A common goal

When a new president takes office, he inherits the shortcomings of the previous administration.

Rarely does an official arrive with a clean slate in a time of substantial optimism on the cusp of notable expansion, but Emil Kang, UNC's newly appointed Executive Director of the Arts, is set do just that.

The former president and executive director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will assume the post Jan. 1, overseeing a bevy of organizational duties, from fund raising to management of select venues.

"This is a challenging job because it's without precedent," said Steve Allred, executive associate provost and a member of the selection committee that chose Kang.

After the 2003 termination of Arts Carolina, an organization that oversaw planning and promotion for various performing arts departments, the campus witnessed a fracturing of the arts community.

The program, which carried a $120,000 yearly price tag, was cut due to strains on the University's budget. The lack of an umbrella organization for the arts at UNC means Kang will come into his position with his work cut out for him.

But decreased promotion and funding didn't translate into a decline in the University's dedication to the arts. The newly established executive post affirms this campuswide sentiment.

With the impending construction of Phase I of the Arts Common and the launch of newly renovated campus venues such as Memorial Hall, the establishment of the EDA marks a movement toward a renewed arts awareness at the University.

It took some time, however, for the position to become a reality.

In the summer of 2003, Ken Foster, executive director of the performing arts company at the University of Arizona, visited UNC to evaluate the school's performing arts programs. He noted a need for improved facilities.

"No one university really dominated the arts scene (in North Carolina)," Allred said. "There was a potential for Carolina to take the lead there if we wanted to do it."

Once the idea of an EDA was established, a selection committee took more than 180 applications for the position, whittling it down to a select four, who participated in open forums early this semester.

The pool narrowed when one of the candidates took a position at a theater in Houston. After months of deliberation, Kang was the committee's first choice among the final three.

"He was very well received by students," Allred said. "He's very enthusiastic, he's charismatic and he's energetic."

As part of his duties, Kang will be in charge of allocating stage time at Memorial Hall, Playmakers Theatre and Gerrard Hall.

He will also undertake the essential task of fund raising, a task vitally important to the success of the arts community. This will entail raising enough funds to bring world-class artists to campus and collecting money for future building projects.

Memorial Hall, slated to be finished in spring 2005, has faced obstacles in its renovation and expansion process. Under construction since May 2002, it initially was set to be completed in September.

The construction of the Arts Common, an estimated $177 million, 50-year project, will provide an arena for all areas of the arts, from music to communications studies.

Aside from an arts quad, the blueprint of the Arts Common also boasts new buildings for the art, music and communications studies departments, an expansion of the Ackland Art Museum and a new fine arts library.

Plans for renovations to Person, Gerrard, Smith and Playmakers Theatre also are in the works.

All this construction is going to require backing, and fund raising is something in which Kang is excited to participate.

"I guess you could say it comes naturally to me," he said.

He has shown his ability in Detroit, where he oversaw a $125 million fund-raising campaign, the largest project in the symphony orchestra's history.

"It's a great responsibility but also a great opportunity," Kang said.

Coming from operating an orchestra to managing a University-level arts program is a shift Kang admits will be drastic, from the dynamics to the culture, and it's something he is excited about.

"My goal is to inject the arts into all aspects of the University."

Aside from venues and fund raising, Kang will also focus on the academic side of the performing arts.

Plans are in the works for master's classes, lectures and seminars built around visiting performers, as well as general education initiatives.

The aim is to "really try to make it more of an integrated experience than simply a one-night performance," Allred said.

Although the EDA's focus will rest primarily on the campus scene, Kang stressed the importance of communitywide arts support.

"Building audiences for the arts starts with the University community but goes beyond that," Kang said.

Kang suggested working with other area universities to enhance the overall North Carolina arts experience and cited the Arts Common as a great springboard for the local community.

Members from the arts community are looking forward to working with Kang to improve the current arts programming.

"I think there was (in the past) a coordination problem in terms of programming and in terms of publicity," said Tim Carter, chairman of the Department of Music, who served on the EDA selection committee.

As for a possible loss of autonomy under the new arts umbrella, the campus community does not seem concerned. One always runs the risk of losing autonomy in a collaborative effort, Carter said, but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.

Bill Balthrop, chairman of the communications studies department and a member of the selection committee, emphasized that the EDA will not force an integration of the unique arts communities and departments on campus, but instead will strive for collaboration.

"The good news is that we're all looking for ways to cooperate and not compete," said Don Luse, director of the Carolina Union.

For example, all of the performing arts departments are gearing up for the grand reopening of Memorial Hall next fall.

"We're each going to contribute in our different ways to the opening season. How that works out in the long term will be up to Emil to figure out," said Ray Dooley, head of the selection committee and chairman of the dramatic arts department .

"Carolina will be known as a destination point for the finest artistic performances."

Students involved in the arts community have also developed a similar optimism.

"I think the position and Emil Kang both have the immense potential to mobilize all the different things that are going on on campus," said Claire Anderson, president of the Carolina Union Activities Board and another member of the selection committee.

The creation of the EDA conveys to the community that the University is serious about bringing the performing arts to a higher level, along with the enhancement of venues and departmental expansions.

Although UNC's arts community is markedly diversity, the arrival of a top administrator in Kang might unify and propel it to a previously unseen prominence.

Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.