The Board of Directors of the Lawrence Arts Center has named Margaret Weisbrod Morris as the organization’s new CEO. Weisbrod Morris, who has dedicated her career of more than 20 years to arts programming and education and the artist’s endeavor, assumes her new role from her post as Chief Program Officer for the Center.
“Over the past seven years in her current role, Margaret has dramatically increased program enrollment, developed extensive arts programming and has initiated partnerships and outreach programs for our organization,” said Lawrence Arts Center Board Chair Sheryl Jacobs. “We are fortunate to have someone assume the position who is as capable as Margaret, who is devoted to the Arts Center and our community.”
“For many years, it has been my conviction that the foundation of a healthy life, a strong community, and a sustainable business is developing inclusive networks rooted in creative exchange,” Weisbrod Morris said. “I firmly believe in the power of the arts to educate, activate, and unify, and I believe the Lawrence Arts Center is well positioned to support this in Lawrence and our region. We have opportunities here, in the region and beyond. I look forward to working with the board to further our mission and expand our reach to new audiences and new communities.”
An active advocate for the arts for over 20 years, Weisbrod Morris is an artist, arts administrator and activist in the arts education and non-profit community. At the Lawrence Arts Center, Weisbrod Morris has led an extensive community arts education program delivering over 500 classes a year to over 9,000 students in all arts media. An early supporter of connecting the arts with all academic disciplines, she pioneered the Arts Center’s model STEAM education curriculum. She has presented work in multiple national forums, and served as a panelist for the US Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mid-America Arts Alliance, the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts, the South Dakota Arts Council, and the Oklahoma Arts Council. Margaret Weisbrod Morris holds a BFA in painting and printmaking from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MA from New York University, where she studied with Edith Kramer, founder of the field of art therapy. Weisbrod Morris has served on multiple community and professional boards throughout her career and is currently the Chair of National Arts Education Council for Americans for the Arts.