The Hermitage Artist Retreat Welcomes New Programs Manager

July 28, 2021 – Sarasota

Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, announced today the organization has welcomed James R. Monaghan as its new programs manager. Monaghan joins the Hermitage after serving as the Asolo Rep’s dramaturg and literary manager. In his new role, Monaghan will be responsible for coordinating and managing the Hermitage’s acclaimed artist and community engagement programs. He will work closely with Sandberg and the Hermitage team in overseeing the Hermitage’s nationally renowned artist residency program and will also collaborate with hundreds of Hermitage artists to bring innovative, authentic, and unique programming to our region.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome James to the Hermitage family, and I am confident he will be an extraordinary addition to our fantastic team,” says Sandberg. “I have had the pleasure of working with James in our collaborations with the Asolo, and have come to know him as someone deeply intelligent and passionate about the arts. As we expand and develop new programming, James’ thoughtful creativity will be a gift to our artists and our community.”

Prior to his work with the Asolo Rep, Monaghan wrote about theatrical design as the Tow Foundation Fellow in the Roundabout Theatre Company Archives, created a one-on-one theatrical experience entitled [antidote] for the National Theatre of Croatia in Rijeka, and worked in the literary department of the Play Company in New York. He has been a resident artist at the Catwalk Institute, was featured in the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas’ newsletter and recently directed a digital production of Spring Awakening with the Georgetown Gilbert and Sullivan Society. Before completing his MFA at Columbia University, Monaghan received his BFA with honors from New York University, and worked as an educator and director in his hometown of Houston, Texas. 

“I’m ecstatic to be joining such a passionate and talented team that is dedicated to serving Gulf Coast audiences, a community that celebrates the vital role of art in shaping our future,” says Monaghan about his new role. “The Hermitage provides unique and authentic insight into the creative process, and I’m honored to participate in growing that legacy.”

Monaghan joins other recent additions to the Hermitage team over the past season, including Operations Director Elizabeth Power and Development Director Amy Wallace.

The Hermitage hosts artists on its Gulf Coast Manasota Key campus for multi-week residencies, where diverse artists from around the world and across multiple disciplines create and develop new works of visual art, theater, music, literature, and more. As part of their residencies, Hermitage Fellows participate in free community programs, offering audiences in our region a unique opportunity to engage with some of the world’s leading artists and to get an authentic “sneak peek” into extraordinary projects and artistic minds before their works go on to major galleries, concert halls, theaters, and museums around the world. These free and innovative programs include performances, lectures, interactive experiences, readings, open studios, school programs, teacher workshops, and more, serving thousands in our regional community each year.

To learn more about the Hermitage and upcoming programs, please visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.