The Art Gallery at Congdon Yards
High Point, North Carolina
Executive Director
Opportunity to Lead the Next Chapter of a Growing Cultural Institution in North Carolina’s Piedmont Triad
The Art Gallery at Congdon Yards (TAG) seeks an accomplished, engaging and hands-on arts leader to guide the organization into its next chapter of artistic growth, community engagement and institutional sustainability.
With the upcoming retirement of longtime Executive Director Jeff Horney, TAG is well positioned for this transition. Under Horney’s leadership, TAG significantly expanded its community presence and, in 2023, moved into an exceptional new 11,000-square-foot home at Congdon Yards. With the organization and facility firmly established, the next Executive Director will have the opportunity to focus on what comes next: strengthening the quality and distinction of TAG’s exhibitions and educational programs, deepening relationships with artists and audiences, expanding philanthropic support, and further establishing TAG as an important cultural resource for High Point and the Piedmont Triad.
TAG seeks a leader who combines strong visual-arts and programming experience with the executive skills necessary to lead a small, ambitious nonprofit organization. The successful candidate will bring artistic judgment, curiosity and knowledge of exhibition and educational practices; the ability to inspire and support staff; comfort working closely with an engaged Board; and the interpersonal skills to become an active and visible member of the High Point community.
The Executive Director will also lead TAG’s continued evolution from “friendraising to fundraising,” building relationships with individual donors, foundations, sponsors and community partners. TAG’s dedicated staff of eight—four full-time and four part-time—and engaged 31-member Board provide a strong foundation for the organization’s next stage of artistic and institutional development.
TAG occupies approximately 11,000 square feet of gallery and classroom space at Congdon Yards and has an annual operating budget of approximately $700,000. Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of annual gala proceeds, individual giving, grants, sponsorships and earned revenue from classes and programs. TAG is in a sound financial position supported by healthy reserves.
Having completed its recent move into a new facility, TAG is positioned for its next Executive Director to focus primarily on programs, people, audiences, fundraising and community.
The Opportunity
This is an exciting time to lead TAG. The next Executive Director will benefit from a supportive and engaged Board, the retiring Executive Director’s established network of supporters, an energized and committed staff, a strong financial position and an outstanding new facility. The Executive Director provides both strategic and day-to-day leadership for TAG. Working closely with staff and the Board, the Executive Director will shape the organization’s artistic and programmatic direction while ensuring sound management, financial stability and strong community relationships.
The next Executive Director will inherit an organization with a respected history, an excellent new facility, committed staff, an engaged Board and a strong network of community supporters. TAG is not seeking simply to replicate the leadership that brought the organization to this point. Rather, it seeks a leader whose artistic, programmatic and relationship-building strengths will build on that legacy and guide the organization’s next phase.
Important leadership qualities include strong visual-arts and programming experience; sound fiscal and organizational management; excellent interpersonal and communication skills; an ability to support and develop staff; fundraising aptitude; and the desire to become deeply engaged in the cultural and civic life of High Point.
About TAG and Congdon Yards
TAG’s annual program includes six to eight gallery rotations, artist talks and other presentations, art classes, and school partnerships.
Founded in 1975 at the High Point Theatre, TAG became an independent 501(c)(3) organization in 1992. In 2023, TAG moved its programming to Congdon Yards, a major redevelopment initiative created through the leadership of High Point business leaders and the Congdon Family Foundation.
Congdon Yards has transformed a historic mill into a vibrant center for business, entrepreneurship, creativity and community—a place to work, imagine, meet, experience and grow. TAG is an important component of that vision and contributes to the broader effort to strengthen High Point’s cultural identity and creative life.
The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to build on this momentum by strengthening TAG’s artistic profile, expanding audiences and partnerships, developing deeper relationships with artists and supporters, and increasing the organization’s visibility throughout High Point and the Piedmont Triad.
To learn more about TAG and Congdon Yards, visit The Art Gallery and Congdon Yards websites.
Qualifications
TAG recognizes that strong candidates may come from a variety of professional paths and encourages applications from experienced arts leaders as well as candidates ready to assume their first Executive Director role.
Preferred Qualifications Include:
Compensation & Benefits
The position offers a salary of $90,000–$120,000, depending on experience and qualifications, along with a monthly healthcare stipend, a 3% retirement-plan match, paid holidays, paid time off and relocation assistance if needed.
The successful candidate must maintain a strong, visible presence in High Point and become actively engaged in the civic and cultural life of the community. Candidates from throughout the Piedmont Triad and beyond are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate must be eligible to work in the United States and successfully complete required background checks.
Application Process
Application Deadline: Open until position filled
Please submit a cover letter, résumé, three references to:
Dan Keegan
Museum Leadership Placement
Dankeegan@mueumleaders.com
References will not be contacted without notification. The application and evaluation process will remain open until the position is filled.
The Art Gallery at Congdon Yards does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, age, parental status, military service or other non-merit factors.
About High Point
High Point is a city in the midst of an exciting transformation. Long recognized as the Home Furnishings Capital of the World and host of the internationally renowned High Point Market, the city has broadened its identity into one of North Carolina’s dynamic centers for entrepreneurship, higher education, design and creative placemaking.
In recent years, High Point has experienced significant public and private investment, population growth and renewed development activity, reflecting a community with considerable momentum and confidence in its future. Its longstanding strengths in design, manufacturing and entrepreneurship are increasingly complemented by investments in downtown development, education, hospitality, arts and culture.
Nowhere is this evolution more evident than in downtown High Point, where historic industrial buildings have been reimagined as vibrant mixed-use destinations. Congdon Yards, new hospitality and dining options, residential development, creative workspaces and entrepreneurial initiatives have contributed to an increasingly active year-round downtown.
High Point University continues to be a major catalyst for the city’s growth and national profile, while the larger Piedmont Triad provides access to the cultural, educational and metropolitan resources of Greensboro and Winston-Salem within a short drive.
For an arts leader, High Point presents a particularly compelling opportunity: a community with deep philanthropic traditions, strong business and civic leadership, increasing cultural investment and the rare opportunity to help shape the artistic identity of a city whose transformation is still unfolding.
