SUBMITTED BY ARTSPRING
The board of the Island Arts Centre Society is very happy to announce the appointment of Salt Spring Island resident Howard Jang as ArtSpring’s next executive and artistic director (EAD).
Jang is a senior arts and cultural leader with over 30 years’ experience running large arts organizations in Canada. He will assume this position in early January 2022, taking over from current executive and artistic director Cicela Månsson.
Society president Walter Stewart notes that the search for a new EAD attracted applications from across North America and Europe.
“We were bound that we were looking for the best candidate regardless of that candidate’s location. It was a real joy to discover that the best candidate was right in our midst, having moved to Salt Spring a little more than a year ago. Howard brings an extensive and varied background in arts and arts facility management with a real commitment to the place of the arts in the community. He has an extraordinary network in the arts right across Canada and beyond, which will benefit ArtSpring and its service to Salt Spring Island. One person we talked to said, ‘Anywhere in the arts in Canada, the name Howard Jang is gold.’”
Jang started his career in New York City before moving back to Vancouver in 1989, first as orchestra manager of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and then executive director of Ballet BC. Further executive directorships followed at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and Arts Club Theatre Vancouver. More recently Jang has been director of Simon Fraser University Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, and vice president arts and leadership at the Banff Centre.
“I am thrilled to be joining ArtSpring as their next executive and artistic director, and to build upon the tremendous foundational and organizational work of Cicela Månsson,” said Jang. “When my wife Alexandra and I moved to Salt Spring last summer, we were attracted to the breadth of the artistic and creative community and intuitively felt that ArtSpring would be a home for us. I am looking forward to be working with such a committed team and board of directors, and excited to be given this opportunity to contribute to such a vibrant organization inspired by place.”
The board and staff look forward to working with Jang in the post-pandemic renewal of ArtSpring’s service to the community, and in driving that service to new levels of support for artistic expression on Salt Spring Island.