Oakland-based Latine artist Gisela Insuaste was tapped to lead the Berkeley Art Center. She has been working in the Bay Area arts scene for nearly 20 years. Courtesy: Berkeley Art Center

A new director has taken the helm of the Berkeley Art Center (BAC) with hopes to steer the organization toward fiscal stability, after financial strain led to the departure of its two previous executive directors late last year. 

The new executive director, Oakland-based Latine artist Gisela Insuaste, previously served as the education and public programs director at the Kala Art Institute, a gallery space in Berkeley that offers arts fellowships and public programming.

Insuaste’s appointment comes after co-directors Kim Acebo Arteche and Elena Gross stepped down from BAC late last year. At that time, leaders at the arts organization cited financial struggles as the reason for its transition to a one-executive structure. Insuaste also told Berkeleyside that the departures were “a financial decision made by the board.” She and a gallery manager are the only two employees currently at BAC.

“Despite the financial difficulties, we all realize it is important to still be visible and present,” Insuaste told Berkeleyside. “Art is a tool for social change and an opportunity for healing, for cultivating creativity, and for intergenerational and cultural connections.”

Arteche declined to comment for the article, and Gross did not respond to an inquiry. 

Bringing nearly 20 years of experience in arts programming in cultural and educational institutions across the country, Insuaste said she hopes to continue her predecessors’ work at BAC to uplift diverse voices and create a more sustainable organization by expanding membership and funding resources. She said the organization will have to “get creative” with fundraising following the expiration of pandemic-era grants.

BAC board president Kerri Hurtado said the nearly 60-year-old nonprofit has weathered changes before. “We pride ourselves on being nimble and being able to pivot in hard times,” she said. Hurtado said the center will continue to provide free programming, but also consider renting out space and hosting professional development and other workshops for artists to generate revenue. 

She said Insuaste’s goals align with those of the center.

“Over the past five years, the Berkeley Art Center has been in sort of transition mode, and we’ve worked hard to expand our audience and our reach,” Hurtado said. “It’s great to have someone in leadership who’s committed to these goals and finding sustainable ways to continue the organization.”

Gisela Insuaste is a 20-year Bay Area arts veteran formerly of Kala Art Institute

Insuaste was born to Ecuadorian immigrant parents and grew up in a New York City Latino neighborhood, where she first saw how art can connect communities. 

“I realized the power of spaces, especially galleries and museums that can be considered places of privilege and power, and I wanted to see myself in those spaces to provide a different experience,” she said. 

In college, Insuaste said she was a pre-med major but didn’t become a doctor because “there are other ways of helping people. There are other ways of being of service.”

Throughout her career, she has worked primarily with BIPOC arts communities in Chicago, Washington D.C. and New York, balancing being an artist and an arts administrator. In 2019, she became more acquainted with Berkeley’s art scene as part of the Kala Art Institute before beginning her role at BAC. 

Insuaste said the BAC is a “unique space” with a track record of producing inclusive programming with BIPOC, people with disabilities, and queer and trans communities. She said she plans to continue that work. 

She also aims to foster more artistic experimentation in exhibitions and programming, and intends to tap into the nature of Live Oak Park in Berkeley, where the center is situated. Insuaste said the center will host art workshops to attract youth and families visiting the park, and is developing programs to cater to emerging and local artists. She plans to be onsite at BAC to meet the community. 

“It’s a small place, but it’s had a big impact on artists and careers,” Insuaste said. “I want to continue to be that place where you get your first exhibition or maybe you have a mid-career retrospective.”

Berkeley Art Center’s budget shortfalls echo story at other Bay Area arts organizations

Arts and cultural institutions and organizations across the country and in the Bay Area have grappled with budget shortfalls due to the lingering impact of the pandemic. In May, Aurora Theatre announced it was suspending its upcoming season. Bay Area Children’s Theater, TheatreFirst and California Jazz Conservatory’s degree program have all closed, and Freight & Salvage is facing significant headwinds.

More recent reductions in government spending on the arts have brought additional pain. The Berkeley Rep and other local arts spaces were left scrambling in May after the Trump administration reduced National Endowment for the Arts grants and shifted the agency’s priorities to favoring projects related to “American heritage” and the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, among other themes. 

The Berkeley Art Center has an annual budget of roughly $400,000, according to the director job description posted earlier this year. Its revenue comes from a mix of city funding, foundation awards, private donations, paid memberships and ticketed events. In addition to the city of Berkeley, its supporters include the California Arts Council, the Walter and Ellis Haas Fund, the East Bay Community Foundation, and the Alameda County Arts Commission. BAC’s reported revenue in 2023 was $279,000, with expenses that year listed at $342,000. The center reported higher revenue in 2021 and 2022, seemingly due in part to temporary pandemic-era grants.

The center has secured funding for an exhibition that will run from fall to spring, Insuaste said. As for the future, she said, BAC is working to reconnect with donors and community members.

Founded in 1967, the Berkeley Art Center is located in Live Oak Park in North Berkeley. The center is preparing to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Admission is free, and the gallery is open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. 

“There’s a history to this place,” Insuaste said. “My job is to make sure we continue to be here for another 50 years and support artists in the East Bay community and the Bay Area as a whole. 

“The last five years have been really hard, and transition may take a while, but we’re looking at how we grow sustainably moving forward,” she said. 

You can learn about current and upcoming Berkeley Art Center exhibits and events on the center’s website.

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