Kansas City, MO, May 1, 2025: Charlotte Street, Kansas City’s preeminent nonprofit supporting contemporary artists, is excited to announce two transformative developments in its leadership structure: the official launch of a national search for a new Co-Executive Director (Programs) and the promotion of longtime team member Amanda Middaugh to Co-Executive Director (Operations).
These changes follow the Charlotte Street Board of Directors’ recent vote to adopt a co-leadership model, designed to balance artistic innovation with operational excellence while building long-term sustainability and deeper artist-centered engagement.
“A co-leadership structure reflects our values of collaboration, equity, and care,” said Elvis Achelpohl, Board President. “This model allows Charlotte Street to lead boldly on multiple fronts: supporting artists, growing partnerships, and expanding our impact as a cultural incubator for Kansas City and beyond.”
Amanda Middaugh, who has served as a strategic and operational anchor at Charlotte Street for over five years, will step into the newly created Co-Executive Director (Operations) role. In this position, she will oversee administration, development, and finance among other responsibilities. Middaugh’s promotion is both a testament to her outstanding leadership and a critical step toward ensuring organizational continuity and mission alignment.
Charlotte Street is now launching a national search for a Co-Executive Director (Programs) to partner with Middaugh in leading the organization into its next chapter. This individual will guide the artistic direction and programming strategy of the organization, overseeing residencies, exhibitions, awards, and community engagement initiatives. The ideal candidate is a bold, strategic thinker with a deep commitment to equity and experimentation in contemporary art.
“We are looking for a visionary leader with a passion for artists and community building,” said Lane Czaplinski, Interim Executive Director. “With Amanda’s expertise and steady leadership on the operational side, this new Co-Executive Director will be well-supported in pushing artistic boundaries and expanding Charlotte Street’s national influence.”
Charlotte Street has a 28-year legacy of centering artists and catalyzing change through community-embedded, forward-thinking arts programming. In 2021, it opened its first permanent campus in Midtown Kansas City—home to galleries, studios, a performance space, media lab, and garden—making it one of the region’s most significant investments in contemporary artists and cultural infrastructure.
Applications for the Co-Executive Director (Programs) position are now being accepted. The full position profile and instructions for applying can be found at www.charlottestreet.org. Priority will be given to applications received by June 13, 2025.
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact [email protected].
ABOUT CHARLOTTE STREET
Charlotte Street centers Kansas City’s most forward-thinking visual artists, writers, and performers—acting as the primary incubator, provocateur, and connector for the region’s contemporary arts community, and its leading advocate on the national stage. Since 1997, Charlotte Street has distributed over $2.5 million in awards and grants to artists and their innovative projects and has hosted countless exhibitions, performances, convenings, and conversations connecting and challenging Kansas City’s contemporary art ecosystem. For more information about Charlotte Street, its awards, programs, and initiatives, visit www.charlottestreet.org.
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View the press release as a PDF here.
