BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 ArtsQuest is pleased to announce that Steve Ott has been promoted to vice president of operations and external projects. Ott, who began with the organization as a seasonal operations assistant in 2000 and 2002, spent time with the State Theatre in Easton before beginning his full-time ArtsQuest tenure in 2006, serving as a year-round operations assistant.<\/p>\n
Considered instrumental in the growth of many ArtsQuest events \u2013 most notably Oktoberfest and Christkindlmarkt \u2013 Ott has maintained a consistent and proven track record throughout his career with the Bethlehem-based arts and culture nonprofit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m pleased to share this news of Steve\u2019s advancement,\u00a0a well-deserved next step in his career, and reflection of all of his many achievements,\u201d said Ray Neeb, ArtsQuest Senior Vice President of Operations.\u00a0\u201cOver the last seven years he\u2019s managed to transform Christkindlmarkt into a world class event. From layout to d\u00e9cor, he\u2019s transformed our annual event into a holiday tradition. There\u2019s no doubt his efforts were what led to Christkindlmarkt being named one of the best holiday markets in the U.S. by Travel +Leisure twice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neeb said that Ott has had previous success overseeing other departments like merchandise and operations, having served as Events Manager in 2010 when the SteelStacks Campus opened. Ott was promoted to ArtsQuest Director of Festivals and Facilities in 2015. His continued commitment to new ideas and innovative approach to meeting operational needs led to an additional promotion to Senior Director of Operations in 2021.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m extremely excited to be given this opportunity,\u201d said Steve Ott, ArtsQuest\u00a0Vice President of Operations and External Projects. \u201cHonestly, through the many years that I\u2019ve spent here, I\u2019ve had the chance to not just grow in, but grow with ArtsQuest. When I started we had one building and two major events. I\u2019ve been able to watch, learn, and evolve to be a part of the leadership team here at ArtsQuest and what it has become, with the multitude of events on the SteelStacks Campus as well as the Banana Factory, not to mention the vision of where it is going. There are many processes and abilities that I\u2019ve learned through all those years, but I think the thing that will always stick with me is the desire to change, to improve, to not be satisfied with what works, but to try and figure out how it can work better.<\/p>\n
According to Ott, this step in his journey may bring challenges, but they\u2019re challenges he looks forward to tackling.<\/p>\n
\u201cArtsQuest is an amazing place to come to work on a daily basis, from the incredible people you get to work alongside, to the amazing amount of creativity that surrounds you every day,\u201d Ott said. \u201cBut if I had to pick a favorite part, it would be the fact that I get to actively be a part of an organization with such positive impact on my community. As for what I\u2019m looking forward to most, I can\u2019t wait to see the next phase of ArtsQuest! I\u2019m looking forward to having an active part in our growth and how it impacts the communities around us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neeb noted that it was Ott\u2019s innovative thinking that helped ArtsQuest conduct its annual\u00a0Christkindlmarkt during the COVID pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe recreated the event so that it was a fully outdoor and socially distanced event,\u201d Neeb said. \u201cBecause of his leadership, we were able to continue this beloved holiday tradition and support many local businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Neeb, Ott\u2019s visionary approach has also aided with another community favorite, Oktoberfest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough the years Oktoberfest has taken on many different iterations but has landed as \u2018the place to be\u2019 in our region the first two weekends of October,\u201d said Neeb. \u201cIt was via Steve\u2019s vision of multiple themed beer garden tents that has transformed the event and resulted in record setting returns the last two years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be given the ability to continue to grow with this company that I\u2019ve invested so much into, and that has invested so much into me is truly an honor,\u201d said Ott.<\/p>\n
In his new role, Ott will also be responsible for\u00a0managing Musikfest including all aspects of layout, design, and daily event operations, with additional focus placed on the organization\u2019s growing external efforts with neighboring community and sponsorship partners. Additionally, he will continue overseeing the ArtsQuest Facilities Team, leading the facilities committee with ongoing maintenance and capital needs.<\/p>\n
About ArtsQuest<\/strong> Through festivals such as its flagship event,\u00a0Musikfest<\/a>; the\u00a0Banana Factory Arts Center<\/a>; and the ArtsQuest Center at\u00a0SteelStacks<\/a>\u00a0arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest\u2019s programming reaches more than 1.9 million people annually. The organization\u2019s programs and events, approximately 50%\u00a0<\/u>of which are free to attend, have a combined economic impact of more than $136 million annually in the region. ArtsQuest is a proud member of NIVA, the\u00a0National Independent Venue Association<\/a>\u00a0and NATO, the\u00a0National Association of Theatre Owners.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Information provided to TVL by: <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BETHLEHEM, Pa. \u2014 ArtsQuest is pleased to announce that Steve Ott has been promoted to vice president of operations and external projects. Ott, who began with the organization as a … Continue reading ArtsQuest names new VP of Operations and External Projects<\/span>
\nArtsQuest\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0mission is to provide access to exceptional artistic, cultural and educational experiences using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities. ArtsQuest\u2122 supports this mission via the presentation of performing and visual arts, film, arts education classes and outreach, youth programming and cultural events.<\/p>\n
\nKelley Andrade, ArtsQuest
\nPublic Relations Coordinator
\nhttp:\/\/www.artsquest.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n
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