RiverArts, the nonprofit organization serving Hudson River communities in lower Westchester County, has announced Ecka Blaire Faulds as its next Executive Director.
Beginning next month, Ecka will work alongside a dedicated community of artists and arts lovers to lead the organization’s strategic and artistic vision, as well as managing operations and fundraising for RiverArts. She will succeed RiverArts’ current Executive Director, Josh Suniewick, who will continue to serve RiverArts as a member of the Board of Directors, ensuring a seamless transition.
Ecka Blaire Faulds joins the RiverArts team with 15 years of nonprofit arts and museum experience, specializing in fundraising, events, and program development. She has held positions at The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT, Wave Hill in the Bronx, the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, and The Picture House in Pelham, among others.
As a visual artist, Ecka has always been passionate about providing opportunities to celebrate the strength and diversity of creative disciplines. She has produced many unique opportunities to engage with visual art, music, and performance in the lower Hudson Valley and beyond. Ecka launched the Hudson River Museum’s HRM After Dark and Music Under the Dome series, where guests experienced live music by Westchester artists in the museum’s planetarium, and engaged with new exhibitions after hours through custom programming. She’s successfully created multilevel fundraising events, including Wave Hill’s 2021 Spring Gala, which incorporated site-specific art installations, live dance performances, and more in a roaming, 3-day event that allowed all visitors to celebrate the arts together.
Raised in northwest Connecticut, Ecka studied painting at the Hartford Art School, and later moved to the Rivertowns which she has lovingly called home for the past 12 years. She has been an enthusiastic participant of RiverArts’ studio tours, exhibitions, Drink and Draw programs, and events. Outside of work and the studio, you’ll often find her strolling the Aqueduct, enjoying the trees and vistas along the trail.
As she looks forward to becoming the next leader at RiverArts, Ecka shared, “I am thrilled to be in a position to support the talented and diverse community of artists that make the Rivertowns an exciting and sought after destination. I hold a steadfast belief that all individuals deserve a rich cultural life with transformative opportunities to enjoy the arts while forming lasting connections with peers and neighbors. I look forward to working with the RiverArts Board, team, and community to ensure the continued success of the organization’s mission and distinct programming.”
“Ecka has dedicated her entire career to bringing people together through the arts. She is an impressive arts manager, with a proven track record of successfully growing membership and fundraising support for the arts as well as creating innovative events to engage new audiences. Ecka is also so clearly passionate about lifting up artists and arts programs—be it visual art, dance, music, theater, education, and beyond—as a way to strengthen and enrich our communities. We are so excited for her to bring her experience and vision to RiverArts,” shared Board President Kristin Madden.
Josh Suniewick added, “It has been a pleasure getting to know Ecka through this search process. Having worked so closely with RiverArts’ community of artists and supporters over the last several years, I am happy to know we will have such a talented arts professional helping the organization to flourish and continuing our great tradition of connecting people through the arts.”
Ecka officially begins her tenure as Executive Director at RiverArts on July 8, 2024. Coming up at RiverArts, SummerArts, the multi-disciplinary camp for kids directed by Emily Gosweiler, has four sessions running from July 29 through August 23. RiverArts’ annual dance concert featuring Paul Taylor Dance Company will take the stage at Tarrytown Music Hall on September 28 under the direction of Artistic Producer Maxine Sherman. And, RiverArts’ annual Studio Tour returns on November 2-3, with preview exhibitions in Hastings and Tarrytown once again, with Artistic Producer Kit Demirdelen at the helm.
