Maine College of Art & Design has appointed Kerrie Bellisario, an entrepreneurial arts education leader, to serve in a newly created senior leadership position focused on community development and innovative art and design learning programs. The appointment concludes a nationwide search led by the President and Executive Leadership team. President Laura Freid shared, “We received tremendous interest in the position and had many exceptional candidates, but Kerrie’s unique blend of museum experience, arts education, and entrepreneurship makes her exceptionally qualified for the role.”
Bellisario has more than 25 years of experience in arts, culture, and educational leadership and has raised more than $53 million dollars in grants and major gifts for arts organizations and learning institutes. She co-founded the M.Ed. in Arts, Community and Education program at Lesley University, founded and built ArtWorks!, a downtown contemporary art center and nationally recognized institution, launched an online learning academy to generate new revenue streams, and has scaled start-up nonprofits. Her work in the creative sector has spanned the United States, Japan, Portugal, and Peru, resulting in more than 60 curated exhibitions.
At MECA&D, Bellisario will help shape a cohesive ecosystem of lifelong learning opportunities that align with MECA&D’s priorities and respond to the evolving needs of lifelong learners and professionals. Her work will focus on building and scaling new programs and external partnerships that expand the College’s reach and impact. She will join the College in November.