The board of directors of Southampton Arts Center has appointed a new executive director – Christina Mossaides Strassfield. After 29 years at Guild Hall, having served as museum director and chief curator for the past 20 years, Strassfield will now assume her position at SAC, leading and advancing the organization’s mission of community building through the arts.
“We are thrilled to have Christina step into the leadership position at Southampton Arts Center,” shared Simone Levinson, Southampton Arts Center founding co-chair. “Christina is well-known for the close relationships she has forged with the artists who have shaped the New York and East End art world. Her extensive experience and passion for the arts, as well as her strong commitment to the East End, position her perfectly to drive Southampton Arts Center’s next phase of growth.”
As SAC’s executive director, Strassfield will lead all aspects of the organization including artistic vision and programming, leading development and fundraising initiatives, and cultivating and maintaining the many partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders, among other management functions. This new position will not be Stassfield’s first at SAC. In the summer of 2022, she curated the “Figures Transformed” exhibition, showcasing the works of Deborah Buck, Hal Buckner, and Strong-Cuevas, each using the figure as the central imagery in their work.
“I am delighted to join the Southampton Arts Center as executive director,” Strassfield shared. “I look forward to working with the board and staff as the organization embarks on its 10th year – an opportunity to celebrate all that has been accomplished and the multitude of ways that it will continue to serve the East End community for years to come.”
Strassfield resides in Southampton where she has served on the school board among other community activities. Since inception in 2013, SAC has grown to serve more than 45,000 visitors annually, with 5+ exhibitions and 150+ programs taking place on its iconic grounds each year.