Following a nationwide
search, Springfield resident Isabella Szabo has been chosen as the next
executive director of the Springfield Area Arts Council. She will assume her
new role Feb. 1.
Szabo has been the manager of the University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery since
2022. She also is a UIS Art and Artifacts Committee member, an instructor
at the Springfield Art Association and an independent curator.
“In my role as
executive director, I am dedicated to fostering a vibrant cultural landscape
that encourages dialogue, diversity and meaningful engagement,” Szabo said.
“Through the Arts Council’s spectrum of art disciplines, I aim to inspire
creativity, provoke thoughtful conversations and ultimately contribute to the
positive transformation of our community.”
Szabo will
replace Sheila Walk, who has worked at the Arts Council since 2008 and served
as executive director since 2018. She plans to retire from that role as of Jan.
31, although she will continue to manage the Arts Council’s education program.
“The Arts Council
is so happy to have found a qualified and enthusiastic candidate from the
Springfield area. Isabella has many ideas and skills that will energize
the Arts Council as it approaches its 50th anniversary,” Walk said.
The Arts Council,
serving Sangamon and Menard counties, is responsible for organizing First Night
Springfield, Artist on the Plaza, Poetry Out Loud, Friday Night Jazz &
Blues, Art After Hours and Music at the Market. The organization also
participates in other programs, such as the Levitt AMP Springfield Music
Series.
Szabo, a visual
artist, holds both a bachelor’s degree with a ceramics emphasis and a bachelor’s
in global cultures and languages from Southeast Missouri State University in
Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She studied abroad at the Université Angers in
Angers, France.
This article appears in January SBJ 2024.