Rockingham Times

PORTSMOUTH–The Board of Directors of Arts In Reach (AIR) is pleased to announce the selection of nonprofit veteran Jennifer Minicucci as executive director. She replaces Debra Holloway, who is leaving AIR as of Dec. 31. AIR is a youth development organization empowering girls and gender-expansive teens through free access to arts programming, mentorship, and creative community.

“Our selection committee found that Jennifer set herself apart with strengths in her leadership philosophy, relationship building, entrepreneurial drive, and long-range vision,” said Virginia Skevington, president of AIR’s Board of Directors. “Her emphasis on collaboration, integrity, service, and creativity are an excellent fit with AIR, and we are grateful to attract such a high-caliber leader. Jennifer’s diverse experience providing access to meaningful experiences with education and art that are inclusive, improve lives, and build connection offers AIR the opportunity to grow and continue making a significant impact on the lives of young people in the communities we serve.”

Minicucci brings a wealth of knowledge and success in administrating cultural and educational organizations on the Seacoast and northern New England. Before joining AIR, she consulted for a variety of nonprofits, providing strategic guidance on board development, fundraising, and operational planning. Her work included devising new anti-racist approaches to fundraising for Indigo Arts Alliance (IAA), a Portland, Maine-based artist residency supporting Black and Brown artists. She also helped launch Pinetree Institute’s new mission to spread awareness of community-based approaches to addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences. Additional clients included InventiveLabs, a startup incubator and gap-year program for alternative learners in Amesbury, Mass.; Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra; and Prescott Park Arts Festival.

Minicucci arrived on the Seacoast in 2015 as the inaugural director of development for Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC), creating a robust development function that established a scholarship fund during a pivotal period in PMAC’s trajectory. Prior to PMAC, she held event planning and donor cultivation positions at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester where she led the creation of their successful and now annual Heart of the Arts gala. Minicucci is also the co-founder of a public chartered elementary school for neurodiverse students in Manchester. Her work in the nonprofit sector was preceded by a career in marketing communications for Cone Communications in Boston, and Ogilvy Public Relations in Washington, D.C.

“The arts have a transformative power to create community, educate, expand perceptions, and invoke change,” said Minicucci. “All young people deserve access to the arts. Right now, we are experiencing alarming rates of depression and anxiety in our teens like never before. AIR—using art as a vehicle for mental health services, mentorship, and life-changing opportunities—is actively doing something about it.

“Because of AIR, teens do not have to confront the challenges of adolescence in isolation. AIR offers a warm welcoming space and caring mentors to support them as they explore, express themselves, build confidence, and create the sense of self they will carry into adulthood. Healthier adolescents lead to healthier communities.” With respect to her position, Minicucci says, “AIR is the only organization of its kind, so this rare opportunity to provide purposeful leadership toward their mission is a gift.”

She continued, “Under Debra’s excellent leadership, steering AIR through the unforeseen global-level hurdles of the past two years, AIR is the strongest it has ever been. With AIR poised for substantial growth, my role is to lead efforts to expand upon and develop powerful community partnerships, amplify the voices of our teens, and ensure AIR meets the needs of every young person in the region who can benefit from our programs.”

Minicucci holds a master's degree in Arts Administration and Cultural Entrepreneurship from Northeastern University. She recently served as president of Art-Speak, the cultural commission for the City of Portsmouth, and is presently serving on the Board of Advisors for the Museum of Art at the University of New Hampshire, the Advisory Circle for IAA, and on the Visual Arts Committee of PMAC. She is a visual artist, maintaining a studio in the barn of the 200-year-old farmhouse she shares with her family in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire.

About ARTS IN REACH

Arts In Reach (AIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire teenage girls and gender-expansive youth to be brave, elevate their voices, and create the lives they imagine.

AIR has been empowering historically underserved teens from southeastern New Hampshire and Maine since 1997, through mentorship and arts education programming. These performance and visual arts programs are led by professional teaching artists who encourage teens to explore what makes them unique in a welcoming space for open self-expression and lasting friendships. All of AIR’s enrichment opportunities are provided completely free of charge, including mental health support, transportation, and supplies. To apply for a program, visit artsinreach.org or email info@artsinreach.org. Learn more about AIR on LinkedIn.
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