Todd Herman

Todd Herman is quick to give credit where credit is due, and he says it’s to the staff of the Arkansas Arts Center.

“We can talk about vision and develop plans of action, but it’s the talent, the skill sets and the desire of the staff to make it happen” that are key, said Herman, who has been executive director of the Arkansas Arts Center for three years.

A Pennsylvania native, Herman arrived in Arkansas by way of the Columbia Museum of Art in South Carolina, where he was chief curator for six years, and the Cleveland Museum of Art, where he worked seven years. He also has held two Samuel H. Kress Fellowships and has taught art history at universities in Italy, South Carolina, Virginia and in the Midwest.

“There are fairly simple principles,” Herman said about being a successful executive director at an arts center. “You treat everyone with dignity and treat everyone with respect, … and no matter what your goals are, they will follow you as long as you treat them with respect.”

Expanding educational outreach at the Arts Center is a priority, Herman said, citing as an example Art Together, a program for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia, as well as their caregivers. The museum’s school youth programs are also being expanded, as are children’s theater productions, he said, adding that they all have seen increased attendance over the past year.

The Arts Center, which has 86 employees and more than 350 volunteers, serves about 550,000 people annually. Revenue for 2013 was about $5.8 million, of which about $2.5 million was from fundraising.

Herman said he has become friends with a number of executive directors at other art museums over the years, and some have become mentors to him, including Susan Edwards, executive director of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, and Gail Andrews, director of the Birmingham Museum of Art. “This is my first directorial position at a museum, so I’ve looked to them and other directors for input and guidance,” he said. “They have been very helpful.”

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