The Northampton Arts Council has appointed Danielle Amodeo to the position of Chair of the Board, effective Tuesday, September 22, 2020. In her role, Amodeo will prioritize antiracism work across NAC initiatives, lead board outreach and recruitment efforts, and support Executive Director Brian Foote’s strategic leadership of the NAC.
Amodeo joined the board in July 2019 and has taken an active role in the Northampton Arts Council’s work. As a member of the Grants Sub-Committee, Amodeo worked with Executive Director Foote, and colleagues Rachel Hart, Freeman Stein, and Esther White, to transform the NAC’s 2020 spring grant round into the Emergency COVID-19 Artist Relief Grant. Their creative problem-solving and quick action resulted in 129 relief grants and established a precedent for a municipal form of direct action and mutual aid. Amodeo founded the Equity and Inclusion Committee and worked with this team to write an Equity Statement and reshape NAC’s grant priorities and best practices. Amodeo also created an Outreach Committee to organize efforts to diversify the board. (Danielle Amodeo. Photo by Casey Kohlberg.)
“I am so grateful to Brian Foote and my dedicated colleagues for this nomination. I am eager to bring antiracism initiatives to the fore of our creative work at NAC. This will start with diversifying our board. I believe that art and culture are tools for solving problems and promoting social and political change. I am looking forward to working closely with local artists, cultural producers, and creative partners to identify ways NAC can support the needs of our community and uplift those who are most marginalized,” said Amodeo, who also oversees marketing and public programming at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College. Amodeo has worked at Creative Time, the Clark Institute of Art, Williams College, Dentsu Aegis Network, and the New York City Council. She holds a BA from Amherst College and an MA from Williams College.
