Kathy Andrews, who was dismissed in March as director and curator of Metropolitan State College of Denver’s Center for Visual Art, has turned down another position at the school that would have involved a pay cut of 40-45 percent.
Andrews’ removal, which becomes effective when her contract expires June 30, is part of a restructuring of the center that includes a $200,000 cut in funding from Metro State.
She was offered a newly created position, in which she would split her time between coordinating the center’s activities and teaching. Her salary would have dropped from $82,000 to $45,000 to $50,000.
“The position I’ve held for three years has been a full-time job,” Andrews said, “and to be additionally expected to raise more than twice as much money and to also teach and advise students is more than a full-time job.
“And to be expected to do more than a full-time job and be paid significantly less money is not what I want to do.”
Cathy Lucas, a Metro State spokeswoman, said the college “regrets” Andrews’ decision. It plans to move forward with a search to fill the position.
The 15-year-old LoDo facility is one of the city’s top contemporary-art spaces, presenting six exhibitions each year.
It has had an annual budget of $500,000, with an allocation of $350,000 from the college’s general fund. But beginning July 1, the college is reducing its support by $200,000.
In April, the college moved oversight of the center to the school’s art department and gave its chairman, Greg Watts, the title of interim executive director.
Fine arts writer Kyle MacMillan can be reached at 303-820-1675 or at kmacmillan@denverpost.com.
