The Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs is under new leadership. Katherine Eckstrand, a Springfield resident and former executive director of the Clark State Performing Arts Center from 1994 to 2005, has been named the Acting Executive Director.
Known as “the best place to watch a movie together,” the Little Art is among the most recognizable and beloved landmarks in Yellow Springs. Since its founding in 1929, it has presented an eclectic mix of programming that includes first-run, independent, foreign, and documentary films as well as special film, community, and rental events.
Eckstrand, who has decades of experience in arts administration, has she led performing arts centers at Shepherd (WV) and Eastern Kentucky Universities. While at Clark State, she founded the award-winning arts program, Project Jericho. She has also worked at the Ohio Arts Council and The Ohio State University’s Graduate School.
For the past six years, Eckstrand has been a consultant to arts and non-profit organizations including the John Legend Theater, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and Project Woman.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Katherine’s caliber at the helm as we continue to build our operations after Covid,” said Sharon Greitzer, president of the Little Art’s Board of Trustees and Senior Communications Specialist at Wittenberg University.
Greitzer said the board, which recently welcomed four new members, is energized and excited to work with Eckstrand to develop the theatre’s programming and geographic reach.
Eckstrand, who grew up in Xenia, started attending the Little Art as a young girl. “Back then, I used to think it would be great to run a place like the Little Art someday,” she says. “Little did I know, one day I would.”
Posted March 31, 2023