National Sawdust Names Ana De Archuleta Managing Director

The Board of Directors of National Sawdust, the Brooklyn-based organization that nurtures and presents groundbreaking artists across musical genres and art forms, today announces Ana De Archuleta, who has served as Director of Artistic Operations since September 2021, as the organization's new Managing Director. She will work in close partnership with co-founder, composer and artistic director Paola Prestini, making National Sawdust the rare New York cultural institution to be led by women. She succeeds Managing Director Brian Berkopec, who is stepping down from his role to pursue other endeavors.

De Archuleta is one of three staff members to be elevated to more senior positions: Kim Chan, previously National Sawdust's Deputy Director and Head of External Affairs, is now Senior Director, and Alexander Barnes, who was Senior Producer, is stepping into Ana De Archuleta's current role, with the added title of Artistic Administrator.

De Archuleta says "National Sawdust is one of the most impactful multidisciplinary arts organizations of the 21st century and an indispensable incubator of new music and sound innovation. We share the mission of empowering and amplifying artists, with focus on women, and other marginalized genders. I couldn't be more thrilled to step into this role with such a talented team. I look forward to collaborating with the incredible composer Paola Prestini and the organization's leadership team, Board, staff, and partners to build on National Sawdust's international reputation."

National Sawdust Board President Jill Steinberg says, "I've worked closely with Ana, Kim, and Alex in their time at National Sawdust-and, in Ana's case, on the Board of Opera America-and can say, unequivocally and based on first-hand knowledge, that National Sawdust has found the ideal team to take the institution into its next phase of impact, building on the deeply impactful work that Paola, Brian, and the rest of the staff and Board have accomplished. I've been with the organization since its inception, and our future has never looked brighter, nor our potential impact greater. As a small institution, we are uniquely positioned to enact big change in the field, as we have both the staying power and the nimbleness to be responsive in this time of seismic shifts in our field and the world. We are also deeply appreciative of everything that Brian has accomplished over the past few years and will miss his solid, genial leadership."

National Sawdust has appointed as Managing Director one of the most respected leaders in opera and classical music. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, De Archuleta is the founder of A.D.A. Artist Management, the first Latina-led artist representation firm, in which her focus has been identifying new talent and nurturing the careers of performers-from emerging to internationally renowned artists-who excel in a variety of genres and repertoire. De Archuleta's vast background in the arts has played a major role in her success as an arts and culture leader. Throughout her life she has been involved in many facets of the performing arts, as an instrumentalist, dancer, operatic stage manager, assistant director, opera chorister, and an operatic soloist. She is a newly appointed Board Member of Opera America; a board member of the new Olga Iglesias Project, helping and promoting the native lyric artists of Puerto Rico; serves on the Advisory Board of Seagle Festival; co-chaired the Women's Opera Network Steering Committee; and was a panelist for the National Endowment of the Arts 2017 Arts Works Opera Grants.

A sought-after mentor to resident artists of many performing arts organizations, De Archuleta frequently offers her insights into the business aspect of the opera world via master classes and one-on-one consultations. Additionally, she has been invited to judge multiple vocal competitions including the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition. Ana participates in talks and workshops on equity, diversity and inclusion in the opera industry, with the primary focus in empowering artists and arts professionals of the Global Majority. As President of ADA Artist Management, she implemented an internship and career advancement fellowship program that gives opportunities to artists interested in transitioning to arts management and administration, to help open doors to those who haven't had the same training opportunities. In her work with the Olga Iglesias Foundation and Laffont Competition Mexico District, she lends her expertise to emerging Latinx artists as they find a path to a career in the arts.

As National Sawdust's Director of Artistic Operations since 2021, she has worked closely with Paola Prestini and Programming Director and Senior Curator Nicole Merrit Chari to support and present a multi-genre lineup of artists and productions, and to create and advance partnerships with other leading cultural organizations. In her new role, she will lead the institution's staff and fundraising.

Kim Chan has been National Sawdust's Deputy Director and Head of External Affairs since October 2019. As Senior Director, she will be responsible for institutional advancement, among other things, and for leading the organization's social impact effort. Her new position represents the first time National Sawdust has institutionalized responsibility for its work on social impact, inclusion, diversity, equity, and access. Chan has worked extensively in New York City and Washington, D.C. as a fundraiser, marketer, curator, organizer, producer, and presenter across multiple art forms and aesthetic traditions, including poetry, music, theater, dance, arts education, and literature. Her work as a producer and curator has investigated issues of cross-border relationships, free expression, LGBTQ rights, and racism with artists and organizations such as Souleymane Koly, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Savion Glover, Guillermo Gómez-Peña, Toni Blackman, Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road Project, Pomo Afro Homos, Afro Cuba de Matanzas, the Nuyorican Poets, Washington Performing Arts, and GALA Hispanic Theatre. Chan is a board member for the MAP Fund, Mid-Atlantic Arts, Ping Chong + Company, and Pick-Up Performance Co(s). She also volunteered with Make Us Visible NJ, who helped organize advocacy efforts that made New Jersey the second state in the country to pass legislation requiring Asian American Pacific Island Studies be taught in K-12 school curriculums as a long-term approach to counter anti-Asian racism.

Alexander Barnes, National Sawdust Senior Producer since October 2022, is a Brooklyn-based producer with over a decade of experience producing performances and tours of varying scale-from solo recitals to orchestral tours, theatrical productions to ballet tours. Over the course of his career, Barnes has worked on various sides of the artist management and booking process. As a producer for CAMI Music, he oversaw large-scale orchestral tours and coordinated the day-to-day servicing and logistics for a roster of jazz artists, classical soloists, and conductors. Barnes has simultaneously dedicated himself to bringing new voices to the stage. In 2022, he co-produced the world premiere of Memphis Jookin' the Show, an original theatrical production with dancer Lil Buck.