Dunn Takes Helm At SAC

Southampton Arts Center welcomes Tom Dunn as its new Executive Director. Dunn brings 16 years of experience from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where he was a member of the senior management team. At Lincoln Center, he oversaw the $1.2 billion physical redevelopment of the 16-acre campus.

In addition, his resumé lists writer, producer, and director in off-Broadway, comedy, and television industries. Dunn was also the founding director of the David Rubenstein Atrium, a public visitors center adjacent to Lincoln Center, featuring free weekly performances.

“My time at Lincoln Center taught me quite a lot. After 16 years, I was ready for a new challenge. Specifically, I was ready for a leadership position at a cultural nonprofit,” Dunn explained. “The Atrium is a hub for the Upper West Side community. I see very strong similarities between the work I did at the Atrium in particular and at Southampton Arts Center.”

Located in the heart of Southampton Village, in the five years since Southampton Arts Center has taken residency in the former space of the Parrish Art Museum, it has become the cultural center for the community. In 2017, SAC welcomed nearly 40,000 visitors, six exhibitions, and over 200 events, with year-round programming.

The center’s partners include New York Academy of Art, Hamptons International Film Festival, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Telluride Mountainfilm, and the Watermill Center, among others. Thanks to the upgrade of its theater, with new state-of-the-art audio and video equipment, programming now includes first-run films, concerts, and theatrical performances. This includes another Summer of Spielberg, the outdoor film series offered free to the public on Friday nights July through August, which concludes with the annual screening of Jaws.

Dunn has strong connections to the East End. He was married in Westhampton and his in-laws retired in Hampton Bays. While at the arts center, Dunn will oversee all aspects of the multi-disciplinary arts center, from expanded development to community engagement. “We want there to be low barriers for entry to participate in the art that we’re presenting. We want people to know that they have somewhere to come to have a unique, thoughtful, curated experience,” Dunn emphasized.

The community can expect cultural initiatives, in addition to upcoming projects aimed to restore and preserve the building, “solidifying the organization for the next generation of artists,” he added.

Southampton Arts Center is located at 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton. Visit http://www.southamptonartscenter.org for more information.

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Nicole@indyeastend.com