CHARLESTON — Two local cultural institutions gained new leaders this summer.
The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art welcomed Michael Dickins as director and chief curator in July while the Charleston Gaillard Center welcomed Nicole Taney as the inaugural vice president of artistic programming in August.
These two arts organizations are pillars in the Holy City scene, so naturally these appointments sparked conversations about the future and its many possibilities.
Questions also arise: Why does art curation matter? Who deserves a platform? What can art offer in divisive times?
The Post and Courier got to know these newcomers as they step up into their roles.
Meet Michael Dickins
After being surrounded by a gamut of musicians, playwrights, choreographers and dancers while getting his master’s in interdisciplinary arts, Dickins has nurtured a kaleidoscopic view of the arts in his 15 years of directing galleries and curating exhibitions and public art projects.
As he steps in to steer Charleston’s premier contemporary art institute, he said his focus is on drawing in the public, advocating for artists and using his platform to build an art ecosystem.
“The art world is already hard enough to exist in,” he told The Post and Courier. “If you’re not supportive of each other, then it just becomes increasingly harder.”
The Halsey bridges the gap between public service and academic curriculum to serve students, so that’s also a top priority.
“So the director does a lot of everything you think of, like a director on a movie set,” Dickins said. “You’re working with the actors to get the best out of them, to serve the vision of the story you’re trying to tell.”
On the artist side of things, he aims to amplify the voices of those that come into the building and put together installations for the public that “look fantastic and are rich with content,” said Dickins, who’s originally from Atlanta.
“When working with an artist, the more you peel back those layers of the onion, the more it’s revealed to you,” he continued.
He arrived in Charleston after a gig with Tennessee’s Austin Peay State University building the contemporary art program and visitor speaking series and running the university art collection.
He’s been following the Halsey for decades, he said, so he sees his role as continuing the quality of programming it already has.
“I want to involve the community a little bit more and not be afraid to have dialogue and conversation, but also put the Halsey on the national map,” he said. “My ultimate goal is that for people from other parts of the country or world who want to see contemporary art in the South, the Halsey is at the top of their list.”
In addition to keeping the Halsey’s reputation as a launch pad for contemporary up-and-coming artists, his goal is to bring in big-name artists.
“Working with established artists seen in New York City, Chicago or Miami will elevate the name of the Halsey and put us in the same conversation as those cities,” he said.
As he settles into the dynamics of the Halsey as a hub for experiential and experimental art, he brings his mantra with him: visit, engage, think and repeat.
“How can the art on display teach us a little more about ourselves and the world in which we exist? How does it speak to you, not just by color and light, but through your influences, experiences and thought processes — that’s what the visitor brings,” he said.
Meet Nicole Taney
Taney is a returning Charlestonian, having spent eight years as director of artistic planning and operations with Spoleto Festival USA before relocating to serve as artistic director for the Celebrity Series of Boston nonprofit for the last three years.
Her role with the Gaillard is to help build and shape the overall artistic direction for the organization. She comes into the picture as the center celebrates 10 years, so she said it’s been a reflective time as she remembers when it first opened its doors in 2015.
“It’s so nice to come back and be part of this next phase as we grow our plans around cultural programming,” said Taney, who grew up in northeastern Connecticut.
With more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit arts and culture sector, Taney said realizing an artist’s vision is still the most impactful part of what she does. Considering the Gaillard has commissioned 16 original works in its lifetime and that Taney conceived and commissioned the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera “Omar” that premiered at Spoleto in 2022, it’s safe to say never-before-seen productions await.
“When you’re producing something from scratch, from the beginning of an idea, that ability to bring an artist’s vision to the stage, that to me is so rewarding. And these experiences stay with you,” she said. “And I hope the audience has that same experience and can feel that same kind of energy when something is brought to the stage for the first time within our community.”
As she explores commissioning and producing opportunities in her new position, she’s excited to gather ideas and think through what to do for the 2026-27 season programming.
“There’s a lot of momentum coming off of our 10th season starting,” she said. “It feels like we are stepping into the next phase of what we can do to root our programming with a world-class vision of bringing in artists from all over the U.S. and internationally, but also tying it all back to the community and how to build networks here.”
An unending curiosity about this field of work continues to drive her, Taney said. To sit in imaginative spaces with inventive people and dream up dance and theater productions is always refreshing, no matter the outcome, she said.
“It feels grounding to know there is a greater community of art makers out there committed to bringing work to the stage — and to be a part of that gives me hope,” she said.