No ‘right time’: Longtime Harvey Gantt Center leader David Taylor announces departure

The longtime leader of Charlotte’s Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture will step down at the end of the year, the group announced Monday.

David Taylor has led the Center for 14 years as president and CEO and previously served as board chair and interim executive director of its predecessor, the Afro-American Cultural Center.

He oversaw growth of the organization’s budget from $790,000 to $4 million and led an endowment campaign that brought in millions from donors such as Bank of America, Duke Energy, the Knight Foundation, Hugh and Jane McColl and Jerry Richardson, the group said in a statement announcing the news.

Providing leadership and financial stability that helped open the door to more long-term planning is one of Taylor’s proudest accomplishments, he told The Charlotte Observer.

“It kind of freed the organization, to have a sense of stability where it was not a paycheck-to-paycheck mentality,” he said.

During his tenure, the center expanded its contemporary and digital art offerings and launched the Initiative for Equity + Innovation in the wake of the Keith Lamont Scott police shooting in 2016.

Taylor said he wanted the Gantt to “embrace technology as a cornerstone of how we operate.”

“I think that’s really been a cutting-edge strategy for the Center,” he said.

Taylor’s second career

Taylor said in the statement announcing his departure he only planned to spend three years in the job but ended up staying because of “the many amazing opportunities opening up for the Gantt through the years.”

“When I joined the Gantt in 2009, I was so proud to see that the vision of the Uptown Charlotte location had become a reality … I realized that there would never be ‘a right time’ to retire, but with plans firmly in place for the Gantt’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration, and beyond, I am confident that the institution will thrive and I can embark on my next chapter,” he said. “The Gantt will always hold a warm place in my heart.”

He told the Observer that after years in the financial services industry, he never expected his time with the Gantt Center to become “a second career,” but a “perfect storm” kept him in the position.

Looking back, Taylor said one of his fondest memories is still the day the Gantt’s uptown location opened in 2009.

“It was really a milestone moment, because I saw the vision become reality,” he said.

What’s next for Gantt Center?

Jim Dunn, chair of the Gantt’s Board of Directors, said in a statement Monday’s news came “with mixed emotions.”

“The Gantt has seen transformational growth under his leadership and our institution will continue to positively impact the lives of people in our region because of the strong foundation he built,” he said. “He is leaving us well positioned to continue to ensure that the African American experience is shared and valued. We are deeply grateful for his commitment to the arts and to the community.”

The board will lead a search for Taylor’s successor, and a “farewell event” will be announced at a later date.

Moving forward, Taylor said he’d like to see the Gantt Center maintain its focus on equity, including helping young people become college ready through the arts and supporting artists from the Carolinas through its soon-to-be launched residency program.

As for himself, Taylor said his post-CEO plans include prioritizing his health, making time to travel and keeping one important daily appointment.

“My highest priority on any given day is going to be taking my grandkids to school,” he said.