Metro Arts Commission, which is responsible for awarding city funding to arts and culture programming, announced the resignation of executive director Caroline Vincent Wednesday. Vincent joined the agency’s staff in 2011 and became acting executive director in 2018.
In August, the Scene reported on allegations from former staffers Cecilia Olusola Tribble and Lauren Fitzgerald, who claimed Vincent and other supervisors created a toxic work environment that relied heavily on intimidation, fear and punishment while tokenizing people of color and holding them up to disproportionate scrutiny.
Councilmember-at-Large Sharon Hurt announced that the Metro Council’s Minority Caucus requested a full investigation of the allegations made. In January, Metro HR produced lengthy reports that found there was “no violation by leadership of any rules, policies, or laws.” Metro HR recommended that the department clarify policy and procedures, provide clear feedback to staffers when documenting unsatisfactory performance and evaluate its process of onboarding new employees and seek out opportunities for formal management development.
The Metro Arts Commission met to discuss the findings and complaints on Jan. 20. Members stated that even though HR found no official violations by agency leadership, it was clear that harm was caused, and members were prepared to take action to resolve issues. At a follow-up meeting on Feb. 3, commissioners voted on six recommendations, including hiring an outside consultant experienced in the diversity, equity and inclusion field to work with agency staff in collaboration. The commission also promised to work with Metro chief diversity officer Andrea Blackman, as well as Metro HR, to continue conversations with staff.
The same week, current strategic funding and initiatives manager Janine Christiano submitted a public comment to the commission with further allegations about Metro Arts leadership, including that she witnessed the “ridiculing of people of color and white allies through group banter and gossip; cultural insensitivity toward marginalized groups; undue skepticism and scrutiny of people of color community members and staff.”
Wednesday, commission chair Jim Schmidt stated in an email:
On behalf of the Metro Arts Commission, I would like to offer thanks for Director Vincent’s years of service to our department and to the community. This will be the second transition in leadership of the agency in my time on the Commission. It provides us both an opportunity, as well as challenges, but we will work through it together as we find the next leader of our important work. I am requesting that the Metro Human Resources recruitment team be present at the next Commission meeting to update us on how this process looks going forward. Acting Executive Director Ian Meyers will continue to serve in that role in the interim and will assist with this transition period. I anticipate that our city's cultural identity, our leading work in the arts on a local and national scale, and the commitment that the agency has to improving equity across the arts community will make this an opportunity that will bring us excellent candidates for our future work.
Tuesday evening, District 32 Coucilmember Joy Styles, who held a press conference in support of the women making allegations against Vincent in January, tweeted about the change. “I love a happy ending. Metro Arts can finally move forward into a healthier future and a stable culture. Today is the ending of a season and the beginning of a new one! On to the search for a new Executive Director! Congratulations, @MetroArtsNash!!!”
Metro Arts Commission will meet at noon on Thursday, April 21, at Metro Southeast Facility.
