Year 2023 Graduate Steps into Executive Director Role at Santa Barbara’s Arts Fund

Moved by their personal experience with the foundation, Arts Fund Teen Mentorship alumnus Ceilidh (pronounced KAY-lee) Birkhahn (they/them) stepped in to save the program when they found out that it would be dissolving. Armed with an art degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the 23-year-old Birkhahn is now filling the role of the Arts Fund Executive Director.

Although unprecedented to onboard someone as green as Birkhahn, Interim Executive Director Jamie Dufek was inspired by their initiative and trusted them to take on the responsibility. “Anyone who meets [Birkhahn] would step away and realize that [they’re] the person for this role,” Dufek said. To continue to innovate and keep up with changing times as a 40-year-old foundation, Dufek believes it’s crucial to look to new people with new ideas.

“I was ready to dismiss myself. I was ready to be like, ‘No, I’m too young.’ But then I asked myself, ‘What does that even mean?’” Birkhahn said. “I’m the person who’s willing to come forward and do it.”

Along with a community gallery and bi-monthly art walks, as part of the Fund’s mission to “foster the arts for the people of Santa Barbara County,” the Teen Mentorship program pairs high school students with practicing artists that can help give them the tools they need to begin their careers in art. 

“You get to see what the art experience looks like as someone who’s not just in a class. You’re seeing the daily life of an artist through the lens of studio practice,” Birkhahn said. Throughout their high school years, Birkhahn participated in five different mentorship sessions, each with a different medium and instructor, which is what inspired them to pursue an art degree.

“It was very helpful for me to figure out what I like and what I didn’t like, figure out what parts am I keeping for my own practice and give me the feeling that being an artist is something that can be your living. It doesn’t have to be a side project or a hobby,” they said.

When they graduated, Birkhahn returned to Santa Barbara and started working at the Arts Fund’s Community Gallery as an attendant. So, when the Arts Fund announced that mentorships would be on indefinite hold, Birkhahn reached out to Dufek for a meeting to chat about the future of the Arts Fund. 

“It was very much a gut feeling. My stomach dropped because it is the only program of its kind that I know of in this area,” Birkhahn said. “There is not an alternative.”

Originally, Dufek took on the interim executive director role as a part-time volunteer to keep the Fund afloat during COVID; it wasn’t until Birkhahn stepped up that Dufek found a viable replacement. Impressed by the proposal they drafted and reminded of the “initiative that [Birkhahn] has always taken relative to the Arts Fund,” Dufek knew it was time to take a step back and pass the baton to Birkhahn — a young go-getter who had the time and enthusiasm to fully dedicate themself to the job. 

In addition to their goal to have the Teen Mentorship up and running by fall 2024, a huge part of the executive director role is community outreach. Both Birkhahn and Dufek acknowledged that the energy of the art community has still not returned to what it once was following COVID, and “reconnecting is still the biggest challenge” of the position, Birkhahn said. “People still aren’t going out to art openings the way they were before. The feeling at the Art Walk is not quite the same.” They are currently reaching out to local artists and enthusiasts to rejuvenate and energize the art scene.

To ensure that Birkhahn can make a smooth transition into their new role, Dufek plans on supporting them through the end of the year as she shifts into the position as interim president of the Arts Fund Board. 

As with many other small nonprofits, the Arts Fund continues to feel the repercussions of not only COVID, but also of the fires, wars, and economic distress in recent years. While being sensitive to the priority adjustments that people and businesses are faced with during these trying times, Dufek urges the community to remember the importance of the arts.

“I would be remiss if I didn’t say that we have had very dedicated individuals and foundations that have continuously supported the arts, but there are not as many funding opportunities for visual arts organizations in Santa Barbara as [Birkhahn] and I would like to see,” Dufek said. “Part of the reengagement of the community is reminding people the value that art brings to the community, and in order for us to do that, we need funding sources.”

Dufek is focusing on building a stronger board as she seeks out a new president. “The best boards are diverse — and diverse any way you cut it,” she said. She is looking for people with all different areas of expertise and who are passionate about the arts. As a nonprofit, the Arts Fund board could specifically benefit from having an attorney, someone in education, someone with grant-writing expertise, and local artists. 

During this transformative phase, Dufek and Birkhahn are discovering how to best support the community and are open to feedback. “I’m still learning. I’m still asking for help,” Birkhahn said. Birkhahn is passionate about connecting with the Santa Barbara art network and invites people to reach out to them at info@artsfundsb.org to set up a meeting or voice their thoughts.

For more information and to get involved with the Santa Barbara County Arts Fund, see @artsfundsb on Instagram.