 Bank of America Community Builders Award
- 2007: Recipient of the $1,000,000 Bank of America gift to fund the Bank of America Children's Learning Center
- 2008: Purchased the property and broke ground for the 19,000 sf first phase of the Beth Ann Morean Arts Center to house the Chihuly Collection, hotshop, and Bank of America Children's Learning Center
About the Beth Ann Morean Arts Center
The Beth Ann Morean Arts Center inspires, educates, and engages diverse artists and audiences in the creation and exhibition of contemporary visual art in an environment that encourages interaction and synergistic relationships. The Center is a regional hub for creativity, educational experiences, artist and community interaction, and innovation that significantly enhances the quality of life and economic development in the area.
Exhibitions and programs are supported in part by grants from the City of St. Petersburg; the Pinellas County Commission through the Pinellas County Department of Cultural Affairs; St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
