The North Valley Arts Council and its director Pamela Eaton Siers have ended an often tumultuous four-month relationship, although no one is saying for the record whether Siers resigned or was terminated.
Siers, who began work as NoVAC's first full-time director Sept. 21, has parted ways with the arts council as of Friday, said Julie Rygg, the new president of NoVAC's board. Rygg would not say Monday under what circumstances Siers left the position.
"I wish I could comment. I just can't," Rygg said. "The terms were confidential."
Asked to clear up the circumstances of her leaving, Siers sent this e-mail: "I'm in New York with back-to-back meetings. Other than that, I have no comment."
Siers' strongest supporter on the board appeared to be Mike Jacobs, editor and publisher of the Herald, whose term as NoVAC board president ended Jan. 26 at the organization's annual meeting.
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That meeting lasted about a half hour; its main business was to elect new officers. Siers gave a report in which she made a brief comment about how she'd gotten off on the wrong foot.
Siers came to the job with high expectations and good wishes, but it didn't take long for the pot to be stirred. In mid-December, a news release from Siers announced an open house for a proposed arts and cultural center in downtown Grand Forks, at 12 S. Third St.
Some felt their ideas about an arts center had been co-opted and that they'd been cut out of a process they had supported and nurtured for years. Some said they were concerned about the future of other programs, projects and policies administered by the North Valley Arts Council.
The open house went ahead and drew a lot of interested people, but -- other than Jacobs -- none of the members of the NoVAC board.
Siers, from upstate New York, has a 20-plus-year history in working with arts organizations. At the time of her hiring, Jacobs said NoVAC had excellent programs and wanted a director with a range of experience who could look at what NoVAC has done and imagine ways to advance and enhance it.
Siers' most recently had worked as a consultant to artists and arts organizations and just finished research on a book for another author who is writing about nonprofit arts. She has 23 years in nonprofit arts administration.
Rygg said board members were talking about what to do next.
"Basically, we're trying to figure out what we're going to do in the interim and then start our search for a new director," said Rygg, who is director of the Grand Forks Convention Visitors Bureau.
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The Grand Cities Art Fest, set for June 12-13 in downtown Grand Forks and East Grand Forks, is one of the major events under NoVAC's jurisdiction. In late January, NoVAC announced it was seeking candidates for the position of manager of the arts fest.
Rygg said the Grand Cities Art Fest, the Art & Wine Walk and the annual arts awards will all go ahead as planned this year, despite Siers' departure.
NoVAC's assistant director, Danielle Masters, remains on the job and will be in the office Monday through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Reach Tobin at (701) 780-1134; (800) 477-6572, ext. 134; or send e-mail to ptobin@gfherald.com .
