Welcome to CurrentELY, the first of a new, semi-annual letter from ECOCA’s Board of Directors.

We write to you in the spirit of reflection, acknowledging the challenges that 2023 presented to our organization, while also looking ahead with optimism and opportunity. This year, we continue in the spirit of transformation and engagement, as we look to you, our community, to help us guide the organization through a new chapter.

Last year was a period of profound introspection and change for ECOCA, marked by disagreements and decisions that tested our resilience and unity. In February, a significant issue arose concerning how to handle a Board Member’s past felony conviction, leading to resignations and a deep division within our Board and community. This episode prompted a thorough months-long internal review, and guided by external legal and HR counsels, we held listening sessions and opened an anonymous survey to solicit community feedback. Additionally we worked with New Haven’s The Narrative Project to interpret and reflect on the feedback and deepen our understanding of our blind spots and areas of the organization that needed improvement. Our learnings led to the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion training for our Board and staff, an ECOCA Employee Handbook, and the organization’s participation in this year’s Greater New Haven Community Foundation's 2024 DEIB Cohort of organizations undertaking best practices learning.

In a spirit of renewal, 2023 also brought the addition of six new Board members, each representing the vibrant diversity of New Haven and united in their commitment to our organization's resilience and deepening its community engagement. The arrival of Aimée Burg, a new Gallery Director in September, has further solidified our team.

Looking forward to 2024, we are excited about ECOCA’s new chapter ahead but are also mindful of the need for strategic leadership and a sustainable future for our organization. To this end, we are embarking on the organization’s first ever strategic planning process, working with Cynthia Rojas at Fio Partners, and cultivating new and expanded Board leadership.

Our Nominating committee, Dan Burns, Clara Nartey and Amy Kundrat, is creating a matrix of Board needs, and is also seeking to add a non-board member to its working group. If you are interested in helping over this coming year as we grow our Board, please reach out to Nominating Committee Chair Dan Burns, [email protected].

The board is very grateful for the leadership of our Co-Chairs, Debbie Hesse and Helen Kauder, both of whom stepped up at a time they were needed most.  Both Debbie & Helen have been instrumental in the stabilization of ECOCA, giving so much of their time and talent to find new grants, partnerships, patrons, and resiliency, always keeping the mission and future alive for ECOCA.  Their ability to build relationships, their visionary thinking and their integrity is the reason ECOCA has endured and is poised for good things to come.  As we search for their successors, we are comforted that both have agreed to stay on in their roles until these successors are in place.

These efforts come at a particularly crucial time as we prepare to navigate the challenges of potentially finding a new home for the Ely Center after June 2025. Over the next year, we will need to raise the funds to purchase the building once again, or find a more affordable solution elsewhere. More information, FAQs and background on our April 2024 facilities changes is available HERE.

We invite our community to join us in this period of transformation and growth. Your support, engagement, and insights will be invaluable as we embark on the search for nominations for new board members, and a new home in New Haven. Together, we will ensure that ECOCA remains a beacon of creativity, inclusivity, and resilience for the New Haven arts community. Please come meet us in person on Sunday April 14, for the opening of our Spring exhibitions and launch of our Spring Keyhole Workspace residency.

Thank you for your continued support and belief in our mission. We look forward to sharing this journey with you and embracing the opportunities that 2024 holds.

Warm regards,

ECOCA Board of Directors: Dan Burns, Vesta Bortey-Fio, Roger Castonguay, Debbie Hesse, Helen Kauder, Amy Kundrat, Clara Nartey, Aaron Pine, Kishwar Rizvi.