Calgary Arts Development has selected Kristen Schrader as Public Art Director, and Arts Consulting Group (ACG) extends its congratulations on her leadership appointment. She began her tenure on September 9, 2024.
As the city’s designated arts development authority, Calgary Arts Development supports and strengthens the arts to benefit all Calgarians. They invest and allocate municipal funding for the arts provided by The City of Calgary and leverage these funds to provide additional resources to the arts sector. Their programs support hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists, artist collectives, and ad hoc groups in Calgary.
Kirsten has dedicated her career to being a cultural leader and champion for the arts. She has held leadership roles in both non-profit and municipal environments including as Executive Director of the Vancouver International Fringe Festival, Arts Coordinator for the City of Richmond, and in Public Programs at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Most recently, Kirsten held the position of Arts and Culture Division Manager with the Cowichan Valley Regional District in B.C. While there she initiated innovative strategies and programs to build political and financial support for cultural planning across 13 municipalities, including establishing B.C.’s only fully regional tax funding for the arts. In this role, she also managed the civic cultural venue, the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre, which included a public art gallery, arts centre and 750-seat performing arts theatre, for which she curated an annual performing arts season.
ACG is the leading provider of hands-on interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement, strategic planning & community engagement, and facilities & program planning and research services for the arts and culture industry. ACG consultants are located in communities across the United States and Canada to best serve the needs of our clients. ACG team members have decades of combined senior leadership experience in every artistic and cultural discipline and area of functional management expertise.