Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts Appoints New Board Member
June 28, 2018
Foundation
Los Angeles, CA. — The Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts announced today the appointment of financial consultant Edward Rada to its Board of Directors. He joins Chair John C. Welchman and members Stephanie Barron, Gary Cypres, Catherine Opie, Jim Shaw, and Joan Weinstein.
“We are thrilled that Ed is joining the board of the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts,” said Board Chair John C. Welchman. “As our organization continues to grow, his vast experience helping to lead multiple nonprofits as both an administrator and board member will be invaluable in guiding the Foundation.”
In addition to providing consulting services for trusts, estates, and not-for-profit organizations, Edward Rada recently served as Interim Director of Finance for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, and held leadership positions at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles for 18 years, including Chief Financial Officer and then Managing Director of Center Theatre Group, and producer at both the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles and Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. He also served as President of The Music Center Foundation, the endowment investment fund established by The Music Center and its performing arts organizations: Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, and Center Theatre Group.
“I look forward to working with the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts, which is engaged in such exciting work. As a native of Southern California, I particularly appreciate the Foundation’s focus on supporting local artists,” explained Mr. Rada.
Founded in 2007 by artist Mike Kelley, the Foundation supports artists and arts organizations committed to developing compelling practices and programs—including experimental projects, lesser-known artists, and bold content across a wide range of disciplines. Led by Executive Director Mary Clare Stevens, the organization furthers Mike Kelley’s philanthropic work through the Artists Projects Grants, a grant initiative launched in 2015 that supports the creation of vital and often difficult-to-produce work. Since the program’s inception three years ago, the Foundation has funded 27 projects, including the research-driven exhibition Regeneración: Three Generations of Revolutionary Ideology at the Vincent Price Art Museum, artist Ron Athey’sinstallation/performance Gifts of the Spirit: Auto da Fe as part of Pasadena Arts Council’s program Volume, the forthcoming exhibition of renowned artist Andrea Fraser at the Hammer Museum, and the Chicana/o and Latinx Print Summit Portfolio & Atelierpresented by the 45-year-old organization Self Help Graphics & Art.
The Foundation also preserves Mike Kelley’s legacy more broadly and advances the understanding of his life and creative achievements through exhibitions and events such as last fall’s symposium on Mike Kelley’s Kandors, loaning art from its collection, and serving as a resource to scholars and students.
“Ed’s deep engagement in the arts and philanthropy in the United States and abroad, as well as his keen understanding of the business of running an arts organization, will have a powerful impact on the Mike Kelley Foundation for the Arts,” said Ms. Stevens. “The need for arts funding is greater than ever, and it is imperative that we encourage bold and innovative work. It was our honor to provide $400,000 in grants to artists and arts organizations this year—the largest amount the Foundation has awarded to date. I look forward to working with Ed as we navigate the exciting challenges of continuing to support these ventures.”
Edward Rada is a Pasadena native and currently lives in Hollywood. He also serves on the Boards of Directors for USA for Africa/We Are The World; Boston Court Pasadena; and Friends of Soochow University, Taipei, Taiwan, and he is a past chairman of Project Angel Food. In addition to positions at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Center Theatre Group, he has worked with the Entertainment Industry Foundation in Century City; Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California; and Hands Across America. He received an A.B. in Economics from Occidental College and completed The Executive Program in Management at UCLA’s John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management.