People at Salem Arts
Executive Director Tadhg Slater Tadhg Slater is a professional full time artist who has an educational background from Harvard University, Parsons School of Art and Design, and NYU'S Tisch School of the Arts. Bringing with him a background in fine art as a professional full time artist, and entrepreneur. Tadhg Slater is currently our Executive Director. Tadhg is the founder of Prospect Hill Productions and is currently working on a documentary film in Boston Massachusetts in his spare time. |
Officers of Salem Arts Association Board
 President, 2025 First one-year term one-year as board member Board Member since 2024 Member since 2024 | President of the Board Deborah Greel Deborah Greel was the City of Salem’s first Public Art Planner and the former Executive Director of the Marblehead Arts Association. Now “retired”, she served on the Board of Directors of the North Shore Community Development Coalition and the Corporate Committee at the Peabody Essex Museum. For the City of Salem, she serves on the Licensing Board and Community Preservation Committee. Deborah’s husband, John Wathne, is a structural engineer in historic preservation and a realist painter. Both she and John are strong supporters of the arts and proud members of the Salem Arts Association. |
Vice President David Curcio David Curcio received his MFA in Printmaking from Pratt Institute in 2001. He has taught college art abroad and domestically for several years and helped to open print studios in Rome and Burlington, VT (Burlington City Arts, where he also served as curatorial director of works on paper). He has had numerous artist residencies, including the Nagasawa Japanese printmaking program in Japan. From 2007-2023 he opened the private etching studio/publishing house ningyo editions in Watertown, MA, which he ran until 2023. From 2009-2012 he was the proprietor of ningyo gallery, where he showed a variety of artists and mediums, including prints published collaboratively at ningyo editions with local artists. In 2023, his sociological study SMASH HIT: Race, Crime and Culture in Boxing Films was published by Armin-Lear Press (ISBN-13 978-1956450804.) In 2021, he served as contributing essayist for the coffee table book Dangerous Visions and New Worlds: Radical Science Fiction, 1950–1985, edited by Andrew Nette and Ian McIntyre (PM Press, Australia ASIN: B0917XS1B2) with his essay Women and Children First! Second-Wave Feminism in the Work of John Wyndham. He has served as contributor, columnist, and reviewer for Boston Arts Review, The Fight City, Turner Classic Movies: Noir City, Ringside Seat Annual Review, (the sadly defunct) Bookslut, and the Boston-based art site Big Red & Shiny. His work has appeared in Art in Print Magazine as well as the survey-cum-instructional book of American artists working in Japanese printmaking titled Japanese Woodblock Printing by April Volmer. He currently lives in Salem, MA. His website is davidcurcio.com. |
| Treasurer (Open Position) |
Secretary, 2025 Treasurer, 2024 First one-year term Artist member since 2021 | Secretary Vanessa R Thompson Vanessa R Thompson is a film photographer and holds a career as a Human Resources/People Operations Professional dedicated to building and supporting a strong collaborative, inclusive company culture. She received an MFA at the Art Institute of Boston in 2005. Since then, she has been involved in a number of collaborative gallery spaces in the Boston area and throughout New England. |
Salem Arts Association Board of Directors
Salem Arts is seeking board members and committee persons who are energetic and qualified to help us guide the association in to the future.
Contact president@salemarts.org with referrals.
First Two-Year Term Board Member since 2025 Member since 2024 | Patti Baker Patti is the events planner at the North Shore Chamber of Commerce and served for five-years as the Executive Director at the Marblehead Arts Association. As a design manager, she also works with artists, brands, and creatives developing brand direction and product marketing. |
Third Two-Year Board Member Term Board Member since 2019 Member since 2019 | Timothy Brown Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, Northeast Arc. Tim’s passion has always been assisting people to succeed. Currently, Tim is the Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Northeast Arc, where he is part of a dynamic team that helps positively change the lives of 15,000 people with disabilities. Tim’s tenure at the Northeast Arc spans over 30 years. Projects have include the development of ArcWorks Community Art Center, Breaking Grounds Café, Peabody’s Black Box and revitalization of 28,000 square feet of mall space. Tim created parcels, a retail store supporting artists/entrepreneurs with disabilities and autism from around the globe. Tim developed and implements the annual Arc Tank, an international social innovation challenge that has awarded over $1million dollars. Tim also serves on the Executive Committee for the Peabody Cultural Collaborative, Executive Committee for North Shore Children’s Museum and President of the Friends of the North Shore Children’s Museum. Tim also serves on Peabody Main Streets Promotions Committee, MA Innovative Task Force and the Massachusetts Partnership for Transition to Employment. Tim is on the Advisory Board for the Behind You, Salem and Center for Public Representation’s Supported Decision-Making Advisory Council. Tim is involved in local and regional chambers of commerce. Tim frequently presents in regional, state and national conferences on topics including system change, collaboration and partnerships. An innovator and change leader, Tim has judged social innovation challenges for MassChallenge, the Social Innovation Forum, Remarkable and EforAll. Tim co-leads hack-a-thons at Suffolk University. Tim was awarded the 2022 Program Innovation Award by the National Council of Executives. Tim accredits his success to a critical and analytical thought process, developing strong collaborations and partnerships and always willing to roll up his sleeve and be a part of the solution. |
