New Leadership. New Roles. New Adventures.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Steve MacQueen as Circus Smirkus Executive Artistic Director — a new leadership role designed to provide strategic and artistic oversight for the entire Smirkus organization and promote a culture centered on excellence, innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
After an extensive national search, we found Steve right here in Vermont! For the past 10 years, he has been the Artistic Director at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, one of Vermont’s leading arts organizations. Over the course of his 24 years as an arts administrator, Steve has been the Director of Florida State University’s Opening Nights festival, Director of the Porter Center for the Performing Arts at Brevard College, and Marketing Manager and Jazz Curator at Clayton State University’s Spivey Hall in Atlanta, Georgia. As Smirkus plans for its 35th summer, we are thrilled to welcome Steve to our community. There will be many opportunities to meet him in person this summer…stay tuned!
We are also extraordinarily proud to announce that Smirkus alum and long-time staff member Joshua Shack has been promoted to Associate Artistic Director. Josh has worn just about every hat there is to wear at Circus Smirkus, and we could not be more pleased to have him don this one!
There are few people who understand and respect all the elements of Smirkus as much as Josh, and he has played a critical role in our ability to navigate the challenges associated with the pandemic. Josh’s many talents and boundless creativity will be of immense benefit to Smirkus as we rebuild and plan for our bright future.
We have some bittersweet news to share, as well. Quite a while ago, Deputy Director Judy Gaeth expressed her desire to retire from Smirkus. We prevailed upon her to stick around for a bit, and she graciously helped us find our way through the pandemic.
Over the past 20 years, we have all benefited from Judy’s wisdom, her love of Smirkus, and her generous spirit—in so many ways she has made Smirkus, and all of us, better and stronger. We know we will DEFINITELY see her down the road after she wraps up her official duties on June 1, 2022.