MacDowell leader announces plans to step down

Mar. 25—Philip Himberg plans to step down from his role as executive director of MacDowell at the end of the calendar year, he announced in a letter to fellows and community members Thursday.

He noted that the date of his departure — Dec. 31 — is intended to provide a "long runway" so the transition to a new leader "can be thoughtful and thorough."

Himberg, who spent more than 20 years at the Sundance Institute in Utah, took the reins of MacDowell, which runs a famed artist residency program in Peterborough, in 2019. He succeeded Cheryl Young, who retired after three decades with the organization.

In Thursday's letter, Himberg said his charge was to be "a transitional leader with a focused agenda."

"None of us could have imagined the shifts and changes in our world and the effect they would levy on my timeline," he wrote. "I am not the same man I was in 2019, before my bout with Covid and then the loss of my brother. All of that has made me ponder the time ahead and what may feel most nourishing to me as I move to 70 years and beyond."

Describing MacDowell's response to "an urgent call to social justice," Himberg said the nonprofit has increased its outreach to artist populations that had been under-represented and said the organization has a "reinvigorated sense of commitment to its mission" of removing barriers before talented artists.

"As a thriving community of artists and art-appreciators, we continue to uphold Edward and Marian MacDowell's vision and assure its place in our ever-evolving world," he said in his letter. "To that end, I am grateful for the participation and passion of each and every one of you."

MacDowell was founded in 1907 by composer Edward MacDowell and his wife, pianist Marian MacDowell. Situated on 450 acres, the residency program in Peterborough hosts artists who are accepted solely on talent and attend for free.