Ballroom Marfa, the West Texas contemporary arts institution, has named Laura Creed as the organization’s new executive director.
Creed has served as director of development non-profit arts space LAXART in Los Angeles where since 2017. She will join Ballroom Marfa in April of this year. Creed succeeds Laura Copelin who was in the position since 2017. Copelin remains at Ballroom Marfa as curator-at-large.
“I am overjoyed to be leading such a dynamic institution as it nears its 20th year,” said Creed in a statement. “Ballroom has a unique identity that allows it a certain freedom and agility — which is essential at a time when cultural institutions are being questioned and reconsidered. Since its beginning, Ballroom has had an enviable track record of mounting shows that promote inclusivity and diversity.”
Prior to LAXART, Creed acted as an independent consultant for various nonprofits and foundations including The Mistake Room in Los Angeles, Desert X, and Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary in Vienna, Austria. In addition to her consulting work, Creed has held development and curatorial positions at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the Kenneth Armitage Foundation in London, and spent five years in museum education in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Barnes Foundation.
“We are ecstatic to have Laura Creed lead Ballroom Marfa into the future. With more than 18 years of experience in the art world, Laura is a proven leader who will bring a strong vision to this new chapter in our history” said Fairfax Dorn, Ballroom Marfa co-founder and artistic director. “LAXART and Ballroom share a similar ethos of engaging contemporary public issues and new audiences and we feel very fortunate to have Laura on board to drive our mission forward.”
