Pelham Art Center's Executive Director Retiring

PELHAM, NY — Lynn Honeysett will retire from her post as executive director of the Pelham Art Center on March 1.

Honeysett and her husband, Tom, who retired from CBS’s 60 Minutes last year, plan to travel extensively and divide their time between their homes in Westchester and Columbia counties. She plans to return to her own art-making and writing.

A search for a new executive director is underway and interviews have begun, center officials said. The Search Committee, comprised of Board members and Honeysett, is managing the hiring of the new Executive Director.

“This is such an exemplary organization that accomplishes so much for its surrounding communities,” Honeysett said in a press release. “The new Executive Director will have the opportunity to further broaden Pelham Art Center’s reach, impact and scope in fresh and exciting ways. I am excited to see how the Art Center evolves as it approaches its 50th year!”

She went on to comment, “I would like to thank the Pelham Art Center Boards I’ve had the pleasure of working with these past seven years; our outstanding, hardworking and caring staff; and our exceptional artists and artist-instructors. I am so grateful to this wonderful community for its support of the Art Center – the artists and curators, businesses, organizations, community leaders and residents who understand their good fortune in having this innovative cultural center in their midst. It has been a true honor serving as ED of Pelham Art Center.”

During her tenure as Executive Director, Honeysett doubled Pelham Art Center’s free, open to the public cultural art-making workshops and performances. She created a public art program of regular installation and sculpture exhibitions, first in the Pelham Art Center Courtyard, then working with the Town of Pelham to expand exhibitions to Wolfs Lane Park in a new sculpture garden overseen by the Art Center. Six years ago Honeysett brought the successful annual New Rochelle ArtsFest to Pelham as a two-town collaboration and weekend-long free celebration of the arts. She worked in collaboration with the Pelham Public Library on the town-wide PelhamReads!, and over the years with the Junior League of Pelham on its annual Roundtable.

Jill Orlando, Chair of the Art Center’s Board and Brian Bober, President of the Art Center’s Board, both noted that the Board received the news of Honeysett’s departure with regret but wished her great happiness.

"It's been a pleasure getting to know Lynn over the years, on a professional level and also as a friend," said Bober. "I'm excited for her future as well as for the future of the Art Center."

Added Orlando, “I am truly sad to see Lynn retire. She has been an amazing asset to the Pelham Art Center as well as the community.”

Pelham Art Center is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution committed to providing public access to see, study and experience the arts, foster lifelong arts appreciation and thereby strengthen the community. The Art Center was founded in 1970 and now serves more than 16,000 people each year.

These events and programs are made possible, in part, by the ArtsWestchester with funds from Westchester County Government. Pelham Art Center also receives funding from: New York State Council on the Arts, A State Agency; The Robert Goelet Foundation; The James and Eugene E. White Family Foundation; Westchester Community Foundation; Strypemonde Foundation; McClellan Sotheby’s International Realty; ArtEffects; Town of Pelham; Junior League of Pelham; New Rochelle Campership Fund; the Rutsch family; Christopher Tahbaz; Jon and Nancy Warner; Members and Annual Fund Donors.