Saturday, February 8, 2025

Collingwood Arts Center appoints new Executive Director

Keys change hands — sometimes quietly, other times dramatically. The leadership of Toledo’s not-for-profit artist’s residence, the Collingwood Arts Center, passed to attorney Mary Sawers on October 5. “The only thing about this job I’m not going to like is that I’m going to be in the public eye more than I want to be,” says Sawers. Two months after taking the job, she has not yet issued a press release regarding her new position.

The Collingwood Arts Center is the largest artists’ residency in Ohio, housing 42 creatively-minded people. Unlike traditional residencies, where artists stay for a set period of time, the CAC allows artists to stay as long as they pay rent and abide by the CAC’s rules. The operation carries a massive overhead, one with its own management challenges — evidenced by the fact that the CAC has had five executive directors since 2002.

Sawers served on the CAC’s board of directors for five years before resigning in October to take the Executive Director position. The CAC’s previous Executive Director, Brin Felster, passed away unexpectedly in October of 2011. The board of directors has maintained the organization since then. Sawers took the Executive Director position because, she says, “It’s very difficult to manage an organization of this size with this many nuances on a board basis.”

Sawers’ appointment made waves almost instantly. CAC program director John Dorsey, as well as maintenance person Darcie Trane (who worked pro bono) sent their resignations to the board via email shortly after Ms. Sawers’ appointment. Both declined to comment for this article. Sawers believes their resignations were a direct result of her appointment, but says that she did not want either person to leave. Sawers admits she “can be difficult to get along with.”

On the other hand, she’s qualified for the position: Sawers, an artist herself — she creates ink drawings, which she modestly refers to as doodles — lives two blocks from the CAC, and walks there every day. Her parents taught at Mary Manse college — the building which became the CAC. And, Sawers has worked in nonprofits including Planned Parenthood and the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) office since 1989. Though she has never worked as a director before, Sawers said the only thing she lacks is “a degree in psychology; in this setting where you have so many dynamic personalities, anyone in this position could benefit from some insight into human nature.”

She says she wants the CAC to function better as a business and to better understand “how the organization works.” Considering the rapid turnover of directors in the past 10 years, it is difficult to take over where someone has left off. “In positions like this, I lead by following.” Sawers has made, by her estimation, only minor changes.

“That’s not to say the artists are in any way inhibiting the way the organization functions,” Sawers is quick to point out. The CAC’s residents have, however, been called the source of the organization’s trouble with public perception, which Sawers wishes to change. “There has been a perception that the CAC houses artists that are not producing work … that this is sort of a flophouse where artists can get rent cheap.” She also alluded to historical rumors of drug abuse in the building: “What I have found is the opposite.” Sawers offered every artist the opportunity to meet with and discuss their work with her. “I am pleasantly surprised at the caliber of art being produced in the building and how hard the artists are working.” She attributes some of the negative image with the CAC’s history of cryptic inner workings. Sawers says her goals include transparency.

High on the her priority list are finances and funding. Sawers has already arranged lower monthly payments with most of the CAC’s many creditors. The structure is old, and in need of serious repair, including roofing, electrical and plumbing. “We have a building that was built in 1906 that is the equivalent of a 32-bedroom home. The order of nuns for whom the place was built could not have anticipated the Internet, or the electrical gizmos we have.”  

For the Collingwood Arts Center to survive, however, it needs to generate more revenue. Sawers has ideas on that front as well. One of Sawers’ plans is to make available the use of the CAC’s Lois M. Nelson Theater — which was originally built  with acoustics for musical performances like opera — to support community musical groups, such as high schools or church choral performances, which will in turn expand the demographics with the attendees those groups attract. The next chapter in the Collingwood Arts Center’s history promises to be memorable. Sawers leadership signals that, yes, things in the organization
will be changing,  chartering a course toward financial liquidity, while allowing creativity to flourish.

Keys change hands — sometimes quietly, other times dramatically. The leadership of Toledo’s not-for-profit artist’s residence, the Collingwood Arts Center, passed to attorney Mary Sawers on October 5. “The only thing about this job I’m not going to like is that I’m going to be in the public eye more than I want to be,” says Sawers. Two months after taking the job, she has not yet issued a press release regarding her new position.

The Collingwood Arts Center is the largest artists’ residency in Ohio, housing 42 creatively-minded people. Unlike traditional residencies, where artists stay for a set period of time, the CAC allows artists to stay as long as they pay rent and abide by the CAC’s rules. The operation carries a massive overhead, one with its own management challenges — evidenced by the fact that the CAC has had five executive directors since 2002.

Sawers served on the CAC’s board of directors for five years before resigning in October to take the Executive Director position. The CAC’s previous Executive Director, Brin Felster, passed away unexpectedly in October of 2011. The board of directors has maintained the organization since then. Sawers took the Executive Director position because, she says, “It’s very difficult to manage an organization of this size with this many nuances on a board basis.”

Sawers’ appointment made waves almost instantly. CAC program director John Dorsey, as well as maintenance person Darcie Trane (who worked pro bono) sent their resignations to the board via email shortly after Ms. Sawers’ appointment. Both declined to comment for this article. Sawers believes their resignations were a direct result of her appointment, but says that she did not want either person to leave. Sawers admits she “can be difficult to get along with.”

- Advertisement -

On the other hand, she’s qualified for the position: Sawers, an artist herself — she creates ink drawings, which she modestly refers to as doodles — lives two blocks from the CAC, and walks there every day. Her parents taught at Mary Manse college — the building which became the CAC. And, Sawers has worked in nonprofits including Planned Parenthood and the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) office since 1989. Though she has never worked as a director before, Sawers said the only thing she lacks is “a degree in psychology; in this setting where you have so many dynamic personalities, anyone in this position could benefit from some insight into human nature.”

She says she wants the CAC to function better as a business and to better understand “how the organization works.” Considering the rapid turnover of directors in the past 10 years, it is difficult to take over where someone has left off. “In positions like this, I lead by following.” Sawers has made, by her estimation, only minor changes.

“That’s not to say the artists are in any way inhibiting the way the organization functions,” Sawers is quick to point out. The CAC’s residents have, however, been called the source of the organization’s trouble with public perception, which Sawers wishes to change. “There has been a perception that the CAC houses artists that are not producing work … that this is sort of a flophouse where artists can get rent cheap.” She also alluded to historical rumors of drug abuse in the building: “What I have found is the opposite.” Sawers offered every artist the opportunity to meet with and discuss their work with her. “I am pleasantly surprised at the caliber of art being produced in the building and how hard the artists are working.” She attributes some of the negative image with the CAC’s history of cryptic inner workings. Sawers says her goals include transparency.

High on the her priority list are finances and funding. Sawers has already arranged lower monthly payments with most of the CAC’s many creditors. The structure is old, and in need of serious repair, including roofing, electrical and plumbing. “We have a building that was built in 1906 that is the equivalent of a 32-bedroom home. The order of nuns for whom the place was built could not have anticipated the Internet, or the electrical gizmos we have.”  

For the Collingwood Arts Center to survive, however, it needs to generate more revenue. Sawers has ideas on that front as well. One of Sawers’ plans is to make available the use of the CAC’s Lois M. Nelson Theater — which was originally built  with acoustics for musical performances like opera — to support community musical groups, such as high schools or church choral performances, which will in turn expand the demographics with the attendees those groups attract. The next chapter in the Collingwood Arts Center’s history promises to be memorable. Sawers leadership signals that, yes, things in the organization
will be changing,  chartering a course toward financial liquidity, while allowing creativity to flourish.

Recent Articles