First Two-Year Term Board Member since 2025 Member since 2024 | Stacia Cooper First Two-Year Board Member Term, Member since 2024 Stacia has served as Assistant Director of Destination Salem since 2008 and offers Dynamic Operations and Administrative Leadership in tourism. Stacia specializes in optimizing operations, driving community-focused strategies, and cultivating impactful partnerships to support organizational goals. |
Board Member since 2023 Second two-year term Member since 2022 | Evan Dooley Evan Dooley is the consultant, paralegal, manager, and creative visionary who serves as Founder and Principal at Dooley Paralegal & Consulting. For almost 20 years he has served as a consultant for businesses, law firms, attorneys, creative individuals, and talent – bringing his broad experience for the strategic direction and execution of business, legal and creative projects. In addition to his legal expertise he has been at the forefront of political campaign management as well as at the inception of innovative products and services – most recently being a partner developing an IoT device. Prior to founding DPC he worked in marketing for Sony Music Entertainment and in public relations and local/national marketing for one of the world’s top promoters and live entertainment corporations. He later became that corporation’s National Venue Sales Coordinator, assisting in venue sponsorships and co-branding efforts for over 100 live entertainment venues nationwide. Today, he continues to consult with businesses and creative individuals on general business, talent management, strategy, marketing, and development and his personal business designing lifestyle clothing and home decor. |
Third Two-Year Term Board member since 2023 Artist member since 2018 (Student Board Appointee) | Erin Survilas Erin Survilas is an award-winning artist and student at Monserrat College of Art. A beloved member of the community Ms. Survilas joined Salem Arts Association when still in high school. She is familiar with both the organization and the needs of younger artists. Although grounded in classical painting traditions her art work looks to the future and expresses her unique point of view. Ms. Survilas acts as a liaison between the Board of Directors and student artists.
|
Salem Arts Association Board Affiliates
Board Member, Emeritus since 2024 Past President 2017-2020 Vice President 2016 Board member since 2014 - 2016; 2020-2023 Four two-year terms on board Artist member since 2009 | James Bostick Director of User Experience Design and Researcher at Carrier Corporation, Fine Art Photographer, Arts Administrator, Owner, Gallows Hill Artist Studios. Bostick is an active Salem artist with a focus on fine art photography. In his Gallows Hill studio Bostick creates images ranging from Infrared photographs inspired by historic landmarks to his theatrical “Salem Arcanum Tarot” project. Other themes include still life, studio figure photography, and experimental photo techniques. Images by James Bostick have been exhibited globally and are included in many private and public collections. Bostick’s professional career spans more that 30-years leading cutting edge design projects involving user-centric practices to deliver communication strategies, state of the art software, and interactive experiences for Fortune 500 companies including Carrier Corp, United Technologies, Dell, EMC, and Gateway Computers. He earned his Masters of Arts form Pennsylvania State University, Bachelors of Fine Arts form Tyler School of Art, Temple University, Studied at the Villa Caproni School of Fine Arts in Rome Italy, attended Millersville University, an has an Associates Degree in Fine Art form Bucks County Community College. |
Become an Arts Leader at Salem Arts Association. Join the Board of Directors or Lead a Committee.
Salem Arts Association succeeds on Volunteer efforts from our members. This requires a few members to lead committees, take on board roles, and contribute to the overall strategies and success of the organization. We’re rewarded by building a community of great creative energy and talent, which comes with many friendships and the pride of making something truly special happen.
Please consider taking on one of the following leadership roles at Salem Arts Association.
- Board Vice President
- Board Member
- Shop Manager
- Shop Inventory Manager
- Membership Lead
- Events Lead
- Education Committee
- Public Relations Lead
- Development and Fundraising Committee
Contact Tadhg.Slater@SalemArts.org with your area of interest. Current leadership will be there to train you and make sure you have the information and resources to succeed.
CommitteesSalem Arts in entirely operated by volunteers. If you are interested in helping please contact any committee chairperson listed below to see who you can participate. |
Operations Committee
|
|
Finance Committee
|
|
Development Committee
|
|
Exhibit Committee
|
|
Retail Committee
|
|
Events Committee
|
events@salemarts.org
|
Communications Committee
|
|
Social Media COMMITTEE
|
|
Membership Committee
|
|
Education Committee
|
|
Technology Committee
|
Facilities Manager
|
|
Salem Arts Association | Hours Closed: Christmas, Thanksgiving |
© 2007 - 2024, Salem Arts Association is a 501(c)(3 )non-profit organization
159 Derby Street, Salem MA 01970