Redux searches for next director, launches new fundraising campaign

Redux Contemporary Art Center is searching for its next leader. This shift in leadership comes during the launch of a new three-year fundraising campaign, Bridge to the Future, to sustain operations and grow the nonprofit arts organization’s robust programming.

Kate Ledbetter, Redux’s executive director since August 2022, stepped down July 3 from her position and shifted into a role as the chair of Redux’s new development committee. Ledbetter will oversee the Bridge to the Future campaign.

To assist in the search, Redux enlisted the help of former director Cara Alford (formerly Cara Leepson) who led the organization from 2017 through 2022, handling the move from Redux’s original St. Phillips Street space to its current home on upper King Street.

Alford and the Redux staff organized a committee of peers, artists and board members to review the applications, which are due before Sept. 1.

“At the core of what we are looking for is a leader,” Alford said. “Somebody who is going to be able to steward the organization through this big fundraising campaign and guide the organization into this next chapter.”

The ideal candidate, she said, is a charismatic individual with an arts administration background, ideally bringing a strong track record in fundraising and/or revenue generation in the nonprofit sector. Alford said, even if you don’t meet all the requirements in the job description, but you love Redux, have a finger to the pulse on arts in Charleston and see yourself as a strong leader, apply anyway.

“We are looking for somebody who knows and understands Charleston. Redux serves not only the studio artists, not just the exhibiting artists or the teaching artists, but the people in the larger community who use Redux as a resource for growing their career, being inspired, educating themselves on art.

“Of course, we want somebody who has development fundraising experience, feels confident grant writing and managing staff. But if you don’t meet all of the qualifications, and you have passion towards the organization and the mission and think you could be a good leader, apply.”

Alford emphasized that this new leader will need to be someone who can oversee the day-to-day operations at Redux and execute fundraising and development goals.

“Redux puts forth this public face of [being] really sustainable and … operating at a really high level — and we are. But money is tight. Moving into the new building [in 2016] was an amazing opportunity for us, but it has caused a lot of sort of operational strain on the organization at times. … Fundraising and support is just essential.”

Bridge to the Future

When Ledbetter stepped up as executive director last summer, bringing an extensive background in development and fundraising, she said from the start her goal was to develop a strategic plan to take the organization into its next chapter. When she first started, the nonprofit was coming to the end of a five-year fundraising plan developed by former director Alford.

“We knew when I came on board that we would be picking at some threads that had already been developed,” Ledbetter said. “And now, five years in solid footing at the new location post-Covid, we’re really considering, what is being asked of Redux from the community? How can we better serve in a strategic way and grow to meet those demands from the local art scene?”

In developing the Bridge to the Future campaign, Ledbetter realized she needed to focus her attention to that effort entirely.

“It’s hard to really effectively launch a substantial fundraising campaign and be the executive director. To do each well, it just reached a point where it’s like, well, maybe we can rethink the responsibilities here and how we can really achieve this fundraising goal. It made sense for me to shift into the chair of the development committee.”

The goal of Bridge to the Future is to raise $500,000 over three years, Ledbetter said, “and we plan to do so through further community outreach and engagement.”

Responding to community requests

The demand for studio space in Charleston is only growing, Ledbetter said, and a major goal of the fundraising campaign is to get folks off Redux’s long waitlist and into affordable studios.

“Long-term, owning a building would be very exciting. That would be strategically the most appropriate step moving forward,” she said. “We have the demand for more studio space, but we don’t have the capacity. We have a tremendous waitlist and we want to serve these folks. I mean, there’s just a need for it.”

Beyond operational costs and studio space, Ledbetter said the fundraising campaign will also contribute to producing cutting-edge exhibitions, expanding programs and classes, accessibility and scholarship programming, particularly through the lightning residency program which offers six weeks of free studio space and an exhibition opportunity to selected applicants.

“We want to offer really diverse exhibitions, and there’s a need for funding there too. I think that there’s somebody out there who wants to fund these kinds of things and wants to get behind them. It’s just a matter of finding those community partners we haven’t tapped into yet,” Ledbetter said.

“There are some really cool gallery naming opportunities and things like that built into the campaign that could be a really meaningful and a symbiotic relationship with the community partner who wants to support contemporary art in Charleston.”

To learn about the Bridge to the Future campaign and see the full job description for the executive director position, visit reduxstudios.org.