WESTHAMPTON, NY (CelebrityAccess) — The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center announced the hiring of Gram Slaton as the facility’s new Executive Director.
Mr. Slaton will be tasked with overseeing the programming, administration, fundraising, strategic planning and overall operation of the PAC.
A veteran of the performing arts world, Mr. Slaton brings almost 20 years of experience to his new position. He most recently served as ED at the 1,007 seat Grand Opera House in Macon, Georgia, where he lead a turnaround that turned the theater into a cash-positive organization.
Prior to that, he spent almost a decade at the 500-capacity Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, CO. As well, Mr. Slaton has overseen production and programming at a number of festivals, including the Rooftop Comedy/Aspen Laff Festival, the MountainSummit: Mountainfilm in Aspen, a documentary & advocacy festival, and the 7908 Aspen Songwriter’s Festival.
“Throughout my career, I’ve been a builder or rebuilder of performing arts centers far and wide. Which means WHBPAC is something of an anomaly to me, because there is absolutely nothing broken about it,” Slaton says with a tip of his proverbial hat to outgoing Exec. Director Clare Bisceglia.
“Clare has given it a brilliant first twenty years or so, which all of us in the business recognize as the toughest task imaginable. She has selected perhaps the most team-oriented staff I’ve ever experienced, where every member is uniquely talented. So what I hope to bring to the table is an ability to see the theater for what it is now, and discern what it needs to be twenty years hence, and work with the team to build a road to get there,” he added.
