Announcing Margaret McCarthy as Executive Director

New Team Leader

Announcing Margaret McCarthy as Executive Director

Southern Exposure is excited to welcome Margaret McCarthy as Executive Director and Co-Director, effective immediately. McCarthy will lead Southern Exposure in partnership with Artistic Director Valerie Imus in the next phase of the 45-year-old San Francisco arts organization as it deepens its support for artists and the creation of risk-taking new work.

McCarthy brings a decade of Bay Area nonprofit leadership experience: She is the former Interim Executive Director of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, and has managed staff and volunteers, and led fundraising and public-facing programs at other local nonprofits including Walk San Francisco and 826 Valencia. “SoEx is a unique and vital part of the Bay Area arts ecosystem,” says McCarthy. “I’m honored to join Artistic Director Valerie Imus, the staff, board, curatorial council, and wider SoEx community in championing bold, diverse, and experimental artists in the Bay Area.”

Imus, who has directed Southern Exposure’s Exhibitions and Projects for the past seven years, says, “This is an exciting moment for Southern Exposure. We have always initiated and seeded dynamic projects in the Bay Area, and I am looking forward to expanding our capacity to do so with this new team. This co-leadership model is an embodiment of the organization’s core commitment to collaboration, and I believe it will enable a deeper level of support for artists throughout the organization. Margaret is a powerhouse of enthusiasm and a tireless advocate for artists and for social change. Her nonprofit leadership experience will help SoEx grow financially and I’m thrilled to be working with her.”

In addition to Imus, McCarthy joins staff members Communications Coordinator Stephen Sokolouski, Artists in Education Coordinator Simon Tran, Documentation Manager Minoosh Zomorodinia, and Lead Preparator Anthony Russell. Southern Exposure is currently hiring a Development and Operations Coordinator; position description and application details here. Learn more about the staff and board here.

Full PDF press release available here.