Welcome to Kendra Kuhlman,  
Executive Director of Manhattan Arts Center.

July 2023

The Board of Directors of the Manhattan Arts Center has named a new Executive Director of the organization: Kendra Kuhlman, who has most recently served as the Director of Program Development at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation and as Assistant Director/Development Officer for the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, KS. Kuhlman was unanimously approved by the Arts Center Board of Directors following a nationwide candidate search.  
 
 "A few of the keys to leading a vibrant community arts center are designing and executing strategic plans; building, sustaining, and expanding inclusive community engagement; raising funds and spending wisely — all to support ever-evolving artistic works and education opportunities. Kendra Kuhlman has the enthusiasm and experience to do all this and more. We are thrilled to welcome her as the new executive director of the Manhattan Arts Center and look forward to a successful and invigorating future with her at the helm,” said Manhattan Arts Center Executive Board member Heather McCornack. 
 
 “I am incredibly honored and excited to have been chosen to lead the MAC into the next chapter of expansion to truly become the center for arts in our community, offering a diverse array of programming for all ages.  With the mission of “arts for all,” I intend to collaborate with an array of community partners to strategically grow and expand the Manhattan Arts Center to become a hub of creativity for our growing community,” Kuhlman says. 
 
 After living in Lawrence, KS for 12 years, Kuhlman along with her husband, and two children, moved to the Manhattan area four years ago.  She earned a bachelor’s degree in Education from Kansas State University, and a Master of Science in Journalism, Marketing and Communications from the University of Kansas.  She has held positions in sales, marketing, nonprofit development and leadership, fundraising, and strategic program development.   With a passion to increase public art opportunities in Manhattan, she has spent the past two years with the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation guiding the Community Arts Committee in the distribution of arts grants and leading project management for multiple public arts projects in our community.  

 The MAC can be a beacon for artists and creatives throughout our region.  Kuhlman strives to promote growth, innovation, education, and meaningful engagement in the arts, building on the center’s past and shaping a bright future for the Manhattan Arts Center. 
 
The Manhattan Arts Center is located at 1520 Poyntz Ave. and is open to the public Monday – Friday Noon – 5:30 pm. For more information, visit https://www.manhattanarts.org