Copyright The Boston Globe
Michael J. Bobbitt, who during the pandemic rose from a small theater company to become the state’s top arts official, announced Monday that he will step down as executive director of the Mass Cultural Council at the end of the year. Bobbitt, who’s run the state arts agency for nearly five years, is leaving the MCC to become president and chief executive of OPERA America, a nonprofit that seeks to advance the art form. MCC deputy director David T. Slatery is expected to be named acting executive director of the arts agency while the agency’s 19-member governing council seeks a permanent replacement. Bobbitt called leading the MCC “one of the greatest honors of my career.” “Together with the Council, staff, and our partners across the Commonwealth, we’ve worked to build a more equitable, creative, and connected cultural sector in Massachusetts,” Bobbitt said in a statement. “I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished, especially the ways we’ve centered artists and cultural organizations in the state’s economic growth.” Bobbitt, who spent more than a decade as artistic director at a children’s theater in Maryland, arrived in 2019 to lead the erstwhile New Repertory Theatre in Watertown. He joined the MCC less than two years later, as the state’s cultural sector continued to reel from the pandemic. Advertisement At the MCC, which disburses funds to arts and cultural organizations across the state, Bobbitt championed racial diversity and equity. He sought to streamline the grant application process, making grants easier to apply for, and he spearheaded the agency’s first-ever racial equity plan. He also oversaw disbursement of more than $60 million in one-time pandemic relief funds, introduced a program to prescribe art as part of healthcare, and worked with the governor’s office to establish the state’s first poet laureate. Marc Carroll, chair of the MCC’s 19-member governing council, thanked Bobbitt for his leadership. “Michael’s innovation, energy, and commitment to equity have transformed this Agency,” Carroll said in a statement. “He led us through an unprecedented period for the cultural sector and emerged with stronger programs, deeper partnerships, and renewed public investment in the arts and culture of Massachusetts.” Advertisement Bobbitt, who begins his new role on January 1, said that while he was excited about the new opportunity, “Massachusetts will always have a piece of my heart.” Malcolm Gay can be reached at malcolm.gay@globe.com. Follow him @malcolmgay.
