Accepting Art Center’s Challenge

When the city-subsidized Huntington Beach Art Center reopened in October 1999 after a six-month hiatus, the changes were dramatic: It had a new mission statement, its budget was cut in half, its staff was trimmed, and a goal was set to raise $150,000 in operating funds.

Enter new director Kate G. Hoffman, a ceramicist and skilled fund-raiser. She started April 30 and says she’s ready for any and all challenges.

“The arts is my first love and it has been since my first degree,” said Hoffman, 54, who earned a bachelor’s in ceramics from Illinois State University and a master’s in behavioral science from Cal State Dominguez Hills. “So I wanted to continue my career in the arts. I liked the Huntington Beach Art Center’s community focus.”

Fund-raising is critical to all art enterprises, especially nonprofit organizations, said Hoffman, who comes to the position with a background in business management and development. She was director of community programs and program development at the Mediation Center, a nonprofit conflict-management agency in Costa Mesa.

“It’s important to increase the visibility of the art center by exposing it to the local business community and the families,” Hoffman said. “Art is about inclusion and involvement.”

Hoffman’s main duties at the art center include planning cultural and special events, supervising personnel, writing grants, building volunteer and member programs, and overseeing daily operations, such as tours, staff recruitment and training.

The Manchester, N.H., native and now Long Beach resident has tailored her career around the arts and nonprofit organizations. She worked at the Long Beach Museum of Art from 1993 to 1998.

Her most crucial role there was as corporate-relations and special-events manager. She showed a creative panache for building relations with local businesses and corporate sponsors, and organizing special events, including a popular summer concert series.

Hoffman developed the annual art auction, the Long Beach museum’s largest fund-raising event, which grossed more than $150,000 for operating costs during her tenure.

“She really connects with artists,” said Susan C. Reeder, development director of the Long Beach museum. “In her [former] position, she was dealing with a lot of different constituencies, from the artists and volunteers to staff members to local businesses. That takes skill.”

Working with a small staff, Hoffman helped wherever needed. The post often required collaborating with other departments, including publicity, outreach and education.

In Huntington Beach, Hoffman will meet similar challenges as she works with a downsized staff while trying to raise $150,000 annually. The position, which was advertised at a salary of $3,293 to $4,079 a month, also comes with a demanding schedule. Hoffman is expected to work evenings and weekends as needed.

She replaces interim director Michael Mudd, the city’s cultural services manager. The timing is crucial, as Mudd is expected to retire.

Hoffman will work closely with Mudd and art center curator Darlene DeAngelo on programming and grant writing.

DeAngelo, who said she is relieved that she will no longer have to shoulder the additional duty of fund-raising, is looking forward to discussing art with Hoffman.

“It’s fun to be able to talk art with her,” DeAngelo said. “Some directors come from completely different backgrounds than art, such as in social service or health. Kate’s experience, I think, makes the transition easier and it’s easier to relate to her.”

The two plan to push for additional staff and for broad-ranging programs.

Hoffman takes the job after the museum’s founding director, Naida Osline left in 1999. Under Osline, the center captured nationwide attention with its contemporary, edgy art exhibitions such as those on skateboard culture, UFOs and the Grateful Dead. The center, which opened in 1995 to much fanfare, was plagued with low attendance and criticism for its lack of local exhibits.

Disputes between the center’s foundation and staff over “cutting edge” vs. “traditional” art and a $306,000 deficit ultimately led to its closure in April 1999. The debt largely stemmed from $250,000 owed in construction costs to build the facility.

The center, at 538 Main St., reopened in October 1999 with a dramatic shift to less-controversial, community-oriented installations and programs of children’s workshops and summer art camps.

The operation was also reorganized financially. Its budget was cut to $280,000 from $350,000 and its paid staff trimmed.

In September, the Huntington Beach City Council voted to relieve the art center of its debt, which had ballooned to $700,000. That cleared the way for the organization to secure grants and donations.

Hoffman applied for the job at the end of March and was interviewed in early April. She was impressed with the gallery space but said she knew little of the art center’s rocky history. What attracted her was the chance to change people’s preconception of Huntington Beach as nothing more than Surf City.

“If everyone thinks of [Huntington] as a great place to go to the beach and surf, then they’re missing out on the art and cultural aspects that make it a beautiful city,” Hoffman said.